Federation of South Arabia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Federation of South Arabia اتحاد الجنوب العربي Ittiḥād al-Janūb al-‘Arabī
1962–1967
Flag Emblem
Status	British protectorate
Capital	Aden
Common languages	Arabic English South Arabian
Government	Federal monarchy
High Commissioner
• 1963	Sir Charles Johnston
• 1963–1964	Sir Kennedy Trevaskis
• 1964–1967	Sir Richard Turnbull
• 1967	Sir Humphrey Trevelyan
Chief Minister
• 1963	Hassan Ali Bayumi
• 1963–1965	Zayn Abdu Baharun
• 1965	Abdul-Qawi Hassan Makkawi
• 1965–1966	Ali Musa al-Babakr
• 1966–1967	Salih al-Awadli
Historical era	Cold War
• Established	4 April 1962
• Independence	30 November 1967
Currency	South Arabian dinar
Preceded by Succeeded by Colony of Aden Federation of Arab Emirates of the South Upper Aulaqi Sultanate South Yemen

Map of the Federation and the Protectorate of South Arabia.

A military event celebrating the new Federation in 1962.

The Federation of South Arabia (FSA) was a group of states in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It was under the protection of the British government. This area is now part of modern-day Yemen. The capital city of the Federation was Aden.

A Brief History of the Federation

The Federation of South Arabia was officially created on April 4, 1962. It brought together 15 smaller states that were already under British protection. These states had been part of something called the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South.

In January 1963, the State of Aden joined the Federation. Aden was a very important port city. By June 1964, another state, the Upper Aulaqi Sultanate, also joined. This made a total of 17 states in the Federation.

The Federation even sent a team to the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica. This showed that it was recognized on the world stage.

However, the Federation did not last long. On November 30, 1967, it was dissolved. This happened when British protection ended. The Federation, along with the nearby Protectorate of South Arabia, then became a new independent country called the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

The States That Formed the Federation

The Federation of South Arabia was made up of 17 different states. These states were often led by their own local rulers, such as sultans, emirs, or sheikhs. They included:

• The State of Aden
• Various Sultanates like Audhali, Fadhli, Haushabi, Lahej, Lower Aulaqi, Lower Yafa, Upper Aulaqi, and Wahidi.
• Several Sheikhdoms such as Alawi, Aqrabi, Dathina, Muflahi, and Shaib.
• Emirates like Beihan and Dhala.

These states joined together to form a larger federal state. This was done to create a more unified region under British guidance.

Leaders of the Federation

The Federation had different leaders during its short existence. These included Chief Ministers and High Commissioners.

Chief Ministers

The Chief Minister was like the head of the government for the Federation.

• Hassan Ali Bayumi (January 1963 – June 1963)
• Zayn Abdu Baharun (July 1963 – January 1965)
• Abdul-Qawi Hassan Makkawi (March 1965 – September 1965)
• Ali Musa al-Babakr (September 1965 – August 1966)
• Salih al-Awadli (August 1966 – November 1967)

High Commissioners

The High Commissioner was a British official. They represented the British government in the Federation.

• Sir Charles Johnston (January 1963 – July 1963)
• Sir Kennedy Trevaskis (July 1963 – December 1964)
• Sir Richard Turnbull (December 1964 – May 1967)
• Sir Humphrey Trevelyan (May 1967 – November 1967)

Postage Stamps of the Federation

Two stamps from 1965 used in Aden.

The Federation of South Arabia even had its own postage stamps! These stamps were issued from 1963 to 1966. Many of them were part of special stamp sets. These sets were common for all British Commonwealth territories.

On April 1, 1965, the Federation released its own unique set of stamps. There were 14 different stamps in this set. Ten of them showed the Federation's official emblem in a single color. The other four, which were higher value stamps, featured the flag of the Federation.

Collecting these stamps can be a fun way to learn about the history of the Federation.

Images for kids

• 

  Flag of the Colony of Aden

• 

  Flag of the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South

• 

  Flag of South Yemen

• 

  Flag of the State of Aden

• 

  Flag of the Emirate of Beihan

• 

  Flag of the Emirate of Dhala

• 

  Flag of the Fadhli Sultanate

• 

  Flag of the Sultanate of Lahej

• 

  Flag of Wahidi Balhaf

• 

  Flag of Wahidi Haban

• 

  Flag of Lower Yafa

See Also

• United Nations Security Council Resolution 188