Yemen is located at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by Saudi Arabia, Oman, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Due to a civil war that started in 2015, and a grave humanitarian crisis, Yemen has unfortunately been characterized as a failed state. It has ancient roots as a strategically located country at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Its climate is arid, with deserts, coastal plains and highlands dominating the territory. The war has resulted in a famine affecting millions of people. The lack of potable water, caused by depleted aquifers and the destruction of the country’s water infrastructure, has also caused an enormous cholera outbreak with close to one million cases.
Most Yemeni people are ethnically Arab or Afro-Arab, with Arabic being the standard language spoken. Islam is the country’s state religion.