SOCOTRA

also spelled Sokotra, Arabic Suqutra, island in the Indian Ocean about 210 miles (340 km) southeast of Yemen, to which it belongs. The largest island in an archipelago, it is 1,400 square miles (3,600 square km) in area. The Hajhir (Haggier) Mountains occupy Socotra's interior, with narrow coastal plains in the north and a broader plain in the south. To the southwest and west are the smaller islands of Samhah and Darzah Al-Ikhwan (called The Brothers), and 'Abd Al-Kuri, all of which also belong to Yemen. The islands stand on coral banks and may once have been connected with the African and Arabian mainlands. Socotra's flora includes several famous species, among them myrrh, frankincense, and the dragon's blood tree. Socotra's name is traced to the Sanskrit dvipa-sakhadara, island abode of bliss. The island is mentioned in various legends. The inhabitants long were Christians, but that religion disappeared from the island in the 17th century. Socotra was long ruled by the Mahra sultans of southeastern Yemen. Their rule on Socotra was interrupted by Portuguese occupation between 1507 and 1511. In 1834 the British tried and failed to purchase the island; in the 1880s, however, the sultan accepted British protection for the entire sultanate. The sultanate came to an end in 1967, when Socotra became part of independent Yemen (Aden). Socotra's sedentary inhabitants are engaged in fishing, pearl diving, and small-scale agriculture. In the interior, nomads keep cattle and other animals and raise some crops. The island's exports include ghee (clarified butter), fish, and frankincense. The capital and largest town is Hadiboh (Tamrida) on the northern coast. Pop. (1984 est.) Hadiboh town, 51,000.