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Article: Yemen
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- Countries and Their Cultures
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Yemen
Culture Name
Yemeni
Alternative Names
South Arabian, al-Yamani
Orientation
Identification.
The name of the country is derived from the legendary ancestor Yaman, the son of Qahtan, or from the Arabic root
ymn
("the right") since Yemen is located to the right of the Meccan sanctuary of Kaaba. Some scholars compare the Arabic word
yumna
("happy") with the Roman name for the southwest Arabia,
Arabia Felix
("Happy Arabia"). Inhabitants feel that they have a common culture, although local and class identities are still important.
Location and Geography.
Medieval Arab geographers thought of Yemen as covering the entire southern strip of the Arabian peninsula, from the ...