Geography of Yemen

Geographically, can be separated in Yemen clearly distinguishable regions. The case very different landscapes vary in terms of ecological potentials and requirements for economical development, but have different from other civilizations, such as Mesopotamia or Egypt, have in common that they have no permanently flowing waters, but are dependent on seasonal rainfall. From this grew the famous, cultivated since at least the 4th century irrigation system for agriculture.

• 2.1 neighboring states and natural boundaries
• 2.2 provinces / capitals

• 3.1 Natural Resources
• 3.2 Land Use

Geography

Natural areas

Yemen can be divided as follows to east into three natural zones, Von West: On the Red Sea is bordered by the flat Tihama and the southern coastal areas of the former South Yemen. The Tihama is dominated by sand and gravel areas. The width between 30 km and 60 km coastal plain rises increasingly gently and becomes stronger than in the north- west divided by advancing border mountain flanks in the southwest. Partially conceal the remains of earlier volcanism; so is about Aden, the former capital of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen ( South Yemen ), in a double crater. Rainfall is low and highly uncertain, so that the agricultural potential of this region is negligible. Using groundwater pumping is supported in recent years, the management fields. In the irrigated agricultural use areas, the cultivation of Sorghumvarietäten, corn and cotton are attested since the 13th century.

For the interior rises steeply towards the rugged, west several times over 3000 m high mountain range. There is a mountain watersheds. From the northern to southern Taiz Sa'da the infrastructure of the trunk roads almost never drops below 1,500 meters. Plateaus and basins are interrupted by abrupt Taleinschnitte. Clouds from the Red Sea beat down in the mountains, where the rainfall from north to south decrease. In the southern and middle central Yemen impressed with the extensive terraced fields. Southwest of the capital Sanaa, the Jabal an-Nabi rises aib training ʿ, with 3760 m the highest mountain in the entire Arabian Peninsula. Strong spring and summer rains allow rainfed agriculture.

On the mountain there is a striking landscape space connects the highlands with vast plateaus and basins. The average heights are between 1800-2500 m. The plateau is crossed by wadis. The most famous Wadi is the parallel to the south coast Wadi Hadramaut. It is a powerful block of limestone, which is furrowed by gullies. Large parts are filled with sand and gravel. The water table rises to the east. To the north- east, the highlands falls down stairs to the Central Arabian sand desert ar - Rub ʿ al - chali ( Empty Quarter ). Precipitation falls here often for many years. Agriculture is at best possible in isolated river valleys and the often necessarily supported by groundwater irrigation (eg: Ma'rib ). In principle, it is in this desert to a column filled with limestone grains valley that separates the central Arabian highlands of the southern Arabian margin threshold. In the direction of the historical Shabwa are degraded and degradable salt stock.

Geology

Yemen is part of the Arabian plate, which - separated by the Red Sea - further and further away from the African plate. Once fitted the Horn of Africa (Somalia) seamlessly to the Yemeni southwest. The grave breach of the Red Sea continues through Djibouti as East African rift continues ( Great Rift Valley). The territory of Yemen, located directly at the fracture site of the plates, is still tectonically active. Testify earthquakes, hot water and steam sources. Fossilized coral and shells are found throughout the altitudes of the country and represent repeated raising and lowering of the land masses.

Active volcanoes are in Yemen, however, not only a variety of extinct. Especially pronounced volcanic areas dominate the landscape around Dhamar, Sana'a, Mukalla and Aden. Pillow lava, volcanic conveyor paths and deposits characterize some places the image.

Surface

Yemen has a total area of ​​536,869 km ², on the approximately 19.2 million people ( as of 2008). Yemen is thus almost exactly 1 ½ times the size of Germany, with a population of a quarter.

Highest mountains

• Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb, 3760 m
• Jabal Nuqum, 3400 m
• Jabal Masar, 3310 m
• Jabal al - Hasha, 3227 m

Coordinates

The geographical position of Yemen:

• 43-53 ° east
• 13-19 ° north latitude

Political Geography

Neighboring states and natural boundaries

Border countries of Yemen:

• Saudi Arabia with 1458 km
• Length of coast of Yemen: 1906 km Gulf of Aden in the south
• Arabian Sea in the south
• Red Sea in the west

Provinces / capitals

Yemen is divided into 20 provinces and one capital district ( updated in 2008):

• Abyan / Capital: Zindschibar
• Adan / Aden
• ʿ Amrān / ʿ Amrān
• Al - Baida '/ al - Baida '
• Ad - Dali ' / ad - Dali '
• Dhamar / Dhamar
• Al - Jawf / Al Hazm
• Hadramaut / al - Mukalla
• Haddscha / Haddscha
• Al Hudaydah / al Hudaydah
• Ibb / Ibb
• Lahidsch / Lahidsch
• Al - Mahra governorate / al - Ghaydah
• Al - Mahwit / al - Mahwit
• Ma'rib / Ma'rib
• Raima / Raima
• Sa'da / Sa'da
• Sana'a / Sanaa
• Sanaa (the capital district )
• Shabwa / ʿ Ataq
• Taiz / Taiz

Resources

Mineral resources

Gold, silver, copper, iron, lead and zinc are partly funded from mines since Sabean and mimjaritischer time. Alabaster window glass is broken since the Islamic period in the country. Today salt play ( Salief, Timna ) and oil reserves ( Schabwat, Mar'ib ) play a role.

Land use

Zoning of Yemen:

• Forest 5.9%
• Agriculture 2.8%
• Pasture 30.4%
• Other 60.9 % ( 1994)