Yemen is Arabic name AL Yaman. This name is driven from its geographical location which is on the southern part of Arabian Peninsula. This name also means grace and blessing according to the Yeminis traditions. Yemen is in the southern part of Arabia is referred to at Happy Arabia. Yemen is an ancient country where the name Happy Arabia or Arabia Felix was used in 10 centuries BC during the times of Queen of Sheba. It was one of the fertile land that was irrigated by the dams built long time. This is a country that has been mentioned in the Bible. It is also believed that one of the apostles called Thomas made a stopover in Yemen on his way to India. The place where is stopped was some miles away from the mainland the present Somalia land where he established one of the oldest Christian community in the world.
The current president is Adb Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the country currency is called Yemei Rial. The capital city of Yemen is Sana’a. According to the national statistics, the country has a population of 23.85 million. The country has a unitary state with a constitution governed by a presidential system. This country is located in West of Asia in the continent of Asia.
During the scramble for Yemen it was divided into two sections the South and North Yemen. North Yemen become independent in 1918. It was colonized by the Ottoman Empire while British colonized the south Yemen. South Yemen become independent in 1967 and the two countries united in 1990 and it was referred to as Republic of Yemen.
Yemen in 523 AD was ruled by a monarch type of leadership where Dhu Nuwas is said to be the last powerful dynasty. Yemen had many Jewish community living in her soil approximately 50,000 people who were evacuated in six months. Muslim came to Yemen after the death of Prophet Mohammed in 632 AD. The orthodox Caliphs started ruling Yemen where a troop of Army were deployed from Yemen to serve Calip Abu Bakr and bring Islam into the present areas Iraq and Syria in the Middle East. One year after the death of Prophet Mohammed, Yemen was divided into three provinces; San’a, Al-Jahad and Hadramawt.
The Portuguese were the first people to colonize during the beginning of modern history in 1492. This was after the fall of Constantinople the same year. America was discovered in 1942 and in the same year Vaco de Gama sailed around the Great Hope. Turkish managed to occupy most of Yemen between 1538 and 1636. The Imam were the mai opponents who were very resistant to the Turkish.
Yemen gained prominence in the coffee trade in the 17th and 18th centuries. This was the main economic activity that shaped the image of Yemen in the world trade. The Turkish had eliminated all the political elements of the Imam. The interests of Yemen was evident during the World War I where British used the local tribes to fight the Turkish who were occupying the north part of Yemen. There was a divide which resulted into north and south Yemen.
After some years North Yemen also faced problems just like South Yemen. President Al Iryani was pressured by Saudi Arabia to resign in 1974. The step down of Al Iryani marked the start of the first free election which was done months later.
There was a civil war in year in 1994 after the military of the south and north Yemen. After the war the country came out more united than before. Instead of the war separating the country it become stronger. The war caused more damage to South Yemen than northern part. The political parties in the united republic of Yemen support the government and the national leaders even if they do not agree with them.
Reference
Dresch, Paul. Tribes, government, and history in Yemen. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.
