Short facts about the geography of Yemen
| Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea,
Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi
Arabia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
15 00 N, 48 00
E |
| Map
references: |
Middle
East |
| Area: |
total: 527,970 sq km
land: 527,970 sq km
water: 0
sq km
note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab
Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of
Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen) |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly larger than twice the size of
Wyoming |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 1,746 km
border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458
km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of
the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
mostly desert; hot and humid along west
coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon;
extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east |
| Terrain: |
narrow coastal plain backed by
flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center
slope into the desert interior of the Arabian
Peninsula |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb
3,760 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble,
small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in
west |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures:
33.5%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 46.5%
(1999) |
| Irrigated
land: |
5,674 sq km
(1999) |
| Natural
hazards: |
sandstorms and dust storms in
summer |
| Environment
- current issues: |
very limited natural fresh water
resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test
Ban |
| Geography -
note: |
strategic location on Bab el Mandeb,
the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active
shipping lanes | Source: World Factbook |
