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For the submerged rock/islet, see Socotra Rock. In nautical terminology a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water (six fathoms or less at low water For human anatomy see Islets of Langerhans An islet is a small Island. You may be looking for Socotra in the Indian Ocean Socotra Rock ( is a submerged rock 4
Socotra
Native name: Suquṭra سقطرى
Landsatview over Socotra 12°29′20.97″N, 53°54′25.73″E
Landsatview over Socotra 12°29′20.97″N, 53°54′25.73″E
Geography
Location Indian Ocean
Coordinates 12°29′20.97″N, 53°54′25.73″E
Archipelago Socotra islands
Total islands 4
Major islands Socotra, Abd al Kuri, Samhah, Darsah
Area 3,796 km² (1,466 sq mi)
Highest point Haghier Mountains
1,525 m (5,000 ft)
Administration
Flag of Yemen Yemen
Governorate 'Adan Governorate
Largest city Hadiboh (43,000)
Demographics
Population 80,000
Density 21/km²
Map of the Socotra archipelago
Map of the Socotra archipelago
Trees of genus Dracaena
Trees of genus Dracaena

Socotra or Soqotra (Arabic سقطرى ; Suquṭra) is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Horn of Africa some 190 nautical miles (220 mi/350 km) south of the Arabian peninsula. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface Abd al Kuri (' Abd-al-Kūrī, وعبد الكوري is an island between Socotra and Somalia. Samhah is a inhabited island of the Socotra archipelago between the main island of Socotra and Somalia Darsah is an uninhabited island of the Socotra archipelago between the main island of Socotra and Somalia. Socotra or Soqotra ( Arabic سقطرى; Suquṭra) is a small Archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya ||} Yemen is divided into 21 Governorates ( Muhafazah) ' Adan (عدن is a transcontinental governorate of Yemen, including the city of Aden and the Archipelago of Socotra Hadiboh (حاديبو Ḥādībū; formerly known as Tamrida) is a coastal town in northern Socotra ( Yemen) not far from the mount Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Horn of Africa (alternatively Northeast Africa, and sometimes Somali Peninsula; shortened to HOA) is a Peninsula in East Africa The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) It is a part of the 'Adan Governorate of the Republic of Yemen. ' Adan (عدن is a transcontinental governorate of Yemen, including the city of Aden and the Archipelago of Socotra Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya

Contents

Geography and climate

Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin (i. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions e. , not of volcanic origin). Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The archipelago was once part of the supercontinent of Gondwana and detached during the Middle Pliocene (ca 6 million years ago), in the same set of rifting events that opened the Gulf of Aden to its northwest. In Geology, a supercontinent is a Landmass comprising more than one Continental core or Craton. Gondwana (ɡɒnˈdwɑːnə originally Gondwanaland) was a southern Supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Ma ago The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends In Geology, a rift is a place where the Earth 's crust and Lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of Extensional tectonics The Gulf of Aden (خليج عدن transliterated: Khalyj 'Adan Somali: Khaleejka Cadan) is located in the Arabian Sea between

The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra (3,625 km² or 1,400 sq mi), three smaller islands known collectively as "the Brothers" — Abd al Kuri, Samhah, Darsa — and other uninhabitable rock outcrops. Abd al Kuri (' Abd-al-Kūrī, وعبد الكوري is an island between Socotra and Somalia. Samhah is a inhabited island of the Socotra archipelago between the main island of Socotra and Somalia Darsah is an uninhabited island of the Socotra archipelago between the main island of Socotra and Somalia.

The main island has three geographical terrains: the narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau permeated with karstic caves, and the Haghier Mountains. In Geography, a plain is an area of land with relatively low relief — meaning that it is flat Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone The mountains rise to 5,000 feet (1,525 m). The island is a little over 80 miles (130 km) long east to west and typically 18-22 miles (30-35 km) north to south.

The climate is generally tropical desert, with rainfall being light, seasonal (winter) and more abundant at the higher ground in the interior than along the coastal lowlands. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. The monsoon season brings strong winds and high seas. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months

Flora and fauna

See also: List of spiders of Socotra

Socotra is considered the "jewel" of biodiversity in the Arabian sea. This is a list of Spider species that occur on Socotra. Unless otherwise noted they are endemic (they occur only there The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated: [1] The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular endemic flora (which may, therefore, be vulnerable to introduced species such as goats and to climate change). Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere In Botany, flora ( Plural: floras or florae has two meanings The first meaning flora of an area or of time period, refers to all An introduced species (also known as naturalized species or exotic species) is an Organism that is not indigenous to a given location but Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences Surveys have revealed that more than a third of the 800 or so plant species of Socotra are found nowhere else. Botanists rank the flora of Socotra among the ten most endangered island flora in the world. The archipelago is a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation and a possible center for ecotourism. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals

One of the most striking of Socotra's plants is the dragon's blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari), which is a strange-looking, umbrella-shaped tree. Dracaena (romanized form of the Ancient Greek δράκαινα - drakaina "female dragon" is a genus of about 40 species of Its red sap was the dragon's blood of the ancients, sought after as a medicine and a dye. Dragon's blood is a bright red Resin that is obtained from different species of four distinct plant genera Croton, Dracaena, Another unusual plant is Dorstenia gigas.

The island group also has a fairly rich bird fauna, including a few types of endemic birds, such as the Socotra Starling Onychognathus frater, the Socotra Sunbird Nectarinia balfouri, Socotra Sparrow Passer insularis and Socotra Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. UserPolbot. -->The Socotra Starling ( Onychognathus frater) is a species of Starling in the Sturnidae UserPolbot. -->The Socotra Starling ( Onychognathus frater) is a species of Starling in the Sturnidae UserPolbot. -->The Socotra Sunbird ( Nectarinia balfouri) is a species of Bird in the Nectariniidae UserPolbot. -->The Socotra Sunbird ( Nectarinia balfouri) is a species of Bird in the Nectariniidae The Socotra Sparrow ( Passer insularis) is found on the islands of Socotra and Abd al Kuri in the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa The Socotra Sparrow ( Passer insularis) is found on the islands of Socotra and Abd al Kuri in the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa The Genus Rhynchostruthus is a small group of Finches in the family Fringillinae. The Socotra Grosbeak or Socotra Golden-winged Grosbeak ( Rhynchostruthus socotranus) is a Finch endemic to Socotra,

As with many isolated island systems, bats are the only mammals native to Socotra. In contrast, the marine biodiversity around Socotra is rich, characterized by a unique mixture of species that have originated in farflung biogeographic regions: the western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, Arabia, East Africa and the wider Indo-Pacific. The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia.

UNESCO recognition

The island may gain United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s recognition as a world natural heritage site in July 2008, according to a Reuters report. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 [1] The European Union has supported such a move, calling on both UNESCO and International Organization of Protecting Environment to classify the island archipelago among the environmental heritages. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in [2]

People and economy

Almost all inhabitants of Socotra, numbered at 50,000,[1] live on the main island . The principal city is Hadiboh (estimated population 43,000 in 2004). Hadiboh (حاديبو Ḥādībū; formerly known as Tamrida) is a coastal town in northern Socotra ( Yemen) not far from the mount Abd Al Kuri and Samha have a population of a few hundred people between them; Darsa is uninhabited.

The inhabitants are of Indian, Arabian and Somali origins. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding They follow the Islamic faith, and speak Soqotri, an unwritten tongue that pre-dates Arabic. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Soqotri (soq - méthel d-saqátri arab - اللغة السقطرية is the language of the native population of the island of Socotra, and Abd-el-Kuri and Samhah Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Their primary occupation has been fishing, livestock rearing and date cultivation. Recently tourism has also become a means of livelihood. [1]

Traditionally, the archipelago has been inaccessible from June to September due to monsoon weather. However, in July 1999 a new airport opened Socotra to the outside year round, with Yemenia providing flights once a week to Aden and Sanaa. Yemenia - Yemen Airways (الخطوط الجوية اليمنية is the national Airline of Yemen, based in Sana'a. Aden (ˈeɪdən Arabic: عدن) is a city in Yemen, 170 kilometers east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Electricity is widely available in Socotra with installations of diesel generators, but in Hadiboh there is no electricity from 5am until 9am daily. Hadiboh (حاديبو Ḥādībū; formerly known as Tamrida) is a coastal town in northern Socotra ( Yemen) not far from the mount There are two excellent paved roads: one along the north shore from Quelensiyah to Hadiboh and then to DiHamri area, and another from the north coast to the south coast through the Dixsam plateau. There is neither public transport nor taxis available on Socotra island, but rent-a-car service is available. The former capital is located to the east of Hadiboh. On the western end of Hadiboh lies a small Yemeni army barracks. The President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has a residence there as well. Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh (علي عبد الله صالح born March 21 1942 is the current President of Yemen.

The Semitic language Soqotri is spoken only in Socotra, although it is related to other Modern South Arabian languages on the Arabian mainland such as Mehri. In Linguistics and Ethnology, Semitic (from the Biblical " Shem " Hebrew שם translated as "name" Arabic: ساميّ Soqotri (soq - méthel d-saqátri arab - اللغة السقطرية is the language of the native population of the island of Socotra, and Abd-el-Kuri and Samhah The Modern South Arabian (or Eastern South Semitic languages are spoken mainly by tiny minority populations on the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and Oman. Mehri or Mahri is a Modern South Arabian language a branch of the greater Semitic language family and is spoken by minority populations in isolated

The chief products of the island are dates, ghee, tobacco, and fish. The Date Palm ( Phoenix dactylifera) is a palm in the genus Phoenix, extensively cultivated for its edible Fruit. Ghee ( Hindi घी ghī, Urdu گھی ghī, Punjabi ਘਿਉ/گھیو ghiu, Kashmiri ग्याव/گیاو Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Some residents also raise cattle and goats.

At the end of the 1990s, a United Nations Development Program was launched with the aim of providing a close survey of the island of Socotra. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999

History

Socotra appears as Dioskouridou ("of the Dioscurides") in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a 1st century A. Pedanius Dioscorides (Πεδάνιος Διοσκορίδης ca The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea ( Periplus Maris Erythraei) is a Greek Periplus, describing navigation and trading opportunities The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. D. Greek navigation aid. In the notes to his translation of the Periplus, G. W. B. Huntingford remarks that the name Socotra is not Greek in origin, but derives from the Sanskrit dvipa sukhadhara ("island of bliss"). Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical

A local tradition holds that the inhabitants were converted to Christianity by Thomas in AD 52. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Thomas the Apostle, also called Judas Thomas, Doubting Thomas, or Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. For the comic book see 52 (comic book. Year 52 was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the In the 10th century the Arab geographer Abu Mohammed Al-Hassan Al-Hamdani stated that in his time most of the inhabitants were Christians. Socotra is also mentioned in The Travels of Marco Polo according to which "the inhabitants are baptized Christians and have an archbishop" who, it is further explained, "has nothing to do with the Pope at Rome, but is subject to an archbishop who lives at Baghdad". The Travels of Marco Polo is the usual English title of Marco Polo 's travel book nicknamed Il Milione ( The Million They were Nestorians but they also practised ancient magic rituals despite the warnings of their archbishop. Nestorius Nestorius (c  386 &ndashc  451) was a pupil of Theodore of Mopsuestia in Antioch in Syria (modern In 1507, Portugal landed an occupying force at the then capital of Suq, to "liberate" the assumed friendly Christians from Arab Islamic rule. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. However they were not welcomed as enthusiastically as they expected and abandoned the island four years later.

The islands passed under the control of the Mahra sultans in 1511. The Mahra Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra (سلطنة المهرة في قشن و سقطرة Mahrah fī Qishn wa Suquṭrah}} or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra Later, in 1886 it became a British protectorate, along with the remainder of the Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra. Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Mahra Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra (سلطنة المهرة في قشن و سقطرة Mahrah fī Qishn wa Suquṭrah}} or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra For the British it was an important strategic stop-over. The P&O ship Aden sank after being wrecked on a reef near Socotra, in 1897, with the loss of 78 lives. The P&O Cruises brand is not owned by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common

In October 1967 the Mahra sultanate was abolished. On November 30th Socotra became part of the People's Republic of South Yemen (later to become the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen). The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, Democratic Yemen, South Yemen or Yemen (Aden was a Socialist republic in present-day southern and The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, Democratic Yemen, South Yemen or Yemen (Aden was a Socialist republic in present-day southern and Today it is part of the Republic of Yemen. Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya

The island is also claimed by Somalia. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d FACTBOX-Socotra, jewel of biodiversity in Arabian Sea. Reuters, April, 23, 2008
  2. ^ EU to protect Socotra archipelago environment. Sabanet, 15 April 2008.

References

External links

Dictionary

Socotra

-noun

  1. an archipelago in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Horn of Africa, belonging to Yemen.
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