Socotra or Soqotra is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, under the de facto control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist participant in Yemen’s ongoing civil war. Lying between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea and near major shipping routes, Socotra is the largest of the four islands in the Socotra archipelago. Since 2013, the archipelago has constituted the Socotra Governorate.
The Mahra Sultanate, known in its later years as the Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra was a sultanate that included the historical region of Mahra and the Guardafui Channel island of Socotra in what is now eastern Yemen. It was ruled by the Banu Afrar dynasty for most of its history.
Hadibu, also known as Hadiboh, formerly known as Tamrida, is a coastal town in northern Socotra, Yemen. It is not far from the mount Jabal al-Jahir. It is the largest town of the small archipelago, with a population of 8,545 at the 2004 census. Hadibu is the capital of the Socotra Governorate and the larger eastern district of Socotra's two administrative districts, Hidaybū. For the inhabitants of the town, animal husbandry is the main source of income.
The Socotra sparrow is a passerine bird endemic to the islands of Socotra, Samhah, and Darsah in the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa. The taxonomy of this species and its relatives is complex, with some authorities, including BirdLife International, recognising this species and the very similar Abd al-Kuri sparrow, as well as several from mainland Africa, as separate, and others lumping all these species and the probably unrelated Iago sparrow.
The Socotra cormorant is a threatened species of cormorant that is endemic to the Persian Gulf and the south-east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is also sometimes known as the Socotran cormorant or, more rarely, as the Socotra shag. Individuals occasionally migrate as far west as the Red Sea coast. Despite its name, it was only confirmed in 2005 that it breeds on the Socotra islands in the Indian Ocean.
Socotra Rock, also known as Ieodo or Suyan Islet, is a submerged rock 4.6 metres (15 ft) below sea level located in the Yellow Sea. International maritime law stipulates that a submerged rock outside of a country's territorial sea cannot be claimed as territory by any country. However, the rock is the subject of a maritime dispute between China and South Korea, which consider it to lie within their respective exclusive economic zones.
The Mehri (var. al-Mahrah, al-Meheri, al-Mahri or al-Mahra, also known as the al-Mahrah tribe, are an Arabian ethnic group primarily inhabiting South Arabia and the Guardafui Channel island of Socotra.
Socotra Airport is an airport in Socotra, Yemen. It is the only commercial airport that serves the Yemeni island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea and its capital town of Hadibu.
Abd al Kuri is a rocky island in the Guardafui Channel. As a part of the Socotra Archipelago of the Socotra Governorate of Yemen, it lies about 65 miles (105 km) southwest of the island of Socotra. It consists of granite and diorite covered by limestone.
The Socotra buzzard is a medium to large bird of prey that is sometimes considered a subspecies of the widespread common buzzard. As its name implies, it is native to the island of Socotra, Yemen. Although it is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List, its population is considered to be stable.
Diogo Fernandes Pereira, sometimes called simply Diogo Fernandes, was a Portuguese 16th-century navigator, originally from Setúbal, Portugal. Diogo Fernandes was the first known European captain to visit the island of Socotra in 1503 and the discoverer of the Mascarenes archipelago in 1507. He may also have been the first European to sail east of Madagascar island.
Hidaybu District is one of two districts of the Socotra Governorate, Yemen. It occupies the eastern part of the main island of Socotra archipelago. It is named after its capital and the principal town of the archipelago, the town of Hidaybu (Hadibu). As of 2003, the district had a population of 34,011 people.
Qulensya Wa Abd Al Kuri District is one of two districts of the Socotra Governorate, Yemen. It occupies the western part of the main island of Socotra archipelago, and all other islands of the archipelago. It is named after its capital, Qulensya, on the north coast of Socotra island, and Abd al Kuri, the second largest island of the archipelago. As of 2003, the district had a population of 10,109 inhabitants.
Socotra Swahili is an extinct variety of Swahili spoken on Socotra Island in Yemen. It was reported to be spoken by a fifth of the island in 1962.
The Socotra Archipelago or Suqutra is officially one of the governorates of Yemen. It is composed of the Guardafui Channel's archipelago of Socotra.
The wildlife of Yemen is substantial and varied. Yemen is a large country in the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula with several geographic regions, each with a diversity of plants and animals adapted to their own particular habitats. As well as high mountains and deserts, there is a coastal plain and long coastline. The country has links with Europe and Asia, and the continent of Africa is close at hand. The flora and fauna have influences from all these regions and the country also serves as a staging post for migratory birds.
On 30 April 2018, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) deployed more than a hundred troops with artillery and armored vehicles to the Yemeni archipelago of Socotra in the Guardafui Channel without prior coordination with the Yemeni government, causing the relations of the two countries to deteriorate. The initial deployment consisted of UAE military aircraft carrying more than fifty UAE soldiers and two armored vehicles, followed by two more aircraft carrying more soldiers, tanks and other armored vehicles. Al Jazeera reported that shortly after landing, UAE forces dismissed Yemeni soldiers stationed at administrative installations such as Socotra Airport and seaports until further notice, and the flag of the United Arab Emirates was raised above at official government buildings in Hadibu.
The Guardafui Channel is an oceanic strait off the tip of the Horn of Africa that lies between the Puntland region of Somalia and Socotra to the west of the Arabian Sea. It connects the Gulf of Aden to the north with the Indian Ocean to the south. Its namesake is Cape Guardafui, the very tip of the Horn of Africa. Notable places of interest include the Alula Lagoon.
The UAE and Yemen have a complex and strained relationship, as the UAE has played a significant role in regional politics in Yemen, and has at various points been an adversary of the country, as the UAE's involvement in Yemen, for example the United Arab Emirates takeover of Socotra, and its support for the Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist organization in Southern Yemen, has been a source of tension between the two countries, and has contributed to the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in the country. Furthermore, the UAE has been involved in other efforts in Yemen that have been controversial. The country has been accused of backing local militias and separatist groups that have sought to gain more autonomy or independence from the central government. Some critics have accused the UAE of using these groups to further its own interests in the region, rather than working towards a broader peace and stability in Yemen.
The Socotran pipistrelle or Lanza's pipistrelle is an endangered species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is endemic to Socotra Island in Yemen, and is the only mammal thought to be endemic to the island.