Yemen Country Overview: Culture, Government, Physical Features

Yemen is located in Southwest Asia upon the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula in the middle of Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Yemen's climate is generally subtropical and dry with low annual rainfall with increased temperatures in summer.

Yemen possess a coastline of roughly 450 km and an average width of 48 km. Yemen is a nation of semi-desert with tall vast mountains named the Southern Arabian Peninsula which run through Yemen.

Religion

Yemen possess two primary religious groups of islam; Sunni (65%) and shia (30%) Food- Saltah is an traditional yemeni dish prepared with rice, potatoes, scrambled eggs, occasionally vegetables, lamb or chick and traditional yemeni flatbread.

Music

Yemen's music is predominantly vocal. Though still possesses traditional musical instruments such as the yemenite and catypeot (lyre or lute) which may be supported by gasaba (flute) mizmar (clarinet) and drums. Dress- women generally wear traditional clothing called Hijab or Balto along with shirts and skirts and men usually wear thobes, jambias and asibs GDP- current prices from 2012-2022 - 2018 - 13.84

Government

Yemen once was a republic with a bicameral legislature under the constitution. Now their government holds 111 members of its Shura council who share power with 301 elected house representatives. Yemen's president is head of state while they also possess a prime minister who rules over the government. National flag- the Yemeni flag consists three colors ranked from top to bottom, as follows (red, white, black) and was adopted on the 22 of May 1990 when north Yemen and south Yemen united. It is believed each color of the flag represents a theme about the nation. Red represents the people who have sacrificed their lives for their country White ironically represents the purity of the country. Black represents the so called dark past of the country. Though the flag can also be said to signify diversity.

Physical features

Gulf of Aden is amidst Yemen to the North the Arabian Main Yemen industries Step 2 The population of Yemen is facing high levels of poverty, lack of employment, child soldiers, child marriage, a low literacy rate, and an addiction to a drug called “qat.” Furthermore, Yemen’s natural resources are depleting.

One major key is Yemen's corrupted government and their civil war between the U.S and Saudi Arabia. Because of the ongoing civil war and the Saudi-led military intervention, the usual economic activity in Yemen has ceased to continue leaving the country facing the real likelihood of famine. Incomes received from oil exports, which before held 70% of Yemen’s national budget, have stopped entirely. The country’s electricity production has become inadequate and coupled with a nationwide fuel shortage, has led to dozens of vital factories and hundreds of minor ones forced to close down, placing hundreds of thousands of civilians out of work. Most foreign companies and international organizations have suspended operations and have withdrawn both capital and personnel.

Furthermore Yemeni purchasing power is disappearing in concert with the increasing cost of imports, a major problem in a nation that imports 90% of its citizen’s food requirements. Even before when the Saudi-led military intervened in March 2015, the World Bank proclaimed that 45% of Yemenis were food insecure and over a half were living in poverty. Today there are more than six million people who are at risk of starvation and a nationwide shortage of all basic commodities.

When it comes to Yemen and its grand challenge of civil war I believe there is no way any non-government organization could prevent or cease such an issue. In order to bring an end to Yemen's deranged war all neutral third party nations must brand and broker a truce between the Houthis and Yemen's government along with the withdrawal of all foreign powers. I don't believe there could be any NGO that could possess such power to end a civil war other than possibly the UN but they are not an NGO.