Being a non-volcanic remnant of the former southern supercontinent Gondwana, Socotra is among the planet’s most remote landforms of continental origin. The Socotra Archipelago is situated in the Indian Ocean, roughly 240 kilometers east of Cap Guardafui in Somalia and 380 kilometers south of Ras Fartak in Al Mahrah, Yemen. It is situated between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa.
It is a part of the Socotra Archipelago, one of the world’s most biologically varied island groups, together with its neighbors, Abd Al-Kuri, Samha, and Darsa. Socotra’s remarkably diverse and rich flora and fauna make it a global leader in biodiversity conservation. There are 825 plant species in it, 308 (or 37%) of which are indigenous.
There are no other species like these on Earth. In 2008, Socotra was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Sanskrit phrase “island abode of bliss,” dvipa-sakhadara, is where the name Socotra originates. There are several legends that mention the island. Although Christianity had long been practiced by the locals, it vanished from the island in the seventeenth century. The Mahra sultans of southeast Yemen ruled over Socotra for a long time. Portuguese colonization of Socotra between 1507 and 1511 ended their dominance over the island nation. The British attempted to buy the island in 1834 but were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the sultan accepted British protection for the whole sultanate in the 1880s. When Socotra joined independent South Yemen in 1967 and eventually joined a united Yemen, the sultanate came to an end.
Topography
The island has a total area of 3796 square kilometers and measures roughly 132 km long by 49 km broad. Geographically speaking, it is comprised of three primary zones: the Hagghier mountains, a limestone plateau, and the coastal lowlands.
The Hagghier Mountains
Possibly the most striking feature of the islands are the Haggeher Mountains, a high igneous plateau that typically rises to a height of 750 meters and dominates the eastern and central regions of Socotra. They rise in a succession of stunning pinnacles, from which steep slopes scattered with boulders, cleared grassland, and deep, damp gullies radiate outward. The Archipelago’s highest point, Jebel Skand, at over 1550 meters, is among numerous summits that rise above 1300 meters.
There are some perennial streams and dense vegetation on the Haggeher’s slopes. Deep, rich red soils have formed in the valleys and on the milder slopes as a result of the grante’s decomposition; in contrast, the soil is thin or nonexistent on the pinnacles and harsher slopes. The rocks of the Haggeher are predominantly red but often appear white from the lichens that cover them.
The Limestone Plateau
This stretches over a sizable portion of the island, with an average elevation of 300–700 meters and a peak that rises to 800 meters in the west. The plateau descends to the sea or the coastal plain in sharp, frequently nearly vertical escarpments. Wadis pour deeply into the plateau from the central highlands, especially in the south. The peak is undulating or occasionally punctuated by gullies and cliffs with dense vegetation. The surface has characteristic karst features, including gullies, shallow pits, cliffs, and vast stretches of bare pavement in some places.
There are large tracts of flat grassland in other places, especially in the east, where deeper soils have collected in broad, shallow depressions. There are several caverns and not many streams that are visible from the top. A sizable, arid, and sparsely vegetated drainage basin lies to the west. Although the soils are not well developed, weathering has created a rich red or grey clay soil that collects in the limestone’s solution hollows and cracks. Reddish clay soil has collected to a greater depth in the valleys and some depressions.
The Coastal Lowlands
These range in length and width, with a maximum width of approximately 8 kilometers. With an average width of 6 km and a length of almost 80 km, Noged in the south is the longest uninterrupted stretch. Shorter plains are divided by rocky headlands and the limestone plateau’s escarpment cliffs in other parts of the coast. The plains lack permanent streams due to the wadis’s obstruction by stones and other debris, though they do flow to the sea during floods. Numerous wadis that flow northward come to an end in little freshwater or brackish lakes that are divided from the ocean by spits and bars. The alluvial soils found in the plains are made up of thin, grey soil mixed with compacted gravel, stones, and coarse sands.
Magnificent Universal Worth
Socotra’s remarkably diverse and rich flora and fauna make it a global leader in biodiversity conservation. 95% of Socotra’s land snail species, 90% of its reptile species, and 37% of its plant species are unique to the planet. As one of the world’s most diverse and biologically rich islands, Socotra is particularly significant to the biodiversity hotspot in the Horn of Africa and is known as the “Galápagos of the Indian Ocean.”
Ever since ancient times, Socotra has gained global recognition for its medicinal and fragrant resins, native flora, gums, the best aloe in the world, amber, musk, pearls, and for its pivotal position in the Arabian Sea shipping business. As early as 2400 B.C., Socotra was a major supplier of frankincense, myrrh, and aloe. Legend has it that gladiators applied Dragon’s Blood resin to their wounds prior to battle to hasten the healing process.
In addition to being a region of myrrh, incense, and miraculous aloes that could heal the Greeks and Romans during wartime, Socotra was also home to genies, demons, and sorcerers. Legends and myths abound. From Plato to Marco Polo, who declared its magicians to be the strongest in the world. It was thought that the mountains concealed a Phoenix nest, home to flying snakes, and that the enormous Roc bird, which Sinbad the Sailor had depicted, was similarly amazing.
Fauna
With 225 different bird species, including six unique species (Socotra sparrow, Socotra Cisticola, Socotra Starling, Socotra Sunbird, Socotra Warbler, and the extremely uncommon Socotra Bunting), the island of Socotra boasts an amazing wildlife. In addition, it serves as a breeding and migration hub for more than 45 different kinds of birds, including gulls, flamingos, cattle egrets, and reef herrons.
The Egyptian Vultures are a prominent component of the avian population, with the largest reported number in the world found on Socotra. There are 600 bug species and 190 butterfly species, and 90% or more of them are indigenous. The biodiversity of reptiles is likewise exceptionally rich, with 19 of the 22 species considered to be endemic. All around the island, domestic goats, sheep, cows, and camels are common.
The only native mammals on the island are bats; very few people are fortunate enough to see the elusive Civet cats, which prowl the island in search of food. A variety of species from several biogeographical regions (the Western Indian Ocean, Red Sea, East Africa, and the wider Indo-Pacific) can be found in Socotra’s maritime environment.
In spite of its small size, the island of Socotra is home to around 730 species of coastal fish, 230 hard coral species (of which five are endemic), and 30 soft coral species. Along with 490 kinds of mollusks, 230 species of algae, and 300 species of crustaceans, nine of which are indigenous. Sea-turtles nest on the north of the island and an endemic fresh-water crab, Potamon socotrensis, is common in water streams.
Flora
When Scottish botanist Isaac Balfour collected over 500 plants in 1880—of which more than 200 species were unknown to science—scientists made their first trip to Socotra. Approximately 835 vascular plants have been identified from the Archipelago to date, 308 of which are unique to Earth. It is noteworthy that an astounding 37% of plants are indigenous, with the exception of the Galapagos, New Caledonia, and Hawaii.
The islands have been designated as UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserves and World Natural Heritage sites due to the high endemism and diversity of their plant life. Oceanic islands frequently have exceptionally diverse and highly endemism-rich flora. Its severe climate and lengthy geological isolation are to blame for this.
The fact that the Hagghier mountains have not been completely submerged for several million years is thought to have preserved some of the unusual-looking flora, which are actually ancient remains from a much larger land mass. Botanists and non-scientists alike are particularly interested in several elements of Socotra’s flora.
Perhaps the most well-known is Dracaena cinnabari, sometimes known as the “dragon’s blood tree.” The reason the tree gets its name is that any damage to the bark causes a thick, red liquid to seep out of the wound. From ancient times, the sap has been employed on Socotra and other places for cosmetic and medical purposes.
The Frankincense tree is another one with a lengthy history of significance. Within the Socotra Archipelago, eight of the twenty-four species that yield frankincense are native. A swollen trunk that stores water has been adapted by certain Socotra trees to assist them withstand the dry climate.
The desert rose, or bottle tree (Adenium obesum socotranum), is arguably the most well-known example. The sole arborescent member of the cucumber family and one of the tallest trees on Socotra, the cucumber tree (Dendrosicyos socotranus), is equally fascinating.
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