Yemen - Teachmideast 10/14/16, 3:17 PM

Yemen - TeachMideast 10/14/16, 3:17 PM

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GEOGRAPHY

Yemen (Official title: Republic of Yemen, Arabic pronunciation: al-Jumhuriyah al-Yamaniyah) borders the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It has a total area of 527,970 sq km or 203,850 sq miles and a desert climate. The climate is hot and humid along the coast, temperate in the western mountains, and extremely hot and dry in the eastern desert. A little less than 3% of its land is arable. As with many other Middle Eastern countries, Yemen experiences sand and wind storms in the summer. Currently, Yemen is experiencing overgrazing, desertification, soil erosion, and limited access to fresh water. Many Yemeni farmers grow a plant called Qat, which is chewed for its stimulant properties and is more profitable than traditional crops; however, the cultivation of qat demands far more water than traditional crops, further

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imperiling the already dwindling water supply. In fact, water, or the lack thereof, has become a major cause of conﬂict throughout the country. Progress on these issues has been stalled by shortfalls in local and national budgets, and by the prolonged and devastating conﬂict between Saudi-backed government forces and the separatist Shia Houthi population.

A unique feature of Yemen is Socotra Island located 240 kilometers (150 mi) east of the Horn of Africa and 380 kilometers (240 mi) south of the Arabian Peninsula. The island is isolated and through the process of speciation, a third of its plant and animal life is found nowhere else on the planet. One such example is the dragon’s blood tree, which is an umbrella-shaped tree whose red sap was once used as a medicine. The island also features the dendrosicyos socotranus plant. Known as the “cucumber tree,” this is the only plant with signiﬁcant genetic similarities to cucumber plants that grows in tree form. Several unique bird species like the Socotra starling and Socotra sparrow are found only on this island. The island has been described as the most alien-looking place on Earth. The island measures 132 kilometers (82 mi) in length and 49.7 kilometers (30.9 mi) in width.

Geography Resources

Basic Map Yemen Nature Photographs of the Socotra Archipelago (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Video: Qat Addiction "Water Scarcity in Leading to Life- Yemen: the Country's Threatening Water Forgotten Conﬂict" Shortage Newsweek: Yemen Is Tearing Itself Apart Over Water

HISTORY & GOVERNMENT

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, but it is also one of the oldest centers of civilization, dating back to 1200 BCE. Between the 12th century BCE and the 6th century CE, Yemen was one of the centers of world commerce and was situated along the spice trade route, which provided a lucrative source of income. During the 6th century, Yemen fell under Ethiopian rule. Beginning in the 7th century, a series of Islamic caliphs who ruled the area until the 11th century, when Egyptian Sunni caliphs took control of much of the northern region of present-

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day Yemen. Most of Northern Yemen and small parts of Southern Yemen became incorporated into the Ottoman Empire during the 19th century, although the Zaidi imams generally maintained control of the highland regions until the Ottomans captured Sana’a in 1872.

During this century, the British Empire controlled areas along the coast of Southern Yemen and the port of Aden and administered the region as a part of British India. The British designated this territory as the Aden Protectorate and divided it into an Eastern and a Western Protectorate. The British used this port as a prominent station for refueling its coal ships on the route to India, and this position became even more important following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The British and Ottomans agreed upon a de facto border between the North and South in 1904, creating the divisions between the northern and southern regions which would have critical importance in the country’s modern history.

The defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I signaled the end of all Ottoman control of Northern Yemen. As Turkish forces withdrew in 1918, Imam Yahya Muhammad strengthened his control over the region and created the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen. This kingdom battled with the emerging Saud family in present-day Saudi Arabia, although control of the territory remained mostly unchanged and hostilities ended in 1934 with the signing of the Treaty of Taif. Northern Yemen joined the Arab League as a founding member of the organization in 1945 and entered the United Nations in 1947.

In Southern Yemen, the British formally recognized the city of Aden as a British colony in 1937. The surrounding countryside remained the Aden Protectorate and the British provided little support or development to this region. As pressure mounted for the British to leave Aden in the decades after World War II, the British attempted to consolidate control of this area by uniting several states of the Aden Protectorate into the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South. Throughout the early 1960s, the British worked to incorporate most of the Aden Protectorate into the Federation and in 1963, the Colony of Aden was added and the union was renamed the Federation of South Arabia. Those areas that did not join the Federation of South Arabia, which mostly comprised the territories in the eastern half of the former Aden Protectorate, formed the Protectorate of South Arabia in 1963.

Video: Yemen, A Failed National Dialogue State Conference Site

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Biography of President NYT: Drone Strikes in Background on National Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Yemen Said to Set Dialogue Conference to Dangerous Precedent Resolve Conﬂict in Yemen

The Constitution of the Republic of Yemen

InternationalInternational && RegionalRegional IssuesIssues ResourcesResources

INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL ISSUES

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-ﬁlled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities such as illegal movement of suspected terrorists and drugs and weapons smuggling. Yemen holds roughly 4,500 refugees from Ethiopia and 227,000 from Somalia. In addition, conﬂict in the Sa’ada governorate in northwestern Yemen and clashes between Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, also known as Ansar al-Sharia, and government forces have created nearly 431,000 internally displaced refugees.

Despite its proximity to neighboring Gulf Cooperation Council member states, Yemen is excluded from the inﬂuential regional organization. Because of its poverty, its lack of oil and other resources, its non-monarchical government structure, and its support for Iraq during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, Yemen remains out of favor with and is distinctly divided from the GCC cohort. Nonetheless, the GCC in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular, have been generous with their ﬁnancial assistance to Yemen.

More than 6,000 people, about half of whom were civilians, have been killed since the start of Saudi-led coalition air strikes against Houthi rebels in March 2015, according to the United Nations, leading to international disapproval and allegations of war crimes. In addition, the American application of drone strikes in the ongoing campaign against Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) has been particularly controversial due to the high incidence of civilian

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casualties.

UNHCR Global The Saudi An Overview of "All Roads Lead Focus Report Arabia-Yemen the Saudi- to Djibouti as on Migrants, War of 2015 in Yemen Border Refugees Flee IDPs, and Pictures (The Dispute Yemen Even as Refugees in Atlantic, March Migrants Head Yemen 2015) There" (Guardian, May 2016)

PEOPLE & LANGUAGE

The population of Yemen is close to 27 million Population of Yemen and its population is quickly growing at a rate of 2.5% per year. Yemenis are typically of Arab descent, but signiﬁcant minorities exist of Arab 93% Africans in the west (4%), South Asians in the south (2%), and Europeans in metropolitan African 4% areas (1%). Some have immigrated in search of work while others are ancestors of European South Asian 2% colonists. European 1%

The educational system experienced many http://teachmideast.org/country-proﬁles/yemen/ Page 6 of 14 Yemen - TeachMideast 10/14/16, 3:17 PM

years of turmoil as the new united Yemen was forming in the early 1990s. The Yemeni government has increased emphasis on education by allocating anywhere from 14% to 20% of the annual budget to educational development. The Yemeni government provides universal, compulsory, and free education for ages six through fifteen. There are two levels of education: basic and 2.5% secondary. Basic school encompasses the first nine years and secondary school provides an additional three years of study. Students must pass an exam in order to receive their General Secondary Education Requirement Certificate. Yemen is home to seven universities: Sana’a University, University of Science and Technology Sana’a, University of Aden – Faculty of Education, TCL Yemen – Tayba Center for Languages, Queen Arwa Population Growing Rate (per year) University, Al-Ahgaff University, and the Lebanese International University.

People & Language Resources

Queen Arwa University Yemen's Healthcare World Health System Confronts Organization: Health Mounting Burden (Al System in Yemen Close Jazeera, March 2016) to Collapse (October, 2015)

RELIGION

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The dominant religion in Yemen is Islam and much of the constitution is based on Sharia law. People follow either the Shafii Order of Sunni Islam (one of the earliest schools of Islamic thought which emphasized the importance of consensus and analogies in defining law), or the Zaydi Order of Shia Islam (a branch of Shia Islam first taught by Zayd ibn ’Ali). The Sunnis are mostly located in the south and the Shia population is concentrated in the north with each group representing nearly 50% of the population. There is a small minority of about 3,000 Christians,

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less than 100 Jews, and about 40 Hindus. Freedom of religion is not expressly granted in the constitution, but the government typically does not hinder the private practice of religion. However, conversion from Islam and the proselytization of Muslims is illegal.

CULTURE & SOCIETY

The culture of Yemen has been influenced by two factors—religion and history. Yemen has a distinct cultural tradition with influences from Arabian, African, and east Asian sources. One such influence comes from Africa in the form of Qat. This small leaf provides a euphoric feeling when chewed and is common throughout the Arabian Peninsula, especially Yemen. In addition, Indian customs and traditions are evident in cities like Aden where Indian architecture and ancient Hindu temples can be seen.

Yemen oﬀers an array of food which diﬀers from what is commonly found in the surrounding area. Among these are Zhug, a spicy sauce used in many Yemeni dishes, and Salta, a traditional lunchtime soup.

The sexes are segregated in Yemen, and girls’ and women’s lives are bound by religion and tribal traditions. The country has gained attention for its practice of child marriage; there is no legal minimum age set for marriage so it us up to families to make their preferred arrangements. Nadia Alkowkabani has recently become a rising star through her novel, “It’s Just Love”, which details the difficult struggle of fighting against traditionally arranged marriages. Conversely, women have been very active in Yemeni civil society through NGOs and political engagement. Tawakkol Karman, a journalist, politician, and human rights activist, was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership role in the generally peaceful Arab Spring uprisings in Yemen. She has been called the “Iron Woman” and “Mother of the Revolution” by Yemenis for her role in the demonstrations; as a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, she became the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman, and the second Muslim woman to win a Nobel Prize. Karman is the also second youngest Nobel Peace Laureate to date.

Culture Resources

Yemenis React to Qat Background on the Yemen Culture Ban in City of Aden (May Indian Inﬂuences in 2016) Yemen (The Yemen Times)

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The Exotic Cuisine of Nadia al-Kowkabani, It’s Yemen Just Love Who Are The Seven Minorities In Yemen?

Art

Art is an omnipresent feature of Yemeni culture. Yemen has a rich history of architectural beauty, with many of the most prominent structures scattered throughout the capital of Sana’a, such as the Al-Sabahi residential buildings.

Yemen also has a selection of aspiring painters and poets. Kheira al Hindi is a Yemeni painter who draws and paints portraits of women in daily life. She has displayed her paintings in small galleries throughout Yemen. Poetry is another popular form of expression in the country. Yemeni poets have been featured on television where works often depict themes of national unity, national loyalty, and the condemnation of violence and terrorism. The 2011 winner of the UAE reality television poetry competition show, Prince of Poets, was Yemeni scholar Abdul Aziz al Zoraei, who wrote a series of poems on Yemeni politics.

Yemen is also home to several prominent museums. The National Museum, housed in one of the former Imam’s palaces, features exhibitions which showcase Islamic scripts, craft, agriculture, and archaeology in Yemen. The Taiz National Museum was located in the last residence of Imam Ahmed, and oﬀered a look into his personal life as everything in the building has been left as it was on the night he died in 1962. However, the structure was destroyed during recent Houthi shelling.

Art Resources

Kheira al Hindi Yemeni Arts & Culture National Museum

Peggy Crawford: Poetry in Yemen Yemeni Museums Photographs of Yemen (Architecture)

Sites

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Yemen is the home to many architectural and religious sites. There are ruins dating back to its early history such as the Cisterns of Tawila built around 155 BCE, and mosques like the Great Mosque of Sana’a built during the rule of the Rashidun caliphs (6th century CE). Another important religious site is the Tomb of the Prophet Hud. Located 140 km (87 miles) to the northeast of Seiyun city in the Hadramaut region, this tomb is a popular pilgrimage destination as it marks the resting place of Hud, an ancient prophet venerated in Islam.

Another popular site is Aden Port, which the British controlled until the period of decolonization in the 1960s. Aden is the mid-way point between Europe and the Far East, and is situated along the Suez Canal trade route. Tourism in Aden is centered on the harbor where miles of long, sandy beaches meet clear, blue seas. There are several nearby marketplaces that oﬀer spices, clothes, or jewelry.

Sites Resources

Cisterns of Tawila Spiritual Tourism Aden Port

The Mud Brick Villages Great Mosque of Sana'a Great Mosque & Shibam of Wadi Hadramaut and (town) Wadi Dawan

Music

The music of Yemen has been inﬂuenced by its history, and the traditional folk music, homayni, remains popular. It is played during festivals and ceremonies, as well as in casual home settings. Homayni has poetic lyrics and is played with drums. Some pieces of Yemeni folk music can be up

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to several hours long, and Qat is sometimes chewed during the performances to help stimulate creativity. Ayoob Tarish Absi is a famous Yemeni singer and melodist from the area of Al-Aboos in the Ta’izz Governorate. Ayoob composed the song “United Republic”, which became the national anthem of the Republic of Yemen.

Hip hop and pop music are rapidly growing in popularity. The hip hop outbreak in Yemen is often associated with the inﬂuence of Hajaj Abdulqawi Masaed, best known as “AJ”, an American- Yemeni rapper producing music since 1997. The production of Yemeni hip hop music increased greatly with the onset of the 2011 Yemeni Arab Spring revolution. Hip hop and rap music have been used to mobilize the youth into protests against the government as the lyrics are usually political and criticize the government.

Music Resources

Hajaj "AJ" Hip Hop in Ayoob, Video: Kids Masaed Yemen “Welcome to Perform Yemen” Traditional Yemeni Dance

Sports

Soccer, basketball, golf, water sports, and racket ball are among the most popular sports in Yemen. Among these, soccer is the most popular. Several city and regional clubs have been organized such as the Al-Ahli Sana’a team of Sana’a and the Shabab Al Bayda’ team of the city of Al Bayda’, so players can compete and the best represent Yemen in international arenas. However, Yemen has only had moderate success in international soccer tournaments. So far, its highest FIFA world ranking has been 90 out of 207 teams.

Yemen also has a signiﬁcant martial arts following. Mohammed Hussein Al-Ashwal is the most well-known Yemeni practitioner of the wushu, or kung fu style and has won four international gold medals. Tennis is also growing in popularity. The Yemen Tennis Federation has expanded the outreach of tennis programs to youth throughout the country by setting up training camps and holding competitions such as the Yemen Davis Cup. Young Yemeni tennis players have had some success in international competitions, as players Mo’amen and Hussein Hassan won gold medals in the 2006 West Asia Championship.

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