Best Bitcoin Card for Yemen
The Republic of Yemen (officially: Al-Jumhuriya al-Yamaniya) is located in the southwest and south of the Arabian Peninsula. After Saudi Arabia, it is the second largest country on the peninsula in terms of surface area and about one and a half times the size of Germany. Yemen is bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the south, the Red Sea to the west and Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the east. The vast majority of Yemeni territory consists of deserts or semi-deserts. Only the high plateau in the interior (mountain Yemen) as well as some oases and the areas around the rivers are fertile. The archipelago of Sokotra on the Eastern Horn of Africa, the island of Kamaran in the Red Sea and the island of Perim in the strait between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea also belong to the national territory.
Political system
According to the Constitution of 1994 (amended 2001), Yemen is a republic based on Islamic law (Sharia). A president directly elected by the people (women have both active and passive voting rights) for a period of five years (Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi, since 2012), with extensive powers, heads the state and the executive. It appoints, among others, the Prime Minister (Mohammed Basindwa, since 2011) and the Council of Ministers.
Parliament has 301 members elected for six years. The most important parties are the General People’s Congress (GPC), the Yemeni Association for Reform (Islah) and the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP).
In addition to the executive power exercised by the state, tribal law plays an important role. The heads of the ethnic groups (sheikhs) represent the tribe externally, speak the law and are responsible for security and order in their territory. There are 20 administrative districts (muhafazat, singular: muhafazah) and one capital district.
Economy
Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world. The economy, which has grown significantly in recent years, is dependent solely on oil exports. The unemployment rate is enormous: official figures speak of 40%, in fact it is likely to be even higher. More than half of the population lives below the poverty line.
Agriculture accounts for only 8 % of the gross domestic product and is usually structured as a purely subsistence economy. The difficult climatic conditions are problematic, especially the extreme shortage of water. Millet, maize, wheat and barley are cultivated above all in the highlands. In addition, however, cotton, coffee, fruit and vegetables also flourish here as export products. However, the most profitable crop is Kath, a drug plant that is mostly consumed in the country itself. It is estimated that the cultivation of the plant occupies about 20% of the agricultural land and continues to grow.
Yemeni coffee is considered a rarity. Its small beans have a very strong aroma; towards the end of the 17th century Yemen had a monopoly on coffee trade. In the meantime, due to worldwide competition, the former coffee port of Mokha has long since lost its former importance. The same applies to incense: the tree resin is still cultivated and offered like myrrh, but is no longer an important trade factor. In addition to plant cultivation, Bedouin pasture farming is also important. Goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys and camels are kept, sheep and goat skins are exported.
The only large companies in the country are the salt marshes and the oil refinery near Aden, which is the economic centre and, alongside Al Ahmadi, Yemen’s most important port. About 90% of the revenues are generated by the export of oil and oil products, although the production volumes are relatively low compared to the rich neighbouring countries and continue to decline due to the rapidly dwindling oil reserves. In addition, aluminium, cotton and leather products are manufactured on a small scale. Exports flow mainly to China, India and South Korea. The most important imported goods are food, live animals, machinery, vehicles and finished products from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China and India.
Tourism, once an important source of income, declined sharply due to terrorist attacks on tourists and kidnappings. Currency is the Yemeni Rial (= 100 Fils).