Taiz Governorate

Taiz
محافظة تَعِزّ
Governorate
Coordinates: 13°34′N 44°01′E / 13.567°N 44.017°E / 13.567; 44.017
Country Yemen
RegionJanad Region
SeatTaiz
Government
 • GovernorAmin Ahmed Mahmoud[1]
Area
 • Total12,605 km2 (4,867 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total2,885,000
 • Density230/km2 (590/sq mi)

Taiz (Arabic: تَعِزّ, romanized: Taʿizz) is a governorate of Yemen. The governorate's capital Taiz, the third-largest city in Yemen, is among the most important commercial centres in the country, owing to its proximity to rich farmland and the important Red Sea port of Mocha. It also has an international airport, Taiz International Airport, with numerous services within Yemen and to neighbouring countries.

Geography

For such a small area, Taiz Governorate has an extraordinarily diverse geography. The western half of the governorate is part of the Tihamah coastal plain and has an exceedingly hot, humid and arid climate. The eastern half, however, is very mountainous, with the major peak being 3,070-metre-high Jabal Sabir, near Taiz city. These mountains trap the moisture created by an upper-level wind reversal between April and October, so that in the eastern half of the governorate annual rainfall increases from 200 millimetres (8 inches) in the foothills to probably more than 1,000 millimetres (40 inches) near Jebel Saber. Temperatures in the highlands remain high during the daytime, but at the highest elevations they can fall dramatically to -5 °C (23 °F) overnight.[citation needed]

Mountain ranges

Road in Jabal Sabir

The governorate has many mountains. Their height ranges between 1,000 and 3,200 metres. The most important mountains are Jabal Sabir, Jabal Habashi, Jabal Samaʿa, Jabal Qadas, Jabal As-Silw, the mountains of al-Wazi'iyah and the Mountains of Shar'ab and Maqbanah.[3][4]

Streams

There are many streams in Taiz governorate; known as wadi (Arabic: وادي), they are divided into perennial and temporary streams:[3]

Perennial streams

  • Wadi Rasian, it is located in Mawza, Shara'b Ar Rawnah, al-Makha and Maqbanah.
  • Wadi Warzan, it is located in Khadir and al-Mawasit.
  • Wadi al-Dhabab, it is located in al-Mawasit and Hayfan.
  • Wadi Ar-Ram, it is located in al-Mafalis region, Hayfan.
  • Wadi al-Dhabab, it is located in Sabir al-Mawadim.
  • Wadi al-Ashroh also known as Wadi al-Barakani, is located in al-Mawasit.
  • Wadi al-Janah, is located in al-Wazi'iyah.
  • Wadi al-Lahya, is located in Mawza.

Temporary streams

Are the steams that only run in wet seasons:[3]

Districts Temporary streams
Damnt Khadir Wadi al-Shofiah
Mawaiah Wadi al-Sudan, Wadi al-Gharman, Wadi al-Sawarih
As-Silw Wadi Qoradah, Wadi al-Zubirah, Wadi al-Qatriah
Hayfan Wadi al-Musali, Wadi Khawalah, Wadi Shawkah
Ash-Shamayatayn Wadi Adim
Shar'ab Ar-Rawnah Wadi Gaw'ah, Wadi al-Ma', Wadi Shamlah
Shar'ab As-Salam Wadi al-fojeer, Wadi al-Habab, Wadi Hawsa', Wadi Nakhlah
Jabal Habashi Wadi Hannah
al-Makha Wadi Tanag, Wadi Kabir, Wadi Hathiah
At-Ta'iziyah Wadi Haban
Sabir al-Mawadim Wadi Sailat Hawas
Al-wazyiah Wadi al-Makhshab, Wadi al-Mu'aqam, Wadi Hawlajah, Wadi Sumadah
Mawza Wadi Janob, Wadi al-Gharafi, Wadi al-Majash, Wadi Hagharamah, Wadi al-Murra, Wadi Sha'bo

Adjacent governorates

Districts

Map shows districts of Taiz

Taiz Governorate is divided into the following 23 districts. These districts are further divided into sub-districts, and then further subdivided into villages:

Economy

The agriculture of this governorate is diverse. In the Tihamah region, there is only irrigated agriculture, with cotton, sorghum and sesame the chief crops. Inland, whilst these crops are still significant, a much wider range of crops can be grown on rainfall and through water storage. Mangoes, papayas and bananas are the major crops of the western escarpment, and further up coffee and khat are grown. Although wine is prohibited in Yemen because of its alcohol content, grapes are still grown to produce raisins in some areas.

Wildlife

The governorate has many wild animals and birds. The most common wild animals in the governorate are hyaenas, rock hyrax, rabbits, hedgehog, monkeys. The most common wild birds are vultures, falcons, partridges, owls, pigeons, hoopoes, bulbuls.[3]

Regions

A map thats shows regions in Taiz
al-Hujariah region
  • Shamir: (Arabic: شمير) also called "Shamir Maqbanah". It is a mountainous region part of Maqbanah district.
  • Al-Hugariyyah: (Arabic: الحجرية) It is the largest region in Taiz governorate. It is sometimes mistakenly called al-Hujariah district. The region is part of As-Silw, al-Ma'afer, Hayfan, Sama', al-Mawasit, Jabal Habashy, Dimnat Khadir, and al-Wazi'iyah districts.

Islands

Notable people

Mohsen Ayed, journalist and author

References

  1. ^ "Yemeni president appoints five new ministers in cabinet reshuffle". 24 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Statistical Yearbook 2011". Central Statistical Organisation. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d "نبذة تعريفية عن محافظة تعز". NIC (National Information Center of Yemen) (in Arabic). Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  4. ^ Scoville, Sheila A. (1979). Gazetteer of Arabia: a geographical and tribal history of the Arabian Peninsula. Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt. p. 173. ISBN 9783201016254.

Media related to Taiz Governorate at Wikimedia Commons

Official site of the taiz governate