The Republic of Yemen is a Middle Eastern country situated on the Arabian Peninsula and bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman. The area was home to some of the ancient civilisations and from 2,000 BC it formed part of various kingdoms exploiting the lucrative spice trade. In the 6th century it was conquered by the Persians. From the 7th century it was ruled as an islamic caliphate.

In the 16th century and again in the 19th century, Yemen became part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1839, the British occupied the Port of Aden and South Yemen, while North Yemen in 1918 became independent of the Ottoman Empire, which was defeated in World War I. In 1967, the British were forced to withdraw from South Yemen. However, the two countries remained separate until a formal unification in 1990 under the name of the Republic of Yemen.

Inhabitants: 23,000,000
Area: 530,000 km2
Capital: Sana’a (1,700,000 inhabitants)
Languages: Arabic
Religion: Islam (99,7%), others (0.3%)
GDP (PPP) per capita: $2,400
Government: Government Republic
Climate: The weather in the coastal lowlands are hot in the summer and moderate in the winter, whereas the highlands are moderate in the summer and cold in the winter.