The People

For centuries, most of the people in northern Yemen, unlike those in most other parts of the Arabian Peninsula, have been settled, living in villages and towns. In southern Yemen, Bedouins, a traditionally nomadic people, populate the interior; the coastal areas are largely settled. The largest cities are Sana, the capital,; Aden, Taizz, and Hodeida.

The Yemenis are Arabs. Almost all are Muslims, belonging to either of two main groups—the Zaidis, who make up a sect of the Shiite branch of Islam, and the Shafiis, who make up a sect of the Sunnite branch. The north is divided about evenly between Zaidis and Shafiis; almost all the people in the south are Shafiis. A much smaller Shiite group found in the north is the Ismaili sect.

Arabic is the official language. Social organization is tribal. There are both public and religious schools, but they are few in number. In the north only about 15 per cent of the Yemenis are literate; in the south, the literacy rate is somewhat higher. The leading institutions of higher learning are Sana University (founded 1970) and the University of Aden (1975).