Yemen: The Right Side of Felicity Quiz

Answer: Turkey

The Arabian peninsula contains the countries of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Depending on how you choose to draw the boundary of the peninsula, it may also contain the southern parts of Jordan and Iraq.

The peninsula plays a significant international role due to its abundant supply of oil, and its location to the east of the Red Sea, an important transport line between Europe and Asia.

Answer: Rub' al Khali

The name Rub' al Khali translates into English as Empty Quarter, which is an accurate description of the vast desolation of the area which is the heart of the Great Arabian Desert. The Empty Quarter covers parts of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the eastern end of Yemen. Most of the area is covered in orange sand dunes (colored by the presence of large amounts of feldspar in the sand), with areas of gravel plains.

There is geological evidence that there were once lakes in the desert, where hippopotamus and water buffalo fossils can be found.

Answer: River valley

A wadi is a valley that contains a river, usually only for part of the year. The term is also sometimes applied to the stream itself. Yemen has no permanent rivers, and in the dry season the wadi offers a relatively easy route for travel. Wadi Daehru connects the northern and southern coasts of the island of Socotra, which is the largest island of the four that make up the archipelago of Socotra, which is south of Yemen, and actually closer to Somalia, on the Horn of Africa.

Answer: Limestone

Socotra has three main geographic regions - a narrow coastal plain, a limestone plateau, and the Haghier Mountains. The caves are located in the plateau, where water seeping through the limestone soil carries dissolved calcium carbonate to the cave, where it recrystallises to form stalactites (hanging down from the ceiling of the cave) and stalagmites (pointing up from the ground), as well as other types of formation. Hoq cave, in addition to these geological formations, also contains cave art and artefacts of early civilizations in the area. Based on the writings on the wall, it has been visited over the centuries by Arabs, Indians and Greeks.

Answer: Dragon's blood tree

Dragon's blood sap is red, and was in demand for use as a dye among early residents of the area. In the 18th century it became popular to use the sap as a varnish for Italian violins. Locals still use it for dying wool, and making paints, as well as such diverse uses as lipstick and as a breath freshener.

The sap was associated with dragons, as the name of the tree suggests, and has been part of a number of magical rituals. Technically, the tree is no longer found only on Socrota, since specimens have been raised in other places, but it occurs naturally only on the large island, and it remains one of its most identifiable plants.

Others include the cucumber tree (Dendrosicyos socotrranus), and the Socotran pomegranate (Punica prototpunica).

Answer: True

The coastal plain is called the 'tihama', meaning hot earth, and the region is flat and arid. However, there are many seasonal lagoons, formed as the rivers from the highlands wend their way to the sea they never reach - evaporation in the plain dries them up en route, but the moisture they carry contributes to extensive ground water reserves, and marshy areas that mosquitoes love.

This coastal plain covers not just Yemen, but the entire western coast of the Arabian peninsula.

Answer: Qat

The leaves of the qat (also spelled khat) tree contain a stimulant that provides a sense of euphoria when chewed. The trees grow on the Horn of Africa and on the Arabian peninsula, and qat has been classified as a drug of dependency, albeit less addictive than either alcohol or tobacco. Qat has traditionally been chewed in social settings, similar to, but older than, those associated with drinking coffee. For many years it was only consumed locally, because the drug's impact is reduced as the leaves dry; modern transportation means that it can now be found around the world, often not accompanied by the social traditions which make it a part of Yemeni society.

Answer: Gulf of Aden

The Gulf of Aden (named after the major port located on its coast) is a branch of the Arabian Sea, itself part of the Indian Ocean; it forms the southern coast of Yemen, while the Red Sea forms the western coast. Aden changed from a small Arab village to a significant port when the British decided to use it as a reprovisioning point for ships travelling around the British Empire.

It was conveniently located approximately halfway between the Suez Canal and Mumbai (then called Bombay). With the introduction of steam travel in the 19th century, it became necessary to replenish coal, as well as water and food, so a coaling station was set up at Tawahi, renamed Steamer Point.

In the 20th century an oil refinery was added, in the area known as Little Aden, on the western side of the harbour which has Aden on its east.

Answer: It is in a volcanic crater

Aden lies inside the crater of a dormant (possibly extinct) volcano, which is now a peninsula, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The original harbor was called Front Bay; the modern harbor lies on the other side of the peninsula. Over the years, Aden has developed a number of distinct regions.

The original port is called Crater, for obvious reasons; the modern port is called Ma'alla; Khormaksar, located on the isthmus that connects the city to the mainland, includes Aden University and the city's airport.

Some districts flow over to the mainland as well.

Answer: Sana'a

Sana'a has been inhabited for over 2500 years, and became a major centre in the 7th century. The Old City is known for its (relatively) high-rise buildings with distinctive geometric designs, and the urban sprawl that is the new city has attempted to reflect some of that architectural style. It was declared the capital of Yemen in 1990, when that state was formed by the union of South Yemen and North Yemen, but the civil war of the early 21st century made that rather moot, and much of the business of government was transferred to Aden.

Shibam is a walled city listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to it being an early (16th century) example of vertically-constructed dwellings. It has been nicknamed "Manhattan of the Desert"

Zabid is another World Heritage site, located on the Red Sea. Its university was respected throughout the Arabic world, and algebra is said to have been invented there in the 9th century.

Ma'rib is the site of one of the oldest known dams in the world, built around the 8th century BCE.