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(Top) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coordinates: 12°30′36″N 53°55′12″E

Etymology
For other uses, see Socotra (disambiguation).
History
Socotra (/səˈkoʊtrə, soʊ-, ˈsɒkətrə/;[1] Arabic: ‫ى‬
ٰ ‫ﺳ ُﻘ ْﻄ َﺮ‬
ُ Suquṭrā) or Saqatri (Soqotri: ‫ ﺳﺎﻗطري‬Saqaṭri) is an
UAE and STC control Socotra
island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean,[2][3] Lying between the Guardafui Channel and the
Geography Native name:
Arabian Sea and near major shipping routes, Socotra is the largest of the four islands in the Socotra
Arabic: ‫ﺳﻘُ ْط َر ٰى‬
ُ
Climate archipelago. Since 2013, the archipelago has constituted the Socotra Governorate. Currently, the island "Suquṭrā"
Flora and fauna is under the de facto control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist participant Soqotri: ‫ﺳﺎﻗ ْطري‬
in Yemen’s ongoing civil war.[4] "Saqaṭri"
UNESCO recognition

Demographics The island of Socotra represents around 95 per cent of the landmass of the Socotra archipelago. It lies
380 kilometres (205 nautical miles) south of the Arabian Peninsula [5] and 240 kilometres (130 nautical
Language
miles) east of Somalia; despite being controlled by Yemen, it rests on the Somali Plate and is
Religion geographically part of Africa.[6] The island is isolated and home to a high number of endemic species. Up
Genetics to a third of its plant life is endemic. It has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth."[7]

Administrative divisions The island measures 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length and 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) in width.[8] In 2008
Socotra was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[9]
Economy
In 2018, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) invaded Socotra and relieved Yemeni government soldiers of
Transport
their duties. Two weeks later, Saudi troops were also deployed to the archipelago and a deal was Landsat view of Socotra
Tourism brokered between the United Arab Emirates and Yemen for a joint military training exercise and the
Gallery return of administrative control of Socotra's airport and seaport to Yemen.
See also

References Etymology [ edit ]

Further reading Scholars don't agree about the origin of the name of the island. After that the name Socotra may derive
from:

A Greek name that is derived from the name of a South Arabian tribe mentioned in Sabaic and
Ḥaḑramitic inscriptions as Dhū-Śakūrid (S³krd).[10]
The Sanskrit "Dvīpa Sukhadara" which means "island of bliss".[11]
The Arabian terms Suq, market, and qutra, a vulgar form of qatir, which refers to dragon's blood.[12]

History [ edit ]

Main article: History of Socotra

There was initially an Oldowan lithic culture in Socotra. Oldowan stone tools were found in the area
around Hadibo in 2008.[13]
Socotra
Soqotra played an important role in the ancient international trade and appears as Dioskouridou
(Διοσκουρίδου νῆσος), meaning "the island of the Dioscuri" in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a first- Location within Yemen
century CE Greek navigation aid.[14] Show map of Yemen
Show map of Horn of Africa
The Hoq Cave contains a large number of inscriptions, drawings and archaeological objects. Further Show all
investigation showed that these had been left by sailors who visited the island between the first century Geography
BCE and the sixth century CE. The texts are written in the Indian Brāhmī, South Arabian, Ethiopic, Location Between the Guardafui
Greek, Palmyrene and Bactrian languages. This corpus of nearly 250 texts and drawings constitutes one Channel and the Arabian
of the main sources for the investigation of Indian Ocean trade networks in that time period.[15] Sea
Coordinates 12°30′36″N
In 880, an Ethiopian expeditionary force conquered the island and an Oriental Orthodox bishop was
53°55′12″E
consecrated. The Ethiopians were later dislodged by a large armada sent by Imam Al-Salt bin Malik of
Archipelago Socotra
Oman.[16]
Total islands 4
According to the Persian geographer Ibn al-Mujawir (1204–1291), who testifies having arrived in Socotra Major islands Socotra, Abd al Kuri,
from India in 1222, there were two groups of people on the island, the indigenous mountain dwellers and Samhah, Darsah
the foreign coastal dwellers.[17] Area 3,796 km2 (1,466 sq mi)

In 1507, a Portuguese fleet commanded by Tristão da Cunha with Afonso de Albuquerque landed at the Length 132 km (82 mi)

then capital of Suq and captured the port after a stiff battle against the Mahra. Their objective was to set Width 50 km (31 mi)
a base in a strategic place on the route to India. The lack of a proper harbor and the infertility of the land Highest elevation 1,503 m (4931 ft)
led to famine and sickness in the garrison, and the Portuguese abandoned the island in 1511.[19] The Highest point Mashanig, Hajhir
Mahra sultans took back control of the island and the inhabitants were converted to Islam.[20] Mountains
Administration
In 1834, the East India Company stationed a garrison on Socotra, in the expectation that the Mahra
Yemen
sultan of Qishn and Socotra would accept an offer to sell the island. The lack of good anchorages proved
Governorate Socotra
to be as much a problem for the British as the Portuguese. Faced with the unexpected firm refusal of the
sultan to sell, the British left in 1835. After the capture of Aden by the British in 1839, they lost all interest Districts Hadibu (east)
Qulansiyah wa 'Abd-al-
in acquiring Socotra.
Kūrī (west)
In April 1886, the British government decided to conclude a protectorate treaty with the sultan in which he Capital and largest Hadibu (pop. 8,545)
promised this time to "refrain from entering into any correspondence, agreement, or treaty with any city
foreign nation or power, except with the knowledge and sanction of the British Government".[21] Demographics

In October 1967, in the wake of the departure of the British from Aden and southern Arabia, the Mahra Population 60,000

Sultanate was abolished. On 30 November of the same year, Socotra became part of South Yemen. Pop. density 11.3/km2 (29.3/sq mi)
Ethnic groups predominantly Soqotris;
Since Yemeni unification in 1990, it has been a part of the Republic of Yemen, affiliated to Hadhramaut
minority South Arabians
Governorate.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
In 2015, the cyclones Chapala and Megh struck the island, causing severe damage to its
infrastructure.[22] Official name Socotra Archipelago
Type Natural

UAE and STC control [ edit ] Criteria x

Designated 2008 (32nd session)
Main article: United Arab Emirates takeover of Socotra
Reference no. 1263
Beginning in 2015, the UAE began increasing its presence on Socotra, first with humanitarian aid in the
Region Arab States
wake of tropical cyclones Chapala and Megh and eventually establishing a military presence on the
island. On April 30, 2018, the UAE, as part of the ongoing Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen, landed
troops on the island and took control of Socotra Airport and seaport.[23] On May 14, 2018, Saudi troops were
also deployed on the island and a deal was brokered between the UAE and Yemen for a joint military training
exercise and the return of administrative control of Socotra airport and seaport under Yemeni control.[24][25]

In May 2019, the Yemeni government accused the UAE of landing around 100 separatist troops in Socotra,
which the UAE denied, deepening a rift between the two nominal allies in Yemen's civil war.[26]

In February 2020, a regiment of the Yemeni Army stationed in Socotra rebelled and pledged allegiance to the
UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Socotra, renouncing the UN-backed Photo of local men from Socotra
government of Hadi. [27]
The STC seized control of the island in June 2020. [28] taken by Charles K. Moser, 1918[18]

Following media reports in 2020 and 2022, the UAE are set to establish military and intelligence facilities on the
Socotra Archipelago.[29][30]

Initially, the UAE were part of the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen launched in 2011. But this cooperation later
showed cracks due to diverging geopolitical goals that led the UAE reducing its intervention forces in Yemen from 2019
onwards,[29] while increasing its support to the STC and taking over Socotra in pursuing their own geostrategic
interests to retain influence across Yemen's southern coastal areas.[31] This take-over was declared illegitimate by
then-Yemen president Hadi stating that the UAE was acting like an occupier.[32]

Geography [ edit ]

See also: Geology of Socotra

Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin (i.e. not of
Tropical Cyclone Chapala
volcanic origin). The archipelago was once part of the supercontinent of Gondwana over Socotra in 2015
and detached during the Miocene epoch, in the same set of rifting events that opened
the Gulf of Aden to its northwest.[33]

Politically, the Socotra archipelago is a part of Yemen but geographically it

belongs to Africa as it represents a continental fragment that is geologically
linked to the continental African Somali Plate.[34]

The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra (3,665 km2 or

1,415 sq mi), three smaller islands, Abd al Kuri, Samhah and Darsa, and two
rocky islets, Ka'l Fir'awn and Sābūnīyah, both uninhabitable by humans but
Diksam canyon
important for seabirds.[35]

Halah Cave (Arabic: ‫ﻛﻬﻒ‬ The main island is about 125 kilometres (78 mi) long and 45 kilometres (28 mi)
‫ )ﺣﺎﻟﺔ‬in the east of the island north to south.[36] and has three major physical regions:

The narrow coastal plains with its characteristic dunes, formed by monsoon winds blowing during three summer
months. The wind takes up the coast sand in a spiral and, as a result, forms the snow-white Socotran sand dunes. [37]
The limestone plateaus of Momi, Homhil and Diksam with its characteristic karst topography based on limestone rock areas intersected with inter-
hill plains. For centuries until recently Socotra’s main economic activity was subsistent transhumant animal husbandry, predominantly goats and
sheep on these plateaus. The outcome is a unique and still active cultural landscape of agro-pastoralism with its characteristic rainwater harvesting
systems.[38]
A central massif, the Hajhir Mountains, composed of granite and metamorphic rocks.[39] rising to 1,503 metres (4,931 ft).[40]

Sand dunes on the northeast coast Momi Plateau with rainwater harvest structures, Hajhir Mountains
water storage body, shelter for herders

Climate [ edit ]

The climate of Socotra is classified in the Köppen climate classification as BWh and BSh, meaning a transitional hot desert climate and a semi-desert
climate with a mean annual temperature over 25 °C (77 °F). Yearly rainfall is light but is fairly spread throughout the year. Due to orographic lift provided
by the interior mountains, especially during the northeast monsoon from October to December, the highest inland areas can average as much as 800
millimetres (31.50 in) per year and can receive over 250 millimetres (9.84 in) in a month during November and December.[41] The southwest monsoon
season from June to September brings strong winds and high seas. For many centuries, the sailors of Gujarat called the maritime route near Socotra
as “Sikotro Sinh”, meaning the lion of Socotra, that constantly roars—referring to the high seas near Socotra.[citation needed]

In an extremely unusual occurrence, the normally arid western side of Socotra received more than 410 millimetres (16.14 in) of rain from Cyclone
Chapala in November 2015.[42] Cyclones rarely affect the island, but in 2015 Cyclone Megh became the strongest, and only, major cyclone to strike the
island directly.

Climate data for Socotra [hide]

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
30.0 31.7 32.8 37.2 38.5 40.6 37.4 34.4 35.6 37.0 33.0 30.6 40.6
Record high °C (°F)
(86.0) (89.1) (91.0) (99.0) (101.3) (105.1) (99.3) (93.9) (96.1) (98.6) (91.4) (87.1) (105.1)
27.1 27.8 29.2 31.8 34.6 33.8 32.3 32.4 33.2 30.8 29.6 28.3 30.8
Average high °C (°F)
(80.8) (82.0) (84.6) (89.2) (94.3) (92.8) (90.1) (90.3) (91.8) (87.4) (85.3) (82.9) (87.4)
24.8 24.8 26.3 28.7 31.3 30.8 29.5 29.5 29.3 27.9 27.0 25.8 28.0
Daily mean °C (°F)
(76.6) (76.6) (79.3) (83.7) (88.3) (87.4) (85.1) (85.1) (84.7) (82.2) (80.6) (78.4) (82.4)
22.6 21.7 23.3 25.5 28.0 27.9 26.8 26.5 26.4 24.9 24.4 23.3 25.1
Average low °C (°F)
(72.7) (71.1) (73.9) (77.9) (82.4) (82.2) (80.2) (79.7) (79.5) (76.8) (75.9) (73.9) (77.2)
17.0 17.2 18.9 20.3 21.2 22.8 21.7 22.0 22.2 19.4 18.9 17.0 17.0
Record low °C (°F)
(62.6) (63.0) (66.0) (68.5) (70.2) (73.0) (71.1) (71.6) (72.0) (66.9) (66.0) (62.6) (62.6)
2.5 2.5 10.2 0.0 2.5 30.5 0.0 0.0 2.5 10.2 50.8 81.3 193.0
Average rainfall mm (inches)
(0.10) (0.10) (0.40) (0.0) (0.10) (1.20) (0.0) (0.0) (0.10) (0.40) (2.00) (3.20) (7.60)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 2.4 0.8 0.4 1.0 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.0 0.6 2.2 7.7 5.2 21.7
Average relative humidity (%) 70 68 67 66 62 60 58 57 62 69 72 73 65
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[43]

Flora and fauna [ edit ]

Main article: Socotra Island xeric shrublands

Socotra is considered the jewel of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea.[44] In the

1990s, a team of United Nations biologists conducted a survey of the
archipelago's flora and fauna. They counted nearly 700 endemic species,
found nowhere else on earth; only New Zealand,[45] Hawaii, New Caledonia,
and the Galápagos Islands have more impressive numbers.[46]

The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and
drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular endemic flora.
Endemic tree species Dracaena Botanical field surveys led by the Centre for Middle Eastern Plants of the Royal
cinnabari Botanic Garden Edinburgh, indicate that 307 out of the 825 (37%) plant
species on Socotra are endemic, i.e., they are found nowhere else on
Earth.[47] The entire flora of the Socotra Archipelago has been assessed for the IUCN Red List, with three Critically
Endangered and 27 Endangered plant species recognised in 2004.[47]
Dendrosicyos socotranus,
One of the most striking of Socotra's plants is the dragon's blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari), which is a strange-looking, the cucumber tree
umbrella-shaped tree. Its red sap was thought to be the dragon's blood of the ancients, sought after as a dye, and
today used as paint and varnish.[47] Also important in ancient times were Socotra's various endemic aloes, used
medicinally, and for cosmetics. Other endemic plants include the giant succulent tree Dorstenia gigas; the cucumber tree, Dendrosicyos socotranus; the
rare Socotran pomegranate (Punica protopunica), Aloe perryi, and Boswellia socotrana.[48]

The island group also has a rich fauna, including several endemic species of birds, such as the Socotra starling (Onychognathus frater), the Socotra
sunbird (Nectarinia balfouri), Socotra bunting (Emberiza socotrana), Socotra cisticola (Cisticola haesitatus), Socotra sparrow (Passer insularis), Socotra
golden-winged grosbeak (Rhynchostruthus socotranus), and a species in a monotypic genus, the Socotra warbler (Incana incana).[48] Many of the bird
species are endangered by predation by non-native feral cats.[46] With only one endemic mammal, six endemic bird species and no amphibians,
reptiles constitute the most relevant Socotran vertebrate fauna with 31 species. If one excludes the two recently introduced species, Hemidactylus
robustus and Hemidactylus flaviviridis, all native species are endemic. There is a very high level of endemism at both species (29 of 31, 94%) and
genus levels (5 of 12, 42%). At the species level, endemicity may be even higher, as phylogenetic studies have uncovered substantial hidden
diversity.[49] The reptile species include skinks, legless lizards, and one species of chameleon, Chamaeleo monachus. There are many endemic
invertebrates, including several spiders (such as the Socotra Island Blue Baboon tarantula Monocentropus balfouri) and three species of freshwater
crabs in the Potamidae (Socotra pseudocardisoma and two species in Socotrapotamon).[50]

As with many isolated island systems, bats are the only mammals native to Socotra. The Socotran pipistrelle (Hypsugo lanzai) is the only species of
bat, and mammal in general, thought to be endemic to the island.[51][52] In contrast, the coral reefs of Socotra are diverse, with many endemic
species.[48] Socotra is also one of the homes of the brush-footed butterfly Bicyclus anynana.[53]

Over the two thousand years of human settlement on the islands, the environment has slowly but continuously changed, and, according to Jonathan
Kingdon, "the animals and plants that remain represent a degraded fraction of what once existed."[48] The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea states that
the island had crocodiles and large lizards, and the present reptilian fauna appears to be greatly diminished since that time. Until a few centuries ago,
there were rivers and wetlands on the island, greater stocks of the endemic trees, and abundant pasture. The Portuguese recorded the presence of
water buffaloes in the early 17th century. Now there are sand gullies in place of rivers, and many native plants survive only where there is greater
moisture or protection from roaming livestock.[48] The remaining Socotran fauna is greatly threatened by goats and other introduced species.

As a result of the 2015 Yemen civil war in mainland Yemen, Socotra became economically isolated, and fuel gas prices spiked, causing residents to
turn to wood for heat. In December 2018, UAE sent cooking gas to Socotra residents to curb deforestation caused by the cutting down of trees for
fuel.[54]

See also: List of spiders of Socotra

UNESCO recognition [ edit ]

The island was recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world natural heritage site in July
2008. The European Union has supported such a move, calling on both UNESCO and the International Organisation of Protecting Environment to
classify the island archipelago among the major environmental heritages.[9]

Demographics [ edit ]

Most of the inhabitants are indigenous Soqotri people from Al-Mahrah tribe, who are of Southern Arabian descent from
Al Mahrah Governorate,[55] and are said to be especially closely related with the Qara and Mahra groups of Southern
Arabia.[56] Some of the inhabitants are African, descending from former slaves who settled on the island.[57]

Almost all inhabitants of Socotra, numbering about 50,000, live on the main island of the archipelago.[44] The principal
city, Hadibu (with a population of 8,545 at the census of 2004); the second largest town, Qalansiyah (population 3,862);
and Qād̨ ub (population 929) are all located on the north coast of the island of Socotra.[58] Only about 450 people live
on 'Abd-al-Kūrī and 100 on Samha; the island of Darsa and the islets of the archipelago are uninhabited.[59]

Language [ edit ]
Main article: Soqotri language

The island is home to the Semitic language Soqotri, which is related to such other Modern South Arabian languages on
the Arabian mainland as Mehri, Harsusi, Bathari, Shehri, and Hobyot, which became the subject of European academic
study in the nineteenth century.[60][61] A fish market in Socotra
There is an ancient tradition of poetry and a poetry competition is held annually on the island.[62] The first attested
Socotran poet is thought to be the ninth-century Fatima al-Suqutriyya, a popular figure in Socotran culture.[63]

Socotra Swahili is extinct.[64]

Religion [ edit ]

The earliest account concerning the presence of Christians in Socotra stems from the early-medieval 6th
century CE Greek merchant Cosmas Indicopleustes[65] Later the Socotrans joined the Assyrian church.[66]
During the tenth century, Arab geographer Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Hamdani recorded during his visits that
most of the islanders were Christian.

Christianity in Socotra went into decline when the Mahra sultanate took power in the 16th century, and the Socotran children

populace had become mostly Muslim by the time the Portuguese arrived later that century.[67] An 1884 edition
of Nature, a science journal, writes that the disappearance of Christian churches and monuments can be accounted for by a Wahhabi excursion to the
island in 1800.[68] Today the only remnants of Christianity are some cross engravings from the first century CE, a few Christian tombs, and some
church ruins.[69]

Genetics [ edit ]

The majority of male residents on Socotra are reported to be in the J* subclade of Y-DNA haplogroup J. Several of the female lineages, notably those in
mtDNA haplogroup N, are unique to the island.[70]

Administrative divisions [ edit ]

Previously, the archipelago pertained to the Hadhramaut Governorate. In 2013, however, the archipelago was removed from the Hadramaut
Governorate and the Socotra Governorate was created, consisting of the districts of:

Hidaybu, with a population of 32,285 and a district seat at Hadibu, consisting of the eastern two-
thirds of the main island of Socotra;
Qalansiyah wa 'Abd-al-Kūrī, with a population of 10,557 and a district seat at Qulensya, consisting
of the minor islands of the archipelago (the island of 'Abd-al-Kūrī chief among them) and the
Map of the Socotra Archipelago western third of the main island.

Economy [ edit ]

The primary occupations of the people of Socotra have traditionally been fishing, bee keeping, animal husbandry, and the cultivation of dates.[71]

Monsoons long made the archipelago inaccessible from June to September each year. In July 1999, however, a new airport opened Socotra to the
outside world all year round. There was regular service to and from Aden and Sana'a until the start of the civil war in 2015. All scheduled commercial
flights made a technical stop at Riyan-Mukalla Airport. Socotra Airport is located about 12 kilometres (71⁄2 miles) west of the main city, Hadibu, and
close to the third-largest town in the archipelago, Qād̨ ub.[72] Diesel generators make electricity widely available in Socotra. A paved road runs along the
north shore from Qulansiyah to Hadibu and then to the DiHamri area; and another paved road, from the northern coast to the south through the Dixsam
Plateau.[73]

Some residents raise cattle and goats. The chief export products of the island are dates, ghee, tobacco, and fish.[74]

At the end of the 1990s, a United Nations Development Program was launched to provide a close survey of the island of Socotra.[75] The project called
Socotra Governance and Biodiversity Project have listed following goals from 2009:

Local governance support

Development and implementation of mainstreaming tools
Strengthening non-governmental organizations' advocacy
Direction of biodiversity conservation benefits to the local people
Support to the fisheries sector and training of professionals

Transport [ edit ]

Public transport on Socotra is limited to a few minibuses; car hire usually means hiring a 4WD car and a driver.[76][77]

Transport is a delicate matter on Socotra as road construction is considered locally to be detrimental to the island and its ecosystem. In particular,
damage has occurred via chemical pollution from road construction while new roads have resulted in habitat fragmentation.[78]

The only port on Socotra is 5 kilometres (3 miles) east of Hadibu. Ships connect the port with the Yemeni coastal city of Mukalla. According to
information from the ports, the journey takes 2–3 days and the service is used mostly for cargo.[79] The UAE funded the modernization of the port on
Socotra.[80] After cyclones hit Socotra in November 2015, the Emirates Red Crescent set up a lighting system and built a fence in the airport.[81]

Yemenia and Felix Airways flew from Socotra Airport to Sana'a and Aden via Riyan Airport. As of March 2015, due to ongoing civil war involving Saudi
Arabia's Air Force, all flights to and from Socotra have been cancelled.[82]

However, during the deployment of Emirati troops and aid to the Island, multiple flight connections were made between Abu Dhabi and Hadibu as part
of Emirati effort to provide Socotra residents with access to free healthcare and provide work opportunities.[83]

Currently, there are scheduled flights from Cairo and Abu Dhabi to Socotra once a week.[84]

Tourism [ edit ]

The airport for Socotra was built in 1999. Before this modest airport, the island could only be reached by a cargo ship. The ideal time to visit Socotra is
from October to April; the remaining months usually have heavy monsoon rainfall, making it difficult for tourists; flights also usually get cancelled.[85]
The island lacks any well-established hotels, although there are a few guesthouses for the travelers to stay during their short visits.[86] Due to the
Yemeni Civil War that started in 2015, tourism to Socotra Island has been affected. The island received over 1,000 tourists each year until 2014.[87]

Tourism to the island has increased over the years as many operators have started offering trips to the island, which Gulf Today claimed “will become a
dream destination despite the country’s conflict”. In May 2021, the Ministry of Information stated that the UAE is violating the island and has been
planning to control it for years. It is running illegal trips for foreign tourists without taking any permission from the Yemeni government.[88] UAE is
operating a weekly direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Socotra Island every Tuesday via Air Arabia.

Gallery [ edit ]

Other sights

Qalansiyah Wadi Dirhur canyon on the Ar'ar spot

Diksam Plateau

See also [ edit ]

Galápagos Islands, an archipelago of Ecuador which is also famous for its isolated geography and plant and animal species
Yemen portal
Masirah Island, another island with a rugged terrain off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula

References [ edit ]

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Retrieved 4 March 2022.
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3. ^ Robinson, Peg; Hestler, Anna; Spilling, Jo-Ann (2019). Yemen
Cavendish Square. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-50264-162-5.
4. ^ "Yemen's Socotra, isolated island at strategic crossroads"
Economic Times. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
5. ^ "Socotra islands scenery in Yemen" . en.youth.cn. China Youth
International. 25 April 2008. Archived from the original on 5 September
2017. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
6. ^ "Paradise Has an Address: Socotra - Geography" . socotra.cz. Socotra
Z.S. Society. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
7. ^ Huntingford, George Wynn Brereton (1980). The Periplus of the
Erythraean Sea. Hakluyt Society. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-904180-05-3.
8. ^ Abrams, Avi (4 September 2008). "The Most Alien-Looking Place on
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News Agency (SABA). 15 April 2008.
10. ^ "Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Ancient South Arabia through
History" . www.cambridgescholars.com. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 20 February
2020. " "As for Śakūrid (S³krd), this name appears to be the basis of the
Greek name for Soqoṭrā, Dioskouridēs, via a reconstructed *Dhū-
Śakūrid.12"
11. ^ Sanjeev Sanyal Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India’s
Geography. Penguin Books (2013), p. 112
12. ^ A Historical Genealogy of Socotra as an Object of Mythical Speculation,
Scientific Research & Development Experiment .
13. ^ Zhukov, Valery A. (2014) The Results of Research of the Stone Age Sites
in the Island of Socotra (Yemen) in 2008-2012. - Moscow: Triada Ltd. 2014,
pps 114, ill. 134 (in Russian) ISBN 978-5-89282-591-7.
14. ^ Great Britain. Naval Intelligence Division (2005). "Appendix: Socotra"
Western Arabia and the Red Sea. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. p. 611.
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Van Rensburg, Julian; Robin, Christian Julien; Shelat, Bharati; Sims-
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Further reading [ edit ]

Agafonov, Vladimir (2007). "Temethel as the Brightest Element of Soqotran Folk Poetry". Folia Orientalia. 42/43 (2006/07): 241–249.
Agafonov, Vladimir (2013). Mehazelo – Cinderella of Socotra . ISBN 978-1482319224.
Botting, Douglas (2006) [1958]. Island of the Dragon's Blood (2nd ed.). ISBN 978-1-904246-21-3.
Burdick, Alan (25 March 2007). "The Wonder Land of Socotra, Yemen" . The New York Times.
Casson, Lionel (1989). The Periplus Maris Erythraei. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-04060-8.
Cheung, Catherine; DeVantier, Lyndon (2006). Van Damme, Kay (ed.). Socotra: A Natural History of the Islands and their People. Odyssey Books &
Guides. ISBN 978-962-217-770-3.
Doe, D. Brian (1970). Field, Henry; Laird, Edith M. (eds.). Socotra: An Archaeological Reconnaissance in 1967. Miami: Field Research Projects.
Doe, D. Brian (1992). Socotra: Island of Tranquility. London: Immel.
Elie, Serge D. (2004). "Hadiboh: From Peripheral Village to Emerging City". Chroniques Yemenites. 12.
Elie, Serge D. (November 2006). "Soqotra: South Arabia's Strategic Gateway and Symbolic Playground". British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies.
33 (2): 131–160. doi:10.1080/13530190600953278 . ISSN 1353-0194 . S2CID 129912477 .
Elie, Serge D. (June 2007). The Waning of a Pastoralist Community: An Ethnographic Exploration of Soqotra as a Transitional Social Formation
(D.Phil Dissertation thesis). University of Sussex.
Elie, Serge D. (2008). "The Waning of Soqotra's Pastoral Community: Political Incorporation as Social Transformation". Human Organization. 67 (3):
335–345. doi:10.17730/humo.67.3.lm86541uv4765823 .
Elie, Serge D. (2009). "State-Community Relations in Yemen: Soqotra's Historical Formation as a Sub-National Polity". History and Anthropology.
20 (4): 363–393. doi:10.1080/02757200903166459 . S2CID 111387231 .
Elie, Serge D. (2010). "Soqotra: The Historical Formation of a Communal Polity" . Chroniques Yéménites. 16 (16): 31–55. doi:10.4000/cy.1766 .
Elie, Serge D. (2012). "Fieldwork in Soqotra: The Formation of a Practitioner's Sensibility". Practicing Anthropology. 34 (2): 30–34.
doi:10.17730/praa.34.2.7279k63434142762 .
Elie, Serge D. (2012). "Cultural Accommodation to State Incorporation: Language Replacement on Soqotra Island". Journal of Arabian Studies. 2
(1): 39–57. doi:10.1080/21534764.2012.686235 . S2CID 144803493 .
Miller, A.G. & Morris, M. (2004) Ethnoflora of the Socotra Archipelago. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Naumkin, V. V.; Sedov, A. V. (1993). "Monuments of Socotra". In Boussac, Marie-Françoise; Salles, Jean-François (eds.). Athens, Aden, Arikamedu:
Essays on the interrelations between India, Arabia and the Eastern Mediterranean. Delhi: Manohar. pp. 193–250. ISBN 978-81-7304-079-5.
Peutz, Nathalie (2018). Islands of Heritage: Conservation and Transformation in Yemen . Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
ISBN 9781503607156.
Schoff, Wilfred H. (1974) [1912]. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (2nd. ed.). New Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation.
Zhukov, Valery A. (2014). The Results of Research of the Stone Age Sites in the Island of Socotra (Yemen) in 2008-2012 (in Russian). Moscow:
Triada. ISBN 978-5-89282-591-7.

External links [ edit ]

LA Times photogallery
Wikimedia Commons has
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh: Soqotra's Misty Future (see page 5 for information on dragon's blood) media related to Socotra.

Global organisation of Friends for Soqotra in any aspect based in Edinburgh, Scotland
Wikivoyage has a travel
Audio interview with Socotra resident guide for Socotra.
Carter, Mike. "The land that time forgot" , The Observer. Sunday, April 16, 2006.
A Historical Genealogy of Socotra as an Object of Mythical Speculation, Scientific Research & Development Experiment
SCF Organisation
An article in T Style Magazine – NYTimes
"Suḳuṭra" in the Encyclopaedia of Islam
Socotra Information Project
"15 Pictures of 'The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth' " —photo essay
Socotra: The Hidden Land —Documentary film of the Island of Socotra

· · Islands of Yemen [show]

· · Portuguese Empire [show]

· · Tourist attractions in Yemen [show]

· · World Heritage Sites in Yemen [show]

Authority control [show]

Categories: Socotra Archaeological sites in Yemen Biosphere reserves of Yemen Continental fragments Guardafui Channel
Islands of Yemen Islands of the Arabian Sea Socotra Governorate Territorial disputes of Yemen World Heritage Sites in Yemen

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