Yemen

YEMEN (al-Yaman, اليمن) is the only "Y" country and it is located in the Middle East. There are 2 bordering countries: Oman and Saudi Arabia. Yemen has about 1000 miles (~1600 kilometers) of coastline, meaning that ports and trade routes can be established to increase trade with and exports to other countries. Currently, Yemen relies heavily on oil exports. The country has limited growth and progress because the country does not have a diversity of economic activities that would boost its prosperity.

● ● ● ● ●  People and Places  ● ● ● ● ●  The total population of Yemen is about 27 million, according to a 2014 estimate. Population growth is quite rapid because the 2000 population was 10 million less than the current population! Yemen's capital and largest city is Sanaa, which is also spelled Şan'ā' or Sana. Sanaa's population is over 1.7 million while the metropolitan population is at least 2.3 million. Other Yemeni cities include Aden ('Adan), Al Hudaydah, Al Mukallā, Damqawt, Hisn al 'Abr, Mocha, Qishn, Saywūn, and Ta'izz. Most cities are clustered near major water features; cities such as Al Hudaydah and Mocha are located east of the Red Sea, while the other aforementioned cities except Hisn al 'Abr are found along or near the Gulf of Aden coast. Meanwhile, Hisn al 'Abr is found right in the middle of northern Yemen. The official language is Arabic, while the official religion is Islam. Arab is the dominant ethnic group, followed by Afro-Arab and South Asian. For their currency, Yemenis use the Yemeni Rial. The ISO 4217 code of their currency is YER.

● ● ● ● ●  Land and Water Features  ● ● ● ● ●  Yemen is situated on the southern part of the large Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Sea is southeast of Yemen, Gulf of Aden is south, and the Red Sea separates Yemen from Africa to the west. The narrow strait (bab in Arabic) between Yemen and the African countries of Djibouti and Eritrea is Bab el Mandeb. The semicircular gulf near the city of Al Ghaydah in eastern Yemen is Ghubbat al Qamar. There are multiple Yemeni islands in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Socotra is Yemen's largest island and is located in the Gulf of Aden. Socotra has a variety of rare, endemic species. Standing at 12,336 feet (about 3,760 m), Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb is the highest mountain in Yemen and on the Arabian Peninsula. The capital city Sanaa is located east of it. Ḩaḑramawt is a historical region and rugged terrain area in southern Yemen, dominated by mountains, cliffs, and valleys.

Yemen is the last Asian country in alphabetical order!
This post was updated May 28th, 2015.