Area:

The total area o f Yemen is approximately 555,000 km2, excluding Al Rub al-Khali (The Empty Quarter Desert).

Language:

Arabic is the official language and English language is the second language.

Religion:

Islam is the official religion. There is a Jewish minority, too.

Time zone:

G.M.T.+3hrs.

Currency:

Yemeni Rail (YR), visitors can exchange currencies in exchange establishments spread all around Yemeni cities. Money Exchange

Climate:

The climate in Yemen is various and depends on the different altitude of the regions. In the mountains, it can be cool (at night & early morning, otherwise warm days) and moderate on the coast of Indian Ocean and the Red Sea in winter. In summer, it is fresh and moderate in the mountains and can be hot but bearable on the coasts and the deserts. Yemen’s climate could be classified under three climate zones: Tihaman (stretched along the Red Sea), the south coastal strip- the hot and humid coastal strip.

In winter, the climate in the coastal area is relatively moderate. Occasional rains in summer are caused by the monsoon coming from high temperatures in the coastal area during summer. The weather in the mountain areas is moderate in summer and relatively cold in winter. During winter, it becomes especially cold at night and in the early morning with pleasant sunny days.

The Yemeni highlands average about 1,830 m (about 6,000 ft) above sea level and rise at Jabal an Nabī Shu‘ayb to 3,760 m (12,336 ft), the highest peak on the Arabian Peninsula. The highlands in the north are loftier and more extensive than in the south. Since the northern highlands have a generally less forbidding climate and greater rainfall, they support more intensive and extensive agriculture and a larger population.

To the west and south, the highlands drop abruptly to a low, flat coastal desert plain called the Tihāmah. Averaging about 50 km (about 30 mi) in width, this plain parallels the Red Sea the length of northern Yemen, turns abruptly east at the corner of the peninsula, and then runs parallel to the Gulf of Aden for part of the length of southern Yemen. The Tihāmah is hot, humid, and arid, and has little vegetation.

To the east and north, the highlands descend gradually to the interior plateau that holds the vast Arabian desert known as the Rub‘ al Khali (Empty Quarter). The eastern half of Yemen is basically uninhabitable. The exception is the region of Hadhramaut, a large valley running parallel to the Gulf of Aden coast then turning southward to the sea. Here, some fertile valleys allow agriculture and larger settlements.