Alcohol was sold openly in southern Yemen during the British occupation and, later, under Marxist rule. The famous Seera beer was produced by the National Brewing Company in Aden - the only legal brewery in the whole of the Arabian peninsula.
The modern Republic of Yemen was born in 1990 when traditionalist North Yemen and Marxist South Yemen merged after years of border wars and skirmishes. But the peace broke down in 1994 and a short civil war ended in defeat for separatist southerners and the survival of the unified Yemen.
Since unification Yemen has been modernising and opening up to the world, but it still maintains much of its tribal character and old ways. Tensions persist between the north and the south; some southerners say the northern part of the state is economically privileged.
Yemeni Riyal (YER) = 100 fils, though amounts under 1 Riyal are rarely quoted. Notes are in denominations of YER1,000, 500, 200, 100 and 50. Coins are in denominations of YER20, 10, 5 and 1.