S O C O T R A :
Socotra or Soqotra (Arabic سقطرى ; Suquṭra) is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden. Nearly 190 nautical miles (220 mi/350 km) south of the Arabian Peninsula, the archipelago is 250 kilometers (155 mi) long, west to east, and protracts from continental Africa along the Horn of Africa. It is part of the Republic of Yemen.
The islands are known for unique flora and fauna, of which 37 percent of its plant species, 90 percent of its reptile species and 95 percent of its land snail species are not found anywhere else. Globally significant populations of land and sea birds (192 bird species, 44 of which breed on the islands while 85 are regular migrants) are supported
This archipelago of rich biodiversity was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The main island, as one of the most biodiversity rich and distinct islands in the world, has been termed the “Galápagos of the Indian Ocean.” Its name is believed to come from the Sanskrit 'dvipa sakhadara', which can be translated as 'Island of Blis
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE:
Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin (rather than volcanic origin). The islands of the archipelago stand on coral banks and are believed to have once been connected with the African and Arabian mainlands as part of the ancient southern supercontinent of Gondwana. They detached during the Middle Pliocene (ca 6 million years ago), in the same set of rifting events that opened the Gulf of Aden to its northwest.
The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra (3,625 km² or 1,400 sq mi),
Socotra is the largest island in the Arab world, of an estimated total of 258 islands occupying an area of 6,811 km², dispersed throughout the region stretching from the Persian Gulf to North Africa's Maghreb in the Mediterranean Sea.[1]
The main island has three geographical terrains: the narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau permeated with karstic caves, and the Haghier Mountains. The mountains rise to 5,000 feet (1,525 m). The main island is a little over 80 miles (130 km) long east to west and typically 18-22 miles (30-35 km) north to south.
The climate is generally tropical desert, with rainfall being light, seasonal, and more abundant at the higher ground in the interior than along the coastal lowlands. The monsoon season brings strong winds and high seas.
FLORA AND FAUNA:
Socotra is rich in terms of biodiversity, comparing favorably with such island groups as Galapagos, Mauritius, and the Canary Islands. It has been referred to as the "jewel" of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea.
The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular endemic flora. Surveys have revealed that of a total of nearly 900 species, a 37 percent are endemic; ranking it in the top five islands in terms of endemic flora. Botanists rank the Socotra flora among the ten most endangered island flora in the world, vulnerable to introduced species (such as goats), climate change, and modernization. The archipelago is a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation and a possible center for ecotourism.
One of the most striking of Socotra's plants is the dragon's blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari), which is an unusual looking, umbrella-shaped tree. Lore has it that its red sap was the dragon's blood of the ancients, sought after as a medicine and a dye. Another unusual plant is Dorstenia gigas, a succulent that can grow to eight feet tall and have a trunk of up to two feet or more in diameter.
The island group also has a fairly rich bird fauna, including a few types of endemic birds, such as the Socotra Starling Onychognathus frater, the Socotra Sunbird Nectarinia balfouri, Socotra
Dalisha beach camping alone
As with many isolated island systems, bats are the only mammals native to Socotra. In contrast, the marine biodiversity around Socotra is rich, characterized by a unique mixture of species that have originated in far-flung biogeographic regions: the western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, Arabia, East Africa and the wider Indo-Pacific.
(Excerpt from New World Encyclopedia)
