Socotra Island (Sokotra)

Socotra/Soqotra (Arabic: سُقُطْرَىٰ Suquṭrā; Somali: Suqadara) 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 4 islands in the Socotra archipelago. Since 2013, the archipelago has constituted the Socotra Governorate.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.