| Area Total | 527,968 sq km |
| Climate | mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east |
| Natural Resources | petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west |
| Imports | $4.079 billion (2017 est.) partners: UAE 12.2%, China 12.1%, Turkey 8.7%, Brazil 7.3%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Argentina 5.5%, India 4.7% (2017) – food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals |
| Exports | $384.5 million (2017 est.) partners: Egypt 29.4%, Thailand 16.7%, Belarus 13.5%, Oman 10.5%, UAE 6.5%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2017) -crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish, liquefied natural gas |
| Government | in transition |
| Capital | Sanaa |
| Population | 28.7 million (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asian, European |
| Language | Arabic (official); note: a distinct Socotri language is widely used on Socotra Island and Archipelago; Mahri is still fairly widely spoken in eastern Yemen |
Yemen occupies the southwest corner of the Arabian peninsula. Saudi Arabia is to its north and Oman to the east.
Within Yemen, there has traditionally been a divide between north and south. The country has only been unified since 1990. Since 2011, a civil war has been going on between the Houthis in the south and the government forces in the north. Saudi Arabia has been participating on the side of the government.
Although Yemen is poor, it has many places of historical and archaeological significance. The Queen of Sheba is said to have reigned there in ancient times.
News about Yemen
- Middle East crisis live: 14 injured after Israel fails to intercept missile from Yemenby Hayden Vernon on December 21, 2024
Missile fell in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area leaving 14 people with minor injuries; attack comes days after Israel launched deadly strikes on YemenAn article on the Israeli news site Walla, owned by the Jerusalem Post, revealed Israel has used civilian contractors to demolish buildings and build military infrastructure in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.The […]
- Rocket fired from Yemen strikes an area of Tel Aviv overnight; 16 people lightly injuredby Via AP news wire on December 21, 2024
The Israeli military says a rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv in the early hours of Saturday, leaving 16 people slightly injured by glass from shattered windows
- Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024by The Associated Press on December 20, 2024
For the world, 2024 was riven by conflict on two fronts
- Netanyahu says ‘whoever harms Israel will pay heavy price’ after Houthis claim attacks on Israel – as it happenedby Maya Yang (now); Tom Ambrose and Kirsty McEwen (earlier) on December 19, 2024
This live blog is now closed. For the latest on the Middle East, read our full coverage here. At least 45,129 Palestinians have been killed and 107,338 injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Thursday.Iraq started on Thursday to send Syrian soldiers back to their homeland, state […]
- Israel launches deadly air raids against Yemen after missile attackby Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem on December 19, 2024
Dozens of combat jets said to have been involved in strikes that killed at least nine people in port city of HodeidahMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael has launched widespread airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, killing at least nine people in the port city of Hodeidah, and threatened more attacks against the group, which has launched […]
- US seeks stronger UN powers to intercept Red Sea shipments to Yemen’s Houthisby Patrick Wintour Diplomatic Editor on December 16, 2024
Pentagon also considering redesignating Iranian-backed Houthis as terrorist groupMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe US is seeking global support to give the UN clearer powers to interdict ships in the Red Sea heading for Houthi-controlled Yemen ports, as part of a concerted attempt to weaken the Iranian-backed group, according to the US special envoy.It […]
- Questions dog Trump pick for Middle East adviser with inconsistent résuméby Joseph Gedeon in Washington on December 12, 2024
The public profile of Massad Boulos, whose son married Tiffany Trump, doesn’t match his documented backgroundPresident-elect Donald Trump’s appointee to advise him on Middle East affairs, Massad Boulos, is reported to have significant discrepancies between his public profile and documented business background, casting doubt on the thoroughness of the […]
- Lonely graves, scattered bones: the stark reality of one of the most overlooked and fastest-growing migration routesby Fred Harter in Obock, Djibouti on December 10, 2024
Thousands of desperate migrants die in the desert and at sea, or fall victim to murderers and kidnappers, as they make their way along the ‘eastern corridor’ from Ethiopia to Saudi ArabiaThe bones lie scattered across the desert floor, close to the beach. Along with some tattered clothes, a single banknote and a sun-bleached identity card, they are the […]
- A heartbreaking account of life in Gaza | Lettersby Guardian Staff on October 22, 2024
Rev Graham Murphy says our government’s hands are steeped in this bloody war, and Mimia Umney-Gray asks what has happened to the worldWhat can any of us say to Ahmed Najar, whose family is trapped in the slaughterhouse that is north Gaza (In the Jabalia refugee camp, my sister has reached breaking point. What will it take to stop this nightmare?, 20 […]
- US attacks Houthi targets in Yemen with B-2 stealth bombers for first timeby Bethan McKernan in Jerusalem on October 17, 2024
Escalation was to ‘defend US forces and personnel’, says Lloyd Austin, as Houthi official says US ‘will pay the price’Middle East crisis – live updatesThe US has carried out B-2 stealth bomber strikes on Houthi underground weapons facilities in Yemen for the first time, in an escalation that appears in part to be a warning to the movement’s […]
- Iraq militias step up Israel attacks as Iran looks to junior proxiesby Jason Burke International security correspondent on October 17, 2024
Analysts suggest proxies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen fighting hidden conflict could be targets for Israel as it considers retaliation against TehranIran-linked militias in Iraq have launched about 40 attacks involving missiles, drones or rockets on Israel in the past two and a half weeks, the latest escalation in a largely clandestine proxy battle fought […]
- Drownings of two US Navy Seals were preventable, military investigation findsby Associated Press on October 11, 2024
Review concluded two men drowned due to glaring training failures after raid to seize Iranian weapons bound for Houthis Two US Navy Seals drowned as they tried to climb aboard a ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen because of glaring training failures and a lack of understanding about what to do after falling into deep, turbulent waters, […]
- Middle East crisis: Iran confirms resumption of air traffic – as it happenedby Helen Livingstone (now); Léonie Chao-Fong, Yohannes Lowe, Neha Gohil and Helen Davidson (earlier) on October 7, 2024
This blog has now closed. You can see all our coverage of the Israel-Gaza war: one year on here and all our coverage of the Israel-Lebanon conflict here.The death toll from the Israeli strike on the Gaza mosque has risen to 24, according to local authorities. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said 93 people were also wounded in the strikes on the […]
- Night of bombing in south Beirut – as it happenedby Helen Davidson and (earlier) Nadeem Badshah,Adam Gabbatt,Tom Ambrose, Cash Boyle and Rebecca Ratcliffe on October 6, 2024
This blog is now closed. Our latest live reporting of the Middle East crisis is here. And all our Middle East crisis coverage is hereAt least 41,825 Palestinians have been killed and 96,910 wounded in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the territory’s health authorities said on Saturday.A South Korean military transport aircraft […]
- Smoke rises from Yemen after US airstrikes hit Houthi targets – videoon October 4, 2024
US officials have said its military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen, targeting weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to the Iran-backed group. According to the US, military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi strongholds at about five locations. Houthi media say the airport in Hodeidah was hit, as well as a military base in […]
