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Yemen, History
Yemen is one
of the oldest centers of civilization in the
world. Between the ninth century BC and the
sixth century AD, it was part of the Sabaean,
Awsanian, Minaean, Qatabanian, Hadhramawtian,
Himyarite, and some other kingdoms, which
controlled the lucrative spice trade. It was
known to the Ancient Romans as Arabia Felix
("Lucky Arabia") because of the riches its trade
generated. Augustus Caesar attempted
to annex it, but the expedition failed. The
Ethiopian Kingdom of Aksum annexed it by around
520, and it was subsequently taken by the
Sassanids Persians around 570.
In the 3rd century and again in the late sixth
and early seventh centuries AD, many Sabaean and
Himyarite people migrated out of the land of
Yemen following the destructions of the Ma'rib
Dam (sadd Ma'rib) and migrated to North Africa
and northern part of the Arabian Peninsula. In
the 7th century, Islamic caliphs began to exert
control over the area. After this caliphate
broke up, the former North Yemen came under
control of Imams of various dynasties usually of
the Zaidi sect, who established a theocratic
political structure that survived until modern
times. (Imam is a religious term. The Shi'ites
apply it to the prophet Muhammad's son-in-law
Ali, his sons Hassan and Hussein, and subsequent
lineal descendants, whom they consider to have
been divinely ordained unclassified successors
of the prophet.)
Egyptian Sunni Caliphs occupied much of North
Yemen throughout the eleventh century. By the
sixteenth century and again in the nineteenth
century, north Yemen was part of the Ottoman
Empire, and in some periods its Imams exerted
control over south Yemen.
North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman
Empire in 1918 and became a republic in 1962. In
1839, the British occupied the port of Aden and
established it as a colony in September of that
year. They also set up a zone of loose alliances
(known as protectorates) around Aden to act as a
protective buffer. In 1967, the British withdrew
and gave back Aden to Yemen due to extreme
pressure of battles with the North and Egyptian
allies. After the British withdrawal, this area
became known as South Yemen. The two countries
were formally united as the Republic of Yemen on
May 22, 1990.
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