Geography
The Republic of Yemen is in the Middle East. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Yemen's territory includes the islands of Perim and Socotra.

Sanaa is the capital. Other cities are Aden, Hodeida, al-Mukalla and Taiz.

The terrain consists of a narrow coastal plain, desert, and mountains in the interior.

Yemen has a mostly desert climate; it is temperate in the western mountains.

Environment
Areas of environmental importance include Balhaf Burum coastal area, Sharma and Jathmun coastal sites, Jabal Bura in the Tihama foothills, and the Hawf Protected Area, an area of plant diversity.

The Socotra Archipelago, a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve, was added to the World Heritage List in 2008. Socotra is particularly famous for the Dragon Blood Tree, named after its blood red resin.

Architecture
The ancient cities of Sanaa and Zabid and the walled city of Shibam are World Heritage sites.

The Old City of Sanaa, situated in a mountain valley, has been inhabited for over two and a half thousand years. Buildings include mosques, hammams and multi-storey tower houses.

The Historic Town of Zabid, the capital of medieval Yemen, was a centre of learning. Structures include mosques, military buildings and the Islamic University.

The Old Walled City of Shibam dates from the sixteenth century. An example of multi-storey urban planning, the highest building has eight floors. Shibam is known as Chicago of the Desert or Manhattan of the Desert.

Population
The population of Yemen was estimated at 32.98 million in 2021.

Languages
Arabic is the official language.

Religion
Islam is the main religion. There small numbers of Christians, Hindus and Jews.

Food
The Yemeni national dish is spiced meat stew. Ingredients in stews include beans, chickpeas and lentils. Rice is eaten; rice with lamb is a favourite meal. Fresh fish is available.

Bread is prepared using either sorghum, barley or wheat.

Vegetables include aubergines, carrots, garlic, okra, onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach and squash.

Fruits available are apples, bananas, citrus fruits, dates, figs, grapes, mangoes, melons, papayas, peaches and pomegranates.

Tea is a popular drink, served with either with mint or milk. Coffee is often flavoured with spices.

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