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| People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) |
State in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Territory - 336.5 thousand sq. km, including the islands of Socotra, Perim, Kamaran (since October 1972 occupied by the IAR), Kuria-Muria (captured by the Sultanate of Oman). Population - 1.9 million (1979 estimate), mostly Arabs. The capital is Aden (over 350 thousand inhabitants.). The state language is Arabic. Religion - Islam (Shafi'i Sunnism). In ancient times, on the territory of modern NDRI, there were a number of small emirates that were part of the 16th-17th centuries. to the Imamate of Yemen, and partly to the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. In January 1839 the British occupied Aden and by the end of the 19th century. established their rule over all the southern Yemeni emirates. England turned Aden into its largest military base and for many decades used it as one of the main centers for the implementation of British colonial policy in Asia. In an effort to maintain their dominance in this area in the face of the growth of the national liberation struggle, the British created in 1959 the puppet Federation of the Arab Emirates of the South, renamed in 1962 the Federation of South Arabia (FYA). On the basis of the "Treaty of Friendship and Defense" concluded with the FYUA, England continued to control the country's domestic and foreign policy. In October 1963, a popular uprising broke out against the British colonialists, led by the National Front. After a long armed struggle on November 30, 1967, the independent People's Republic of South Yemen was proclaimed, renamed in 1970 into the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (NDRI). Under the leadership of the revolutionary-democratic Political Organization National Front (PONF), important progressive transformations were carried out in the NDRI: agrarian reform, In 1975, the PONF merged with two other progressive parties of the NDRY: the People's Democratic Union and the People's Vanguard Party, as a result of which the United Political Organization National Front (OPONF) was created. In May 1977, the Aden Oil Refinery (the design capacity of 8.8 million tons of petroleum products per year), which had previously belonged to England, was transferred to the government for compensation, which practically completed the nationalization of foreign companies in the field of production. From the very first days of its formation, the NDRI has consistently advocated anti-imperialist positions in foreign policy and maintains close ties with the socialist countries. She is a supporter of the unity of action of the progressive Arab countries in the struggle for a just Middle East settlement, actively participates in the National Front of Resilience and Resistance to the capitulation policy of Egyptian President Sadat. She broke off relations with Egypt, advocated the use of economic and political sanctions against the Sadat regime. NDRY is a member of the League of Arab States, an active participant in the non-aligned movement. In 1979, NDRI was admitted to the CMEA as an observer. In October 1979, the Soviet-South Yemeni Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was signed, which creates a solid legal basis for [deepening and expanding cooperation between the two countries in various fields. The highest legislative power in the country belongs to the Supreme People's Council (VNS). On 16-18 November 1978, in accordance with the new constitution adopted on 30 November 1978, for the first time in the country's history, general direct and equal elections to the SNC were held. Of the 111 elected deputies, about 50% are workers and peasants, 15% are women. At the first session of the WPC, the Presidium of the WPC (11 members) was elected, which performs the functions of the WPC between its sessions (Chairman of the Presidium of the WPC - Ali Nasser Mohammed). Executive power belongs to the Council of Ministers of the NDRY (chaired by Ali Nasser Mohammed). The leading political force of the NDRY is the Yemeni Socialist Party (ISP), created on the basis of OPONF. The I Congress of the ISP (11-13.X 1978) adopted the Program and Statutes of the party, elected its governing bodies. The ideological platform of the YSP proclaimed the theory of scientific socialism. The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the YSP is Ali Nasser Mohammed, the chairman of the ISP is Abdel Fattah Ismail. The country has the General Confederation of Workers 'Trade Unions (part of the WFTU), the Peasants' Union, the Women's Union, and the Yemeni Socialist Youth Union. Significant iron deposits have been discovered in the NDRY, prospecting work is underway for oil, as well as for solid minerals. Since February 1979, the second five-year plan for economic and social development (1979-83) has been implemented. The share of the public sector in total social production in 1979 was 52%, the cooperative sector - 11.3%, and the mixed sector - 6.3%. Industrial production is dominated by small enterprises in the food and light industries. During the years of independence, a number of new enterprises have been built, mainly in the public sector. Volume of prom. production in 1979 amounted to 58.2 million versus 47.5 million dinars in 1978. Agriculture is underdeveloped (it provides the population with food for about 60%). The country has practically completed the agrarian reform. Private ownership of land is limited to 20 feddans (feddan - 0.42 ha) on irrigated land and 40 feddans on rainfed, and surplus land exceeding this limit has been withdrawn. 26 thousand landless and land-poor peasant families received 145 thousand feddans of land. 39 state farms and agricultural cooperatives have been created, which account for 75% of all cultivated land. The main agricultural crops are sorghum, millet, barley, wheat (annual harvest is about 20 thousand g), cotton (15 thousand tons). There are 120 thousand heads of cattle, 168 thousand goats, 460 thousand sheep. The share of the public sector in agricultural production is about 60%, incl. in agriculture - 90% and animal husbandry - 20%. About 119 thousand people are nomadic. Fish catch - about 140 thousand tons (1979). Of great importance for the country is the economic and technical assistance of the USSR in the construction of irrigation facilities and other objects of the national economy, in the implementation of geological exploration work, in the preparation of the national. frames. There are no railways. The main volume of traffic falls on road transport. The main port is Aden (its annual cargo turnover is 550-600 thousand tons). The monetary unit is the NDRY dinar. 1 dinar NDRY = 1.85 rubles. (February 1980). NDRY imports machinery and equipment, metal, timber, construction materials, food products, etc. Exports fish, seafood, salt, cotton, hides, petroleum products. The main trading partners are Kuwait, Iraq, USSR , Japan, England, Netherlands, Italy, France. The government is taking measures to eliminate illiteracy in the country, develop health care, and raise the material standard of living of the working people.
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