Lahij

Lahij has always historically been identified as Aden's base city. Since Aden was a port city, not many Yemenis lived there, rather it was used by many foreigners for its location. Lahij has always been one of the very fertile parts of Yemen and was nicknamed "Lahej Al Khathra", which translates to Lahej the green. This means it stood out from the rest of South Yemen which was known to be desert. In the early 1700s a few Sallami tribesmen (members of the Al-Sallami family who migrated from Kalad region of Lower Yaffa) migrated to the Tuban Delta in Lahij and settled between the 2 valleys that surround Lahij. Their new settlement was named Al-Majhafa which translates to "the unfair" in Arabic due to settlers upset with the lack of provisions the area offered them. As more tribes settled the area along the Tuban Valley settlements sprang up. Many of these settlers were Bedouin permanent migrants from Abyan, Baidha and Shabwa regions. Some were also Yaffai tribesmen like the Sallami family. Others were various Hoshabis from the Musaymeer area looking for new lands. During this time, Hadrami religious Sayids made their way into the area and as custom, one of them name Balfijar asked to established a howtah (الحوطة). A howtah in Hadrami culture is where a few religious imams ask surrounding tribes to allow them to create a settlement that is guarded by a boundary of trees in which no tribesmen can enter with their weapons. The howtah is a sacred place of religious learning where people can live without tribal violence. There are many howtahs that stretch Yemen from Hadramout to Lahij, however the howtah in Lahij outgrew its original plan and became a settlement. Today the Capital of Lahij province is called Al-Howtah. It is the same howtah that was created by Imam Balfijar.

Historically, Lahij has produced coconuts.[1] As of 1920, it used caravans to trade with Aden.[2]

A railway connecting Lahij with Aden was opened on 11th February 1919 and was extended to Al Khudad opening on 7th January 1920. There were two trains per day in each direction carrying passengers and goods. The railway was closed in July 1929.