Socotra
Socotra (Somali: Suqadara, Arabic: سُقُطْرَى <span title="Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found. transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Suquṭra) is an island east of the Horn of Africa. It lies between the Guardafui Channel and the Indian Ocean. Although Socotra belongs to Yemen, in 2018 it was taken over by the United Arab Emirates.
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea |
| Coordinates | 12°30′36″N 53°55′12″E / 12.51000°N 53.92000°ECoordinates: 12°30′36″N 53°55′12″E / 12.51000°N 53.92000°E |
| Archipelago | Socotra |
| Area | 3,796 km2 (1,466 sq mi) |
| Length | 132 km (82 mi) |
| Width | 50 km (31 mi) |
| Elevation | 1,503 m (4,931 ft) |
| Country | |
 Yemen | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 60,000 |
| Density | 11.3/km2 (29/sq mi) |
Geography
To its west it is joined by an archipelago of much smaller islands. It is also named the Islands of San Gustav after the navigator who discovered them, Gustav Peter Galle Daniels. It is located 240 kilometres (150 mi) east of the Horn of Africa and 380 kilometres (240 mi) south of the Arabian Peninsula.[1]
Climate
Socotra has a borderline tropical, desert climate and semi-desert climate (Köppen climate classification: BWh and BSh), with an average yearly temperature over 25 °C (77 °F). With a total of only 193 millimetres (7.6 in), the yearly rainfall is light but is fairly spread throughout the year. The total rainfall in the mountains can average as much as 800 millimetres (31 in) per year and can average over 250 millimetres (9.8 in) per month from October to December, during the northeast monsoon.[2] The southwest monsoon season from June to September brings strong winds and high seas.
| Climate data for Socotra | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 30.0 (86) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.8 (91) |
37.2 (99) |
38.5 (101.3) |
40.6 (105.1) |
37.4 (99.3) |
34.4 (93.9) |
35.6 (96.1) |
37.0 (98.6) |
33.0 (91.4) |
30.6 (87.1) |
40.6 (105.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 27.1 (80.8) |
27.8 (82) |
29.2 (84.6) |
31.8 (89.2) |
34.6 (94.3) |
33.8 (92.8) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.4 (90.3) |
33.2 (91.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
29.6 (85.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
30.8 (87.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.8 (76.6) |
24.8 (76.6) |
26.3 (79.3) |
28.7 (83.7) |
31.3 (88.3) |
30.8 (87.4) |
29.5 (85.1) |
29.5 (85.1) |
29.3 (84.7) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.0 (80.6) |
25.8 (78.4) |
28.0 (82.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22.6 (72.7) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.3 (73.9) |
25.5 (77.9) |
28.0 (82.4) |
27.9 (82.2) |
26.8 (80.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
26.4 (79.5) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.4 (75.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
25.1 (77.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) |
17.2 (63) |
18.9 (66) |
20.3 (68.5) |
21.2 (70.2) |
22.8 (73) |
21.7 (71.1) |
22.0 (71.6) |
22.2 (72) |
19.4 (66.9) |
18.9 (66) |
17.0 (62.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 2.5 (0.098) |
2.5 (0.098) |
10.2 (0.402) |
0.0 (0) |
2.5 (0.098) |
30.5 (1.201) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
2.5 (0.098) |
10.2 (0.402) |
50.8 (2) |
81.3 (3.201) |
193.0 (7.598) |
| % Humidity | 70 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 62 | 60 | 58 | 57 | 62 | 69 | 72 | 73 | 65 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 7.7 | 5.2 | 21.7 |
| Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[3] | |||||||||||||
Wildlife
The island is very isolated and some 30% of its plant species are found only on Socotra. It has been described as the most alien-looking place on Earth. The island is 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length and 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) in width.[4]
Country
Socotra belongs to the Republic of Yemen. From late 2017 to mid-2018, Socotra was occupied by the United Arab Emirates. In 2018, the island was also occupied by Saudi Arabia. The Emiratis and later the Saudis came to Socotra because of the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present). Since 2017, Socotra is no longer under the control of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The island is under the control of the UAE and under the authority of the sessecionist Southern Transitional Council which is supported by UAE troops.[5]
Socotra Media
Photo of local men from Socotra taken by Charles K. Moser, 1918
Tropical Cyclone Chapala over Socotra in 2015
Dragon blood trees (Dracaena cinnabari) in Dixam canyon, Socotra Island, Yemen
Endemic tree species Dracaena cinnabari
Dendrosicyos socotranus, the cucumber tree
A fish market in Socotra Island, Yemen
Children of Socotra Island, Yemen
Map of the Socotra Archipelago
Sand dunes on the northeast coast
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Related pages
- Galápagos Islands, an archipelago of Ecuador which is also famous for its isolated geography and plant and animal species
References
- ↑ "Socotra islands scenery in Yemen". en.youth.cn. 25 April 2008.
- ↑ Scholte, Paul, and, De Geest, Peter; ‘The climate of Socotra Island (Yemen): A first-time assessment of the timing of the monsoon wind reversal and its influence on precipitation and vegetation patterns’; Journal of Arid Environments, vol. 74, issue 11 (November 2010); pp. 1507-1515
- ↑
"Klimatafel von Sokotra (Suqutrá), Insel / Arabisches Meer / Jemen" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth". Dark Roasted Blend. 4 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
- ↑ "Second army regiment rebels against Yemen government in Socotra". Middle East Monitor. 28 February 2020.
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