If there is one misunderstood country in the world right now it is Yemen.
Some fast facts, Yemen is located at the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen is mostly mountainous as a country and generally arid, which means very dry.
If we look at the facts, this country is officially called the Republic of Yemen. The capital city is Sana’a in Yemen. The recent population is 29,884,405. The main language of Yemen is Arabic.
The location of Yemen is key because it is in the Middle East, adjacent to the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea. Also, Yemen is between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Let’s learn more about Yemen below!
1. Yemen is located at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Not many countries can boast such an interesting and balanced location in the world. In general, this wonderfully ancient land is considered to be in the Middle East. Yemen orders the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, and is located between Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Historically, Yemen has always existed at the crossroads of its civilisations. In fact, for more than 7,000 years historically. The country was home to figures such as the Queen of Sheba who brought a caravan of gifts for King Solomon.
2. Yemen is going through a period of war, famine, and tension with the USA and Israel
Yemen is going through a catastrophic crisis that is hard to understand. Yemen now is in its seventh year of conflict. Moreover, Yemen has the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
When you have tensions with the biggest economy and military in the world, things will not be easy. And in Yemen, the situation means that it deteriorates as the country goes from crisis to crisis.
There have been estimates that nearly 21 million people urgently need humanitarian aid and protection. This is a real travesty all in all. Moreover, an estimated 12 million people are in serious need of food and medical attention. Clearly, what is needed is funding to enable a clear solution and effort to resolve the conflicts of war that cause terrorism, foreign relations problems, and more.
Yemen has been in a perpetual state of political crisis and conflict since about 2011. In Yemen, what is needed is to give millions of people emergency help to alleviate malnourishment, famine, and the effects of longstanding war and instability.
3. The Golden Eagle is a Symbol for Yemen
The eagle is a powerful symbol. Especially for Yemen. Because the national emblem or symbol of Yemen shows a golden eagle. This is the eagle of Saladin, which features a scroll between its claws.
This eagle symbol carries a lot of importance. In all, the scroll has written on it the name of the country written on it in Arabic. It is written,”The Yemeni Republic.” Moreover, the chest of the eagle showcases a shield. Furthermore, quite fittingly, it shows a coffee plant and the Marib Dam, including seven blue wavy stripes below. In general, the flagstaffs on the right and left of the eagle hold the flag of Yemen and show the power and mystery of the eagle.
4. The British once ruled half of Yemen
Historically, Yemen has seen a lot of different periods of power changes and struggles. Even today, there is tremendous flux in these areas, which is greatly affecting the population sadly.
What many may not know is that Britain occupied the city of Aden in Yemen. It is Britain's only official Arab colony, for over 100 years. The south of Yemen was an important and strategic British colony for 129 years.Historically, the British seized and conquered Aden in Yemen in 1839. Aden was the only Arab area that was a direct colony ruled by the British crown.
Yemen was once divided into north and south. The story was not so long ago with the north ruled by the Ottoman Empire and the south ruled by the British. As part of their Empire, the British established a protectorate around the port city of Aden. Overall, the British ruled southeastern Yemen for almost 150 years, which left quite an imprint.
5.British once ruled half of Yemen, which is an ancient kingdom with gold
Sheba dates from 1000 B.C- 275 A.D.This is an ancient kingdom that comes up in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran as well. It is noted, it is current historians that identify Sheba with the South Arabian kingdom of Saba. This is located in present-day Yemen and Ethiopia.
Some people may still want to look for and search for the land of gold and spices that the Queen of Sheba possessed. Queen Shebe was a legend in every way. There are controversies because the queen's existence in general is disputed among historians overall.
Sheba features in the tradition of Orthodox people in today's Yemen. Some Jewish historians claim Sheba was the home of Princess Tharbis. This is important because it is Tharbis, who is said to have been the wife of Moses at one time. There is no agreement on the exact nature of Sheba, though modern scholars have placed it in the general area around South Arabia and the Horn of Africa.
6. Yemen is where Mocha gets its name and is birthplace of coffee
Everyone knows Mocha, of course. Mokha, which is also spelled Mocha, or Mukha, is a port city in Yemen. This city is on the Red Sea coast of Yemen.This city, named Mocha, was once an extensive coffee marketplace and overall seen as the birthplace of the coffee trade.
Historically, Yemen is accepted as the place of the birth of the coffee industry. The big discovery happened in 1450. This is when Sufi monks in Yemen cultivated coffee plants and brewed the drink we know today as coffee.
At one point, the desire and growth of coffee expanded and benefitted Yemen. Why? Because Yemen monopolized world coffee trade and business for 200 years. Yemen was able to ship tons of beans from the port of Al Mokha.
7. The UNESCO Old City of Sana’a has been inhabited over 2,500 years
History is no stranger for Yemen, a country steeped with a long history. There is a lot of beauty and mystery in this place that goes unnoticed in the world like Sana. The city is known for its storeyed tower-houses, which are constructed of rammed earth, called pisé. This city is certainly known for its beauty and uniqueness. .
Sana has been for more than 2,500 years a major center and hub for Islam. The importance of Sana started during the 7th and 8th centuries. If you visit Sana, you will see that the area is made up of over a hundred mosques, around fourteen hammams and over 6,000 houses. All of these structures were built before the 11th century.
Sanaa, also spelled Sana'a and Sana, is the capital and largest city of Yemen. This was at one time an outpost for many Yemenite kingdoms, which existed for thousands of years and produced a lot of wealth and prosperity for Yemen.
8. Women have had an important role in the history of Yemen
For example, history has shown that women have played major roles in Yemeni society and historical developments. For example, going back before Islamic conquetes, women in Yemen held elite status in society. More importantly, you have the Queen of Sheba, who “is a great source of pride for the Yemeni nation”. Women clearly were a big part of their identity and past.
Yemen has a long history indeed with women and many great stories. But, one such story that may surprise many is that Yemen is the first country in the Arabian Peninsula to grant and give women the right to vote.
All in all, the history of Yemen showcases the cultures, significance, and people of this part of the world. Yemen is one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Near East as well, but has been in a lot of conflict for decades
Since suffrage was established in 1967, it meant that constitutional and legal protection was extended to women as well. This is a great step for women in Yemen but still today it suffers greatly and needs peace and stability.
9. The People’s Republic of South Yemen was the Arab world’s only Marxist state
Marxism is not what you may have expected from Yemen but it was a thing indeed. Historically, South Yemen was officially called the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. This was the name of the Republic.
Yemen, as this state had existed from 1967 to 1990. It was at the time, the only communist state in the Middle East and the Arab world. Unfortunately, it became a Marxist state under challenging times. Because South Yemen was one of the poorest countries in the Arabian Peninsula. As well, it caused Yemen to give birth to its most radical government in the 1960s and 1970s.
Yemen was recovering from war and looking to build a successful and fair state. Therefore, a socialist state in the Arabian Peninsula, which was meant to correct social ills.
10. The People of Yemen are popular for chewing a plant like Gum
Khat or qat, as it is called, is a flowering plant native to Africa. Khat, as it is commonly called, is cultivated by farmers. Moreover, the leaves are sold on the market as a flowering plant. All in all, Yemenis are famous for chewing Khat.
The best way to describe Khat is that it is a type of substance that is like amphetamine, which is a drug.The Yemeni have picked up or been doing this type of chewing for years with this plant.
All in all, the regional practice dates back thousands of years. In Yemen, it may be up to 90% of adult men chew khat up to 2-3 times a day. Moreover, even possibly 50% of adult women digest and use it as well.
