Yemen: Flag and Facts
Yemen's flag has three horizontal stripes of equal width: red on top, white in the middle and black on the bottom.
- Official name
- Republic of Yemen
- Capital
- Sana'a
- Region
- Western Asia
- Population
- 35 million (2025)
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Yemeni rial
- Area
- 527,968 km² (203,850 sq mi)
- People
- Yemeni
- Calling code
- +967
- Highest point
- Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,666 m
- Independence
- 22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen established with the…) or North Yemen] and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen])
- National symbols
- golden eagle
- Borders
- Oman, Saudi Arabia
About Yemen
North Yemen broke away from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and became the Yemen Arab Republic in 1962. In the south, the British had run a protectorate around Aden, a southern port, since the 19th century and left in 1967. The southern state took a Marxist turn three years later. After two decades of hostility, the two sides joined as the Republic of Yemen on 22 May 1990, now marked as Unification Day.
A narrow coastal plain rises to flat-topped hills and rugged mountains, then slopes into desert. The west coast is hot and humid, and the east is very hot and dry. About 34.5 million people live here. Sana'a, the capital, has about 3.3 million residents, and Aden is next at around 1.1 million.
Did you know?
- The golden eagle is Yemen's national symbol.
- Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb reaches 3,666 meters, the highest point in Yemen.
- Half the population is younger than 20.5 years.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Yemen
What do the colors of Yemen's flag mean?
Black is oppression, overcome through struggle shown in red, leading to a bright future shown in white.
What currency does Yemen use?
The Yemeni rial. Arabic is the official language.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.