22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); note - previously North Yemen became independent in November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate in 1962; South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
Religions
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shia), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
Languages
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Arabic
Exports
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish
External Debt
$729,900,000 $
$6,613,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar - 199.76 (2008 est.), 199.14 (2007), 197.18 (2006), 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.600%
6.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Area
30,355 km sq
527,968 km sq
Coastline
0 km
1,906 km
Climate
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east
