The Republic of Yemen lies in the South of Arabia (The Arabian Peninsula), south-west of Asia, between latitudes 12 and 20 degrees to the north of the equator, and between longitudes 41 and 54 degrees to the south of Greenwich, bordered on the north by Saudi Arabia, on the south by the Arab Sea and the Gulf of Aden, on the east by the Sultanate of Oman and on the west by the Red Sea.

Country occupying the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen is about 350 miles (565 km) across (north to south) at its widest extent and about 700 miles (1,100 km) long. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia on the north and by Oman on the east. It is separated from Djibouti and Somalia by the Gulf of Aden on the southwest and from Eritrea by the Red Sea on the west, and its southeastern coastline is formed by the Arabian Sea. Yemen also includes the island of Socotra, about 620 miles (1,000 km) due east of the city of Aden in the Indian Ocean, and the Kamaran group, located in the Red Sea.

The area of the Republic of Yemen exceeds 555,000 sq. km. excluding the Empty Quarter.

The density: 35 inhabitants per sq. km.

Multiparty Republic with one legislative house (House of Representatives {301}).

Government Type: REPUBLIC

The capital is SANA'A city. Area 182,278 square miles (472,099 square km).

The main cities: Sana'a (Capital and Political), Aden (Economic and Commercial), Hodiedah, Mukalla and Taiz.

The Yemen currency is the Yemen Rial consisting of  l00 fils, it is issued in bank notes and coins. Bank notes are available in denominations of 1000, 500, 200, l00, 50, 20 and 10 Yemeni Rials. Coins come in denominations of 20, l0 and 5 Rials.

for information about the Exchange rate click here: http://www.centralbank.gov.ye/exrate.htm

visitors can exchange most international currencies in exchange establishments, which are spread all over the yemeni towns, or in Banks.  

Arabic is the official language of the country, with English being the most widely used second language.

Islam is the official religion and is the religion of the majority of the population except for a Jewish minority.

Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a) and small numbers of Jewish.

The three major regions of Yemen run generally parallel to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and consist of a narrow coastal plain, the Yemen Highlands farther inland, and a broad desert plateau in the country's northern portion. Extending southward from Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea is the Tihamah, a narrow coastal plain that is 15 to 25 miles (25 to 40 km) wide. Along the Gulf of Aden the coastal plain is 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km) wide and is discontinuous. The Tihamah of western Yemen merges eastward into highlands that reach elevations between 1,500 and 5,000 feet (450 and 1,500 m). As these highlands run farther east, they are divided by several wadi basins, including the perennial Wadi Hadramout. North of the Yemen Highlands is a sandy desert region that is a southern extension of Saudi Arabia's Rub' al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, and which covers about the half of the country.

In view of its topographical structure, the Republic of Yemen is divided into five regions: (Mountain, Highland, Coastal, Empty Quarter And The Yemen Islands).

1. Mountain region with heights ranging between 1000-3760m. high:

The western mountain range represent a large area of the country. It is the range called Al-Surat mountains stretching longitudinally from the north to the south and transversally from the west to the east which resembles the letter "L". These heights go down in different directions. They descend sharply westwards to the Red Sea, southwards to the Gulf of Aden, and eastwards and northwards to the interior desert areas. In the mountain heights, stretching from the north to the south, there are a number of basins (beds), of considerable agricultural importance with large populations, such as Sana'a basin, Yarim basin, Jahran flatland, Sa'da flatland, Alboun flatland, Aqwat Hadhramout bed and Si'aith bed in Mahara. The most prominent mountains in these heights are the mountains of Attaq, Bayhan, Mukairas, Al-Dhalie', Yafie', Sabra, Hudhour Alsheikh, Miswar and Prophet Shu'aib which at  3766m above sea level is the highest mountain in Arabia.

2. The Highland region:

This area lies to the east and north of the mountainous heights going in parallel to the heights towards the Empty Quarter. The maximum height of this area is 1000m gradually descending. Such area is represented by the highlands in Sana'a, Al Jouf, Shabwa, Hadhramout and Mahara. The out- skirts of this area in the north overlap with the Empty Quarter. 

3. The Coastal Area:

This area includes the coastal plains overlooking the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. They are connected to each other forming a coastal strip that extends from the Oman border south- westward to Bab Al-Mandab. This strip then changes its direction northward to the borders of Saudi Arabia, thus making it more than 2400km. long. The width of the plains range from 30 to 60 km.  

4. The Empty Quarter

This is a Yemeni desert area located to the north of Hadhramout highlands, and to the south of the western heights. This area consists of desert plains covered with gravel, sand and sandy dunes in Volving in some parts desert plants and vast oases, that were formed due to the collection of the seasonal water. It is inhabited by the wandering nomads because of its pastoral land.  

5. The Yemeni Islands

This part of the country consists of islands scattered along the coasts of Yemen. There are 120 islands, most of which are located in the Red Sea. The biggest islands are Kamaran, Greater Hunaish, Minor Hunaish, the rest of Archipelago, Zaqar, Zubair, AL-Tayr and the strategic island of Meon at the Bab AI-Mandeb. In addition there are islands located in the Gulf of Aden and thc Arabian Sea, the largest of which is Soqatra.

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