Historic Governorates of Yemen - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

As of February 2004, 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....

is divided into twenty governorates

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'...

) and one municipality. The population of each governorate is listed in the table below.

Division	Capital City	Population 2004 Census	Population 2006 est.	Key
'Adan 'Adan Governorate Adan is a governorate of Yemen, including the city of Aden. At the 2004 census it had a population of 589,419. The ancient capital, the port city of Crater, was located here....	Aden Aden Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...	589,419	634,710	1
'Amran 'Amran Governorate Amran is a governorate of Yemen.-Districts:Al Ashah DistrictAl Madan DistrictAl Qaflah DistrictAmran DistrictAs Sawd DistrictAs Sudah DistrictBani Suraim DistrictDhi Bin DistrictHabur Zulaymah DistrictHarf Sufyan District...	'Amran	877,786	909,992	2
Abyan	Zinjibar Zinjibar Zinjibar is a port and coastal town in south-central Yemen, the capital of Zinjibar District and the Abyan Governorate. It is located next to the Wadi Bana in the Abyan Delta. From 1962 to 1967, it was the administrative capital of the Fadhli Sultanate, although the royal residence remained at...	433,819	454,535	3
Ad Dali Ad Dali' Governorate Ad Dali is a governorate of Yemen.-Districts:Ad Dhale'e DistrictAl Azariq DistrictAl Husha DistrictAl Hussein DistrictAsh Shu'ayb DistrictDamt DistrictJahaf DistrictJuban District*Qa'atabah District...	Ad Dali' Ad Dali' Ad Dali is a capital town of Ad Dali' Governorate, southwestern Yemen. It is located at around , in the elevation of around 1500 metres....	470,564	504,533	4
Al Bayda' Al Bayda' Governorate Al Bayda , also spelt Al-Baidhah or Beida, is one of the 19 governorates of Yemen. It is located near the centre of the country, around the town of Al Bayda'.Its population, according to the 2004 Yemeni census, was 571,778....	Al Bayda' Al Bayda', Yemen Al Bayda, also transliterated as Al-Baidhah or Beida , not to be mixed with al-Bayda' in al-Jawf, the ancient Nashqum) is a town in central Yemen, in the Governorate of Al Bayda'. It is located 130 miles SE of Sanaa, at ....	577,369	605,303	5
Al Hudaydah Al Hudaydah Governorate Al Hudaydah is a governorate of Yemen. Its capital is Al Hudaydah.This governorate borders the Red Sea and is part of the narrow Tihamah region...	Al Hudaydah Al Hudaydah Al Hudaydah is the fourth largest city in Yemen with a population of 400,000 people, and the centre of Al Hudaydah Governorate.-Overview:...	2,157,552	2,300,179	6
Al Jawf Al Jawf Governorate Al Jawf is a governorate of Yemen.-Districts:Al Ghayl DistrictAl Hazm DistrictAl Humaydat DistrictAl Khalq DistrictAl Maslub DistrictAl Matammah DistrictAl Maton DistrictAz Zahir DistrictBart Al Anan DistrictKhabb wa ash Sha'af District...	Al Jawf Al Jawf Al Jawf may refer to:* Al Jawf, Saudi Arabia, a city known in Saudi Arabia for its major prison* Al Jawf Province, a province of Saudi Arabia* Al Jawf Governorate, a governorate of Yemen* Al Jawf, Libya, a city and municipality in Libya...	443,797	465,737	7
Al Mahrah Al Mahrah Governorate Al Mahrah or Mahra is a governorate of Yemen in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Situated in the area of the former Mahra Sultanate, its capital is Al Ghaydah....	Al Ghaydah Al Ghaydah Al Ghaydah is the capital city of Al Mahrah Governorate in southeastern Yemen. It is located at around ....	88,594	96,768	8
Al Mahwit Al Mahwit Governorate Al Mahwit is one of the governorates of Yemen.-Districts:Al Khabt DistrictAl Mahwait DistrictAl Mahwait City DistrictAr Rujum DistrictAt Tawilah DistrictBani Sa'd DistrictHufash DistrictMilhan District*Shibam Kawkaban District...	Al Mahwit Al Mahwit Al Mahwit is a capital city of Al Mahwit Governorate, Yemen. It is located at around , at an elevation of about 2000 metres....	494,557	523,236	9
Amanat Al Asimah Sana'a -Districts:Al Wahdah DistrictAs Sabain DistrictAssafi'yah DistrictAt Tahrir DistrictAth'thaorah DistrictAz'zal DistrictBani Al Harith DistrictMa'ain DistrictOld City DistrictShu'aub District-Old City:...	Sanaa Sana'a -Districts:Al Wahdah DistrictAs Sabain DistrictAssafi'yah DistrictAt Tahrir DistrictAth'thaorah DistrictAz'zal DistrictBani Al Harith DistrictMa'ain DistrictOld City DistrictShu'aub District-Old City:...	1,747,834	1,947,139	10
Dhamar Dhamar Governorate Dhamar , also spelt Thamar, is a governorate of Yemen. It is located to the south and southeast of Sana'a Governorate, to the north of Ibb Governorate, to the east of Al Hudaydah Governorate and to the northwest of Al Bayda' Governorate in the central highlands of Yemen...	Dhamar Dhamar, Yemen Dhamar is a city in southwestern Yemen. It is located at , at an elevation of around 2400 metres.-Overview:Dhamar is situated 100 km to the south of Sana'a, north of Ibb, and west of Al-Beidha, 2700 m above sea level. Its name “Dhamar” goes back to the king of Sheba and Dou-Reddan at 15-35 AD...	1,330,108	1,412,142	11
Hadramaut Hadhramaut Governorate Hadhramaut or Hadramawt is a governorate of Yemen. Lying within the large historical region of Hadhramaut, it is the country's largest governorate.-Overview:...	Al Mukalla Al Mukalla Al Mukalla is a main sea port and the capital city of the Hadramaut coastal region in Yemen in the southern part of Arabia on the Gulf of Aden close to the Arabian Sea...	1,028,556	1,092,967	12
Hajjah Hajjah Governorate Hajjah is a governorate of Yemen. Bordered by the Red Sea, it has its capital in Hajjah.-Overview:Claims have been made that this region along with Sa'dah and Al Hudaydah legally belong to Saudi Arabia due to irregularities in the Treaty of Taif and the fact that it was once part of Asir that was...	Hajjah Hajjah Hajjah is the capital city of Hajjah Governorate in northwestern Yemen. It is located 127 kilometres northwest of Sana'a, at an elevation of about 1800 metres. As of 2003, the Hajjah City District had a population of 53,887 inhabitants....	1,479,568	1,570,872	13
Ibb Ibb Governorate Ibb is a governorate of Yemen. It is located in the inland south of the country with Ta'izz Governorate to the southwest, Ad Dali' Governorate to the southeast, Dhamar Governorate to the north, and short borders with Al Bayda' Governorate to the east and Al Hudaydah Governorate to the west...	Ibb Ibb Ibb is a city in Yemen, the capital of Ibb Governorate, situated on a mountain ridge, surrounded by fertile land and is known as "The Green City". It is located about 73 miles north-east of Mocha. Ibb was governed by a semi-autonomous emir until 1944, when the emirate was abolished...	2,131,861	2,238,537	14
Lahij Lahij Governorate Lahij is a governorate of Yemen.-Districts:Al Hawtah DistrictAl Had DistrictAl Madaribah Wa Al Arah DistrictAl Maflahy DistrictAl Maqatirah DistrictAl Milah DistrictAl Musaymir DistrictAl Qabbaytah District*Habil Jabr District...	Lahij Lahij Lahij or Lahej is a city and an area located between Ta'izz and Aden in Yemen. From the 18th to the 20th century, its rulers were of the Al-Abdali family who with Al-Sallami, Al-Ramada, Al-Sindi and al-Aqrabi, claims relation to Ahl al-Bayt...	722,694	761,160	15
Ma'rib Ma'rib Governorate Ma'rib is a governorate of Yemen. Its centre, Ma'rib, was established after the discovery of oil deposits in 1984. Ma'rib's population in 2004 was 241,619.-Districts:Al Abdiyah DistrictAl Jubah DistrictBidbadah DistrictHarib District...	Ma'rib Ma'rib Ma'rib or Marib is the capital town of the Ma'rib Governorate, Yemen and was the capital of the Sabaean kingdom, which some scholars believe to be the ancient Sheba of biblical fame. It is located at , approximately 120 kilometers east of Yemen's modern capital, Sana'a...	238,522	251,668	16
Raymah Raymah Governorate Raymah is a governorate of Yemen.It was established in January 2004.-Districts:Al Jabin DistrictAl Jafariyah DistrictAs Salafiyah DistrictBilad At Ta'am DistrictKusmah DistrictMazhar District...	Raymah Raymah Raymah is a village in western central Yemen. It is located in the San‘a’ Governorate.-External links:*...	394,448	418,659	17
Sa'dah Sa'dah Governorate Saada is a governorate located in the north of Yemen on the border with Saudi Arabia. As of February 2004, the province had a population of 695,033 inhabitants, around 3.67% of the total population of Yemen and have an area of 11,375 square kilometers.. It is one of the most inaccessible areas of...	Sa`dah	695,033	746,957	18
Sana'a Sana'a Governorate San‘a’ is a governorate of Yemen. Its capital is San‘a’, which is also the national capital. However, the city of San‘a’ is not part of the Governorate but instead forms the separate district of Amanat Al-Asemah. The Governorate covers an area of 13,850 km²...	San`a'	919,215	957,798	19
Shabwah Shabwah Governorate Shabwah is a governorate of Yemen. Its main town is Ataq.-Districts:Ain DistrictAl Talh DistrictAr Rawdah DistrictArma DistrictAs Said DistrictAtaq DistrictBayhan DistrictDhar DistrictHabban DistrictHatib District...	Ataq Ataq Ataq , alternately spelled Attaq, is a small city and the capital of Shabwah Governorate in Yemen. Ataq is 458 km south east of Sana'a. The difference in elevation of the city is about 70 m with generally partially flat topography with altitudinal variation in the range of 1120–1190 m.a.s.l....	470,440	494,638	20
Ta'izz Ta'izz Governorate Ta'izz is a governorate of Yemen. The governorate's capital is Ta'izz, which is the third largest city in Yemen. Other major towns include Al Sawa, Juha and the famous coffee port of Mocha. It has a total population of just over three million and an area of 10,677km².For such a small area, Ta'izz...	Ta`izz	2,393,425	2,513,003	21

The governorates are subdivided into 333 districts

Districts of Yemen

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

(muderiah), which are subdivided into 2,210 sub-districts, and then into 38,284 villages (as of 2001).

Historical subdivisions

Before 1990, the Republic of Yemen

Yemen

did not exist. Instead, the northern part existed as North Yemen

North Yemen

North Yemen is a term currently used to designate the Yemen Arab Republic , its predecessor, the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen , and their predecessors that exercised sovereignty over the territory that is now the north-western part of the state of Yemen in southern Arabia.Neither state ever...

(or formally as the "Yemen Arab Republic"), and the southern part existed as South Yemen (or formally as the "People's Democratic Republic of Yemen"). The two Yemens merged to form the Republic of Yemen in May, 1990.

Below are the various administrative divisions of the two Yemens as they existed before 1990.

Governorates of South Yemen

Following independence, South Yemen was divided into six governorate

Governorate

A governorate is an administrative division of a country. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states, provinces, or colonies, the term governorate is often used in translation from non-English-speaking administrations.The...

s (Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

muhafazat), with roughly natural boundaries, each given a Roman numeral.

Numeral	Name	Approximate Area (km.²)	Capital
I	'Adan 'Adan Governorate Adan is a governorate of Yemen, including the city of Aden. At the 2004 census it had a population of 589,419. The ancient capital, the port city of Crater, was located here....	6,980	Aden Aden Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
II	Lahij Lahij Governorate Lahij is a governorate of Yemen.-Districts:Al Hawtah DistrictAl Had DistrictAl Madaribah Wa Al Arah DistrictAl Maflahy DistrictAl Maqatirah DistrictAl Milah DistrictAl Musaymir DistrictAl Qabbaytah District*Habil Jabr District...	12,766	Lahij Lahij Lahij or Lahej is a city and an area located between Ta'izz and Aden in Yemen. From the 18th to the 20th century, its rulers were of the Al-Abdali family who with Al-Sallami, Al-Ramada, Al-Sindi and al-Aqrabi, claims relation to Ahl al-Bayt...
III	Abyan	21,489	Zinjibar Zinjibar Zinjibar is a port and coastal town in south-central Yemen, the capital of Zinjibar District and the Abyan Governorate. It is located next to the Wadi Bana in the Abyan Delta. From 1962 to 1967, it was the administrative capital of the Fadhli Sultanate, although the royal residence remained at...
IV	Shabwah Shabwah Governorate Shabwah is a governorate of Yemen. Its main town is Ataq.-Districts:Ain DistrictAl Talh DistrictAr Rawdah DistrictArma DistrictAs Said DistrictAtaq DistrictBayhan DistrictDhar DistrictHabban DistrictHatib District...	73,908	Ataq Ataq Ataq , alternately spelled Attaq, is a small city and the capital of Shabwah Governorate in Yemen. Ataq is 458 km south east of Sana'a. The difference in elevation of the city is about 70 m with generally partially flat topography with altitudinal variation in the range of 1120–1190 m.a.s.l....
V	Hadhramawt Hadhramaut Governorate Hadhramaut or Hadramawt is a governorate of Yemen. Lying within the large historical region of Hadhramaut, it is the country's largest governorate.-Overview:...	155,376	Al Mukalla Al Mukalla Al Mukalla is a main sea port and the capital city of the Hadramaut coastal region in Yemen in the southern part of Arabia on the Gulf of Aden close to the Arabian Sea...
VI	al-Mahra Al Mahrah Governorate Al Mahrah or Mahra is a governorate of Yemen in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Situated in the area of the former Mahra Sultanate, its capital is Al Ghaydah....	66,350	Al Ghaydah Al Ghaydah Al Ghaydah is the capital city of Al Mahrah Governorate in southeastern Yemen. It is located at around ....

Provinces of North Yemen

Until 1980, North Yemen

North Yemen

was split into governorates. In 1980, the country was reorganized into eight provinces (liwa).

Name	Approximate Area (km.²)
Al-Bayda'	15,000
Al-Hudaydah	35,000
Hajjah	17,000
Ibb	13,000
Rida'	10,000
Sa`dah	18,000
San`a'	80,000
Ta`izz	12,000

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