Yemen, Facts & Travel

Travel hints
Despite of the current unfavourable publicity in the media, Yemen is a very safe travel destination. All locations of touristic interest can be visited without any restrictions.

Language
Arabic is the official langauge, however English is widely understood and spoken in the bigger towns.

Climate
Since Yemen is endowed with a varied topography, the climate varies accordingly. Although there are no major seasonal differences. One can say there are two long seasons: summer and winter. During summer, the temperatures and humidity are high in the coastal areas, while the climate is moderate during winter. From time to time there will be some rain, due to the monsoon,which moderates the temperature in the coastal areas in summer. In the mountain areas, the weather is moderate in summer and cold in winter during the night and in the early morning, but the sun comfortably warms the air during the day.

Clothing
Because of the mild and warm climate it is recommended to bring light, loose cotton clothes. Women and men should cover their upper arms and legs. Furthermore solid footwear and a head cover are necessary, because Yemen is a mountainous country.In the winter months it's getting rather chilly during night and in the early morning. Therefore a pullover or a jacket should be a part of your baggage.

Ramadan
Ramadan is the holy month for the Muslim community. The entire nation will fast, what means to neglect food, drinks and all other pleasures between dawn and sunset in order to commit oneself to God.

All daily activities like markets in the cities and in the countryside will continue as usual. Therefore sightseeing is unrestricted. Even more the visitor will get an impression about "Arabia at night", since the nightlife in many urban places will go on until sunrise. The working hours of official institutions change to 11 am to 3 pm. It is recommended for visitors not to drink, to eat and to smoke in the public. However the hotels, restaurants and guest houses will provide all services for the traveler's need.

Alcohol
Yemen is a traditional Islamic country, therefore alcohol is prohibited. Visitors should respect this ethic value.Alcoholic drinks are only served in the big hotels, (Sana’a - Sheraton Hotel, Aden - M?venpick Hotel, Taiz - Marib Hotel, Hodeidah - Ausan Hotel, Ambassador Hotel and Bristol Hotel). It is recommended and requested not to drink alcohol during the day tours.

Electricity
The voltage in Yemen is 220 V. Five star hotels provide both options, 110 or 220 V. Travelers using electric or electronic equipment need adapters for the sockets.Flight connections

• • Yemenia from Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome
• Lufthansa from Frankfurt
• Royal Jordanian from Amman
• Egypt Air from Cairo
• Emirates from Dubai
• Gulf Air from Bahrain & Abu Dhabi
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  Republic of Yemen
  Government: Parliamentary Republic.National name: Al Jumhuriyahal Yamaniyah
  President: Ali Abdullah Saleh (1990)
  Prime Minister: Abdul Qader Bajamal (2001)
  
  Area
  The Yemen has an area of more than 550.000 km². (without the desert "The Empty Quarter")Population (2005 est.): 20,727,063 (growth rate: 3.5%)
  Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Sana?: 1,778,900
  Other large cities: Aden: 568,700; Hodiedah: 426,100; Taiz: 317,600
  Monetary unit: Rial
  Ethnicity: predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
  Literacy rate: 50% (2003 est.)
  
  History
  The history of Yemen dates back to the Minaean (1200–650 B.C.) and Sabaean (750–115 B.C.) kingdoms. Ancient Yemen (centered around the port of Aden) engaged in the lucrative myrrh and frankincense trade. It was invaded by the Romans (1st century A.D.) as well as the Ethiopians and Persians (6th century A.D.). In A.D. 628 it converted to Islam and in the 10th century came under the control of the Rassite dynasty of the Zaidi sect, which remained involved in North Yemeni politics until 1962. The Ottoman Turks nominally occupied the area from 1538 to the decline of their empire in 1918.
  
  The northern portion of Yemen was ruled by imams until a pro-Egyptian military coup took place in 1962. The junta proclaimed the Yemen Arab Republic, and after a civil war in which Egypt's Nasser and the USSR supported the revolutionaries, and King Saud of Saudi Arabia and King Hussein of Jordan supported the royalists, the royalists were finally defeated in mid-1969.
  The southern port of Aden, strategically located at the opening of the Red Sea, was colonized by Britain in 1839, and by 1937, with an expansion of its territory, it was known as the Aden Protectorate. In the 1960s the Nationalist Liberation Front (NLF) fought against British rule, which led to the establishment of the People's Republic of Southern Yemen on Nov. 30, 1967. In 1979, under strong Soviet influence, the country became the only Marxist state in the Arab world.
  The Republic of Yemen was established on May 22, 1990, when pro-Western Yemen and the Marxist Yemen Arab Republic merged after 300 years of separation to form the new nation. The poverty and decline in Soviet economic support in the south was an important incentive for the merger. The new president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, was elected by the Parliaments of both countries.
  Differences over power sharing and the pace of integration between the north and the south came to a head in 1994, resulting in a civil war. The north's superior forces quickly overwhelmed the south in May and early June despite the south's brief declaration of succession. The victorious north presented a reconciliation plan providing for a general amnesty and pledges to protect political democracy.
  The president's party, the General People's Congress, won an enormous victory in the April 1997 parliamentary elections, the first since the civil war.
  
  Economy
  The Republic of Yemen has adopted an economic policy based on free economics. The private sector plays a major role in the development of the country's economy and private ownership is legally ensured and protected. The investment law has created many opportunities for national and international investment and provides incentives and support in almost all sectors of Yemen's economy.
  For more information see www.giay.org or www.aden-freezone.com
  Economic Facts
  GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $16.25 billion; per capita $800. Real growth rate: 1.9%. Inflation: 12.2%. Unemployment: 35% (2003 est.). Arable land: 3%. Agriculture: grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat (mildly narcotic shrub), coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish. Labor force: 5.98 million. Industries: crude oil production and petroleum refining; small -scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement. Natural resources: petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, copper, fertile soil in west. Exports: $3.92 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish. Imports: $3.042 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals. Major trading partners: India, Thailand, South Korea, China, Malaysia, U.S., Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, France.