Ten Categories of Yemen Trivia Quiz

Answer: Socotra

The Socotra archipelago is found in the Indian Ocean, about 240 miles (380 km) from the Yemeni mainland. The islands belong to Yemen, despite being closer to the African mainland (about 150 miles or 240 km). Because of the islands' isolation, many of the plant and animal life found on them is endemic; many of them look very strange, leading some to describe Socotra as the weirdest and most-alien place on Earth.

Although the Socotra birds have the word Socotra in them, they are not all of the same genus. Of about 200 bird species on the islands, ten are endemic. Unfortunately, they are prey for the islands' feral cats, so some of these species are vulnerable. Socotra is also famous for other unique flora and fauna, including various species of spider and the dragon tree.

Other endemic animals of Yemen include the snake Günther's Racer (again on Socotra), the Yemeni spiny-tailed lizard, and Scortecci's toad.

Answer: Sanaa

Sana'a, also spelled Sanaa or Sana, has an altitude of 7500 ft (2300 m), thus it is one of the world's highest capital cities. It has been inhabited since antiquity, and legend says that it was founded by Shem, the son of Noah. The Old City has been declared a World Heritage site, and has many sights to see, such as the seventh century Great Mosque, or Jami' al-Kabir.

The Bab al-Yaman, or the Yemen Gate, is over a millennium old and leads into the city.

Answer: Djibouti

Bab-el-Mandeb is the Arabic for "Gate of Grief", and legend says its name is due to the many who drowned when an earthquake separated the Asian and African continents. The shortest distance across it is approximately 20 mi (30 km) from Ras Menheli in Yemen to Ras Siyyan in Djibouti; however, Perim Island, which belongs to Yemen, lies in the strait, separating it into eastern and western channels, so the country of Yemen is even closer if Perim is regarded. Also situated in the strait is an archipelago belonging to Djibouti, called Seven Brothers (or Sept Freres in French); actually there are only six islands, with the seventh a volcanic hill at Ras Siyyan on the Djiboutian mainland.

Answer: Queen of Sheba

The city of Ma'rib in Yemen was the capital of the Saba kingdom, believed by many scholars to be the same place as the kingdom of Sheba mentioned in the Bible. The kingdom existed from approximately the 10th century BC until around 300 AD. The Sabaeans, who are mentioned various times in the Bible, traded in spices, which gives a possible explanation for the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon, accompanied with many gifts including spices.

The story of her visit can be found in 1 Kings 10.

Answer: Saltah

Different regions have different versions of saltah, but the basic dish consists of meat stew (usually lamb), hulbah (fenugreek), and added vegetables. Potatoes are often added, as can be rice or eggs. It is served sizzling hot, and is often eaten with flatbread with which the saltah can be scooped. It is cooked in a special heat-proof bowl called a "madr".

Answer: A New Day In Old Sana'a

"A New Day In Old Sana'a" (2005) was shot in Sana'a, starring Nabil Saber as Tariq and Dania Hammoud as his love interest Ines. Shown from the point of view of Italian photographer Federico, the film follows Tariq who falls in love with a woman he sees dancing in the street whom he believes is Bilquis, a judge's daughter whom he is scheduled to marry. The woman is actually Ines, an artist. Tariq must choose between the women, sacrificing either the feelings of his own heart or the honor of his family and tradition of his country.

Other Yemeni films include "The Losing Bet" (2008), which depicts jihadis upon their return home, and "The Mulberry House" (2013), a memoir of filmmaker Sara Ishaq, who is half-Scottish, following her family through the 2011 Yemeni revolution.

Answer: Homayni

Homayni (sung poetry) dates back to around the 14th century, when musicians would sing aloud poems written in dialect and play along with the qanbus, a type of short-necked lute that originated in Yemen but can now be found in various countries around the Indian Ocean. The rhythm is often four, seven, or even eleven beats. A particular custom in Sana'a involves a group of men chewing the khat, or qat, leaf, which contains a stimulant similar to amphetamine. While the singer sings the poetry and plays the qanbus, the other men enjoy very lively discussions, about philosophy, for example. At sunset, the "hour of Solomon", the group ceases their conversation and contemplates quietly. Today, the word "homayni" often refers specifically to Sana'an singing.

More recently, hip-hop has become more common in Yemen. The impetus of this trend is considered to be the music of Ohio-born American-Yemeni rapper, Hagage "AJ" Masaed, who released his first song in 1997. As well as English, AJ uses Arabic in his songs, and mixes American hip-hop style with Arabic music.

Answer: Tawakkol Karman

Tawakkol Karman is a member of the Al-Islah party and is a human rights activist. She had a major role in the 2011 Yemeni uprising, becoming its public face, and also co-founded Women Journalists Without Chains, a human rights group. Tawakkol was 32 years old at the time she won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her work for women's rights, although since then she has been replaced as the youngest winner. Known in Yemen as the "Mother of the Revolution", she was a strong opponent against the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who resigned the presidency in 2012 after more than 33 years in power.

Answer: Judaism

There are approximately 400,000 Yemenite Jews, most living in Israel, following the mass emigrations; in the first wave, from 1881 to 1914, about 10% of Yemen's Jews left the country, most on foot. The majority left during Operation Magic Carpet (or more properly, Operation on Wings of Eagles) in 1949-1950, which involved nearly 50,000 Yemenite Jews being secretly airlifted to Israel. Another wave in 1959 involved around 3000 Jews emigrating to the US and the UK as well as to Israel. A few hundred, mostly elderly, still live in Yemen, centered around the governate of Amran in the north.

There are about three or four thousand Christians in Yemen, most of whom are refugees or temporary residents. In the city of Aden, there are four churches. The vast majority of Yemen's Christians are Catholic, with only around 1% following Protestantism. There is also a small minority of Hindus, and a Hindu temple as well as the Christian churches in Aden.

Answer: Semitic

Yemeni Arabic, which is actually a collection of Arabic dialects, is spoken throughout the country, which is home to various other languages that are part of the Semitic family along with Arabic. In particular, Eastern South Semitic (also called Modern South Arabian) languages are spoken in some areas of Yemen.

The most popular in Mehri, spoken by the Mehri (or Mahra) people in east Yemen, numbering about 70,000 within the country's borders. On the island of Socotra, which is more isolated from the Arabic-speaking mainland, about 60,000 people speak Soqotri.

There are other minority languages in Yemen, spoken by immigrants, for example Chinese and South Asian languages.