Socotra Island

Socotra Island Latest News

Hundreds of tourists are stuck on the Yemeni island of Socotra after flights were grounded over clashes on the mainland.

About Socotra Island

• It is an island in the Indian Ocean about 340 km southeast of Yemen, to which it belongs. 
• The largest of several islands extending eastward from the Horn of Africa, Socotra has an area of about 3,600 sq.km.
• The Hajhir Mountains occupy Socotra’s interior, whereas narrow coastal plains lie in the north and a broader plain in the south. 
• To the southwest and west are the smaller islands of Samḥah and Darzah, called al-Ikhwān (“the Brothers”), and ʿAbd al-Kūrī, all of which also belong to Yemen. 
• The island has a total population of around 70,000 people who speak their Socotri language. 
• Apart from the main town of Hadibo, there exists little infrastructure on the island.
• It broke off from the Arabian Peninsula some 80 million years ago and is often called the “Galápagos of the Indian Ocean.” 
• Socotra is a treasure trove of endemic flora and fauna, meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth. 
• For example: 37% of Socotra’s 825 plant species, 90% of its reptile species,  and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world.
• In 2008, Socotra was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Source: ET

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