Most of the Yemeni population are Arab, or originally from the Arabian Peninsula and its neighboring territories. Minority groups living in the country include Somali descendants along the coasts and small Egyptian communities throughout the northern parts of the country.

Most Yemenis are Muslims, or people who practice Islam. Within the religion of Islam, there are two major branches of believers: the Sunnis and the Shiites. Most Yemenis are Sunni Muslims, but a sizeable Shiite population lives in the country as well.

Like in other Middle Eastern countries, Islam strongly influences Yemeni culture. Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan (a month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting, or abstaining from food), and the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (the founder of Islam) are two of the traditional Islamic holidays that Yemenis celebrate.

Yemen’s ancient architecture is famous for its age and beauty—some buildings are more than 2,000 years old. Sunbaked stone blocks and bricks form structures that reach several stories high. The walled city of Shibam is representative of this architecture.

Yemen’s largest city is its capital, Sanaa, one of the oldest cities in the world. Its Great Mosque, a house of worship used by Muslims, dates back to the time of Muhammad in the early seventh century.

Yemeni-Pakistani relations are rooted to the year 712-AD, as the first Yemenis were within the Islamic Army, which conquest the land of Sindh.
The diplomatic relations between Yemen (previously the northern part) and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Pakistan) were established before September 26, 1962, when the Pakistani ambassador accredited to Egypt in 1955, he was a non-resident Plenipotentiary Minister to Yemen. In contract, the non-resident Plenipotentiary Minister of Yemen to the Hashemite Kingdom was also non-resident Plenipotentiary Minister to Pakistan, and the two countries exchanged diplomatic representation at the Embassy level only in 1981, in Sana’a and Islamabad.