d to two decades of hostility between the
states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen
in 1990. A southern secessionist movement in 1994 was quickly subdued. In
2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to a delimitation of their border.

Geography Yemen

Location: Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and
Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 48 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 527,970 sq km land: 527,970 sq km note: includes Perim,
Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the
former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen) water:
0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries: total: 1,746 km border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi
Arabia 1,458 km

Coastline: 1,906 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate: mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in
western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot,
dry, harsh desert in east

Terrain: narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged
mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert
interior of the Arabian Peninsula

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal
an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits
of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west

Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% other: 97% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 4,900 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: sandstorms and dust storms in summer

Environment - current issues: very limited natural fresh water
resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil
erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but
not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note: strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait
linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active
shipping lanes

People Yemen

Population: 18,701,257 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 47% (male 4,468,928; f