[ah' d'n] a major
port on the Red Sea, is the economic capital of the
Republic of Yemen. The city is located at the tip of the
Arabian Peninsula on two small peninsulas of volcanic
origin that rise to more than 1,000 ft (300 m) in height.
The eastern peninsula is known as Aden and the western
peninsula as Little Aden. The Port of Aden consists of
the city of Aden and its harbor, as well as a number of
small towns around the harbor and two large suburbs --
Khormaksar and Sheikh Othman. It currently has a
population of about 590,000.
Economy
Its position near the entrance to the Red Sea has made the city one of the busiest fueling stations in the world, servicing most of the ships that pass through the Suez Canal. It is also a transshipment center for the region. A large oil refinery is located at Little Aden. The principal sources of employment are the refinery and the port complex. International air service is provided at the Aden International Airport, located at nearby Khormaksar.
History
An ancient trade center, the city of Aden was under Egyptian control from the 3rd century BC until it became a Roman colony in 24 BC. It fell successively under Ethiopian and Persian control and became associated with Yemen about the 7th century AD. It fell to the Turks in 1538 and was incorporated into the Sultanate of Lahej in 1728.
Aden Settlement
In 1838, Sultan Muhsin bin Fadl ceded 75 square miles (194 square kilometers), including Aden, to the British. On January 19, 1839, the British East India Company landed Royal Marines at Aden to occupy the territory. Until 1937, Aden was ruled as part of the Bombay Presidency of British India and was known as Aden Settlement. Its original territory was enlarged in 1857 by the island of Perim, in 1868 by the Khuriya Muriya Islands, and in 1915 by the island of Kamaran.
Aden Colony
In 1937, Aden Settlement was detached
from India and became the Colony of Aden, a British crown
colony. The hinterlands of Aden and Hadhramaut were also
loosely tied to Britain as the Aden Protectorate, of which the city of Aden became the capital.
The flag at left was used as the flag of Aden until January 18, 1963. The flag incorporates the British Union Jack in the upper left corner, on a navy blue field; the "badge" in the right-hand half of the flag depicts an Arab dhow sailing on a sea, a reference to Aden's importance as a shipping center.
State of Aden
In order to stabilize Aden and the surrounding
Aden Protectorate from attacks by North Yemen, the
British decided to unite the several states of the region
in preparation for eventual independence. On January 18,
1963, Aden Colony was incorporated into the Federation of
Arab Emirates of the South as the State of Aden and the
Federation was renamed the Federation of South Arabia. In 1964, Britain announced its intention to
grant independence to the Federation of South Arabia in
1968, but increasing violence prompted Britain to speed
up the process.
Capital of Yemen
When the Federation of South Arabia won its independence on November 30, 1967, Aden became the capital of the People's Democratic Republic of South Yemen, which became the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1970.
Aden Governorate and Aden Free Zone
With the unification of Northern and Southern Yemen into the Republic of Yemen in 1990, Aden became the capital of Aden Governorate, which covered an area similar to that of the Aden Colony. In 1991, Resolution No. 209 was issued, establishing the Aden Free Zone, within which the import and export of goods can be conducted without imposition of duties or tariffs on those goods.
Questions or comments about this page?
"Aden." Funk & Wagnalls New
Encyclopedia. Funk & Wagnalls Corporation, 1993.
Aden Free Zone. www.aden-freezone.com
Flags of the World. www.fotw.us
The Port of Aden. www.portofaden.com
The Robinson Library
History: General and Old
World.--Asia.--Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia.--Regions, Provinces, Etc., A-Z.
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