South Arabia, Federation of, was a union of 17 small states at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It included the British-protected crown colony of Aden; the state of Dathina; the emirates of Beihan and Dhala; the sultanates of Audhali, Fadhli, Haushabi, Lahej, Lower Aulaqi, Lower Yafa, Upper Aulaqi, and Wahidi; and the sheikdoms of Alawi, Aqrabi, Maflahi, Shaib, and Upper Aulaqi. It covered about 60,000 square miles (160,000 square kilometers). Its location between India and the United Kingdom provided the United Kingdom with a strategic base. The United Kingdom controlled the federation’s foreign affairs and defense, and provided economic assistance.
The union was once called the Federation of the Arab Emirates of the South. It was formed in 1959 by six of the states. By 1965, the other 11 states had joined. In 1963, armed rebellions began against the British. In 1967, the federation gained independence from the United Kingdom as the People’s Republic of South Yemen, also called Yemen (Aden). In 1990, Yemen (Aden) merged with Yemen (Sanaa) and became the country of Yemen. See Yemen (History).
