Yemen Arab Republic
Yemen located on the southern Red Sea coast of the Arabian Peninsula, had a population of 6,159,000 in 1985. In 1985, the population was 100 percent Muslim, 50 percent Sunni and 50 percent Shiite. At that time, Yemen was a relatively poor country, with three-fourths of the labor force employed in agriculture. The literacy rate was 20 percent; life expectancy was 42.7 years for men and 44.8 for women. Population growth was 2.6 percent per year.
In 2005, the population has reached 20,727,000, mainly through absorption of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen. Exact religious composition was unknown; however the majority was still Muslim with small numbers of Christians, Jews and Hindus. Approximately one-fourth of the labor force was employed in services, construction, industry and commerce, the rest largely being agricultural workers. The literary rate had risen to 50.2 percent; life expectancy was 59.89 years for men and 63.71 years for women. Population growth was, in 2005, 3.45 percent per year. The population was very young with the median age in 2005 being 16.54 years.
The government maintained a highly restrictive policy with regard to Christian ministry. Since 1981 one Mennonite has taught in a school for children of the international community and was an Overseas Mission Associate with the Mennonite Board of Missions (Mennonite Church).
| Author(s) | Wilbert R Shenk |
|---|---|
| Ammar Naseer | |
| Date Published | 2006 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Shenk, Wilbert R and Ammar Naseer. "Yemen Arab Republic." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 2006. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Yemen_Arab_Republic&oldid=166354.
APA style
Shenk, Wilbert R and Ammar Naseer. (2006). Yemen Arab Republic. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Yemen_Arab_Republic&oldid=166354.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 951. All rights reserved.
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