The Republic of Yemen is just ten years old in its present form. In May 1990, the two states of South Yemen and North Yemen merged after years of separation. After unification Sana'a became the political capital while Aden remains the principal business center.

The division of Yemen into two states emerged towards the end of World War I. After the retreat of the defeated Ottoman Turks, an independent kingdom was created in the north with the capital city of Sana'a. The south with the strategically important port of Aden remained a British protectorate and was later granted the status of a crown colony.

During the late sixties, there were two independent republics with opposing social developments. South Yemen was supported by the Soviet Union as a socialist People's Republic. In contrast, the Yemen Arab Republic maintained close relations to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Not the first attempt at merging the two nations, unification in 1990 was successful because several favorable factors came together. The basis, however, was the joint cultural heritage.

Only a very few of the nations of the world can lay claim to such a well-documented ancient history. Mention is made of Aden in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. It was one of the centers of the western Arabian spice trade. The Sabaeans lived in Yemen around 900 BC, a technically advanced people that built the famous dam at Ma'rib. The legendary wealth of the Sabaeans stemmed not only from trade, but also from the production of frankincense and myrrh. The Greek geographer Strabo reported "vast amounts both of gold as well as silver articles and splendid buildings".

Around 1400 Islamic scholars discovered the stimulating effect of coffee which proceeded to embark on a triumphal march around the world from the port city of Al Mukha (mocca).