Yemen: About The Yemen - Part 2

From ExecutivePlanet.com

Climate, entrance requirements, religion

Climate and Capital

The Yemen is in the tropics, making the desert coastal areas of the Tihama [Red Sea coast] and the Hadhramaut [southern lowlands, along the Arabian Sea] warm and humid all the year. The interior, however, is mountainous and fertile. Terraced farming was a Yemeni invention. Of the major cities, only the ports of Aden and al-Hodeida are in the lowlands. The capital, Sana'a, at an elevation of 7,000 feet, enjoys a dry climate with a daytime temperature in the 20's C all year and freezing nights. Sana'a is widely accepted to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, dating back at least to the late fourth century BC and some houses two thousand years old are still in use. Even the oldest of them was originally built with primitive but functional internal lavatories and water supplies according to traditional design.

Entering The Yemen

Visas can be obtained by application to any Yemeni embassy. The wording can be ambiguous, leaving it open to opinion as to whether it is valid from the date of issue or the date of travel. Immigration officers at ports of entry are usually pleased to resolve any problems for a small fee.

Religion

The official religion is the Zaydi sect of Shi'ite Islam but many in the lowlands adhere to the Shafi'ieh school of Sunni Islam. Although technically Shi'ite, Zaydism is nearer in practice to Sunni Islam than it is to most other Shi'ite sects. A reasonable comparison of Zaydism to Sunni Islam would be that of the High Church of England to Roman Catholicism.

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