Socotra Facts
- This breathtaking creation of time and geological forces most frequently goes by the deceptively simple name of Socotra. Yet, the site’s also held other titles in various languages across time. These include Suqutra, Dioscorida, Socotora, and Soqotra.
- The first stems from the Arabic script, while the ancient Greeks and Romans used the second in their texts. Meanwhile, the third represents a Latin variation, used in ancient European maps and texts. The final one, though, forms a common local spelling.
- It’s not known if pehistoric man knew of it. Archaeological evidence places the first confirmed human presence on the island at sometime in the 2nd millennium BCE. The island’s strategic location and unique biodiversity likely attracted early seafarers and traders.
- Experts further consider it possible that these came from the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, or the Indian subcontinent. By the 1st millennium BCE, the site formed a hub for maritime trade, particularly noted for its production of frankincense and myrrh.
- Today, Socotra stands out among the countless other islands of the world in several important ways. It boasts both great beauty and a rich, diverse cultural history. Due to these factors, and still more, in 2008, UNESCO named the island a World Heritage Site.
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Socotra Physical Description
The breathtaking main island of Socotra constitutes the great majority of the land area within the entire archipelago.
Measuring roughly 82 mi (132 km) in length, and also about 31 mi (50 km) in width, it contains roughly 95% of the total area of the four islands combined.
In addition, Socotra also boasts an impressive total of three distinctly different geographical terrains within its boundaries.
These include a narrow section of plains along the coast, a reasonably impressive mountain range, and, finally, a large limestone plateau.
Socotra Location, Flora, and Fauna
The incredible Socotra once formed part of the supercontinent of Gondwana, until it broke off during the Miocene Epoch.
Further, today, it sits between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabia Sea and constitutes part of the country of Yemen, located in Asia.
Socotra also remains best known for the highly distinctive, and quite often unique, species of endemic animals and plants that call the island home.
For the moment, the number of species found on this island and nowhere else on earth total nearly 700.
Furthermore, perhaps the best known of these is the remarkable Dragon’s Blood Tree, with its strange umbrella shape.
Features Sharing Its Area
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