Located at the end of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen has an area of approximately 527,970 square kilometers (203,065 square miles). Its population numbers 19,349,881 people; Sanaa is the capital. Yemen is bordered by the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. It is mainly composed of deserts and has some mountains. Its climate is hot and dry in the deserts and mild in the mountains.

In 1967 Yemen was divided into two states: the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen). Both countries entered into a civil war that ended with their unification in 1990. After the civil war, two major political players came to the fore and remained key players in 2004: Ali Abdullah Saleh (b. 1942), who served as the president, and Abdullah el Ahmar (b. 1933), who was the speaker of the house.

(MAP BY MARYLAND CARTOGRAPHICS/THE GALE GROUP)

In 2004 Yemen was...