Al Mahrah Governorate
Al Mahrah
ٱلْمَهْرَة | |
|---|---|
Governorate | |
 | |
| Country |  Yemen |
| Region |  Hadramout Region |
| Seat | Al Ghaydah |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Mohammed Ali Yaser |
| Area | |
| • Total | 82,405 km2(31,817 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 500,000 |
| • Density | 6.1/km2(16/sq mi) |
Al Mahrah(Arabic:ٱلْمَهْرَةAl-Mahrah), or simplyMahra,is agovernorate(muhafazah) ofYemenin thesouthern partof theArabian Peninsula.Situated in the area of the formerMahra Sultanate,its capital isAl Ghaydah.It has international borders withOman.
Languages and people
[edit]A sizeable part of the Mahrah population does not speak Arabic as their primary language. Non-Arabic-speakers primarily speakMehri or Mahri,which is amodern South Arabianlanguage,[2]similar to the adjacentDhofar GovernorateofOman.The people that speak Mahri call themselves 'Mahris', and are presumed to be descendants of the ancient people of'Ad.[3]
Geography
[edit]The geography of Al-Mahrah is similar to that of neighboring Dhofar region of Oman. Rigid peaks rising to around 1,300 m (4,300 ft), and theEmpty Quarter Desertlies to the north. Along its coast near theborder with Oman,Al Mahrah receives the seasonalmonsoon,orKhareef.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.
The mountains here are referred to as either the "Mahrat"[4]or "Hadhramaut".[5]
Adjacent governorates
[edit]- Hadhramaut Governorate(west)
- Dhofar Governorate,Oman(east)
History
[edit]Yemeni Civil War
[edit]The governorate has remained relatively untouched by thecivil war in Yementhat began in 2015.[6]
On 10 September 2016, three militants in the Al Mahrah governorate declared on social media the formation of a newwilayat,or state, belonging to theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant(ISIL). However, official ISIL media did not acknowledge the declaration.[7]
From 2015 to late 2017, Al Mahrah was under the control of the Yemeni 123rd and 137th Mechanized Brigades.[8]From mid-November 2017 onwards, Saudi Arabia began increasing its presence in the governorate, taking control of facilities, Nishtun port, the Sarfit and Shehen border crossings, and al-Gaydah Airport, while establishing military outposts around key infrastructure and coastal areas.[8]On 27 November 2017, Mohammed Abdullah Kuddah, the governor of Al Mahrah, was replaced by Rajeh Said Bakrit, following the former's objections to Saudi influence.[8]
Districts
[edit]
Al Mahrah Governorate is divided into the following 10 districts. These districts are further divided into sub-districts, and then further subdivided into villages:
- Al Ghaydah District
- Al Masilah District
- Hat District
- Hawf District
- Huswain District
- Man'ar District
- Qishn District
- Sayhut District
- Shahan District
- Rimah District
See also
[edit]- TheHadhramaut Governorate– nearby
References
[edit]- ^"Statistical Yearbook 2011".Central Statistical Organisation. Archived fromthe originalon 9 October 2012.Retrieved24 February2013.
- ^"GeoCurrents article".GeoCurrents.Retrieved6 December2017.
- ^Caton, Steve (2013).Middle East in Focus: Yemen.ABC-CLIO,LLC.ISBN978-1598849271.
- ^Cavendish, Marshall(2006). "I: Geography and climate".World and Its Peoples: The Middle East, Western Asia, and Northern Africa.Cavendish Publishing.pp. 9–144.ISBN0-7614-7571-0.
- ^Scoville, Sheila A. (2006).Gazetteer of Arabia: a geographical and tribal history of the Arabian Peninsula.Vol. 2. Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt. pp. 117–122.ISBN0-7614-7571-0.
- ^"Middle East Monitor article".Middle East Monitor.Retrieved6 December2017.
- ^"Gulf of Aden Security Review - September 12, 2016".Critical Threats.Retrieved2019-06-23.
- ^abc"Saudi Arabia and the UAE in al-Mahra: Securing Interests, Disrupting Local Order, and Shaping a Southern Military".Jamestown.Retrieved2019-06-23.
Places adjacent to Al Mahrah Governorate | ||||||||||||||||
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