ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical background and a description of major events in Yemen. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities, life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in Yemen. The Yemeni Civic Democratic Initiatives Support Foundation reported that enough irregularities occurred to cast doubt on the fairness of the vote. The Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) and four smaller parties demanded a new vote. The independent Yemeni Human Rights Organization operates openly, and international human rights observers are allowed broad access. Members of the YSP face harassment and detention by authorities. One barrier to economic development is Yemen's precarious security situation. The central government's influence is limited; in governorates outside the larger cities, heavily armed tribal leaders resist central control.
