Al Mahrah or Mahra is a governorate

Governorates of Yemen

|Yemen is divided into 21 governorates :The governorates are subdivided into 333 districts , which are subdivided into 2,210 sub-districts, and then into 38,284 villages ....

 (muhafazah

Muhafazah

A ' is a first-level administrative division of many Arab countries, and a second-level administrative division in Saudi Arabia. The term is usually translated to governorate in English, and occasionally to province. It comes from the Arabic root 'h-f-ẓ' which means to 'keep and guard'...

) of Yemen

Yemen

The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

 in the southern Arabian Peninsula

Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...

. Situated in the area of the former Mahra Sultanate

Mahra Sultanate

The Mahra Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra was a sultanate that included both the historical region of Mahra and the Indian Ocean island of Socotra in what is now eastern Yemen...

, its capital is Al Ghaydah

Al Ghaydah

Al Ghaydah is the capital city of Al Mahrah Governorate in southeastern Yemen. It is located at around ....

.

In addition to Arabic, Mehri

Mehri language

Mehri or Mahri is a Modern South Arabian language, a branch of the greater Semitic language family, and is spoken by minority populations in isolated areas of the eastern part of Yemen and western Oman. It is a remnant of the ancient indigenous language group spoken in the southern Arabian...

, a Modern South Arabian language, is spoken in Mahra.

The geography of Al Mahrah is similar to the one of neighboring Dhofar

Dhofar

The Dhofar region lies in Southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen. Its mountainous area covers and has a population of 215,960 as of the 2003 census. The largest town in the region is Salalah. Historically, it was the chief source of frankincense in the world. However, its frankincense...

 in Oman

Oman

Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...

. Rigid peaks rising to around 1,300 meters and the treacherous Empty Quarter

Empty Quarter

The Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter is one of the largest sand deserts in the world, encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, including most of Saudi Arabia and areas of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The desert covers some The Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter...

 desert lies to the north. Along its coast near the border with Oman, Al Mahrah is affected by the seasonal monsoon

Monsoon

Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

, or Khareef

Khareef

Khareef is a colloquial Arabic term used in southern Oman and southeastern Yemen for the south east monsoon. The monsoon affects Dhofar Governorate and Al Mahrah Governorate from about June to early September. Towns such as Salalah depend upon the khareef for water supply...

. The mountains become water soaked and the atmosphere becomes moist and foggy as vegetation turns the barren coast into lush valleys and forests. Hauf National Park is located in Al Mahrah.

Districts

• Al Ghaydah District
  Al Ghaydah District
  Al Ghaydah District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 27,404 inhabitants....
  
  
• Al Masilah District
  Al Masilah District
  Al Masilah District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 10,404 inhabitants....
  
  
• Hat District
  Hat District
  Hat District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 2,786 inhabitants....
  
  
• Hawf District
  Hawf District
  Hawf District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 5143 inhabitants....
  
  
• Huswain District
  Huswain District
  Huswain District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 11,130 inhabitants....
  
  
• Man'ar District
  Man'ar District
  Man'ar District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 5,388 inhabitants....
  
  
• Qishn District
  Qishn District
  Qishn District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 11,441 inhabitants....
  
  
• Sayhut District
  Sayhut District
  Sayhut District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 11,746 inhabitants....
  
  
• Shahan District
  Shahan District
  Shahan District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 3,152 inhabitants....