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.
Yemen covers 527,970 km2 in the south-west
of the Arabian peninsula, and has
access to the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. The narrow
belt along the Red Sea coast is arid and barren. The mountainous inland
behind it is rather fertile and rises to 3,760m, at Hadur Shu’ayb, the
highest peak of the Arabian Peninsula. The rivers follow the land slopes
and drain eastwards. The Gulf of Aden
coast is sandy and indented and rises to the rugged Yemen Plateau inland.
To the north the Plateau descends into the gravel wastes of the Rub
al-Khali. About 10% of the population is nomadic. 14.1 million (1997 est).
80% live in the former North Yemen and 20% in the former South Yemen.
About 30% people live in urban areas. Ethnic composition: Predominantly
Arab, with about 4% other ethnic groups including Indo-Pakistani, Somali,
Amhara, Swahili, Jewish, Persian, European.
There are big
tourist potentials throughout the year due to the variety of
natural weather conditions represented by the warm sunlights and
refreshing sea waves and tides of the country's coasts. Besides, the
private sector constructed beautiful and modern tourist centers in Aden,
Hodeidah and Mukalla. No matter where you go deep down the Republic;
either from the side of the Red Sea or the Arabian Sea; the central
highlands can be seen distinguished with lively vegetation and freshly
non-pullulated air. The province Ibb witits natural architectural beauty
and green plantation is the prefect example of such natural wonders. The
northern highlands also have an abundant wealth of vegetation focused
through their agricultural terraces; typical patterns of rural
villages-untouched by modern machinery, sophisticated equipment-and
splendid landscape.
Perhaps the unique set-up and pattern of
the rural landscape is said to be so natural to the extent of having had
no effect whatsoever throughout the centuries i.e. customs, traditions,
clothings and households of villagers are still 100% Yemeni-original. This
not only can be wholly taken as one factor that attracts foreign visitors,
but may immediately surprises them due to its distinction, beauty, unique
form and taste.
Among the important towns for tourism are Aden,
Sana'a, Hajja, Sayuon, Mukalla, Ibb, Mareb and Al-Mahweet. As
for the tourist islands Socotra is by
far the most astonishing! Moreover, each of them differ from the other-
whether geographically known a town, city, village, district, or island-in
terms of its physical features, historical sites, weather, and inherent
traditions of the peoples.
Taking Socotra, for instance, except of scarcity of modern tourist
centers, the island contains more than three hundred species of plants
non-existing any where else in the world, and another thousand species of
rare marine creatures. This island is about 600 Kilometers away from Aden
and only conveniently reachable by air. However, the whole nature of the
island-360 kilometer long- is extraordinary fascinating !
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