North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to a delimitation of their border. Fighting in the northwest between the government and Huthi rebels, a group seeking a return to traditional Zaydi Islam, began in 2004 and has since resulted in seven rounds of fighting - the last ended in early 2010 with a tentative ceasefire. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2008 when a popular socioeconomic protest movement initiated the prior year took on political goals including secession. Public rallies in Sana'a against President SALIH - inspired by similar demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt - slowly built momentum starting in late January 2011 fueled by complaints over high unemployment, poor economic conditions, and corruption. By the following month, some protests had resulted in violence, and the demonstrations had spread to other major cities. By March the opposition had hardened its demands and was unifying behind calls for SALIH's immediate ouster. Media reports indicated that as many as 100 protesters had been killed and many more injured amid the protests. Domestic and international efforts to mediate a resolution to the political crisis had not yielded a deal as of mid April.

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east

narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west

sandstorms and dust storms in summer

limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes

24,133,492 (July 2011 est.)

33.49 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

7.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

SANAA (capital) 2.229 million (2009)

4.63 children born/woman (2011 est.)

urban: 72% of population

rural: 57% of population

total: 62% of population

urban: 28% of population

rural: 43% of population

total: 38% of population (2008)

urban: 94% of population

rural: 33% of population

total: 52% of population

urban: 6% of population

rural: 67% of population

total: 48% of population (2008)

predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans

Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shia), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

21 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan (Aden), Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amanat al 'Asimah, 'Amran, Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Raymah, Sa'dah, San'a' (Sanaa), Shabwah, Ta'izz

22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); note - previously North Yemen became independent in November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate in 1962; South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

Unification Day, 22 May (1990)

16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001

mixed legal system of Islamic law, English common law, and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve eight-year terms)

General People's Congress or GPC [Abdul-Kader BAJAMMAL]; Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Muhammed Abdallah AL-YADUMI]; Nasserite Unionist Party [Abd al-Malik al-MAKHLAFI]; National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Dr. Qasim SALAM]; Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Yasin Said NU'MAN]; note - there are at least seven more active political parties

Muslim Brotherhood; Women National Committee

AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white)

Yemen is a low income country that is highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Petroleum accounts for roughly 25% of GDP and 70% of government revenue. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources by diversifying its economy through an economic reform program initiated in 2006 that is designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. In October 2009, Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. In January 2010, the international community established the Friends of Yemen group that aims to support Yemen's efforts towards economic and political reform, and in August 2010 the IMF approved a three-year $370 million program to further this effort. Despite these ambitious endeavors, Yemen continues to face difficult long term challenges, including declining water resources and a high population growth rate.

$63.4 billion (2010 est.)

$58.69 billion (2009 est.)

$56.51 billion (2008 est.)

$31.27 billion (2010 est.)

6.832 million (2010 est.)

19.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

39.1% of GDP (2010 est.)

36.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

18% (31 December 2009 est.)

18% (31 December 2008 est.)

$3.551 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$3.74 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$9.739 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$9.552 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$5.297 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$5.098 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish

crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production

5.665 billion kWh (2007 est.)

4.133 billion kWh (2007 est.)

288,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)

155,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

274,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)

65,860 bbl/day (2007 est.)

3.16 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

454,700 cu m (2009 est.)

478.5 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

$-2.181 billion (2010 est.)

$-2.328 billion (2009 est.)

$7.462 billion (2010 est.)

$5.812 billion (2009 est.)

crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish, liquefied natural gas

China 36%, Thailand 17.63%, India 13.54%, South Africa 6.16%, Japan 5.49%, UAE 4.99% (2009)

$8.35 billion (2010 est.)

$7.518 billion (2009 est.)

food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals

China 13.98%, UAE 12.3%, India 8.63%, Saudi Arabia 5.8%, US 4.52%, Brazil 4.51%, Turkey 4.51%, Kuwait 4.33%, France 4.24% (2009)

$5.744 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$6.993 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$7.147 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$6.552 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar -

8.313 million (2009)

state-run TV with 2 stations; state-run radio with 2 national radio stations and 5 local stations; stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia can be accessed (2007)

2.349 million (2009)

gas 423 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,367 km (2010)

Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla

the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators reduced the incidence of piracy in that body of water by more than half in 2010

Army, Navy (includes Marines), Yemen Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Jamahiriya al Yemeniya; includes Air Defense Force), Republican Guard (2010)

voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)

a Coast Guard was established in 2002

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities