Socotra Archipelago أرخبيل سقطرى (Arabic) | |
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| Socotra Archipelago Governorate | |
 Dracaena cinnabari, also known as the Dragon's Blood tree  Jabal Skand, highest point in theHajhir Mountain range  Ferhmin Forest in theDiksam Plateau .jpg) Arher dunes and theHoq Cave | |
 Location of the archipelago in Yemen | |
.svg) Topographic map of the districts of Socotra | |
| Coordinates:12°30′N53°24′E / 12.5°N 53.4°E /12.5; 53.4 | |
| Country |  Yemen |
| Districts | Hadibu (east) Qulansiyah wa 'Abd-al-Kūrī (west) |
| Capital | Hadibu |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Raafat Ali Ibrahim Al-Thuqli[1] |
| Area | |
| • Land | 3,973.64 km2 (1,534.23 sq mi) |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 44,670 |
| • Density | 11.24/km2 (29.12/sq mi) |
| ISO 3166 code | YE-SU |
Socotra Archipelago | |
 Interactive map of Socotra Archipelago | |
| Total islands | 4 + two rocky islets[2] |
| Major islands | Socotra,Abd al Kuri,Samhah,Darsah |
| Official name | Socotra Archipelago |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | x |
| Designated | 2008(32ndsession) |
| Reference no. | 1263 |
| Region | Arab States |
TheSocotra Archipelago (Arabic:أرخبيل سقطرىʾArḫabīl Suquṭrā), officially theSocotra Archipelago Governorate (Arabic:محافظة أرخبيل سقطرىMuḥāfaẓat ʾArḫabīl Suquṭrā), abbreviated toSocotra Governorate (Arabic:محافظة سقطرىMuḥāfaẓat Suquṭrā), is one of thegovernorates ofYemen. It consists of four larger islands and three small islets in the Indian Ocean south of mainland Yemen and east of theHorn of Africa. The largest island isSocotra.
Scholars' views vary regarding the origin of the island's name. One theory is that the termSocotra may derive from a Greek name that is derived from the name of aSouth Arabian tribe mentioned inSabaic andḤaḍraumitic inscriptions asDhū-Śakūrid (s³krd).[3] Another theory is that the Arabic termSuqutra breaks down as follows:suq means 'market', andqutra is a vulgar form ofqatir, which refers todragon's blood. The capital city of Socotra wasSuq as reported by the Portuguese in the 16th century, which they referred to asmarket place.[4]
Since beforeBritish rule, Socotra had been part of theMahra Sultanate but later the British captured it and made Socotra a part ofBombay Presidency inBritish India and so it remained till 1937. In 1937 British made it part ofAden Protectorate. With the independence ofSouth Yemen in 1967, the archipelago was attached to theAden Governorate, despite its distance. In 2004, it was moved to theHadhramaut Governorate.[5]
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The formation of the Socotra governorate is linked to the desire of Socotrans for greater political autonomy and direct governance. During theArab Spring in 2011, Socotrans expressed opposition to the proposed "Socotra Authority", advocating for the archipelago to be integrated more closely into the mainland's administrative structure. They sought to elevate Socotra from its division from two local districts under thegovernorate of Hadhramaut to a single governorate. This change was aimed at ensuring that all funds allocated to Socotra would reach its elected local councils directly, rather than being channeled through Hadhramaut, where they feared embezzlement or misallocation.[6] Since December 2013, it has been a governorate of its own.[7]
On 30 April 2018, theUnited Arab Emirates, as a part of the ongoingYemen Civil War, deployed troops andtook administrative control ofSocotra Airport and seaport.[8][9] On 14 May 2018, Saudi troops were also deployed on the island and a deal was brokered between the United Arab Emirates and Yemen for a joint military training exercise and the return of administrative control of Socotra's airport and seaport to Yemen.[10][11]
TheSouthern Transitional Councilseized control of the archipelago in June 2020,[12] and controlled it until January 2026.
The archipelago consists of four larger islands,Socotra,Abd al Kuri,Samhah, andDarsah, and three small islets to the north of the archipelago. Socotra has most of archipelago's land mass and population. Abd al Kuri and Samhah are also inhabited. The islands are located between 12° 06′ and 12° 42′ N and 52° 03′ and 54° 32′ E.[13]
The islands lie east of theHorn of Africa, separated fromCape Guardafui in Somalia by theGuardafui Channel. Abd Al Kuri is the westernmost island, located about 100 km from Cape Guardafui. Socotra is the easternmost approximately 380 km south of the Arabian Peninsula and 225 km east of Cape Guardafui. Samhah and Darsah, known as The Brothers, are southwest of Socotra and east of Abd al Kuri.[13]
The islands are composed largely of limestone. TheHajhir Mountains on Socotra have areas of exposedgranite.[13]
The lowlands have a mostly arid climate, averaging 150 mm of annual precipitation. Most of the rainfall occurs during the northeast monsoon in the winter months (November–March). The southwest monsoon brings drying winds from the African continent during the summer months (April–October). Sea-facing slopes and mountainous areas receive more moisture from sea fogs andorographic precipitation, with up to 1000 mm annually at high elevations in the Hajhir Mountains. Year-round rivers and streams are found only in the mountains of Socotra.[13][14]
| Island / Islet | Coordinates | Area (km2) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socotra | 12°30′36″N53°55′12″E / 12.51000°N 53.92000°E /12.51000; 53.92000 | 3,796 | 44,120 |
| Abd al Kuri | 12°11′24″N52°13′30″E / 12.19000°N 52.22500°E /12.19000; 52.22500 | 130.2 | 450 |
| Samhah | 12°09′20″N53°02′30″E / 12.15556°N 53.04167°E /12.15556; 53.04167 | 39.6 | 100 |
| Darsah | 12°07′10″N53°16′30″E / 12.11944°N 53.27500°E /12.11944; 53.27500 | 7.5 | 0 |
| Ka'l Fir'awn (north) | 12°26′26″N52°08′17″E / 12.44056°N 52.13806°E /12.44056; 52.13806 | 0.17 | 0 |
| Ka'l Fir'awn (south) | 12°26′14″N52°08′02″E / 12.43722°N 52.13389°E /12.43722; 52.13389 | 0.12 | 0 |
| Sabuniyah | 12°38′12″N53°09′27″E / 12.63667°N 53.15750°E /12.63667; 53.15750 | 0.05 | 0 |
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Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth ofcontinental origin (i.e. not ofvolcanic origin). The archipelago was once part of the supercontinent ofGondwana and detached during theMiocene epoch, in the same set ofrifting events that opened theGulf of Aden to its northwest.[15] Culturally and politically, the island is a part of Yemen, but geographically it belongs to Africa as it represents a continental fragment that is geologically linked to the continental AfricanSomali Plate.[16]
The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra (3,665 km2 or 1,415 sq mi), three smaller islands,Abd al Kuri,Samhah andDarsa, and two rocky islets, Ka'l Fir'awn and Sābūnīyah, both uninhabitable by humans but important forseabirds.[17] The island is about 125 kilometres (78 mi) long and 45 kilometres (28 mi) north to south.[18] and has three major physical regions:
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Socotra is considered the jewel of biodiversity in theArabian Sea.[23] In the 1990s, a team of United Nations biologists conducted a survey of the archipelago's flora and fauna. They counted nearly 700endemic species, found nowhere else on earth; only New Zealand,[24] Hawaii,New Caledonia, and theGalápagos Islands have more impressive numbers.[25]
The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular endemic flora. Botanical field surveys led by the Centre for Middle Eastern Plants of theRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, indicate that 307 out of the 825 (37%) plant species on Socotra are endemic.[26] The entire flora of the Socotra Archipelago has been assessed for theIUCN Red List, with three Critically Endangered and 27 Endangered plant species recognised in 2004.[26]
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. 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.[26] Also important in ancient times were Socotra's various endemicaloes, 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, andBoswellia socotrana.[27]
The island group has a rich fauna, including several endemic species of birds, such as theSocotra starling (Onychognathus frater), theSocotra 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, theSocotra warbler (Incana incana).[27] Many of the bird species are endangered by predation by non-nativeferal cats.[25] 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 andHemidactylus 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.[28] The reptile species includeskinks,legless lizards, and one species ofchameleon,Chamaeleo monachus. There are many endemic invertebrates, includingseveral spiders (such as the Socotra Island Blue Baboontarantula,Monocentropus balfouri) and three species offreshwater crabs in thePotamidae (Socotra pseudocardisoma and two species inSocotrapotamon).[29]
TheSocotran pipistrelle (Hypsugo lanzai) is the only species of bat, and mammal in general, thought to be endemic to the island.[30][31] In contrast, thecoral reefs of Socotra are diverse, with many endemic species.[27] Socotra is also one of the homes of thebrush-footed butterflyBicyclus anynana.[32]
Over the 2,000 years of human settlement on the islands, the environment has slowly but continuously changed, and, according toJonathan Kingdon, "the animals and plants that remain represent a degraded fraction of what once existed."[27] ThePeriplus 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 ofwater 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.[27] The remaining Socotran fauna is greatly threatened by goats and other introduced species.
The island was recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world natural heritage site in July 2008. TheEuropean 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.[33]
Previously, the archipelago pertained to theHadhramaut Governorate. In 2013, however, the archipelago was removed from the Hadhramaut Governorate and the Socotra Governorate was created, consisting of the districts of:
The primary occupations of the people of Socotra have traditionally been fishing, bee keeping,animal husbandry, and the cultivation ofdates.[34] Some residents raise cattle and goats. The chief export products of the island are dates,ghee, tobacco, and fish.[35]
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 fromAden andSana'a until the start of the civil war in 2015. All scheduled commercial flights made atechnical stop atRiyan-Mukalla Airport.Socotra Airport is located about 12 kilometres (7+1⁄2 miles) west of the main city,Hadibu, and close to the third-largest town in the archipelago, Qād̨ub.[36]Diesel generators make electricity widely available in Socotra. A paved road runs along the north shore from Qalansiyah to Hadibu and then to the DiHamri area; and another paved road, from the northern coast to the south through the Diksam Plateau.[37]
At the end of the 1990s, aUnited Nations Development Program was launched to provide a close survey of the island of Socotra.[38] The project called Socotra Governance and Biodiversity Project have listed following goals from 2009:
As for Śakūrid (S³krd), this name appears to be the basis of the Greek name for Soqoṭrā, Dioskouridēs, via a reconstructed *Dhū-Śakūrid.12
...to "past" regimes, many Socotrans are eager to weigh in as impassioned debates take place over the best political system and administrative structure for their islands. From Authority to Autonomy? When, in early 2011, Socotrans expressed their opposition to the proposed Socotra Authority, they did so largely out of the conviction that the archipelago should become more integrated into the mainland's administrative structure, not less. What they wanted instead, these pastoralists with little pati...
On Saturday, the STC announced it had seized government facilities and military bases on the main island of Socotra, a sparsely populated archipelago which sits at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
| Eastern Yemen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Southern Yemen | ||
| Western Yemen | ||
| Northern Yemen | ||
| Central Yemen | ||
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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