Alternatively spelled Sanaa or Sana, one popular nickname for Sana’a is “Sam City”. That moniker refers to purported founder Shem who was also Noah’s son.
Sana’a is one of the world’s highest capital cities due to its proximity to Sarawat Mountains.
Research website numbeo lacks sufficient data to rank Yemen’s capital on its comprehensive global quality of life rating which benchmarks 250 cities worldwide. Numbeo does evaluate Sana’a on several individual index factors. Sana’a ranks poorly for inadequate health care (lowest score by far), safety (bottom four), property price to income ratio (highest 4%) and pollution (worst 6%). On the positive side, Sana’a boasts the strongest rating for its speedy traffic commute.
Yemen’s capital city is also among the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth. Sana’a was recognized by the Guinness World Records for its Gomdan Castle, recognized as the earliest known castle. Another example of Yemen’s rich history is the 7th-century Great Mosque of Sana’a (Jami’ al-Kabir).
On a fun note, Sana’a won a Guinness World Record for 963 couples married in 24 hours–the most ever in a single location within that timeframe.
From an international trade perspective, Yemen exported US$1.5 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include crude oil (73% of Yemen’s global total), fresh or chilled fish (4%), frozen fish (2.4%), ferrous scrap (2.3%), primary cells, batteries and accumulators (2.2%), molluscs (1.7%), coffee (1.3%), copper scrap (also 1.3%), and alliance vegetables including onions and garlic (1.2%) according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Sana’a, Yemen: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Al Saleh Mosque, Bab al-Yemen (Gate of Yemen) and the Bab al-Yemen palace
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Sana’a, Yemen.
- Ahmed el Garhy, writer & director (born Feb. 10, 1984)
- Yona Atari, actress (born Dec. 4, 1933)
- Tameem Al-Kubati, Olympic Taekwondo competitor (born Jan. 1, 1989)
- Ibrahim al-Hamdi, former president (born 1943)
- Yahya Al-Mutawakel, economics professor (born Sep. 25, 1959)
- Abdulsalam Al Gadabi, Olympic swimmer (born Jan. 1, 1978)
- Yahya Al-Mutawakel, economics professor (born Sep. 25, 1959)
- Nashwan Haidar Al-Harazi, Olympic gymnast (born Nov. 29, 1986)
- Maysoon al-Eryani, poet & translator (born Nov. 24, 1987)
- Ali Khousrof, Olympic judoka (born Mar. 5, 1992)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Yemen resident: Yemeni
Population: 2,972,988 (Sana’a) at August 6, 2020
Density: 34,570 people per square mile (13,332 per square kilometer)
Population: 29,894,982 (Yemen) at August 6, 2020
Density: 146 people per square mile (56 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Yemen: 20.2 years old
Financial
GDP: US$72.2 billion in 2019 (Yemen)
GDP per person: $2,280
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Sana’a were unavailable.
Official currency used in Sana’a: Yemeni riyal (or rial)
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Middle East: Yemen.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
City Mayors Statistics, The world’s fastest growing cities.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
Guinness World Records, First castle.
Guinness World Records, Most couples married in 24 hours.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, Yemen Government Portal.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Sana’a.
Wikipedia, Sana’a Governorate.
Wikipedia, Yemen.
World Population Review, Yemen Population.
WorldOMeter, Yemen Population.
World Population Review, Sanaa Population 2020.
Citizens celebrate Yemen Revolution Day on September 26, and Yemen Independence Day on November 30.
Including its built-up urban area, Sana’a covers 86 square miles (223 square kilometers) and is home to about 3 million people.
At the country level, Yemen’s land area extends over 203,850 square miles (527,970 square kilometers). The nation’s population count was 29.9 million inhabitants as of August 6, 2020.
Population density is more concentrated within Yemen’s capital city averaging 34,570 people per square mile (13,332 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Yemen’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes to an average 146 inhabitants per square mile (56 per square kilometer).
