The reputed home of the Queen of Sheba, Yemen has been at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia for thousands of years thanks to its position on the ancient spice routes.
The Romans knew this fertile and wealthy country as Arabia Felix, in contrast to the relatively barren Arabia Deserta to the north. And today it maintains its distinct character.
The modern Republic of Yemen was born in 1990 when traditionalist North Yemen and Marxist South Yemen merged after years of border wars and skirmishes. But the peace broke down in 1994 and a short civil war ended in defeat for separatist southerners and the survival of the unified Yemen.
Since unification Yemen has been modernising and opening up to the world, but it still maintains much of its tribal character and old ways. Tensions persist between the north and the south; some southerners say the northern part of the state is economically privileged.
Since the summer of 2009, hundreds have been killed and more than a quarter of a million people displaced by clashes between government troops and northern Houthi rebels belonging to the minority Shia Zaidi sect. The government declared a ceasefire with the northern rebels in February 2010.
Many people wear traditional dress and the custom of chewing the narcotic plant khat in the afternoons is still widely observed. Yemen has attracted the curiosity of a growing number of tourists, although foreigners have been kidnapped by groups seeking to force concessions from the authorities.
Yemen has also gained a reputation as a haven for Islamic militants. Towards the end of 2009, the country came under the spotlight after crackdowns on al-Qaeda-linked militancy in Afghanistan and Pakistan raised fears that it was becoming a key training centre for militants.
After a Yemen-based branch of al-Qaeda claimed that it was behind a failed attack on a US airliner on Christmas Day 2009, the government stepped up its efforts to clamp down on Islamic militants, but warned that it would need help to win the battle against militancy.
The truce with northern rebels in February 2010 allowed the government to focus its attention on the struggle against al-Qaeda and southern separatists.
· Full name: Republic of Yemen
· Population: 24.3 million (UN, 2010)
· Capital: Sanaa
· Area: 536,869 sq km (207,286 sq miles)
· Major language: Arabic
· Major religion: Islam
· Life expectancy: 63 years (men), 67 years (women) (UN)
· Monetary unit: 1 Yemeni riyal = 100 fils
· Main exports: Crude oil, cotton, coffee, fish
· GNI per capita: US $1,060 (World Bank, 2009)
· Internet domain: .ye
· International dialling code: 967
President: Ali Abdallah Saleh
Ali Abdallah Saleh, Yemen's longest-serving leader in recent times, was re-elected to another seven-year term in September 2006. It was the first time Mr Saleh had faced a serious challenge since coming to power 28 years earlier. The opposition cried foul but international monitors said the vote was fair.
Mr Saleh became president of the new republic created by the merger of the two Yemens in 1990. He had led the Yemen Arab Republic - the northern part of present-day Yemen - since 1978 when he came to power in a military coup. He is backed by the main pillars of power in Yemen, the tribes and the army. He won the first-ever direct presidential elections in 1999 with more than 96% of the vote. The main opposition party, which was barred from fielding a candidate, described the poll as a sham. President Saleh's government has cooperated with the US in its "war on terror" and has settled border disputes with its neighbours, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
He joined the army when he was 16 and rose through the ranks to become Field Marshal.
Mr Saleh was flown to Saudi Arabia after being injured in a rocket attack during clashes in the capital between government troops and tribal fighters in June 2011. He returned three months later, indicating that he was not yet ready to relinquish power.
