Al Mahrah Governorate
Encyclopedia
Al Mahrah or Mahra is a governorate
Governorates of Yemen
|Yemen is divided into 21 governorates :The governorates are subdivided into 333 districts , which are subdivided into 2,210 sub-districts, and then into 38,284 villages ....

 (muhafazah
Muhafazah
A ' is a first-level administrative division of many Arab countries, and a second-level administrative division in Saudi Arabia. The term is usually translated to governorate in English, and occasionally to province. It comes from the Arabic root 'h-f-ẓ' which means to 'keep and guard'...

) of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

 in the southern Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...

. Situated in the area of the former Mahra Sultanate
Mahra Sultanate
The Mahra Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra was a sultanate that included both the historical region of Mahra and the Indian Ocean island of Socotra in what is now eastern Yemen...

, its capital is Al Ghaydah
Al Ghaydah
Al Ghaydah is the capital city of Al Mahrah Governorate in southeastern Yemen. It is located at around ....

.

In addition to Arabic, Mehri
Mehri language
Mehri or Mahri is a Modern South Arabian language, a branch of the greater Semitic language family, and is spoken by minority populations in isolated areas of the eastern part of Yemen and western Oman. It is a remnant of the ancient indigenous language group spoken in the southern Arabian...

, a Modern South Arabian language, is spoken in Mahra.

The geography of Al Mahrah is similar to the one of neighboring Dhofar
Dhofar
The Dhofar region lies in Southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen. Its mountainous area covers and has a population of 215,960 as of the 2003 census. The largest town in the region is Salalah. Historically, it was the chief source of frankincense in the world. However, its frankincense...

 in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...

. Rigid peaks rising to around 1,300 meters and the treacherous Empty Quarter
Empty Quarter
The Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter is one of the largest sand deserts in the world, encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, including most of Saudi Arabia and areas of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The desert covers some The Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter...

 desert lies to the north. Along its coast near the border with Oman, Al Mahrah is affected by the seasonal monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

, or Khareef
Khareef
Khareef is a colloquial Arabic term used in southern Oman and southeastern Yemen for the south east monsoon. The monsoon affects Dhofar Governorate and Al Mahrah Governorate from about June to early September. Towns such as Salalah depend upon the khareef for water supply...

. The mountains become water soaked and the atmosphere becomes moist and foggy as vegetation turns the barren coast into lush valleys and forests. Hauf National Park is located in Al Mahrah.

Districts

  • Al Ghaydah District
    Al Ghaydah District
    Al Ghaydah District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 27,404 inhabitants....

  • Al Masilah District
    Al Masilah District
    Al Masilah District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 10,404 inhabitants....

  • Hat District
    Hat District
    Hat District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 2,786 inhabitants....

  • Hawf District
    Hawf District
    Hawf District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 5143 inhabitants....

  • Huswain District
    Huswain District
    Huswain District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 11,130 inhabitants....

  • Man'ar District
    Man'ar District
    Man'ar District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 5,388 inhabitants....

  • Qishn District
    Qishn District
    Qishn District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 11,441 inhabitants....

  • Sayhut District
    Sayhut District
    Sayhut District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 11,746 inhabitants....

  • Shahan District
    Shahan District
    Shahan District is a district of the Al Mahrah Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 3,152 inhabitants....

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