About Yemen

Located in the Middle East, with coast along the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, Yemen used to be two separate states. The North Yemen belonged to the Ottoman Empire and the South was a protectorate of the British Empire. The north gained independence in 1918 after the Ottoman Empire′s disintegration and the south gained independence from Britain when they left the region in 1967, in which the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation. The two states formally amalgamated to form one nation, the Republic of Yemen, in 1990. Yemen′s capitol, Sana′a, apart from being incredibly romantic and intriguing holds claim to being the oldest city in the world.

Whenever you travel to a new country it can be daunting and because of this it is often important to have some background information on your destination. Because of this we have provided a general outline of Yemen below. Please be advised that information contained in this page is subject to change without prior warning or knowledge, and as such you should consult an expert for the most accurate details.

Official Name: Republic of Yemen

Capital: Sana′a

Location: Yemen is located in between Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the East. It also has coastline that lies on the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Size: Yemen has a size area of 527,970 sq km′s, comparatively slightly smaller then Kenya.

Climate: Yemen can be quite hot and humid on the west coast and quite hot and dry on the east coast and in the desert region.

Population: Yemen′s population is approximately 23.8 million people.

Life expectancy at birth: The life expectancy of an average Yemeni citizen is 63.27 years old.

Major illnesses: There is a high risk that whilst in Yemen you will catch a major illness, the sorts of illnesses that are prone in Yemen are; food and water borne bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and typhoid fever. Vector borne dengue fever and malaria, and water contact disease schistosomiasis.

Ethnicities: There is predominately Arabs in Yemen; however there are also a few Afro-Arabs, Indians and Europeans as well.

Languages: Arabic

Religion: Predominately Muslim including Sunni and Shia′s, there are small Jewish and Christian groups in Yemen as well.

Government: Yemen is a republic in which the head of state is elected directly by the people.

Head of State: The current president of Yemen is Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Economy: Yemen is one of the poorer countries in the Arab world; it reported average annual growth of 3-4% from 2000 to 2007 whereas its close neighbors Oman and Saudi Arabia were reporting growths of up to 9%. In 2008 growth dropped below 3% due to the fall in oil prices and the onset of the financial crisis, which significantly reduced the amount of aid which Yemen received from international donors. In 2006 Yemen began attempts to bolster its non oil revenue; it is in the process of developing not only liquefied gas fields but also harvesting its large reserves of salts.

GDP: Yemen has a GDP purchasing power of $55.25 billion USD

For more information about Yemen expat insurance, the international health insurance plans that we can offer in Yemen, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.

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