Socotra

Socotra (səkō`trə, sō–), island, 1,383 sq mi (3,582 sq km), S Yemen, at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden. The mountainous interior rises to c.5,000 ft (1,520 m). The island's inhabitants farm, fish, and herd; exports include dried fish, aloes, ghee, and pearls. Known to the ancient Greeks, Socotra shared the political fortunes of S Arabia, except for a brief Portuguese occupation in the early 1500s. The island was occupied by the East India Company in 1834, and in 1886 it became part of Britain's Aden protectorate and was used as a refueling station. In 1967, Socotra was joined to the newly formed nation of South Yemen, which merged with northern Yemen in 1990.

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Socotra

Island, Yemen, in the Indian Ocean. Located about 210 mi (340 km) southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, it has an area of about 1,400 sq mi (3,600 sq km). Its interior is mountainous, with flora that includes myrrh, frankincense, and the dragon's blood tree. The island, mentioned in various legends, was long ruled by the Mahra sultans of southeastern Yemen, except for a brief Portuguese occupation (1507–11). In 1886 it came under British control and in 1967 became part of independent Yemen. Its chief town is Hadiboh.