View source for Socotra

{{short description|Largest of four islands of the Socotra Archipelago, Yemen}}
{{about|the island in the Indian Ocean|the archipelago this island is a part of|Socotra archipelago|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} 
{{Infobox islands
| name                = Socotra
| image_name          = Socotra satview.jpg
| image_caption       = Landsat view of Socotra
| image_size          = 250px
| map_image           = Socotra Island.PNG
| image_map_size      = 250px
| native_name         = {{nobold|<br />{{langx|ar|سُقُطْرَىٰ|Suquṭrā}}<br />{{langx|sqt|ساقطْري|Sāqaṭri}}}}
| nickname            = 
| pushpin_map         = Yemen
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Yemen
| pushpin_relief      = yes
| location            = Between the [[Guardafui Channel]] and the [[Arabian Sea]]
| coordinates         = {{coord|12|30|36|N|53|55|12|E|type:isle_region:YE-SU_scale:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| archipelago         = [[Socotra Governorate|Socotra]]
| length_km           = 132
| width_km            = 50
| area_km2            = 3,796
| highest_mount       = Mashanig, [[Hajhir Mountains]]
| elevation_m         = 1,503
| country             = {{flag|Yemen}}
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = [[Governorates of Yemen|Governorate]]
| country_admin_divisions_1 = [[Socotra Governorate|Socotra Archipelago]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_3 = Sub-districts
| country_capital_and_largest_city = [[Hadibu]]
| country_largest_city_population = 8,545
| population          = 60,000
| population_as_of    = 
| density_km2         = 11.3
| ethnic_groups       = [[Yemeni people|Yemenis]]: predominantly [[Soqotri people|Soqotris]]; minority [[Hadharem]], and [[Mehri people|Mehris]]
| module              = 
}}

'''Socotra''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|s|ə|ˈ|k|oʊ|t|r|ə|,_|s|oʊ|-|,_|ˈ|s|ɒ|k|ə|t|r|ə}}; {{langx|ar|سُقُطْرَىٰ}} {{transliteration|ar|Suquṭrā}}}} locally known as '''Saqatri''',{{efn|{{langx|sqt|ساقطْري|Sāqaṭri}}}} is a [[Yemen]]i island in the [[Indian Ocean]]. Situated between the [[Guardafui Channel]] and the [[Arabian Sea]] near major shipping routes. The largest of the six islands in the [[Socotra archipelago]], it comprises around 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies {{convert|380|km|nmi|round=5|abbr=off}} south of the [[Arabian Peninsula]] and {{cvt|232|km|nmi|round=5}} east of the [[Horn of Africa]].{{sfn|Brown|Mies|2012|p=6}} The inhabitants of the island are called [[Soqotri people|Socotrans]], and they speak [[Arabic]] and [[Soqotri language|Soqotri]]. 

Socotra is home to a high number of unique species that are [[endemism|endemic]]. Up to a third of its plant life is unique. Due to the island's unusual geography, it has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth".<ref name="Huntingford">{{cite book |last=Huntingford |first=George Wynn Brereton |author-link=George Wynn Brereton Huntingford |title=The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea |publisher=[[Hakluyt Society]] |year=1980 |page=103 |isbn=978-0-904180-05-3}}</ref> The island measures {{cvt|132|km|mi}} in length and {{cvt|42|km|mi}} across at its widest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html |date=4 September 2008 |work=DarkRoastedBlend.com |title=The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth |first=Avi |last=Abrams}}</ref> In 2008, Socotra was recognised as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].<ref name= autogenerated1>{{cite news |url=http://www.sabanews.net/en/news151852.htm|title= EU to protect Socotra archipelago environment| publisher=[[Yemen News Agency]] |work=SabaNews.net |date=15 April 2008}}</ref>

The island is under the control of the [[Southern Transitional Council]] (STC), a [[United Arab Emirates]]–backed, "secessionist" faction in [[Yemeni civil war (2014–present)|Yemen's ongoing civil war]].<ref>{{cite news |date=7 June 2021 |title=Yemen's Socotra, isolated island at strategic crossroads |newspaper=[[The Economic Times]] |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/yemens-socotra-isolated-island-at-strategic-crossroads/articleshow/83307561.cms |access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref> The STC seized control of the island following a [[Southern Transitional Council takeover of Socotra|coup in 2020]], ousting the local authorities and establishing its own governance.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |last=Müller |first=Quentin |date=2025-01-01 |title=Socotra's coveted isles |url=https://mondediplo.com/2025/01/13socotra-box |access-date=2025-04-06 |newspaper=[[Le Monde diplomatique]]}}</ref>

==Etymology==
Scholars' views vary regarding the origin of the island's name. One theory is that the term ''Socotra'' may derive from a Greek name that is derived from the name of a [[South Arabia]]n tribe mentioned in [[Sabaic]] and [[Hadramautic language|Ḥaḍraumitic]] inscriptions as ''Dhū-Śakūrid'' ({{smallcaps|s³krd}}).<ref name="name">{{cite web|url=https://www.cambridgescholars.com/ancient-south-arabia-through-history|title=Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Ancient South Arabia through History|website=www.cambridgescholars.com|access-date=2020-02-20|pages=5–6|quote= "As for Śakūrid (S³krd), this name appears to be the basis of the Greek name for Soqoṭrā, Dioskouridēs, via a reconstructed *Dhū-Śakūrid.12}}</ref> Another theory is that the Arabic term ''Suqutra'' broken down as follows: Suq, means market, and qutra is a vulgar form of qatir, which refers to [[dragon's blood]]. The capital city of Socotra was [[Suq, Yemen|Suq]] as reported by the Portuguese in the 16th century, which they referred to as ''market place''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060806223654/http://www.aiys.org/webdate/socot.html A Historical Genealogy of Socotra as an Object of Mythical Speculation, Scientific Research & Development Experiment].</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Socotra}}
===Prehistory===
There was initially an [[Oldowan]] lithic culture in Socotra. Oldowan stone tools were found in the area around [[Hadibu|Hadibo]] in 2008.<ref>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}}.</ref> Socotra played an important role in the ancient international trade and appears as ''Dioskouridou'' (Διοσκουρίδου νῆσος), meaning "the island of [[Dioscurides]]" in the [[Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]], a first-century AD Greek navigation aid.<ref>{{cite book |author=Great Britain. Naval Intelligence Division |title=Western Arabia and the Red Sea |date=2005 |publisher=Taylor and Francis |location=Hoboken, NJ |isbn=978-1-136-20995-6 |page=611 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kXfYAQAAQBAJ&q=socotra%20dioscuri&pg=PA611 |chapter=Appendix: Socotra}}</ref>

The [[Hoq Cave]] contains a large number of inscriptions, drawings and archaeological objects. Further investigation showed that these had been left by sailors who visited the island between the first century BC and the sixth century AD. The texts are written in the Indian [[Brahmi script|Brāhmī]], [[Ancient South Arabian script|South Arabian]], [[Ge'ez script|Ethiopic]], [[Greek alphabet|Greek]], [[Palmyrene script|Palmyrene]] and [[Bactrian language|Bactrian]] languages. This corpus of nearly 250 texts and drawings constitutes one of the main sources for the investigation of [[Indian Ocean trade]] networks in that time period.<ref name=strauch>{{cite book |title=Foreign Sailors on Socotra. The inscriptions and drawings from the cave Hoq |year=2012 |publisher=Dr. Ute Hempen Verlag |location=Bremen |isbn=978-3-934106-91-8 |page=592 |first1=Mikhail D. |last1=Bukharin |first2=Peter |last2=De Geest |first3=Hédi |last3=Dridi |first4=Maria |last4=Gorea |first5=Julian |last5=Jansen Van Rensburg |first6=Christian Julien |last6=Robin |first7=Bharati |last7=Shelat |first8=Nicholas |last8=Sims-Williams |first9=Ingo |last9=Strauch |editor-last=Strauch |editor-first=Ingo}}</ref>

===Antiquity===
In 880, an [[Kingdom of Aksum|Aksumite]] expeditionary force conquered the island, and an [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodox]] bishop was consecrated. The Ethiopians were later dislodged by a large armada sent by Imam [[Al-Salt bin Malik]] of [[Sultanate of Oman|Oman]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Martin |first=E.G. |title=Mahdism and holy wars in Ethiopia before 1600 |journal=Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies |issn=0308-8421 |date=1974 |volume=4 |page=114 |jstor=41223140}}</ref> According to the Persian geographer [[Ibn al-Mujawir]], who testifies having arrived in Socotra from India in 1222, there were two groups of people on the island, the indigenous mountain dwellers and the foreign coastal dwellers. There were large settlements of Indian traders from [[Sindh]] and [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]].<ref>{{cite journal |author-first=G. Rex |author-last=Smith |title=Ibn al-Mujāwir on Dhofar and Socotra |journal=Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies |volume=15 |date=1985 |issn=0308-8421 |pages=79–92 |jstor=41223031}}</ref>

[[Ibn Hawqal]], a 10th-century history chronicler, mentions Socotra in his book ''The Renaissance of Islam''. He mentioned it as a prominent source of [[piracy]], stating:  "the island Socotra in particular was regarded as a dangerous nest of pirates, at which people trembled as they passed it. It was the point d'appui of the Indian pirates who ambushed the Believers there."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/renaissanceofisl029336mbp/renaissanceofisl029336mbp_djvu.txt|title=Full text of "The Renaissance of Islam"|website=archive.org|access-date=30 August 2025}}</ref>

===Middle ages===
In 1507, a [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portuguese]] fleet commanded by [[Tristão da Cunha]] with [[Afonso de Albuquerque]] landed at [[Suq, Yemen|Suq]] and [[Battle of Socotra|captured the port after a stiff battle]] against the [[Mahra Sultanate]]. Their objective was to set a base in a strategic place on the route to India. The lack of a proper harbor and the infertility of the land led to famine and sickness in the garrison, and the Portuguese abandoned the island in 1511.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtZtMBLJ7GgC&pg=PP1 |title=Foundations of the Portuguese empire, 1415–1580|first1=Bailey Wallys|last1=Diffie|first2=George Davison |last2=Winius|page=233|year=1977|publisher=University of Minnesota Press|isbn=978-0-8166-0782-2}}</ref> The Mahra sultans took back control of the island, and the inhabitants were [[Islamization|converted to Islam]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/lateantiquitygui00bowe |url-access=registration |title=Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Postclassical World
|first1=Glen Warren|last1=Bowersock|first2=Peter |last2=Brown|first3=Oleg |last3=Grabar|page=[https://archive.org/details/lateantiquitygui00bowe/page/753 753]|year=1999|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-51173-6}}</ref>

===Modern===
[[File:Soqotri people, 1918.jpg|thumb|Photo of local men from Socotra taken by Charles K. Moser (1918).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/nationalgeograp331918nati/page/266/mode/2up/search/moser |title=The Isle of Frankincense |first=Charles K. |last=Moser (formerly United States Consul-General to Aden, Arabia) |page=271 |work=The National Geographic Magazine |date=January–June 1918 |volume=XXXIII |quote-pages=266–278 }}</ref>]]
In 1834, the [[East India Company]] stationed a garrison on Socotra, in the expectation that the Mahra sultan of [[Qishn]] and Socotra would accept an offer to sell the island. The lack of good anchorages proved to be as much a problem for the British as the Portuguese. The sultan refused to sell, and the British left in 1835. After the [[Aden Expedition|capture of Aden]] by the British in 1839, they lost interest in acquiring Socotra. In 1886, the British government decided to conclude a [[Aden Protectorate|protectorate treaty]] with the sultan in which he promised this time to "refrain from entering into any correspondence, agreement, or treaty with any foreign nation or power, except with the knowledge and sanction of the British Government".<ref>''A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sunnuds related to India and Neighbouring Countries'', Calcutta, 1909, volume VIII, page 185.</ref> In October 1967, in the wake of the departure of the British from Aden and southern Arabia, the Mahra Sultanate was abolished. 

On 30 November of the same year, Socotra became part of [[South Yemen]]. Between 1976 and 1979, the island served as a base for the [[Soviet Navy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP06T00412R000200350001-0.pdf |title=The USSR and the Yemens: Moscow's Foothold on the Arabian Peninsula |publisher=National Foreign Assessment Center |access-date=17 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=2019-02-18 |title=ТОП-6 самых экзотических стран-друзей СССР, где были советские военные базы |url=https://news.rambler.ru/troops/41741134-top-6-samyh-ekzoticheskih-stran-druzey-sssr-gde-byli-sovetskie-voennye-bazy/ |language=ru |access-date=2024-07-17}}</ref> Although the South Yemeni government and president, [[Ali Nasir Muhammad]], had denied their existence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Muḥammad |first=ʻAlī Nāṣir |title=Dhākirat waṭan: ʻAdan min al-iḥtilāl ilá al-istiqlāl |date=2019 |publisher=Riyāḍ al-Rayyis lil-Kutub wa-al-Nashr |isbn=978-9953-21-704-8 |edition=al-Ṭabʻah al-ūlá |location=Bayrūt |pages=449–453 |oclc=on1089880767}}</ref> [[Slavery]] in the island was abolished under the rule of the [[Yemeni Socialist Party]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Peutz |first=Nathalie |date=2012 |title=Revolution in Socotra: A Perspective from Yemen's Periphery |journal=[[Middle East Report]] |issue=263 |pages=14–20 |jstor=41702556 |issn=0899-2851}}</ref>

Since [[Yemeni unification]] in 1990, Socotra has been a part of the Republic of Yemen, affiliated first to [[Aden Governorate]]. Then in 2004, it was moved to be a part of the [[Hadhramaut Governorate]]. Later in 2013, it became a [[Socotra Governorate|governorate of its own]].

Socotra was impacted by the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami]] which damaged 40 fishing boats, even though the island was {{convert|4600|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} away from the tsunami epicentre off the west coast of [[Aceh]], [[Indonesia]].{{importance inline}}<ref>{{cite journal |author1-first=Hermann M. |author1-last=Fritz |author2-first=Emile A. |author2-last=Okal |date=2008 |title=Socotra Island, Yemen: field survey of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami |journal=Natural Hazards |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=107–117 |doi=10.1007/s11069-007-9185-3 |s2cid=14199971 |issn= |doi-access= |bibcode=2008NatHa..46..107F }}</ref> In 2015, the cyclones [[cyclone Chapala|Chapala]] and [[cyclone Megh|Megh]] struck the island, causing severe damage to its infrastructure.<ref name="f11">{{cite report|publisher=United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|at=ReliefWeb|date=19 November 2015|title=Yemen: Cyclones Chapala and Megh Flash Update 11|access-date=3 February 2016|url=http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Yemen_Flash_%20Update_%2011_19_Nov_Final.pdf}}</ref>

Beginning in 2015, the UAE began increasing its presence on Socotra, first with humanitarian aid in the wake of tropical cyclones Chapala and Megh, and eventually establishing a military presence on the island. On 30 April 2018, the UAE, as part of the ongoing [[Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen]], landed troops on the island and [[United Arab Emirates occupation of Socotra|took control]] of [[Socotra Airport]] and [[Port of Socotra|seaport]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/yemen-officials-say-emiratis-boost-forces-on-socotra-island/2018/05/02/84efa860-4e27-11e8-85c1-9326c4511033_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502195745/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/yemen-officials-say-emiratis-boost-forces-on-socotra-island/2018/05/02/84efa860-4e27-11e8-85c1-9326c4511033_story.html|archive-date=2018-05-02|title=Yemen officials say Emiratis boost forces on Socotra island|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> On 14 May 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 the airport and seaport to Yemen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/yemen-pm-crisis-uae-deployment-socotra-180514155240735.html|title=Yemen PM: Crisis over UAE deployment to Socotra over|website=Al Jazeera}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.albawaba.com/news/yemen-uae-agree-deal-over-socotra-1131236|title=Yemen, UAE Agree on Deal Over Socotra|website=Albawaba News}}</ref> In June 2020, the UAE-backed [[Southern Transitional Council]] (STC) seized control of the island [[Southern Transitional Council takeover of Socotra|in a coup]], ousting the local authorities and establishing its own government. Although in 2023, the [[Presidential Leadership Council]], Yemen's internationally-recognized government, integrated the STC into the government and recognized the STC's rule of the archipelago. Under its rule, peaceful protests against the coup and the UAE's interference in Socotra were violently dispersed, and journalists who criticized the coup were arrested and beaten.<ref name=":2" />

==Geography==
{{See also|Geology of Socotra}}
[[File:Dixam canyon (6407166887).jpg|thumb|[[Diksam Plateau]] ]]
Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of [[continent]]al origin (i.e. not of [[volcano|volcanic]] origin). The archipelago was once part of the supercontinent of [[Gondwana]] and detached during the [[Miocene]] epoch, in the same set of [[Rift|rifting]] events that opened the [[Gulf of Aden]] to its northwest.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.aemnp.eu/PDF/52_s2/52_S2_1.pdf|title=Socotra Archipelago – a lifeboat in the sea of changes: advancement in Socotran insect biodiversity survey|journal=[[Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae]] |issn=0374-1036 |volume=52|issue=supplementum 2|pages=1–26}}</ref> The island is culturally and administratively a part of Yemen, but it geographically belongs to [[Africa]] as it represents a continental fragment that is geologically linked to the [[Somali Plate]].<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Z. R. |last1=Beydoun |first2=H. R. |last2=Bichan |title=The Geology of Socotra Island, Gulf of Aden |journal=[[Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London]] |date=1970 |volume=125 |number=3 |pages=413–466 |issn=0016-7649 |doi=10.1144/gsjgs.125.1.0413}}</ref>

The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra ({{convert|3665|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=or}}), three smaller islands, [[Abd al Kuri]], [[Samhah]] and [[Darsa]], and two rocky islets, Ka'l Fir'awn and Sābūnīyah, both uninhabitable by humans but important for [[seabird]]s.<ref name="GEF">{{cite journal |last1=Shobrak |first1=Mohammed |last2=Alsuhaibany |first2=Abdullah |last3=Al-Sagheir |first3=Omer |others=Photographs by Abdullah Alsuhaibany |date=November 2003 |title=Status of Breeding Seabirds in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden |journal=PERSGA Technical Series |issue=8 |publisher=Regional Organization for Conservation of Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) |location=Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |language=en, ar |url=http://www.persga.org/Files//Publications/Technical/TS/TS8_Status_of_Breeding_Seabirds.pdf |access-date=7 May 2013 |archive-date=15 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215010336/http://www.persga.org/Files/Publications/Technical/TS/TS8_Status_of_Breeding_Seabirds.pdf }}</ref> The island is about {{convert|125|km|mi}} long and {{convert|45|km|mi}} north to south.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.socotraislandadventure.com/Socotra_%20fauna%26flora.htm |title= Natural History |publisher= DBT Socotra Adventure Tour |access-date= 8 October 2011 |archive-date= 18 March 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160318032156/http://socotraislandadventure.com/Socotra_%20fauna%26flora.htm }}</ref> The distance from Socotra to [[Cape Guardafui]], its nearest point in the African mainland, is {{cvt|232|km|nmi|round=5}}, and about {{cvt|351|km|nmi|round=5}} from [[Ras Fartaq]] in mainland [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]].{{sfn|Brown|Mies|2012|p=6}} It has three major physical regions:
* The narrow coastal [[plain]]s 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.
* The [[limestone]] [[plateau]]s of [[Momi Plateau|Momi]], [[Homhil Plateau|Homhil]] and [[Diksam Plateau|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 [[transhumance|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.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Serge D. |last1=Elie |title=The Waning of Soqotra's Pastoral Community: Political Incorporation as Social Transformation |journal=[[Human Organization]] |issn=0018-7259 |date=2008 |volume=67 |issue=3 |pages= 335–345|doi=10.17730/humo.67.3.lm86541uv4765823 }}</ref>
* A central massif, the [[Hajhir Mountains]], composed of granite and [[metamorphic rock]]s.<ref name = Flora>{{cite web|url=http://www.socotraislandadventure.com/Socotra_%20fauna%26flora.htm|title=Socotra Fauna and Flora|access-date=10 January 2010|archive-date=18 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318032156/http://socotraislandadventure.com/Socotra_%20fauna%26flora.htm}}</ref> rising to {{convert|1503|m|ft}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=11317 |title= Socotra High Point, Yemen |publisher= Peakbagger.com |access-date =8 October 2011}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Socotra - Momi Plateau.jpg|Momi Plateau with rainwater harvest structures, water storage body, shelter for herders
File:Socotra Island (11007223546).jpg|[[Hajhir Mountains]]
File:Wadi, Socotra Island (14495206039).jpg|A [[wadi]] in Socotra
Hoq Cave - speleothem2.jpg|[[Hoq Cave|Hawk Cave]] ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: كهف هوق) in the east of the island
</gallery>

==Climate==
[[File:Chapala 2015-11-01 0915Z.png|thumb|Tropical Cyclone Chapala over Socotra in 2015]]
The climate of Socotra is classified in the [[Köppen climate classification]] as ''BWh'' and ''BSh'', meaning a transitional [[hot desert climate]] and a [[semi-arid climate|semi-desert climate]] with a mean annual temperature over {{convert|25|°C|°F}}. Yearly rainfall is light but is roughly spread throughout the year. [[Orographic lift]] provided by the interior mountains, especially during the northeast monsoon from October to December, results in the highest inland areas averaging as much as {{convert|800|mm|in|2}} per year and receiving over {{convert|250|mm|in|2}} per month during November and December.<ref>{{cite journal |author1-last=Scholte |author1-first=Paul |author2-last=De Geest |author2-first=Peter |title=The climate of Socotra Island (Yemen): A first-time assessment of the timing of the monsoon wind reversal and its influence on precipitation and vegetation patterns |journal=[[Journal of Arid Environments]] |doi=10.1016/j.jaridenv.2010.05.017 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014019631000159X |issn=0140-1963 |volume=74 |issue=11 |date=November 2010 |pages=1507–1515 |bibcode=2010JArEn..74.1507S |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The southwest [[monsoon]] season from June to September brings strong winds and high seas. 

In an extremely unusual occurrence, the normally [[aridity|arid]] western side of Socotra received more than {{convert|410|mm|in|2}} of rain from [[Cyclone Chapala]] in November 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title= The mediocre model forecasts of Cyclone Chapala's rainfall over Yemen |first= Angela |last= Fritz |date= 5 November 2015 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/11/05/the-mediocre-model-forecasts-of-cyclone-chapalas-rainfall-over-yemen/ |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> Cyclones rarely affect the island, but in 2015 [[Cyclone Megh]] became the strongest, and only, major cyclone to strike the island directly.

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Y
| location = [[Socotra Airport]] (SCT)
| Jan record high C = 30.0
| Feb record high C = 31.7
| Mar record high C = 32.8
| Apr record high C = 37.2
| May record high C = 38.5
| Jun record high C = 40.6
| Jul record high C = 37.4
| Aug record high C = 34.4
| Sep record high C = 35.6
| Oct record high C = 37.0
| Nov record high C = 33.0
| Dec record high C = 30.6
| year record high C = 40.6
| Jan high C = 27.1
| Feb high C = 27.8
| Mar high C = 29.2
| Apr high C = 31.8
| May high C = 34.6
| Jun high C = 33.8
| Jul high C = 32.3
| Aug high C = 32.4
| Sep high C = 33.2
| Oct high C = 30.8
| Nov high C = 29.6
| Dec high C = 28.3
| year high C = 30.8
| Jan mean C = 24.8
| Feb mean C = 24.8
| Mar mean C = 26.3
| Apr mean C = 28.7
| May mean C = 31.3
| Jun mean C = 30.8
| Jul mean C = 29.5
| Aug mean C = 29.5
| Sep mean C = 29.3
| Oct mean C = 27.9
| Nov mean C = 27.0
| Dec mean C = 25.8
| year mean C = 28.0
| Jan low C = 22.6
| Feb low C = 21.7
| Mar low C = 23.3
| Apr low C = 25.5
| May low C = 28.0
| Jun low C = 27.9
| Jul low C = 26.8
| Aug low C = 26.5
| Sep low C = 26.4
| Oct low C = 24.9
| Nov low C = 24.4
| Dec low C = 23.3
| year low C = 25.1
| Jan record low C = 17.0
| Feb record low C = 17.2
| Mar record low C = 18.9
| Apr record low C = 20.3
| May record low C = 21.2
| Jun record low C = 22.8
| Jul record low C = 21.7
| Aug record low C = 22.0
| Sep record low C = 22.2
| Oct record low C = 19.4
| Nov record low C = 18.9
| Dec record low C = 17.0
| year record low C = 17.0
| rain colour = green
| Jan rain mm = 2.5
| Feb rain mm = 2.5
| Mar rain mm = 10.2
| Apr rain mm = 0.0
| May rain mm = 2.5
| Jun rain mm = 30.5
| Jul rain mm = 0.0
| Aug rain mm = 0.0
| Sep rain mm = 2.5
| Oct rain mm = 10.2
| Nov rain mm = 50.8
| Dec rain mm = 81.3
| year rain mm = 193.0
| unit rain days = 0.1 mm
| Jan rain days = 2.4
| Feb rain days = 0.8
| Mar rain days = 0.4
| Apr rain days = 1.0
| May rain days = 0.4
| Jun rain days = 0.8
| Jul rain days = 0.2
| Aug rain days = 0.0
| Sep rain days = 0.6
| Oct rain days = 2.2
| Nov rain days = 7.7
| Dec rain days = 5.2
| year rain days = 21.7
| Jan humidity = 70
| Feb humidity = 68
| Mar humidity = 67
| Apr humidity = 66
| May humidity = 62
| Jun humidity = 60
| Jul humidity = 58
| Aug humidity = 57
| Sep humidity = 62
| Oct humidity = 69
| Nov humidity = 72
| Dec humidity = 73
| year humidity = 65
| source 1 = 
| date = March 2012
| source = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]]<ref name = DWD>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_414940_kt.pdf
| title = Klimatafel von Sokotra (Suqutrá), Insel / Arabisches Meer / Jemen
| work = Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world
| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
| language = de
| access-date = 26 April 2018}}</ref>
| collapsed = Y
}}

== Endemism ==
The [[Socotra Governorate#Ecology|Socotra archipelago]] has been dubbed the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean due to its ecological diversity and high rates of [[endemism]].<ref name=":4">{{Citation |last1=Banfield |first1=Lisa M. |title=Evolution and biogeography of the flora of the Socotra archipelago (Yemen) |date=2011 |work=The Biology of Island Floras |pages=197–225 |editor-last=Bramwell |editor-first=David |editor-link=David Bramwell (botanist) |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/biology-of-island-floras/evolution-and-biogeography-of-the-flora-of-the-socotra-archipelago-yemen/136A078884889E401942503CE69FBF7E |access-date=2025-05-08 |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/cbo9780511844270.009 |isbn=978-0-521-11808-8 |last2=Van Damme |first2=Kay |last3=Miller |first3=Anthony G. |editor2-last=Caujapé-Castells |editor2-first=Juli|url-access=subscription }}</ref> It has 835 vascular plant species, of which 37% are endemic. Six bird species, 95% of its terrestrial molluscs, and 90% of its reptiles are endemic to the archipelago. A 2016 genetic survey of all Socotran reptiles revealed unexpectedly high levels of cryptic diversity, indicating that the island's actual reptile diversity may be greater than currently recognized.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last1=Vasconcelos |first1=Raquel |last2=Montero-Mendieta |first2=Santiago |last3=Simó-Riudalbas |first3=Marc |last4=Sindaco |first4=Roberto |last5=Santos |first5=Xavier |last6=Fasola |first6=Mauro |last7=Llorente |first7=Gustavo |last8=Razzetti |first8=Edoardo |last9=Carranza |first9=Salvador |date=2016-03-01 |title=Unexpectedly High Levels of Cryptic Diversity Uncovered by a Complete DNA Barcoding of Reptiles of the Socotra Archipelago |journal=[[PLOS ONE]] |language=en |volume=11 |issue=3 |article-number=e0149985 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0149985 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=4772999 |pmid=26930572 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1149985V }}</ref> Socotra is home to several native mammals, none of which are endemic.<ref name=":4" />

=== Endemic species ===
Due to the dry conditions and small size of the island, its fauna tend to be small.<ref name=":4" />

The island has several native bats and shrews, including the [[Etruscan shrew#Hunting and feeding|Etruscan shrew]], which is the smallest mammal in the world by mass.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jürgens |first=Klaus D. |date=2002-08-01 |title=Etruscan shrew muscle: the consequences of being small |url=https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/205/15/2161/8977/Etruscan-shrew-muscle-the-consequences-of-being |journal=[[Journal of Experimental Biology]] |language=en |volume=205 |issue=15 |pages=2161–2166 |doi=10.1242/jeb.205.15.2161 |pmid=12110649 |bibcode=2002JExpB.205.2161J |issn=1477-9145|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Socotra is of particular interest to ornithologists. The island has been designated an endemic bird area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-30 |title=Checklist of the Birds of the Socotra Archipelago – Ornithological Society Of The Middle East The Caucasus And Central Asia |url=https://osme.org/2020/04/checklist-of-the-birds-of-the-socotra-archipelago/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Some of the island's most striking species are its endemic plants and trees. Socotra has many native [[Drought tolerance|drought resistant plants]] which have adapted to the island's arid environment by developing large, bulbous stems in which they store their water.<ref name=":4" />  One notable example is [[Dendrosicyos|''Dendrosicyos socotranus'']] (cucumber tree) which is the only tree in the ''[[Cucurbitaceae]]'' family. This species, which can grow over six meters high, has specialized cells which expand to hold water during wet periods.<ref name=":4" />

Due to the island's long arid periods, several endemic flora have developed an evolutionary strategy of longevity,  prioritizing long individual life span over reproduction.<ref name=":4" />  These endemic flora are found in dry, low-lying areas of the island, and they grow slowly and rarely fruit or flower.<ref name=":4" /> These slow-growing endemic species are particularly vulnerable to [[Climate change|climate warming]], as increasing dry periods may prevent them from reproducing.<ref name=":4" /> One example is the Dragon's Blood Tree, or [[Dracaena cinnabari|''Dracaena cinnabari'']]'','' which may be the most well known example of Socotran endemism. The tree contains a bright red sap which is used commercially.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fauna&Flora – Welcome to Socotra |url=https://www.welcometosocotra.com/fauna-and-flora/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |language=it-IT}}</ref> ''D. cinnabari'' has a very distinct appearance: its trunk branches out into an umbrella-like crown with tightly packed leaves and widespread branches. This plant structure is observed in arid climates which have atmospheric moisture.<ref name=":4" /> Tightly packed leaves and wide spread branches facilitate the condensation of water from moisture in the air, and the shade provided by the umbrella crown may prevent evaporation of moisture from the soil.<ref name=":4" /> One dragon's blood forest remains on the island.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Vahalík |first1=Petr |last2=Van Damme |first2=Kay |last3=Nétek |first3=Rostislav |last4=Habrová |first4=Hana |last5=Tulková |first5=Jana |last6=Lengálová |first6=Klára |last7=Zejdová |first7=Lucie |last8=Avoiani |first8=Elizaveta |last9=Maděra |first9=Petr |author9-link=Petr Maděra|date=2023-04-08 |title=UAV Inventory of the Last Remaining Dragon Tree Forest on Earth |journal=[[Forests (journal)|Forests]] |issn=1999-4907 |language=en |volume=14 |issue=4 |page=766 |doi=10.3390/f14040766 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2023Fore...14..766V}}</ref> The average age of these trees is approximately 300 years. This suggests that the forest is over-mature, and indicates a decline in new growth.<ref name=":5" />

=== Evolution ===
Socotra's high rates of species diversity and endemism can be attributed to a long period of isolation, as well as extreme climatic conditions which vary spatially and depending on altitude.<ref name=":4" />  These conditions have created a variety of [[Ecological niche#:~:text=In ecology, a niche is,and a consumer of prey).|ecological niches]].<ref name=":4" />  Researchers have attempted to date the origins of endemic species in convergence with the geological timeline of the island, which may help discern instances of [[Allopatric speciation|vicariant speciation]] after the island split off from the mainland.<ref name=":4" />

Plant life on Socotra shares floristic similarities with northeast Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The genus ''[[Dirachma]]'' has two species – one is native to Socotra and the other is native to [[Somalia]], over 1000 km away. These species share unique traits, including eight-part flowers.<ref name=":4" /> Several of the island's endemic species (members of the ''[[Echidnopsis]]'' genus, for example) are thought to have evolved from a single colonizing ancestor.<ref name=":4" />  Once the colonizing ancestor was cut off from its original gene pool its descendents began to [[Adaptive radiation|diversify rapidly]].<ref name=":4" />

The most ecologically diverse parts of Socotra are its wet [[Refugium (population biology)|refugia]], such as its cliffs and escarpments.<ref name=":4" /> These areas receive significantly more rainfall and mist than the rest of the island. These isolated areas in numerous separate areas on the island have allowed for speciation to occur.<ref name=":4" /> Species in the refugia are twice as likely to be endemic as species on the rest of the island.<ref name=":4" /> The refugia are particularly sensitive to changes in the climate, and have probably expanded and retracted many times over the evolutionary history of the island.<ref name=":4" /> The largest wet refugium on the island is the [[Hajhir Mountains|Hajhir massif]]. Incredibly, fifty five of the endemic species on the mountains are endemic to that particular refugium.<ref name=":4" />

=== Current ecological threats ===
Socotra has been experiencing a steady decline of vegetation and floral species diversity over the past several decades.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Attorre |first1=Fabio |last2=Van Damme |first2=Kay |date=September 2020 |title=Twenty years of biodiversity research and nature conservation in the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen) |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12210-020-00941-7 |journal=Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali |language=en |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=563–569 |doi=10.1007/s12210-020-00941-7 |issn=2037-4631}}</ref> These flora are vital for the survival of endemic fauna. Several factors, such as erosion, extreme weather events, and overgrazing may be responsible for this decline.<ref name=":6" />  Intensified winds due to rising global temperatures threaten Socotra's old growth forests.<ref name=":5" /> Traditional land management which has been practiced by indigenous people on Socotra for thousands of years, is becoming less widespread as the island becomes more influenced by the outside world.<ref name=":4" /> Increasing populations of invasive species, such as rats and cats, also threaten the endemic flora and fauna.<ref name=":6" /> Species on socotra have evolved in very particular climatic conditions, and their ranges are very restricted. This makes them highly vulnerable to climate change.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Maděra |first1=Petr |last2=Vahalík |first2=Petr |last3=Hamdiah |first3=Salem |last4=Hušková |first4=Karolína |last5=Sekava |first5=Jiří |last6=Attorre |first6=Fabio |last7=La Montagna |first7=Dario |last8=De Sanctis |first8=Michele |last9=Netek |first9=Rostislav |last10=Bongers |first10=Frans |last11=Rivers |first11=Malin |last12=Šebesta |first12=Jan |last13=Amar |first13=Mohammad |last14=Keybani |first14=Salem |last15=Shanayeghen |first15=Mohammad |date=2024 |title=Distribution, ecology, and threats assessment of 11 endemic frankincense tree taxa (Boswellia) in the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen) |journal=[[Plants, People, Planet]] |language=en |volume=6 |issue=6 |pages=1552–1571 |doi=10.1002/ppp3.10563 |bibcode=2024PlPP....6.1552M |issn=2572-2611|doi-access=free }}</ref> Without intervention, many of the island's endemic species may face extinction,<ref name=":6" /> including potentially numerous cryptic species that have yet to be formally described.<ref name=":7" />

==Demographics==
[[File:Qalansyah - men at the market square.jpg|thumb|Men at the market square in [[Qulensya]]]]
[[File:Socotri Children, Socotra Is (10942706844).jpg|thumb|right|Socotran children]]

Most of the inhabitants are indigenous [[Soqotri people]] from [[Al-Mahrah tribe]], who are of Southern Arabian descent from [[Al Mahrah Governorate]],<ref name="Xavier">{{cite book|first=Georg|last= Schurhammer|title=Francis Xavier; His Life, His Times: India, 1541–1544|volume= 2|publisher=[[Jesuit Historical Institute]]|year=1982|page=122}}</ref> and are said to be especially closely related with the Qara and [[Mehri people|Mahra]] groups of Southern [[Arabia]].<ref name="Natvoltn">{{cite journal |editor-first=Norman |editor-last=Lockyer |editor-link=Norman Lockyer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qVEEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA575 |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=29 |year=1884 |pages=575–576 |title=Socotra |doi= 10.1038/029575b0 |issue=755|bibcode=1884Natur..29R.575. |doi-access=free }}</ref> Some of the inhabitants are African, descending from former slaves who settled on the island.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Gintsburg |first1=Sarali |title=Language and Identity in the Arab World |last2=Esposito |first2=Eleonora |publisher=Routledge |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-003-17498-1 |chapter=The Asymmetric Linguistic Identities of African Soqotris}}</ref> The majority of male residents on Socotra are reported to be in the J* subclade of [[Haplogroup J (Y-DNA)|Y-DNA haplogroup J]]. Several of the female lineages, notably those in [[Haplogroup N (mtDNA)|mtDNA haplogroup N]], are unique to the island.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Černý|first1=Viktor|last2=Pereira|first2=Luísa|last3=Kujanová|first3=Martina|last4=Vašíková|first4=Alžběta|last5=Hájek|first5=Martin|last6=Morris|first6=Miranda|last7=Mulligan|first7=Connie J.|title=Out of Arabia—The settlement of Island Soqotra as revealed by mitochondrial and Y chromosome genetic diversity|journal=[[American Journal of Physical Anthropology]]|date=April 2009|volume=138|issue=4|pages=439–47|doi=10.1002/ajpa.20960|pmid=19012329|bibcode=2009AJPA..138..439C |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23476615}}</ref>

Almost all inhabitants of Socotra, numbering about 50,000, live on the main island of the archipelago.<ref name="Reuters">[https://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL23671476 FACTBOX-Socotra, jewel of biodiversity in Arabian Sea]. Reuters, 2008-04-23</ref> The principal city, [[Hadibu]] (with a population of 8,545 at the [[census]] of 2004); the second largest town, [[Qalansiyah]] (population 3,862); and [[Qād̨ub]] (population 929) are all located on the north coast of the island of Socotra.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cso-yemen.org/content.php?lng=english&id=293|work=The General Population Housing and Establishment Census2004|title=Final Census Results2004: The General Frame of the Population Final Results (First Report)|publisher=Central Statistical Organisation|date=6 January 2007|access-date=6 July 2013|archive-date=21 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521130719/http://www.cso-yemen.org/content.php?lng=english&id=293}}</ref> Only about 450 people live on 'Abd-al-Kūrī and 100 on Samha; the island of Darsa and the [[islet]]s of the archipelago are uninhabited.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socotraproject.org/index.php?page=content&id=7|title=Default Page|website=www.socotraproject.org}}</ref>

===Language===
{{Main|Soqotri language}}

The island is home to the [[Semitic languages|Semitic language]] [[Soqotri language|Soqotri]], which is related to such other [[Modern South Arabian]] languages on the Arabian mainland as [[Mehri language|Mehri]], [[Harsusi language|Harsusi]], [[Bathari language|Bathari]], [[Shehri language|Shehri]], and [[Hobyot language|Hobyot]], which became the subject of European academic study in the nineteenth century.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mansur Mirovalev|title=Russian Roots and Yemen's Socotra Language|publisher=Al-Jazeera|date=2015|url= https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/03/russian-roots-yemen-socotra-language-150308083716499.html|access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Rupert Hawksley|title= How the Yemeni island of Sokotra is forging its own future|date=5 January 2019|publisher=The National: Arts and Culture|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/how-the-yemeni-island-of-socotra-is-forging-its-own-future-1.809600|access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>

There is an ancient tradition of poetry and a poetry competition is held annually on the island.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Morris|first=Miranda J.|date=2013-01-01|title=The use of 'veiled language' in Soqoṭri poetry|journal=Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies|volume=43|pages=239–244|jstor=43782882}}</ref> The first attested Socotran poet is believed to be the ninth-century [[Fatima al-Suqutriyya]], a popular figure in Socotran culture.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal |author-first=Serge D. |author-last=Elie |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240532551 |title=Soqotra: South Arabia's Strategic Gateway and Symbolic Playground |journal=[[British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies]] |volume=33 |issue=2 |date=November 2006 |pages=131–60 |doi=10.1080/13530190600953278}}</ref> [[Socotra Swahili]] is extinct.<ref name="Guthrie">{{cite book |last1=Maho |first1=Jouni Filip |title=New Updated Guthrie List Online |date=2009-06-04 |page=49 |edition=2nd |url=http://goto.glocalnet.net/mahopapers/nuglonline.pdff |access-date=18 June 2022 |language=en |format=PDF |chapter=G40: Swahili Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203191542/http://goto.glocalnet.net/mahopapers/nuglonline.pdff |archive-date=3 February 2018 |quote=G411 * .  †    –  Socotra Swahili}}</ref>

===Religion===
[[File:Mosque, Hadibo, Socotra Island (11007460353).jpg|thumb|A [[List of mosques in Yemen|mosque]] in [[Hadibu]] showcasing the local architecture]]
The earliest account concerning the presence of Christians in Socotra stems from the early-medieval 6th century AD Greek merchant [[Cosmas Indicopleustes]]<ref name="caves">{{cite journal |last1=Jansen van Rensburg |first1=Julian |title= Rock Art of Soqotra, Yemen: A Forgotten Heritage Revisited |journal=[[The Artist and Journal of Home Culture]] |date=2018 |volume=7 |page=99 |issn=2151-4879}}</ref> Later the Socotrans joined the [[Assyrian Church of the East|Assyrian church]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title = Socotra history :: Socotra Eco-Tours|url = http://www.socotra-eco-tours.com/products/socotra-history/|website = www.socotra-eco-tours.com|access-date = 2015-09-02}}</ref> During the 10th century, Arab geographer [[Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Hamdani]] recorded during his visits that most of the islanders were Christian.{{place needed}}

Christianity went into decline when the [[Mahra Sultanate]] took power in the 16th century, and the populace had become mostly Muslim by the time the Portuguese arrived later that century.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title = The history of Socotra|url = http://www.socotraislandadventure.com/Socotra_History.htm|website = www.socotraislandadventure.com|access-date = 2015-09-02|archive-date = 6 December 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131206140102/http://socotraislandadventure.com/Socotra_History.htm}}</ref> An 1884 edition of [[Nature (journal)|''Nature'']] writes that the disappearance of Christian churches and monuments can be accounted for by a [[Wahhabism|Wahhabi]] excursion to the island in 1800.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Nature|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=qVEEAAAAYAAJ|publisher = Nature Publishing Group|date = 1884-01-01|first = Sir Norman|last = Lockyer}}</ref> Today the only remnants of Christianity are some cross engravings from the first century CE, a few Christian tombs, and some church ruins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socotra-eco-tours.com/products/socotra-history/|title=Socotra history :: Socotra Eco-Tours|website=www.socotra-eco-tours.com}}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Stop for a stretch (6407189003).jpg|thumb|[[Toyota Land Cruiser|Toyota Land Cruisers]] parked next to [[Dracaena cinnabari|Dragon's blood trees]]]]
Public transport on Socotra is limited to a few [[minibus]]es; car hire usually means hiring a 4WD car and a driver.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socotraproject.org/index.php?page=content&id=22|title=Default Page|website=www.socotraproject.org}}</ref><ref name=Time>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1998879,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625061718/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1998879,00.html|archive-date=25 June 2010|title= Socotra: The Other Galápagos Awaits Tourists|first=Oliver|last=Holmes|date=23 June 2010|magazine=Time|access-date=6 July 2013}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="Socotra eco impact">{{cite web|last1=Lisa|first1=Banfield|title=Past and present human impacts on the biodiversity of Socotra Island - Paper|url=http://www.friendsofsoqotra.org/Bibliography/pdfs/Van%20Damme%20%26%20Banfield%202011%20Socotra%20Conservation.pdf|website=www.friendsofsoqotra.org|access-date=18 July 2014|archive-date=14 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314013520/http://www.friendsofsoqotra.org/Bibliography/pdfs/Van%20Damme%20%26%20Banfield%202011%20Socotra%20Conservation.pdf}}</ref>

The only [[Port of Socotra|port on Socotra]] is {{convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=off}} east of Hadibu. Ships connect the port with the Yemeni coastal city of [[Mukalla]]. The journey takes 2–3 days, and the service is used mostly for cargo. The UAE funded the modernization of the port on Socotra.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/uae-national-day-46-wam-report-6-uae-aid-yemen|title=#UAE National Day 46: WAM Report 6 - UAE aid to Yemen|publisher=ReliefWeb|date=28 November 2017}}</ref> 

[[Yemenia]] and [[Felix Airways]] flew from [[Socotra Airport]] to [[Sana'a]] and [[Aden]] via [[Riyan Airport]]. As of March 2015, due to [[Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)|ongoing civil war]] involving [[Royal Saudi Air Force|Saudi Arabia's Air Force]], all flights to and from Socotra were cancelled.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ghattas|first1=Abir|title=Yemen's No Fly Zone: Thousands of Yemenis are Stranded Abroad|url=https://globalvoicesonline.org/2015/03/31/yemens-no-fly-zone-thousands-of-yemenis-are-stranded-abroad/#|access-date=8 April 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Socotra island: The Unesco-protected 'Jewel of Arabia' vanishing amid Yemen's civil war|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/socotra-island-yemen-civil-war-uae-military-base-unesco-protected-indian-ocean-a8331946.html|work=[[The Independent]]|date=2 May 2018}}</ref> Currently, there are weekly scheduled flights from Cairo and Abu Dhabi to Socotra.<ref>[https://cultureroadtravel.com/how-do-you-travel-to-socotra/ Flights to Socotra] Retrieved 4 March 2023.</ref>

==Tourism==
[[File:Local men (6407165515).jpg|thumb|Tourists posing for a picture with locals]]
Among 19th-century visitors to the island came British celebrity explorers [[James Theodore Bent|Theodore]] and [[Mabel Bent]], and their party, from mid December 1896 to mid February 1897.<ref>The party included the young [[Ernest Bennett (politician)|Ernest Bennett]]. See Mabel Bent, ''Southern Arabia'', London, 1900, pp.343-390; ''The Travel Chronicles of Mrs J Theodore Bent'', vol. 3, Oxford, 2010, pp. 286–308.</ref>

Prior to the construction of the Socotra 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/travel/tmagazine/03well.socotra.t.html|title=The Wonder Land of Socotra, Yemen|last=Burdick|first=Alan|newspaper=The New York Times |date=25 March 2007 |access-date=2018-07-17|language=en}}</ref> The island lacks any well-established hotels, although there are a few guesthouses for travelers to stay during their short visits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.incarabia.com/launch/tourism-in-the-time-of-conflict-yemeni-island-of-socotra-is-open-to-travelers/|title=Tourism In The Time Of Conflict: Yemeni Island Of Socotra Is Open To Travelers |last=Kedem|first=Shoshana|website=Inc. Arabia|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-17|archive-date=17 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717100333/http://www.incarabia.com/launch/tourism-in-the-time-of-conflict-yemeni-island-of-socotra-is-open-to-travelers/}}</ref> The island received over 1,000 tourists each year until 2014,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://adventuresoflilnicki.com/can-you-still-go-to-socotra/|title=Wanna go to Socotra? Good luck at the moment|date=2017-07-06|work=The Adventures of Lil Nicki|access-date=2018-07-17|language=en-US}}</ref> which has since been affected by the civil war.

Tourism to the island has increased over the years as many operators have begun 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, running illegal trips there for foreign tourists without obtaining any permission from the Yemeni government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210510-uae-operating-illegal-tourist-trips-to-yemens-socotra/|title= UAE operating illegal tourist trips to Yemen's Socotra|date= 10 May 2021|access-date=10 May 2021|publisher=Middle East Monitor}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Other sights">
File:Sokotra.JPG|[[Qalansiyah]]
File:Wadi, Socotra Island (10941888296).jpg|Wadi Dirhur canyon on the Diksam Plateau
File:Socotra_-Ar'ar.JPG|Ar'ar spot
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Yemen
}}
* [[Galápagos Islands]], an archipelago of Ecuador which is also famous for its isolated geography and plant and animal species
* [[Masirah Island]], another island with a rugged terrain off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula
* [[List of islands of Yemen]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===
* {{Cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Gary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XOea3sMEkLcC&q=somalia+nearest+&pg=PR5 |title=Vegetation Ecology of Socotra |last2=Mies |first2=Bruno |date=2012 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-94-007-4141-6 |language=en}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal|last=Agafonov|first= Vladimir|title= Temethel as the Brightest Element of Soqotran Folk Poetry|journal=Folia Orientalia|volume= 42/43|issue=2006/07|pages=241–249|date=2007|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Agafonov|first=Vladimir|year= 2013|title=Mehazelo – Cinderella of Socotra|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn= 978-1-4823-1922-4|url=https://www.createspace.com/4153268|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Botting|first=Douglas|orig-date=1958|title=Island of the Dragon's Blood|edition=2nd | year=2006|publisher=Steve Savage Publishers Limited |isbn= 978-1-904246-21-3|ref=none}}
* {{cite news |first=Alan |last=Burdick |title=The Wonder Land of Socotra, Yemen |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/travel/tmagazine/03well.socotra.t.html?ex=1175572800&en=82b347ceafcb7cd8&ei=5070&emc=eta1 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=25 March 2007|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Casson|first=Lionel|year=1989|title=The Periplus Maris Erythraei|publisher= Princeton University Press|isbn =978-0-691-04060-8|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last1=Cheung|first1=Catherine |last2= DeVantier|first2= Lyndon|year= 2006|title=Socotra: A Natural History of the Islands and their People|editor1-first= Kay|editor1-last=Van Damme|publisher=Odyssey Books & Guides| isbn =978-962-217-770-3|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Doe|first= D. Brian|year= 1970|title=Socotra: An Archaeological Reconnaissance in 1967|editor1-first=Henry|editor1-last= Field|editor2-first= Edith M.|editor2-last= Laird|publisher= Field Research Projects|location= Miami|editor1-link=Henry Field (anthropologist)|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Doe|first=D. Brian|title=Socotra: Island of Tranquility|location=London|publisher= Immel|year=1992|ref=none}}
* {{cite journal|last=Elie|first=Serge D.|title=Hadiboh: From Peripheral Village to Emerging City|journal=Chroniques Yemenites|volume=12 |year=2004|ref=none}}
* {{cite journal|last=Elie|first=Serge D. |title=Soqotra: South Arabia's Strategic Gateway and Symbolic Playground|journal= British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies|date=November 2006|volume=33|issue=2|pages= 131–160|issn=1353-0194|doi=10.1080/13530190600953278|s2cid=129912477 |ref=none}}
* {{cite thesis|last=Elie|first=Serge D.|title= The Waning of a Pastoralist Community: An Ethnographic Exploration of Soqotra as a Transitional Social Formation|degree=D.Phil Dissertation|publisher= University of Sussex|date=June 2007|url= http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3392556|ref=none}}
* {{cite journal|last=Elie|first=Serge D.|title=The Waning of Soqotra's Pastoral Community: Political Incorporation as Social Transformation|journal=Human Organization |volume=67 |issue= 3 |year=2008|pages= 335–345|doi=10.17730/humo.67.3.lm86541uv4765823|ref=none}}
* {{cite journal|last=Elie|first=Serge D.|title=State-Community Relations in Yemen: Soqotra's Historical Formation as a Sub-National Polity|journal=History and Anthropology|volume=20 |issue=4 |year=2009|pages=363–393|doi=10.1080/02757200903166459|s2cid=111387231|ref=none}}
* {{cite journal|last=Elie|first=Serge D. |title=Soqotra: The Historical Formation of a Communal Polity|journal=Chroniques Yéménites|volume= 16|issue=16 |year=2010|pages= 31–55|doi=10.4000/cy.1766 |doi-access=free|ref=none}}
* {{cite journal|last=Elie|first=Serge D.|title=Fieldwork in Soqotra: The Formation of a Practitioner's Sensibility|journal=Practicing Anthropology|year=2012|volume=34|issue=2|pages=30–34|doi=10.17730/praa.34.2.7279k63434142762|ref=none}}
* {{cite journal|last=Elie|first=Serge D. |year=2012|title=Cultural Accommodation to State Incorporation: Language Replacement on Soqotra Island|journal= Journal of Arabian Studies|volume= 2|issue=1|pages= 39–57|doi=10.1080/21534764.2012.686235|s2cid=144803493 |ref=none}}
* Miller, A.G. & Morris, M. (2004) ''Ethnoflora of the Socotra Archipelago''. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
* {{cite book|author-link=Vitaly Naumkin|last1=Naumkin|first1=V. V. |first2= A. V. |last2=Sedov |year=1993|chapter=Monuments of Socotra|title=Athens, Aden, Arikamedu: Essays on the interrelations between India, Arabia and the Eastern Mediterranean|pages=193–250|editor1=Boussac, Marie-Françoise |editor2=Salles, Jean-François|publisher= Manohar|location= Delhi|isbn= 978-81-7304-079-5|ref=none}}
* {{cite book| first=Nathalie| last=Peutz| title=Islands of Heritage: Conservation and Transformation in Yemen| publisher=Stanford University Press
| year=2018| isbn=978-1-5036-0715-6| location=Stanford, CA | url=http://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=28971|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Schoff|first= Wilfred H.|title=The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea|orig-date=1912|edition=2nd. |location= New Delhi|publisher= Oriental Books Reprint Corporation|year=1974|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Zhukov|first= Valery A.|title=The Results of Research of the Stone Age Sites in the Island of Socotra (Yemen) in 2008-2012|location= Moscow|publisher=Triada|year=2014|language=ru|isbn= 978-5-89282-591-7|ref=none}}
*{{cite book |last= Burrowes |first= Robert D.|title= Historical Dictionary of Yemen |year= 2010|isbn=978-0-8108-5528-1|publisher= Scarecrow Press |pages=361–362 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tjXRfqBv_0UC&dq=socotra+yemen&pg=PA362}}
*{{cite book |last1= Robinson |first1=Peg |last2=Hestler |first2= Anna  |last3=Spilling |first3=Jo-Ann | title= Yemen |year=2019 |isbn= 978-1-50264-162-5 |publisher=Cavendish Square|page=15|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xPOCDwAAQBAJ&dq=socotra+yemen&pg=PA15}}

==External links==

* [https://latimes.com/travel/la-tr-socotra-pg,0,7583685.photogallery LA Times photogallery]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050227223038/http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/soqotra/misty/page01.html Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh: ''Soqotra's Misty Future''] (see page 5 for information on [[dragon's blood]])
* [http://www.friendsofsoqotra.org/ Global organisation of Friends for Soqotra in any aspect based in Edinburgh, Scotland]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110317111554/http://www.ulivewhere.com/downloads/download-soqotra.html Audio interview with Socotra resident]}}
* Carter, Mike. [https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/apr/16/yemen.observerescapesection "The land that time forgot"], ''[[The Observer]]''. Sunday, 16 April 2006.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060806223654/http://www.aiys.org/webdate/socot.html A Historical Genealogy of Socotra as an Object of Mythical Speculation, Scientific Research & Development Experiment]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040211074302/http://socotraisland.org/intro/ SCF Organisation]
* [http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/travel/tmagazine/03well.socotra.t.html An article in T Style Magazine – NYTimes]
* [https://archive.org/stream/encyclopediaofIslam9/Vol.9san-sze#page/n830/mode/1up/ "Suḳuṭra"] in the ''[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]''
* [http://www.businessinsider.com/socotra-island-pictures-2014-8 "15 Pictures of 'The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth{{'"}}]—photo essay

{{Islands of Yemen}}
{{Portuguese overseas empire}}
{{Tourist attractions in Yemen}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Yemen}}
{{Subject bar|Yemen|Islands|auto=yes|voy=Socotra}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Archaeological sites in Yemen]]
[[Category:Biosphere reserves of Yemen]]
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[[Category:Guardafui Channel]]
[[Category:Islands of Yemen]]
[[Category:Islands of the Arabian Sea]]
[[Category:Socotra Governorate]]
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