The Arabian Peninsula Partnership
The Gospel for every person and a church for every people in the Arabian Peninsula amongst indigenous peoples
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Information about Yemen
(source: Operation World)
| GEOGRAPHY |
Area: 531,869 sq.km. Mountainous south and south-western portion of the Arabian Peninsula and also the Indian Ocean island of Socotra.
Capital: Sana'a: 1,400,000. Other major city: Aden 630,000.
Urbanites: 24%
| PEOPLES |
| Population | Annual Growth | Density |
| 2000: 18,112,066 | +3.81% | 34 per sq. km. |
| 2010: 25,366,187 | +3.32% | 48 per sq. km. |
| 2025: 858,368 | +2.66% | 73 per sq. km. |
Arabs: 95%. Over 1,700 clans and tribes. Also: Sudanese 300,000; Omani 120,000; Iraqi 70,000.
Immigrant and Refugee communities: 4.3%. Somali 670,000; South Asian 76,000; Ethiopian 8,000; Eritrean 8,000.
Other: 0.7%. Mahri 80,000; Soqotri 40,000.
Literacy: 43% (23% for women) Official language: Arabic
| ECONOMY |
Agricultural and pastoral economy; the only part of the Arabian Peninsula with a significant rainfall. Oil provides 95% of foreign earnings. The expulsion of over 1 million Yemeni workers from Saudi Arabia in the 1990 Gulf War was a major blow to the economy. The poorest state in the Middle East. Income/person $380 (1.2% of USA).
| POLITICS |
A turbulent history of wars and conquests. The North was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 and then an isolated feudal theocracy until the 1962 Egyptian-engineered republican revolution. Aden (the South) was ruled by Britain until independence in 1967. A Marxist coup ousted the traditional rulers and imposed a leftist regime. The two countries united in 1990 with the north as the dominant partner. A southern secessionist revolt in 1994 led to a northern victory. A strong presidential government with a measure of democracy.
| RELIGION |
Islam is the official religion and the legal system is based on shari'a law. Sunni Islam 62% (in centre and south), Zaidi Shi'a 37% (in north-east), Ismaili 0.9%. Only freedom of religion for non-Muslims.
| Religions | Population % | Adherents |
| Muslim | 99.94 | 18,099,388 |
| Christian | 0.05 | 9,056 |
| Jewish | 0.01 | 1,000 |
| Christians | Denom. | Affiliation | ,000 | |
| Protestant | 1 | 0.00 | 0 | |
| Independent | 2 | 0.00 | 1 | |
| Anglican | 2 | 0.00 | 0 | |
| Catholic | 1 | 0.03 | 6 | |
| Orthodox | 2 | 0.02 | 3 |
| Churches | Congregations | Members | Affiliates |
| Catholic | 4 | 1,100 | 5,500 |
| Anglican | 4 | 120 | 200 |
| Orthodox | 1000 | 3,000 | |
| Other denominations (4) | 4 | 774 | 1,200 |
| Total Christians | 12 | 2,994 | 9,944 |
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