Yemen: Geography#
| 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 15.0,48.0 |
| Area | total: 527,968 sq km land: 527,968 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) [Verified in 8 databases] |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,746 km border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km |
| Coastline | 1,906 km |
| Elevation Extremes | lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m |
| Highest Mountains | Due to difference in mountain rankings taken from two data sources we are listing here both lists : According to Wolfram: Hadur Shu'ayb 3760 m According to Geonames: Jabal an Nabi Shu‘ayb 3666 m; Jabal al Qullah 3233 m; Jabal Shakhab ‘Ammar 3218 m; Jabal ‘Ayban 3187 m; Jabal Rihqah 3082 m Attempted Explanation: Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to office nospam@TUGraz.at @global-geography.org |
| 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 |
| Natural Hazards | sandstorms and dust storms in summer volcanism: limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (elev. 244 m), which forms an island in the Red Sea, erupted in 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad, and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a century |
| Natural Resource | petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west |
| Land Use | arable land: 2.2% permanent crops: 0.55% other: 97.25% (2011) |
| Climate | mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east |
| Irrigated Land | 6,801 sq km (2004) |
| Renewable Water Resources | 2.1 cu km (2011) |
| Environment_CurrentIssues | limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Large Cities | Sana; al-Hudaydah; Taizz; Aden; al-Mukalla [Verified] Important Cities |
| 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 |