Area 193,032 km² University Hadramout University of Science and Technology | ||
Hadhramaut, Hadhramout, Hadramawt or Hadramut (Arabic: ? Hadramawt) is the name of the region currently retained in Hadhramaut Governorate of the Republic of Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula. The people of Hadhramaut are called Hadhramis and speak Hadhrami Arabic.
Contents
- Map of Hadhramaut
- Geography
- Modern history of the Wadi Hadhramaut
- Economy
- Myimart presents hadramawt authentic yemeni cuisine
- References
Map of Hadhramaut
Geography
Narrowly, Hadhramaut refers to the historical Quaiti and Kathiri sultanates, which were in the Aden Protectorate overseen by the British Resident at Aden until their abolition upon the independence of South Yemen in 1967. The current governorate of Hadhramaut roughly incorporates the former territory of the two sultanates It consists of a narrow, arid coastal plain bounded by the steep escarpment of a broad plateau (al-Jawl, averaging 1,370 m (4,490 ft)), with a very sparse network of deeply sunk wadis (seasonal watercourses). The undefined northern edge of Hadhramaut slopes down to the desert Empty Quarter.
In a wider sense, Hadhramaut includes the territory of Mahra to the east all the way to the contemporary border with Oman. This encompasses the current governorates of Hadramaut and Mahra in their entirety as well as parts of the Shabwah Governorate.
The Hadhramis live in densely built towns centered on traditional watering stations along the wadis. Hadhramis harvest crops of wheat and millet, tend date palm and coconut groves, and grow some coffee. On the plateau, Bedouins tend sheep and goats. Society is still highly tribal, with the old Seyyid aristocracy, descended from the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, traditionally educated and strict in their Islamic observance and highly respected in religious and secular affairs
Modern history of the Wadi Hadhramaut
The Quaiti sultans ruled the vast majority of Hadramaut, under a loose British protectorate, the Aden Protectorate, from 1882 to 1967, when the Hadhramaut was annexed by South Yemen.
The Quaiti dynasty was founded by Umar bin Awadh al-Qu’aiti, a Yafa’i tribesman whose wealth and influence as hereditary Jemadar of the Nizam of Hyderabads armed forces enabled him to establish the Quaiti dynasty in the latter half of the 19th century, winning British recognition of his paramount status in the region, in 1882. The British Government and the traditional and scholarly sultan Ali bin Salah signed a treaty in 1937 appointing the British government as "advisors" in Hadhramaut. The British exiled him to Aden in 1945, but the Protectorate lasted until 1967.
In 1967, the former British Colony of Aden and the former Aden Protectorate including Hadramaut became an independent Communist state, the Peoples Republic of South Yemen, later the Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen. South Yemen was united with North Yemen in 1990 as the Republic of Yemen. See History of Yemen for recent history.
The capital and largest city of Hadhramaut is the port Al Mukalla. Al Mukalla had a 1994 population of 122,400 and a 2003 population of 174,700, while the port city of Ash Shihr has grown from 48,600 to 69,400 in the same time. One of the more historically important cities in the region is Tarim. An important locus of Islamic learning, it is estimated to contain the highest concentration of descendants of the Prophet Muhammad anywhere in the world.
Economy
Historically, Hadhramaut was known for being a major producer of frankincense. They were mainly exporting it to Mumbai in the early 20th century. The region has also produced senna and coconut.