Official Name: Known as Republic of Yemen, or commonly Yemen.
Capital: The Capital of Yemen is Sana’a which is also the largest city in Yemen. The city lies inland on a high plain and is connected to the Red Sea port of Hodeida by road.
Location: Yemen is located in the Middle East, the only republic on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. To the North, it is bordered by Saudi Arabia, Oman to the East, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the South, and the Red Sea to the West.
Size: The total land area of Yemen is 528 thousand square kilometers and this ranks 56th globally. It is comparative in size to Thailand in Asia or Spain in Europe.
Climate: Due to the variations in Yemen’s topography, it has various climates. In the desert, summers are very hot, while in the mountains the climate is much milder. In the coastal area, rain falls sporadically. Higher up, it rains every month. In the north, the climate is drier, and cooler due to the altitude, with possible frost during winter nights. The east is mostly desert and as such is dry and hot all year round.
Population: Yemen has an estimated population of more than 23 million people, this ranks 49th globally. The population growth rate is about 3.45%.
Life expectancy at birth: The average life expectancy at birth for Yemen is 63.27 years, ranking at 173 out of 224 countries worldwide. Females have a longer average life span at 65.33 years, while Males average at 61.3 years from birth.
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Yemen is approximately 0.1%, placing 157th globally. This means that around 12,000 people are living with the disease in the country.
Major illnesses: The risk of major infectious disease in Yemen is high. Food or waterborne diseases such as bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever have been reported. Other major diseases also include Vectorborne diseases e.g. dengue fever and malaria or water contact disease like schistosomiasis. There have been 8 confirmed cases on Swine Flu (H1N1) in Yemen. Bird flu was also a threat to Yemen, but no confirmed cases according to WHO.
Ethnic Groups: Yemen is comprised predominantly of Arab, Afro-Arab, South Asians and Europeans.
Languages: The national language for Yemen is Arabic, Yemeni Arabic is spoken in several regional dialects. Foreign language in public schools is taught from grade seven on, though the quality of public school instruction is low. Private schools using a British or American system teach English and produce proficient speakers, but Arabic is the dominant language of communication. The number of English speakers in Yemen is small compared to other Arab countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Religion: Religion in Yemen consists primarily of two principal Islamic religious groups, 55% of the population is Sunni and 42% is Shi’a. The remaining 3% Yemenis are Jewish, Christian, and Hindu.
Government: Yemen is a Republic with a bicameral legislature. This means that the country is a representative democracy in which the people’s elected deputies, not the people themselves, vote on legislation. The bicameral legislature consists of the Shura Council, whose 111 members are appointed by the president, and the House of Representatives, whose 301 members are popularly elected to six-year terms. Administratively, the country is divided into 19 governorates.
Head of State: The Head of State is President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh. The President is elected by direct, popular vote for a seven-year term.
Head of Government: The Head of Government is Prime Minister of Yemen Ali Mohammed Mujawar who is appointed by the President.
Military: The Yemen Military is divided into three branches. Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Marines) and Yemen Air Force (includes Air Defense Force). The suitable age for the 2-year voluntary military service program is 16-49, this applies to both males and females.
Economy: Yemen is one the world’s poorest and least developed countries. Oil is Yemen’s economic mainstay and accounts for around 70% of government revenue, though the country is trying to diversify its earnings. The reported average annual growth from 2000-2007 is around 3-4%. The growth rate declined slightly in 2008 as the price of oil dropped and the downturn of the global economy reduced demand for oil. Yemen struggles to control corruption and excessive spending and relies greatly on foreign aid.
In November 2006, Yemen began an economic reform program to support non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. The country secured US$5 billion in development aid from Western and Arab donors. Yemen has limited exposure to the international financial system and no capital markets, however, the international aid in 2009 is likely to be reduced due to the global financial crisis.
GDP: Yemen has a purchasing power parity of US$55.29 billion, ranking at 86 in the world. The official growth rate is about 3.2%, which ranks 130th globally.
We can offer quality international health insurance products and services to expatriates and families in Yemen.
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