Socotra Island is considered a paradise to bird as it has around 100+ different species. Hotels and highways have gone up while flora and fauna populations have started to disappear. Socotra was an ancient hub for trading with people from Rome, Greece and Egypt, selling exclusive medicines; frankincense; and a special red resin known as ‘. These picture-perfect sands are rarely marred by rain. Alone amid the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, the Yemen-controlled island has remained remarkably isolated from the outside world for millennia. 5.
The first sealed road to be constructed on Socotra was built in 2006, and there are only a few roads on the island, in part due to their negative impact on the environment, though transport methods such as bikes, 4WDs and minibuses are used, while an airport also exists.
The Socotra Archipelago includes a group of islands: Socotra, Samha, Darsha, Abd Al Kuri.
Not all of Socotra's plant life is merely tan and green, however. Socotra is a group of four islands, found approximately 355 kilometres (220 miles) off the coast of Yemen of western Asia, in the Arabian Sea, and the archipelago also consists of two islets; and while it sits closer to Somalia, Africa, it comes under the jurisdiction of Yemen. As eye-popping as Socotra's plants can be, the island's diverse, bizarre animal population is just as fascinating. You can probably expect a picturesque landscapes, stunning sceneries, untouched wilderness and etc. Image courtesy of Valerion Guillot/Flickr, http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html, http://www.friendsofsoqotra.org/Soqotra_archipelago.html, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/socotra-island, http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/06/socotra/white-text.
Overall, Socotra's thoroughly pleasant climate stays between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit year round. Because of the dragon's blood tree's commercial uses, and because of deforestation resulting from Socotra's development more generally, these trees are suffering. Foreign researchers and historians even pronounce the island’s name into four different sounds: Soqutri, Soqotra, Sou’ qatra and Asqo ‘ter. Where the strange plants and animals exist, a place 220 miles away from Yemen is called Socotra. To continue we have gathered Socotra Island facts that will surely give you a glimpse of how the island looks like in reality. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Rod Waddington/FlickrDragon’s blood trees, found only on Socotra. Out of the mountains and down in the sands, some of Socotra's trees and bushes emerge. John Kuroski is the Managing Editor of All That Is Interesting. 4. Perhaps more than any other factor, Socotra's trees account for the island's unique allure.
This climate makes Socotra ideal for fishing, a longtime staple of the island's economy — in addition to tourism, especially recently. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Let’s get into it! The island of Socotra’s 34-million-year separation from mainland Arabia has given rise to a … Although its cousins can be found throughout most of the world, this particular variety can be found only here.
Follow this blog as we discover the world and live life to fullest! The Frankincense tree, between its many variations, has been prized since ancient times for its aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes. Since then, tourism has grown by a factor of 30.
“Some of Socotra’s admirers fear that the Yemeni government’s rush to bring the island into the 21st century may have already irreversibly damaged the very things those people came to see and could bring an end to a way of life that has endured for centuries.”. Perhaps as a means to limit — or at least slow — development’s deleterious effects on Socotra’s physical landscape, UNESCO deemed the island a World Heritage site in 2008, following long-underway conservation efforts to help protect the truly singular beauty of what just might be the most unique place on Earth.
3. Basically the name “Socotra” was said to be originated from an old suppressed language named Sanskrit. Back outside the caves and down the mountains, you'll set out upon extensive sand dunes like little deserts unto themselves. Visit Ten Random Facts's profile on Pinterest. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. var stg = new Object(); stg.crt="28370051926865";stg.version="1.04"; stg.id=stg.name="adgshp1215196530"; stg.width="300px"; stg.height="326px";stg.ReferenceKey="oXty7+LaNVEWEC0krXRPOg=="; stg.Layout="SquareStatic"; stg.Language="en-us";stg.Cid="1750781"; stg.OverideConf=false; new AgdSherpa(stg,3).initialize(); The Yolo Moments is a travel blog featuring the most beautiful, stunning, jaw-dropping and even the most mysterious places and sights around the globe.
It’s the natural biodiversity of the area and the unofficial symbol of the island no other than the Dragon’s Blood Tree. Small bottle trees dot the rocky landscape, sometimes surrounding the larger Frankincense trees (center). As of 2004, Socotra had a population of approximately 44,000 individuals, most of these being indigenous and of Arabian descent living on the main island, and only two of the other islands were inhabited, and housed approximately 550 people between them. Even smaller than the starling among Socotra's winged creatures is the. Socotra Island Facts – In an isolated island where outside contacts are not available, no television, less in commercial establishment or less in technology in general. Now the possible reason why people call it “the island of happiness” is that it’s a magical remote island where the most endemic plants and animals are founded. The ruins of an ancient city were uncovered on Socotra in 2010 by Russian archaeologists, and there are many caves, as well as nearby shipwrecks, that can be explored. | Home | About | Contact | Disclosure | Privacy |, Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! Apart from these, there are also small rock outcrops like Ka’l Fir’awn and Sābūnīyah that are uninhabitable by … This distinctive bird, with a legacy that goes back to Ancient Egypt, is even known for its use of tools (namely, using stones to crack eggs), an extraordinary rarity in the animal kingdom. And, once again, the dragon's blood trees. But, while not exactly common, some of the mountain valleys and canyons come with freshwater streams, around which all manner of plants can grow. 8. SOME 150 MILES EAST OF THE HORN OF AFRICA and 250 miles south of the Arabian Peninsula lies the island of Socotra.
Socotra is known for its exotic flora numbering over 800 species, with more than a third of these species being endemic to the islands; and there is a diverse range of fauna, with at least 34 reptile and 96 land snail species, almost all of which are endemic; along with 730 fish, 300 crustacean, 4 bat and 192 bird species. Just like Victoria Falls the island of Socotra has been in the list of UNESCO World heritage site. What do you think of our Socotra Island Facts? The largest of several islands extending eastward from the Horn of Africa, it has an area of about 1,400 square miles (3,600 square km). Though the climate of the island is hot and dry, tourism in Socotra particularly in the main island of Yemen is still in the age of growing there economy. This sap was believed to be used in ancient times as dye, toothpaste and medicine for many ailments. is a travel blog featuring the most beautiful, stunning, jaw-dropping and even the most mysterious places and sights around the globe.