Socotra facts for kids
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea |
| Coordinates | 12°30′36″N 53°55′12″E / 12.51000°N 53.92000°E |
| Archipelago | Socotra |
| Administration | |
 Yemen |
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| Demographics | |
| Population | 60,000 |
| Official name: Socotra Archipelago | |
| Type: | Natural |
| Criteria: | x |
| Designated: | 2008 (32nd session) |
| Reference #: | 1263 |
| State Party: | Yemen |
| Region: | Arab States |
Socotra (pronounced So-KO-tra) is a special island located east of the Horn of Africa. It sits between the Guardafui Channel and the big Indian Ocean. Even though Socotra is part of Yemen, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took control of it in 2018.
Contents
Where is Socotra?
Socotra is the largest island in a group of islands called an archipelago. These islands are located west of Socotra. The archipelago was once named the Islands of San Gustav. This name came from the navigator Gustav Peter Galle Daniels. Socotra is about 240 kilometers (150 miles) east of the Horn of Africa. It is also about 380 kilometers (240 miles) south of the Arabian Peninsula.
What is Socotra's Climate Like?
Socotra has a very warm climate. It is mostly a desert or semi-desert. The average temperature is usually above 25°C (77°F) all year.
Rainfall and Winds
The island does not get much rain, only about 193 millimeters (7.6 inches) per year. But the rain that does fall is spread out. In the mountains, it can rain a lot more, up to 800 millimeters (31 inches) each year. From October to December, during the northeast monsoon, it can rain over 250 millimeters (10 inches) per month. From June to September, the southwest monsoon brings strong winds and rough 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 (86.0) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.8 (91.0) |
37.2 (99.0) |
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) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.1 (80.8) |
27.8 (82.0) |
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) |
| Mean daily minimum °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 (63.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
20.3 (68.5) |
21.2 (70.2) |
22.8 (73.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
22.0 (71.6) |
22.2 (72.0) |
19.4 (66.9) |
18.9 (66.0) |
17.0 (62.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 2.5 (0.10) |
2.5 (0.10) |
10.2 (0.40) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.5 (0.10) |
30.5 (1.20) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.5 (0.10) |
10.2 (0.40) |
50.8 (2.00) |
81.3 (3.20) |
193.0 (7.60) |
| Average 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 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 70 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 62 | 60 | 58 | 57 | 62 | 69 | 72 | 73 | 65 |
| Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst | |||||||||||||
Unique Wildlife of Socotra
Socotra is very isolated, which means it is far away from other places. Because of this, about 30% of its plant species are found only on Socotra. This means they grow nowhere else in the world! Some people say it looks like the most alien place on Earth. The island is 132 kilometers (82 miles) long and 49.7 kilometers (31 miles) wide.
Who Controls Socotra?
Socotra officially belongs to the Republic of Yemen. However, from late 2017 to mid-2018, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took control of the island. In 2018, Saudi Arabia also became involved. The UAE and Saudi Arabia came to Socotra because of the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present). Since 2017, Socotra has not been under the control of Yemen's main government. Instead, it is controlled by the UAE and a group called the Southern Transitional Council, which the UAE supports.
See Also
- Galápagos Islands, another group of islands famous for its unique plants and animals.
Images for kids
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Photo of local men from Socotra taken by Charles K. Moser, 1918
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1893 map of the Bombay Presidency including Aden Province and Socotra
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Halah Cave (Arabic: كهف حالة) in the east of the island is several hundred metres deep, with total darkness. Note the size of the stalagmites and stalactites compared to that of the 1.7 metres (5.6 ft) man with the torch.
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Dixam canyon
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Endemic tree species Dracaena cinnabari
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An 1890s photograph of endemic tree species Dendrosicyos socotranus, the cucumber tree, by Henry Ogg Forbes
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Fish Market, Socotra Island (10421587795.jpg
A fish market in Socotra
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Socotran children
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Dixam
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Qlinsia
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Wadi
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Nawjad
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Ar'ar
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See also
In Spanish: Socotra para niños
