United States Ambassador to South Yemen

United States Ambassador to South Yemen

The area on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula that is now Yemen is one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Middle East. Between the 12th century BC and the 6th century AD, it was part of the Minaean, Sabaean, and Himyarite kingdoms, which controlled the lucrative spice trade, and later came under Ethiopian and Persian rule. In the 7th century, Islamic caliphs began to exert control over the area. After this caliphate broke up, the former north Yemen came under control of imams of various dynasties, usually of the Zaidi sect, who established a theocratic political structure that survived until modern times.

Egyptian Sunni caliphs occupied much of north Yemen throughout the 11th century. By the 16th century and again in the 19th century, north Yemen was part of the Ottoman Empire, and in some periods its imams exerted control over south Yemen.

In 1839, the British occupied the port of Aden and established it as a colony to provide a coaling station for ships en route to India. They also set up a zone of loose alliances (known as protectorates) around Aden to act as a protective buffer. The protectorate was ruled as part of British India until 1937, when Aden was made a crown colony with the remaining land designated as east Aden and west Aden protectorates. By 1965, most of the tribal states within the protectorates and the Aden colony proper had joined to form the British-sponsored Federation of South Arabia.

In 1965, two rival nationalist groups, the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY) and the National Liberation Front (NLF), turned to terrorism in their struggle to control the country. In 1967, in the face of uncontrollable violence, British troops began withdrawing, federation rule collapsed, and NLF elements took control after eliminating their FLOSY rivals. South Arabia, including Aden, was declared independent on November 30, 1967, and was renamed the People's Republic of South Yemen.

The United States recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. A U.S. embassy in Aden was established on December 7, 1967, with William L. Eagleton, Jr., as Chargé d'Affaires "ad interim".

In June 1969, a radical Marxist wing of NLF gained power. The new regime severed diplomatic relations with the United States on October 24, 1969. An American ambassador had not yet been appointed for South Yemen and Eagleton was still serving as the chargé d’affaires when relations were severed. Two days later all diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from the country and the U.S. embassy was closed.

On December 1, 1970, the regime changed the name of the country to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

The United States resumed diplomatic relations with the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen on April 30, 1990. On May 22, 1990, the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen united to form the Republic of Yemen.

For subsequent ambassadors to the Republic of Yemen, see United States Ambassador to Yemen.

For ambassadors to the Yemen Arab Republic, see United States Ambassador to North Yemen.

References

*Yemen
*History of Yemen
*People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35836.htm U.S. Dep’t of State: Background Notes on Yemen]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/11276.htm U.S. Dep’t of State: U.S. Ambassadors to Southern Yemen]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • United States Ambassador to North Yemen — The area on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula that is now Yemen is one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Middle East. Between the 12th century BC and the 6th century AD, it was part of the Minaean, Sabaean, and Himyarite… …   Wikipedia

  • United States Ambassador to Yemen — Since the diplomatic recognition of North Yemen 1946 following World War II, the United States of America has appointed an official ambassador to Yemen. Prior to 1990, there was a separate United States Ambassador to North Yemen and United States …   Wikipedia

  • United States Ambassador to China — Ambassador of the United States to the People s Republic of China 美国驻华大使 Seal of the United States Department of State …   Wikipedia

  • United States Ambassador to Colombia — Ambassador of the United States to Colombia Seal of the United States Department of State …   Wikipedia

  • Ambassador of Colombia to the United States — Embajadora de Colombia a los Estados Unidos Incumbent Gabriel Silva Luján s …   Wikipedia

  • United States — a republic in the N Western Hemisphere comprising 48 conterminous states, the District of Columbia, and Alaska in North America, and Hawaii in the N Pacific. 267,954,767; conterminous United States, 3,022,387 sq. mi. (7,827,982 sq. km); with… …   Universalium

  • UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, country in N. America. This article is arranged according to the following outline: introduction Colonial Era, 1654–1776 Early National Period, 1776–1820 German Jewish Period, 1820–1880 East European Jewish Period,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • United States–Yemen relations — describes inter governmental contact between the Government of the United States and the Government of Yemen.HistoryThe United States established diplomatic relations with the Imamate in 1946. A resident legation, later elevated to embassy status …   Wikipedia

  • United States Minister to Hawaii — Minister of the United States to Hawaii Seal of the United States Department of State …   Wikipedia

  • Denmark–United States relations — United States Denmark relations Denmark …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”