Largest Cities in Yemen

Facts about Yemen

Official languages: Arabic
Capital: Sanaa
Area: 527,970 km²
Population: 23.5 million residents
Population density: 44.50 residents per km²
Currency: YER
Internet TLD: .ye
ISO codes: YE, YEM, 887
The telephone code of Yemen is +967

Flag of Yemen

The current flag of Yemen was adopted in 1990 when North and South Yemen were united. Before 1990, each part had its own flag – the Northern Arab Republic enjoyed a flag similar to the current flag, except that a green five-pointed star was placed in the middle of the white stripe. The flag of the People’s Republic of South Yemen was distinguished by a blue wedge and a red five-pointed star in the flagpole. After the creation of the Republic of Yemen, all the different elements were dropped from the flag as a sign of compromise and unity. So only the horizontal tricolor in pan-Arab colors was left. The colors red, white and black traditionally signify solidarity with other Arab states.

The Republic of Yemen (Arabic الجمهورية اليمنية,) is a state in the Middle East, in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. It is about one and a half times the size of Germany and borders Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the east, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea to the south, and the Red Sea to the west. The states of Djibouti and Eritrea are about 20 and 30 kilometers away on the other side of the Red Sea. The coastline is 2400 kilometers; the internal borders are 1746 kilometers long. Yemen also includes the 3814 km² island group of Socotra as well as numerous smaller islands in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. The history of Yemen has been around since the 8th century BC. Mainly characterized by the frankincense trade and the kingdoms based on it. The most important empire was Saba with its capital Marib.

In 1990 the two former states of North Yemen (capital Sanaa) and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (southeast, capital Aden) united to form the current state. Since 2013, Shiite Houthi rebels, supporters of ex-President Ali Abdullah Salih, AQAP’s al-Qaida branch, have been fighting for power with the central government’s army, supported by the separatists of South Yemen. In this conflict, the Houthi militias succeeded in conquering the capital Sana’a and large parts of the country, and they were on the verge of conquering the provisional capital Aden. As a result, Saudi Arabia began a military intervention on March 25, 2015 with the military involvement of eight other states in favor of President Hadi and Prime Minister Khalid Bahah. Since then a brutal civil war has raged.

Biggest Cities of Yemen by Population

The largest cities in Yemen are Sana’a and Aden. Sana’a is the capital of Yemen and has a population of around 3 million people. It is an ancient city with a history going back to the 4th century BC and it was once the capital of the Sabaean kingdom. Today, it is a bustling metropolis with many modern amenities such as shopping malls, universities, hospitals, and hotels. The city also has several ancient monuments such as the Great Mosque of Sana’a which was built in the 7th century AD. Visitors can also explore the Old City which contains many interesting sites such as Sheba’s Palace and Al-Qasimi Mosque. Aden is located on Yemen’s southern coast and has a population of around 1 million people. It was once an important port for trading between India, Africa, and Arabia and today it is still a major commercial hub for shipping goods throughout Yemen. The city also has several markets where visitors can purchase local produce such as dates or spices as well as imported items from other countries such as China or India. There are also several restaurants serving traditional Yemeni dishes such as kabsa or mandi along with international cuisine. Finally, there are several beaches nearby for visitors to relax at or take part in water sports activities such as snorkeling or scuba diving.

Yemen: Sanaa

The capital of the country is called Sanaa and is located at an altitude of 2,300 meters. The old town, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is particularly impressive. Something special are the houses, which were built from unfired adobe bricks and often have several floors. They were often plastered in an appealing way and are therefore particularly noticeable. You can buy all sorts of things in the town’s market and watch the artisans at work. The cutlers who specialize in the manufacture of curved daggers are famous.

Neighboring countries of Yemen

• Oman
• Saudi Arabia