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Arab Culture & Civilization
Explore this exemplary library of articles and resources on Arab societies and culture. This site was originally created by the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE).
Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, but it is also one of the oldest centers of civilization in the world, dating back to 2200 BC. The current country was formed when North Yemen and south Yemen unified in 1990. It is the only republic on the Arabian peninsula, and men and women over the age of 18 are eligible to vote. The reelection of President Ali Abdullah Saleh was considered "free and fair" by election observers. However, there are tight controls over freedom of the press.
Yemen's median age is just under 17, and it struggles to education and create good jobs for its young and growing population. Although most of the country's economy is based on oil, three-quarters of its population is employed in agriculture and herding. The country is trying to diversify its economy in an attempt to attract foreign investment, but this movement has met with mixed results, partially because of Yemen's reputation - deserved or undeserved - as a hotspot of anti-Western terrorism.
Education: Early Yemeni education, with regard to medieval disciplines of law, religion, history and poetry, was sophisticated and, for a country of its type, remarkably widespread. Its people contributed nobly to medieval Islamic civilization. The Al-Azhar University of Cairo was well known for its education during the 10th and 11th centuries and it attracted students from nearby countries such as Ethiopia, Arabia, and Somalia. However, in the 19th and 20th centuries, there was slow progress in the field of education. Prior to the 1962 revolution, no proper educational system was in place. Civil war and internal political upheaval only worsened the situation. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Yemen-EDUCATION.html
Health: Malnutrition and the diseases associated with it are major health problems; 30% of children under five were malnourished in 1989–95. Malaria, typhus, tuberculosis, dysentery, whooping cough, measles, hepatitis, schistosomiasis, and typhoid fever are widespread, and sewage disposal of the most rudimentary type constitutes a general health hazard. In 2000, 69% of the population had access to safe drinking water and 45% had adequate sanitation. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Yemen-HEALTH.html
Ethnic Groups: Since independence, the population has been almost entirely Arab. However, there are Afro-Arab concentrations in western coastal locations, South Asians in southern regions, and small European communities in major metropolitan areas. Many ethnologists contend that the purest "Arab" stock is to be found in Yemen. Classified as Joktanic Semites, the Yemenis claim descent from Himyar, great-grandson of Joktan, who, according to the book of Genesis, was descended from Shem, the son of Noah. Yemenis were prominent in the early armies of Islam and thus helped to Arabize much of the Middle East. The Tihama has been subjected to occupation and infiltration by many conquerors, and its people show significant admixtures of other racial types, including Negroid peoples. A small minority of Akhdam perform menial tasks throughout the country. The history of the Yemenite Jews predates by centuries the Islamic Hijra ( AD 622). How they came to settle in the region has not been determined. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Yemen-ETHNIC-GROUPS.html
Religion: The Republic of Yemen is officially a Muslim country. Almost all of the inhabitants are Sunnis of the Shaf'i school, one of the four major schools of Islamic law. They reside chiefly in the coastal plains and the southwestern part of the country. Most of those remaining are Shi'as of the Zaydi sect, who live in the highlands. This sect, originating in the 9th century, takes its name from Zayd bin 'Ali (d.740), a descendant of Muhammad, and doctrinally is very close to Sunni Islam. In addition, there is a small minority of Isma'ilis, members of another Shi'a sect.
Nearly all of the country's once sizable Jewish population has emigrated. There are no legal restrictions on the few hundred who remain, although there are traditional restrictions on places of residence and choice of employment. About 500 Jews live in the villages between San'a and Saada in northern Yemen. There are also small Christian and Hindu communities. In remote areas there is still evidence of shamanism, animism, and other indigenous forms of religion.
With a population of 23,822,783 (est. 2009), Yemen is one of the most populous countries on the Arabian Peninsula. The 1990 population estimate was only 11.88 million. The population growth rate in 2000 was estimated at 3.36 percent, but is expected to drop significantly in the coming decade. With a projected growth rate of 2.8 percent between 2000 and 2015, the population is expected to reach 36 million by the year 2029. The majority of the population are Muslims of the Sunni Shaf'i and the Shi'ite Zaydi traditions. There is also a small minority of Jews and Christians.
Yemen's population growth is very high by world standards, and the highest in the Middle East. The population is generally young, with some 50 percent below the age of 15. About 25 percent of the population live below the poverty line, up from 19 percent in 1992, and the average annual income is less than US$400. Widespread malnutrition and diseases make the infant mortality rate in Yemen one of the highest in the region. An estimated 38 percent of Yemenis age 15 or older could read and write in 1990. Among women, the rate was only 26 percent. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Yemen.html
This website provides information on the Yemeni culture. Topics include history, urbanism, food, economy, social structure, gender roles, government, marriage, arts, medicine, and religion.
This profile on Yemen from al-Bab includes pages on basic information, arts and culture, books, the economy, the environment, food and drink, history, maps, media, news, and politics.
This website discusses several significant sites in Yemen. These sites are important historically, archaeologically, anthropologically, and ecologically.
This website provides information on culturally and spiritually significant mosques, schools, and tombs. Included are some excellent photos of each location.
This website contains information on Yemeni’s scenic beaches. There are pages on Socotra, Mukalla, Kamaran Island, Al-Hodeidah City, and Aden. Included are photographs.
