Country: Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen - Geography Total area: 332,970 km2; land area: 332,970 km2; includes Perim, Socotra Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico Land boundaries: 1,699 km total; Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 830 km, YAR 581 km Coastline: 1,383 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Extended economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: sections of boundary with YAR indefinite or undefined; Administrative Line with Oman; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia Climate: desert; extraordinarily hot and dry Terrain: mostly upland desert plains; narrow, flat, sandy coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains Natural resources: fish, oil, minerals (gold, copper, lead) Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 27% meadows and pastures; 7% forest and woodland; 65% other; includes NEGL% irrigated Environment: scarcity of natural freshwater resources; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification Note: controls southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb linking Red Sea to Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes - People Population: 2,585,484 (July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990) Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 54 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Yemeni(s); adjective--Yemeni Ethnic divisions: almost all Arabs; a few Indians, Somalis, and Europeans Religion: Sunni Muslim, some Christian and Hindu Language: Arabic Literacy: 25% Labor force: 477,000; 45.2% agriculture, 21.2% services, 13.4% construction, 10.6% industry, 9.6% commerce and other (1983) Organized labor: 348,200; the General Confederation of Workers of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen has 35,000 members - Government Long-form name: People's Democratic Republic of Yemen; abbreviated PDRY Type: republic Capital: Aden Administrative divisions: 6 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Abyan, Adan, Al Mahrah, Hadramawt, Lahij, Shabwah Independence: 30 November 1967 (from UK) Constitution: 31 October 1978 Legal system: based on Islamic law (for personal matters) and English common law (for commercial matters) National holiday: National Day, 14 October Executive branch: president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Council Judicial branch: Federal High Court Leaders: Chief of State--President Haydar Abu Bakr al-ATTAS (since 8 February 1986); Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Dr. Yasin Said NUMAN (since 8 February 1986); Deputy Prime Minister Salih Abu Bakr bin HUSAYNUN (since 8 February 1986); Deputy Prime Minister Salih Munassir al-SIYAYLI (since 8 February 1986) Political parties and leaders: only party--Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) is a coalition of National Front, Bath, and Communist Parties Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: Supreme People's Council--last held 28-30 October 1986 (next to be held NA); results--YSP is the only party; seats--(111 total) YSP or YSP approved 111 Communists: NA Other political or pressure groups: NA Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: none; the UK acts as the protecting power for the US in the PDRY Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a light blue, isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star - Economy Overview: The PDRY is one of the poorest Arab countries, with a per capita GNP of about $500. A shortage of natural resources, a widely dispersed population, and an arid climate make economic development difficult. The economy has grown at an average annual rate of only 2-3% since the mid-1970s. The economy is organized along socialist lines, dominated by the public sector. Economic growth has been constrained by a lack of incentives, partly stemming from centralized control over production decisions, investment allocation, and import choices. GNP: $1.2 billion, per capita $495; real growth rate 5.2% (1988 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (1987) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $429 million; expenditures $976 million, including capital expenditures of $402 million (1988 est.) Exports: $82.2 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--cotton, hides, skins, dried and salted fish; partners--Japan, YAR, Singapore Imports: $598.0 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--grain, consumer goods, crude oil, machinery, chemicals; partners--USSR, Australia, UK External debt: $2.25 billion (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 245,000 kW capacity; 600 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: petroleum refinery (operates on imported crude oil); fish Agriculture: accounts for 13% of GNP and 45% of labor force; products--grain, qat (mildly narcotic shrub), coffee, fish, livestock; fish and honey major exports; most food imported Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $4.5 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $241 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $279 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.2 billion Currency: Yemeni dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Yemeni dinar (YD) = 1,000 fils Exchange rates: Yemeni dinars (YD) per US$1--0.3454 (fixed rate) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Highways: 11,000 km; 2,000 km bituminous, 9,000 km natural surface (est.) Pipelines: refined products, 32 km Ports: Aden, Al Khalf, Nishtun Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,309 GRT/6,568 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft Airports: 42 total, 29 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 11 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: small system of open-wire, radio relay, multiconductor cable, and radio communications stations; 15,000 telephones (est.); stations--1 AM, no FM, 5 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, 1 ARABSAT; radio relay and tropospheric scatter to YAR - Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Militia, People's Police Military manpower: males 15-49, 544,190; 307,005 fit for military service Defense expenditures: NA