YEMEN, Arabia, a division occupying the southwest angle of the peninsula, and known both to the ancients and moderns as Arabia Felix (Arabia the Happy), from a mistransla tion by Ptolemy of Yemen, which does not signify happy but the land lying to the right of Mecca. Yemen, in the widest sense, is bounded on the west by the Red Sea, on the south by the Gulf of Aden, on the north by Hejaz and Nejd, and on the east by Hadramaut. It comprises two regions physically distinct: the Tehima or Lowland, lying between a chain of mountains which extends throughout the country and the west coast; and an elevated mountainous tract to the eastward of the former. The Teharna varies in breadth from 10 to 30 miles, and is a barren desert wherever it is not irrigated by the mountain streams. The mountains rise abruptly from the desert pain, enclosing valleys of great luxuriance. The table-land in the interior has an estimated elevation of 4,000 feet, and some of its moun tain groups, as Saber, south of Taes, attain a height of 7,000 to 8,000 feet. The loftiest of
these mountains are covered with forest to the summit, and the table-land abundantly furnishes coffee, dates, senna, tobacco and other produc tions of rather a warm temperate than a torrid region. Its approximate area is 77.200 square miles. Yemen, taken collectively, still bears un mistakable traces of its ancient superiority in wealth and civilization. In its numerous well built towns are many rich merchants, while in the well-populated rural districts the peasantry are generally in easy circumstances. There are two great schools or universities, one at Zehid for Sunnitcs, and another at thunar for the Zeide. The towns are Sana, the capi tal, Mocha, and Aden, which last is now in the possession of the British. Pop. 750,000. See EURAPLAN WAR; TURKEY; HEJAZ.
YEN (Chinese, Yens, a round thing), a Japanese coin issued in 5, 10, and 20yen pieces (gold). A gold yen is equal to 49.8 cents in United States gold.