The World Factbook (1982)/Yemen (Aden)

by the Central Intelligence Agency

YEMEN (ADEN)

(See reference map VI)

LAND

287,490 km²; (border with Saudi Arabia undefined); only about 1% arable (of which less than 25% cultivated)

Land boundaries: 1,802 km

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm (plus 6 nm "necessary supervision zone"); fishing 200 nm, economic 200 nm

Coastline: 1,383 km

PEOPLE

Population: 2,022,000, excluding the islands of Perim and Kamaran for which no data are available (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.8%

Nationality: noun—Yemeni(s); adjective—Yemeni

Ethnic divisions: almost all Arabs; a few Indians, Somalis, and Europeans

Religion: Muslim

Language: Arabic

Literacy: probably no higher than 10%; Aden 35% (est.)

GOVERNMENT

Official name: People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

Type: republic; power centered in ruling Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP)

Capital: Aden; Madinat ash Sha'b, administrative capital

Political subdivisions: 6 provinces

Legal system: based on Islamic law (for personal matters) and English common law (for commercial matters); highest judicial organ, Federal High Court, interprets constitution and determines disputes between states

National holiday: 14 October

Branches: Supreme People's Council; Cabinet Government leaders: Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council, YSP Secretary General, and Prime Minister—'Ali Nasir Muhammad al-HASANI

Suffrage: granted by constitution to all citizens 18 and over

Elections: elections for legislative body, Supreme Peopled Council, called for in constitution; none have been held

Political parties and leaders: Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), the only legal party, is coalition of National Front, Ba'th, and Communist Parties

Communists: unknown number

Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ISCON, ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

ECONOMY

GNP: $792 million (1978 est.), $430 per capita

Agriculture (all outside Aden): cotton is main cash crop; cereals, dates, kat (qat), coffee, and livestock are raised and there is a growing fishing industry; large amount of food must be imported (particularly for Aden); cotton, hides, skins, dried and salted fish are exported

Major industries: petroleum refinery at Little Aden operates on imported crude; 1981 output about one-half of rated capacity of 170,000 b/d; oil exploration activity

Electric power: 142,100 kW capacity (1980); 349 million kWh produced (1980), 181 kWh per capita

Exports: $44.3 million (1979), excluding petroleum products but including re-exports

Imports: $391.0 million (f.o.b., 1979)

Major trade partners: Yemen, East Africa, but some cement and sugar imported from Communist countries; crude oil imported from Persian Gulf, exports mainly to UK and Japan

Budget: (1979) total receipts $423 million, current expenditures $209 million, development expenditures $214 million

Monetary conversion rate: 1 S. Yemeni dinar=US$2.90

Official foreign reserves: $800 million (December 1981)

Fiscal year: calendar year

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: none

Highways: 5,311 km total; 322 km bituminous treated, 290 km crushed stone and gravel, 4,699 km motorable track

Pipelines: refined products, 32 km

Ports: 1 major (Aden)

Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft, 1 leased in

Airfields: 98 total, 52 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: small system of open-wire, tropo-scatter multiconductor cable, and radiocommunications stations; only center Aden; estimated 10,000 telephones (0.6 per 100 popl.); 1 AM, no FM, and 5 TV stations

DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 428,000; 238,000 fit for military service

Military budget: for fiscal year ending 31 December 1977, $56 million; about 22.4% of central government budget