ADEN, a peninsula and town belong ing to Great Britain, on the S. W. coast of Arabia. 105 miles E. of the strait of rising to 1,776 feet. It is joined to the mainland by a narrow, level, and sandy isthmus. The town is on the eastern shore of the peninsula, stands in the crater of an extinct volcano, and is sur rounded by barren, cinder-like rocks. The main crater is known as the Devil's Punch-bowl. Frequently the heat is in tense; but the very dry, hot climate, though depressing, is unusually healthy for the tropics. The Romans occupied it in the 1st century A. D. Till the dis covery of the Cape route to India (1498), it was the chief mart of Asiastic produce for the Western nations; but, in 1838, it had sunk to be a village of 600 in habitants. The increasing importance of the Red Sea route gave Aden great value as a station for England to hold; and, in 1839, after a few hours' contest, Aden fell into the hands of the British.
It is of high importance, both in a mer cantile and naval point of view, especially as a great coaling station; it has a gar rison and strong fortifications. During the World War an unsuccessful attack against Aden was made by the Turks. 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 annual value of its imports and exports each exceeds £2,000,000. Aden, which is politically con nected with Bombay, has a population of about 50,000. The majority of the natives are Arabs and Somalis, from Africa, all speaking Arabic.
Bab-el-Mandeb, the entrance to the Red Sea. The peninsula is a mass of volcanic rocks, 5 miles long from E. to W., and