Colony of Aden | ||||||||||
مستعمرة عدن | ||||||||||
Crown colony | ||||||||||
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Anthem God Save the King (1937–1952) God Save the Queen (1952–1963) |
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Colony of Aden in 1937
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Capital | Aden | |||||||||
Languages |
English Arabic |
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Political structure | Crown colony | |||||||||
History | ||||||||||
• | Aden Settlement established | 1839 | ||||||||
• | Colony of Aden established | 1937 | ||||||||
• | State of Aden established | 18 January 1963 | ||||||||
• | State of Aden disestablished | 30 November 1967 | ||||||||
Area | 192 km² (74 sq mi) | |||||||||
Currency |
Indian Rupee (1937–1951) East African Shilling (1951–1963) |
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The Colony of Aden or Aden Colony (Arabic: مستعمرة عدن Musta‘marat ‘Adan) was a British Crown colony from 1937 to 1963 located in the south of contemporary Yemen. It consisted of the port of Aden and its immediate surroundings (an area of 192 km2 (74 sq mi)).
Prior to 1937, Aden had been governed as part of British India (originally as the Aden Settlement subordinate to the Bombay Presidency, and then as a "Chief Commissioner's province"). Under the Government of India Act 1935 the territory was detached from British India, and was established as a separate colony of the United Kingdom; this separation took effect on 1 April 1937.
On 18 January 1963, the colony was reconstituted as the State of Aden (Arabic: ولاية عدن Wilāyat ʿAdan) within the new Federation of South Arabia. The federation in turn became the People's Republic of South Yemen on 30 November 1967, marking the end of British rule.
The hinterland of the Colony of Aden was separately governed as the Aden Protectorate.
On 19 January 1839, the British East India Company landed Royal Marines at Aden to occupy the territory and stop attacks by pirates against British shipping to India. The British Army considered Aden an important place due to its location, as the Navy could easily access the port at Aden for fuelling purposes. Later, British influence extended progressively into the hinterland, both west and east, with the establishment of the Aden Protectorate.