The Settlement's indeterminate position at the southwestern end of the Arabian peninsula was bound to cause difficulties and historian R. J. Gavin points out that "Aden’s whole history since 1839 had been marked by administrative confusion and complication."
Letak permukiman yang tak pasti di ujung barat daya Semenanjung Arab itu menyebabkan kesulitan dan sejarawan RJ Gavin menunjukkan bahwa "seluruh sejarah Aden sejak 1839 telah ditandai oleh kebingungan dan kerumitan administrasi."