Capital: Sanaa
Administrative divisions: 17 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, Adan, Al Bayda, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Dhamar, Hadramaut, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Marib, Sadah, Sana, Shabwah, Taizz
note: there may be a new capital district of Sana

Independence: 22 May 1990 Republic of Yemen was established on 22 May 1990 with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic {Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen} and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen {Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen}; previously North Yemen had become independent on NA November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic, 22 May (1990)

Constitution: 16 May 1991

Legal system: based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May 1990, the former president of North Yemen); note - Sanaa dismissed Vice President Ali Salim al-BIDH, Prime Minister Haydar Abu Bakr al-ATTAS (the former president of South Yemen), and 14 other southern officials following the outbreak of civil war on 4 May 1994
five-member Presidential Council: president, vice president, two members from General People's Congress party, two members from Yemeni Socialist Party, and one member from Yemeni Grouping for Reform, or Islaah party
cabinet: Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral
House of Representatives: elections last held 27 April 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (301 total) GPC 124, YSP 55, Islaah 61, Ba'thist parties 7, Nasserist parties 4, Hizb al-Haqq 2, Independents 47, election nullified 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Ba'thist parties; General People's Congress (GPC), Ali Abdallah SALIH; Hizb al Haqq, Ibrahim al-WAZIR, Sheikh Ahmad ibn Ali SHAMI (Secretary General); Nasserist parties; Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), Ali Salim al-BIDH; Yemeni Grouping for Reform or Islaah, Shaykh Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Muhsin Ahmad AL-AYNI
chancery: Suite 705, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: (202) 965-4760 or 4761
FAX: (202) 337-2017
consulate general(s): Detroit
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Arthur H. HUGHES
embassy: Dhahr Himyar Zone, Sheraton Hotel District, Sanaa
mailing address: P. O. Box 22347 Sanaa or Sanaa, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6330
telephone: [967] (1) 238-842 through 238-852
FAX: [967] (1) 251-563

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar to the flag of Syria which has two green stars and of Iraq which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band

NOTE: The information regarding Yemen on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Yemen Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Yemen Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.