Compilation by Group Captain Kumar Kirinde, SLAF retd … with some illustrationsin the original missing
A historical nation that was divided between two empires in the 19th century that became two independent nations in the 20th century which united as one nation in the 21st century.
Intoduction
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Owing to its geographic location, Yemen has been at the crossroads of many civilisations for over 7,000 years. In 1200 BCE, the Sabaeans formed a thriving commercial kingdom that colonized parts of modern Ethiopia and Eritrea. In 275 CE, it was succeeded by the Himyarite Kingdom, which spanned much of Yemen’s present-day territory and was heavily influenced by Judaism. Christianity arrived in the fourth century AD, followed by the rapid spread of Islam in the seventh century. From its conversion to Islam, Yemen became a center of Islamic learning, and Yemenite troops played a crucial role in early Islamic conquests. During the 19th century, the country was divided between the Ottoman and British empires. After World War I, the part controlled by the Ottoman Turks became the Kingdom of Yemen which in 1962 became the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) following a coup. In 1967, the part controlled by the British, the British Aden Protectorate became the independent People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen). In 1990, the two Yemeni states united to form the modern Republic of Yemen. Sana’a is its constitutional capital and largest city.
