A'DEN, a peninsula and t. on the s.w. coast of Arabia. The most southern promon tory of the peninsula, cape Aden, is in n. lat. 12° 47', and c. long. 45° 9'. This penin sula, the area of is 18 to 20 sq. in., is doubtless of volcanic origin, and consists chiefly of a range of hills not exceeding 1776 ft. in height. It is joined to the mainland b' a narrow, level and sandy isthmus. In a valley which forms the crater of a submarine volcano, stands the t. of A., which is also named from the neighboring promontory, Bab el-Mandeb, or the gate of Mandeb. It was styled by the native Arabs Aden or Eden (paradise), on account of its fine climate and great commerce, for which it was cele brated from the oldest times. It enjoys almost perpetual sunshine; a cloudy day is of rare occurrence; the heat is pleasantly tempered by the sea-breezes; and the inhabit ants are generally healthy. Pliny the elder seems to have known the native name of the place, for which he writes " Athana." It was also known by the name of "Emporium Rotnanum." Up to the time of the circumnavigation of Africa, A., so favorably situ ated at the entrance of the Red sea, was the chiermart of all Asiatic produce and manu factures, and even the Chinese traded here. Marco Polo and other voyagers of the middle ages told wonders of the riches and splendor of the place. In the course of time, i however, it was reduced to a. small village, which In 1838 contained only about 600 Inhabitants, including some 250 Jews and about 50 Indian merchants. The Anglo-Indian government had long been on the outlook for a speedy route by steam from India to The explorations on the river Euphrates afforded no satisfactory results, and ultimately the old commercial route by the Red sea was chosen. This, of course, gave to the shores and harbors of that sea a new importance, and the English soon saw the advantages of a position like that of A. About this time, a British vessel suffered ship wreck off the coast of A., where the passengers were plundered and in other ways ill
treated by the natives. A vessel was therefore dispatched from Bombay, in 1838, to compel the sultan of the country to make restitution, and also to learn on what terms the Arabs would be willing to cede A. to the English. Capt. Haynes, by fair promises, succeeded in gaining a cession of the country from the sultan, a weak and covetous old man. Afterwards, tearing the displeasure of some neighboring tribes, and partly moved by the s,iggestions of religious sheiks, the sultan repented of transaction, but was held to his contract by force of arms; and on Jan. 11, 1839, after a few hours' contest, A. fell into the hands of the British. Here they have now a strong garrison and fortifi cations. In its medieval prosperity, A. bad had a magnificent system of cisterns for collecting the rain-water from the circle of hills that surrounds it. Who built. them is unknown; but it is conjectured that they had been begun about the Gth or 7th c. They had been allowed to fall into disuse, and were filled with 'rubbish, and in ruins; but recently a considerable number have been excavated and restored by the British govern ment. If all restored, they seem capable of containing 30,000,000 gallons. A. is of great importance in a mercantile and nautical point of view, having a position between Asia and Africa like that of Gibraltar between Europe and Africa. The population and resources of the place have rapidly increased since 1838, and the opening of the Suez canal in 1869 gave it a great impetus. The value of its imports in 1871-72 was 11,404,109; and of its exports, It has now a busy population of 30,000, gathered from every nation under heaven. Aden is a telegraphic station on the eablebetween Suez and Bombay, laid down in 1870.