Ali Abdullah Saleh
President

(pronounced "ah-LEE ab-DAH-la sah-LEE")

"The Republic of Yemen will be a factor for stability and security in the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf region and a strong bastion for the Arab Nations, the Arab League and joint Arab action."

The Republic of Yemen was established on 22 May 1990 from the union of the two formerly independent states of the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). Yemen borders on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea. It should be noted however, that like most other borders in the Arabian peninsula, Yemen's borders with its neighbors are not well defined and are open to dispute.

Yemen covers an area of 527,970 sq km (203,849 sq mi) and controls the strategic strait of Bah...