Yemen is a country in Western Asia located on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It's bordered on two sides by water - the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden - and by Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the east. One etymology derives Yemen from ymnt, meaning "South", and significantly plays on the notion of the land to the right. Other sources claim that Yemen is related to yamn or yumn, meaning "felicity" or "blessed", as much of the country is fertile. Yemen is a place of religious importance and steeped in history. According to the Bible, Noah knew it as the land of milk and honey and the Three Wise Men presented the infant Jesus with myrrh and frankincense from its mountains. Some claim it is also the Queen of Sheba's home. The waves of protests, inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, forced then - President Ali Abdallah Saleh to resign.It is the poorest country in the Middle East. 41% of Yemenis are under the age of 15, compared to around 18% in the UK. The country spiraled into civil war in 2014 and, despite peace initiatives, fighting continues today.

Dr. Kemal Yildirim is the author of a number of books and he is a Film director and Producer. Currently he works on Modern and Ancient World cultures.