Socotra (Yemen)

Socotra, locally known as Saqatri, is a Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean. It is situated between the Gulf of Aden, the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, and lies 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 380 kilometres (205 nautical miles) south of the Arabian Peninsula and 232 km (125 nmi) east of the Horn of Africa. The island is culturally and administratively a part of Yemen, but geographically it belongs to Africa, for it represents a continental fragment that is geologically linked to the Somali plate. The inhabitants of the island are called Socotrans, and they speak Arabic and Soqotri. Socotra is unusual in hosting a large number of species that are endemic; a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on Earth. Due to the island's unusual geography, it has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth". The island measures 132 km (82 mi) in length and 42 km (26 mi) across at its widest. In 2008, Socotra was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.