Whilst the world begins to turn its attention to Yemen, its history can be traced back many thousands of years as this video documentary demonstrates.

To fully understand Yemen's recent history it is important to understand that Yemen is comprised of two countries, North Yemen, which became a monarchy after independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 until changing to the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) in 1962, and South Yemen which was part of the British Empire from the nineteenth century until the UK withdrew from the area in 1967, effectively creating South Yemen which turned to communism in 1970 becoming the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY).

With political instability in both republics, thousands died in border clashes and as a result of political rivalries over the next decades, however on 22nd May 1990 the two countries united to become the Republic of Yemen.

Despite this, there is still a strong southern separatist movement fuelled by allegations that the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen is marginalised by the north. This ongoing conflict, coupled with the poverty of the nation, has made it an ideal breeding ground for al-Qaeda operatives.

Now check out our Yemen profile pages with many images of Yemen here.

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