Yemen today
1. Official Name: Republic of Yemen

Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, re-unified on the 22nd of May,1990 (one of the most important Yemeni National Days). Before the unification, Yemen had been divided into two parts, North Yemen and South Yemen. The Republic of Yemen is a democratic country. The people of Yemen are the possessors and the source of legitimacy and power, which they execute directly through referendum and elections. It is a constitutional State; its governmental system is founded on the basis of the pluralism with three powers, judicial, legislative and executive.

2. Flag& Emblem:

Location
The Republic of Yemen lies in the South of Arabia (The Arabian Peninsula), south-west of Asia, between latitudes 12 and 20 degrees to the north of the equator, and between longitudes 41and 54 degrees to the south of Greenwich, bordered on the north by Saudi Arabia, on the south by the Arab Sea and the Gulf of Aden, on the east by the Sultanate of Oman and on the west by the Red Sea.

Area and Climate
Area:
The total area o f Yemen is approximately 555,000 km2, excluding Al Rub al-Khali (The Empty Quarter Desert).
The area of the Republic of Yemen is around 555.000 km2.

Geographical divisions:
In view of its topographical structure, the Republic of Yemen is divided into five regions:
1. Mountains
2. Highlands
3. Coasts
4. Empty Quarter
5. The Yemen Islands

1. Mountain region with heights ranging between 1000-3666m. High

The western mountain range represents a large area of the country. It is the range called Al-Sarat Mountains stretching longitudinally from the north to the south and transversally from the west to the east, which resembles the letter "L". These heights go down in different directions. They descend sharply westwards to the Red Sea, southwards to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, and eastwards and northwards to the interior desert areas. In the mountain heights, stretching from the north to the south, there are a number of basins (beds), of considerable agricultural importance with large populations, such as Sana'a basin, Yarim basin, Jahran flatland, Sa'da flatland, Alboun flatland, Aqwat Hadhramout bed and Si'aith bed in Mahara. The most prominent mountains in these heights are the mountains of Attaq, Bayhan, Mukairas, Al-Dhalie', Yafie', Sabra, Hadhour Alsheikh, Miswar and Prophet Shu'aib which at 3766m above sea level is the highest mountain in Arabia.

2. The Highland region

This area lies to the east and north of the mountainous heights going in parallel to the heights towards the Empty Quarter. The maximum height of this area is 1000m gradually descending. Such area is represented by the highlands in Sana'a, Al-Jouf, Shabwa, Hadhramout and Mahara. The out- skirts of this area in the north overlap with the Empty Quarter.

3. The Coastal Area

This area includes the coastal plains overlooking the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. They are connected to each other forming a coastal strip that extends from the Oman border south- westward to Bab Al-Mandab. This strip then changes its direction northward to the borders of Saudi Arabia, thus making it more than 2400km. long. The width of the plains ranges from 30 to 60 km.

4. The Empty Quarter

This area consists of desert plains covered with gravel, sand and sandy dunes, Evolving in some parts desert plants and vast oases that were formed due to the collection of the seasonal water. The wandering nomads because of its pastoral land inhabit it.

5. The Yemeni Islands

This part of the country consists of islands scattered along the coast of Yemen. There are 120 islands, most of which are located in the Red Sea. The biggest islands are Kamaran, Greater Hannish, Minor Hannish, and the rest of Archipelago, Zaqar, Zubair, AL-Tayr and the strategic island of Meon at the Bab Al-Mandeb. In addition there are islands located in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, the largest of which is Soqotra.

Climate:

Since Yemen is endowed with a varied topography, the climate, in general, also varies, although there are no major seasonal differences. We can say there are two long seasons: summer and winter during summer, the temperature and humidity are high in the coastal areas, while the climate is moderate during winter. From time to time the rainfall, due to the monsoon, moderates the temperature over the coastal areas in summer. In the mountain areas, the weather is moderate in summer and cold in winter during the night and in the early morning, but the bright sunrays raise the temperature during the day making the weather very moderate in these parts of the country.

Climate
The Yemeni highlands have a generally semiarid but otherwise temperate climate. By contrast, the coastal plain is hot and humid much of the year, and at times extremely so; summer and winter winds often bring severe sandstorms. Average temperatures for Yemen as a whole vary from about 27°C (80°F) in June to about 14°C (57°F) in January.
Every year during the summer months, monsoon winds blow inland over the water, picking up moisture, and the mountains force the warm air to rise, cool, and condense. The considerable, although erratic, seasonal rainfall allows for intensive cultivation, much of it on stonewalled terraces and in wadis—streambeds that flow with water only during and after the rains. The average rainfall in the highlands varies from 303 to 762 mm (8 to 30 in), whereas on the coast it varies from 76 to 229 mm (3 to 9 in).