Country Pages

Plowed fields of the "Husn al-Arus" butte in the Yemini Highlands. -- Photo courtesy of Daniel Varisco.

Situated in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula, the Republic of Yemen has considerable variation in its physical landscape and climatic conditions, ranging from the Rub al-Khali (or "Empty Quarter") desert region, to fertile mountains and plateaus fed by twice-yearly monsoons. Yemen's remarkable architecture -- including palaces, mosques, and multi-storied mud and brick houses -- is one of the country's most celebrated characteristics.

The strait of Bab el Mandeb, located at Yemen's southwestern tip, links the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. The country's ancient kingdoms, built on the spice and incense trades, used its strategic ports in concert with overland camel caravans to give Yemen a historically important role in Middle Eastern trade. The coastal town of Al Mukha became a major force in the coffee trade, and it is from there that the word "mocha" was derived and applied to coffee.

Restored sayila, Sana'a -- Photo courtesy of Tom Stevenson.

Yemen was one of the first countries in the region to convert to Islam in the 7th century, and a number of prominent Yemenis played important roles in Islam's spread throughout the Middle East. Today, over 95 percent of Yemen's population is Arab. The concentration of Shi'a Muslims in the north and Sunni Muslims in the south, however, has led to significant variety in the culture and customs practiced in the country.

The University of Sanaa, founded in 1970, and the University of Aden, founded in 1973, are the major institutions of higher education in Yemen. Since 1981, 24 Fulbright grants for Yemen have been awarded to U.S. scholars - 14 for lecturing, four for research, and six for a lecturing/research combination. One out of every five grantees has renewed his/her award to stay on for an additional term. Previous Fulbright Scholars to Yemen have been involved in the fields of American literature, medical anthropology, agriculture, political science, history, and linguistics.

CIES encourages interested applicants to make use of the following links to complement their research into potential opportunities available in Yemen. Please also feel free to use the contact information to get in touch with CIES program personnel.

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, Washington D.C.
http://www.yemenembassy.org/
This site contains news and press releases, consular information, reports on current issues such as human rights and women issues, and useful links to other resources.

TeleYemen
http://www.y.net.ye/
Website of a telecommunications company in Yemen, with a very extensive links page for information on Yemen as well as the Arab and Islamic world.

National Information Center
http://www.nic.gov.ye/
In English or Arabic. Includes information and links pertaining to Yemen's political and legal systems, economy and development, and research issues in the country.

Yemen Webdate
http://www.aiys.org/webdate/indexyem.html
Collection of research on Yemen by the the American Institute for Yemeni Studies. Includes an online version of the Yemen Update magazine and links to sections on Yemeni culture, art, poetry, humor, and other resources.

Arab Net - Yemen
http://www.arab.net/yemen/yemen_contents.html
Information on Yemen's history, geography, business, culture, government, transportation, and tourist industry.

Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/yemen/
Traveler's information on Yemen, including sections on events, activities, culture, and history.

World Travel Guide
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/data/yem/yem.asp
Concise information on visas, money, health, holidays, transportation, climate, and important contact addresses in Yemen. Features a tool that enabling one to create and print a custom 'mini-guide' of chosen information.

U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/index.cfm?docid=5302
Background information on Yemen including political conditions, foreign relations, relations with the U.S., history, people, government, economy, and business.

Aden University
http://www.y.net.ye/aden_university/

Yemen Gateway
http://www.al-bab.com/yemen/Default.htm
Extensive site within-depth news stories pertaining to Yemen and the Middle East. Includes links to other news and information sources, as well as free Arabic-English email accounts.

The Yemen Times
http://www.yementimes.com/
A weekly online English newspaper with current news on all aspects of Yemen. Also includes letters to the editor, archives of past articles, and a sign up form to receive the Yemen Times mailing list.

Al Shaab
http://alarabnews.com/alshaab/
In Arabic. Online newspaper covering regional news.

Asharq Al-Awsat
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/pcdaily/06-11-2001/
In Arabic. The Arabic international newspaper.

The Countries and Peoples of Arabia Message Boards
http://www.hejleh.com/countries/poll.html
Very active message boards and a link to Arabia Chat.

BBC Arabic Service
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/news/
In Arabic. BBC news with audio feed.

U.S. Department of State - Middle East and North Africa
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/nea.htm
U.S. news, reports, and policy relating to the Middle East and North Africa. Also includes links to numerous Online journals.

The Countries and Peoples of Arabia
http://www.hejleh.com/countries/index.html
A huge list of links pertaining to the Arab world, including very active Message Boards.

Islamic Studies
http://www.uga.edu/islam
A well-balanced site with articles and resources pertaining to Islam, drawn primarily from scholarly research and regional Islamic sources. Contains information on Islam's history, sacred texts, art, architecture, and place in the modern world.