People and economy

From wikipedia

The inhabitants are of Arab, Somali, and South Asian origins. They follow the Islamic faith and speak Soqotri, a Semitic language. Their primary occupations have been fishing, animal husbandry, and the cultivation of dates. Almost all inhabitants of Socotra, numbering nearly 50,000,^[10] live on the homonymous main island of the archipelago. The principal city, Hadibu (with a population of 8,545 at the census of 2004); the second largest town, Qulansiyah (population 3,862); and Qād̨ub (population 929)^{[citation needed]} are all located on the north coast of the island of Socotra. Only a few hundred people live on the islands of 'Abd-al-Kūrī and Samha; the island of Darsa and the islets of the archipelago are uninhabited.^{[citation needed]}
The archipelago forms two districts of the Hadhramaut Governorate:

• the district of Hadibu (حديبو), with a population of 32,285 and a district seat at Hadibu, consists of the eastern two-thirds of the main island of Socotra;
• the district of Qulansiyah wa 'Abd-al-Kūrī (قلنسيه وعبد الكوري), with a population of 10,557 and a district seat at Qulansiyah, consists of the minor islands (the island of 'Abd-al-Kūrī chief among them) and the western third of the main island.

Monsoons long made the archipelago inaccessible from June to September each year. However, in July 1999, a new airport opened Socotra to the outside world year round, with both Yemen Airways and Felix Airways providing flights once a week to Aden and everyday to Sana'a. All flights stop at Riyan-Mukalla Airport (ICAO code "RIY"). Socotra Island Airport ("OYSQ") is located about 12 km (8 mi) west of the main city, Hadibu, and close to the third largest town in the archipelago, Qād̨ub.^[15] Diesel generators make electricity widely available in Socotra, but even in Hadibu there is no electricity from 5:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. daily.^{[citation needed]} An excellent paved road runs along the north shore from Qulansiyah to Hadibu and then to the DiHamri area; and another paved road, from the northern coast to the southern through the Dixsam Plateau.^{[citation needed]} Public transport is limited in Socotra; taxis are available only as a kind of rent-a-car service of four-wheel-drive vehicles with drivers.^{[citation needed]}
The former capital is located to the east of Hadibu. A small Yemeni Army barracks lies at the western end of Hadibu, and the President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has a residence there.^{[citation needed]}
The Semitic language Soqotri, spoken originally only in Socotra, is related to such other Modern South Arabian languages on the Arabian mainland as Mehri, Harsusi, Bathari, Shehri, and Hobyot. Soqotri is also spoken by minority populations in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states.
Some residents raise cattle and goats. The chief export products of the island are dates, ghee, tobacco, and fish.
At the end of the 1990s, a United Nations Development Program was launched with the aim of providing a close survey of the island of Socotra.^{[citation needed]}
The majority of male residents on Socotra are reported to be in the J* subclade of Y-DNA haplogroup J. Several of the female lineages on the island, notably those in mtDNA haplogroup N, are found nowhere else on earth.

New pohots Frome Socatra

Essential Information

Essential Information Standards: Travelers to Socotra must understand that Socotra is an eco-tourism system and fairly new to the international tourist market, hence the Socotra hotel accommodation standard, though good, may not be up to the same international accommodation standards that you would expect in a more developed atmosphere. We at DBT Socotra Adventure Tours believe that this only adds to the appeal of the island of Socotra. Getting to Socotra Island: Yemania Airlines offers two flight per week:  Sana’a - Mukalla  - Socotra Island (Friday). And Aden – Mukalla – Socotra island (Monday). Flight duration is almost three hours.  A new airline is about to take over all flights to Socotra, providing flights once a day to the island.  You can find more information on this exciting endeavor here:  When to go: Climate is an important consideration. And this depends on your interest. Nature enthusiasts should go from early October to late April. The monsoon occurs in July till mid August (during July in the south east and south west of the island, wind surfing activity can be arranged). Generally, wildlife and natural viewing is most rewarding from the end of January through May.  You can see more information on the island's weather HERE. Visa and Money matters:   You can obtain a three months visa on your arrival at Sana’a airport (the capital of Yemen). As soon as you have cleared through customs, change some money into Yemeni Riyal (YR.) at the airport, or when in Sana’a, at the any money exchanger (recommended) or you can exchange money at national bank on Socotra .There are about 190 Riyals to the USD and 230 to ERO. Take cash hard currency with you; USD is acceptable on the island with ERO as an alternative. MasterCard, Visa Card, Cheques are not acceptable.   What to pack: Comfortable, light, casual clothing. Sleeping bag. Some thing warm to wear at night in winter and in the high altitudes. Comfortable walking shoes with good grip or sneakers. Protective clothing and sun lotion for the tropical sun. Rainwear clothing. Personal toiletries and any personal medication such as, some headache tablets, some things for digestive upsets, disinfectant, etc.  Antiseptic wipes. Film and spare batteries for your camera. Torch/ flashlight with spare batteries. Strap-on water bottle for day hike. Money belt for valuables (you don’t have to take expensive or expensive-looking jewelry to Socotra). Health requirements: While Socotra is not a malaria region, there are some mosquitoes in some places, so a malaria prophylactic is recommended.  Cholera is not present on the island at all.  Drink only bottled mineral water; it’s readily available in Hadibo and Qalansiya.  Consult your doctor and dentist or travel health clinic for advice and preventive measures.  The hospitals on the Island offer less than adequate service.  Pharmacies are presented around Hadibo, Time Zone:  GMT + 3 hours Power supply: 220v AC; plugs are generally two-pin and multiple plugs.  Languages: Socotri is the local language, Arabic is the official and formal language; English is spoken by the people working in the tourism industry. Religion: All the people follow Islam. Telephone: Telephone lines are available to major town of Hadibo, country code: (+967), followed by a one digit number for an access provider (5). After the international and access codes, number should be six digits including three initial digits for the geographical area (660). The cheapest way to make international phone calls is to use a telephone card and call from booth telephone line or mobile telephone. Telephone cards can be purchased at most shops in the main market. GSM system is not working on the island. Hitherto, only CDMA cavers north and west of the island remain in Hadibo, Dicksam plateau, and Qalansiya. Internet: Internet access is slow and expensive (It costs about $5 per hour.). There is no internet cafés on the island, but public internet access exists in the large town of Hadibo. Post office: The post office is located at the at the center of the town Hadibo, in Socotra Telephone Central building.

Society and Economy

he main sources for the local economy are fishing, pearl diving and small-scale agriculture. Exports go principally to the rest of Yemen, and include the butter calledghee, fish and frankincense. Despite its size, Socotra has nomads who live from their cattle and other animals, as well as doing some limited agriculture. 
The only city on Socotra of some size is Hadibu. Important villages include Suq and Qalansiyya. These 3 are on the north coast, while Mahattat Nujad lies on the south coast. Infrastructure is badly developed, and connections to mainland Yemen are very limited. There are weekly flights, but these are victims to unstable weather about 6 months a year.
The ethnic origin of the people of Socotra is not quite established. The Russian scholar Vitaly Naumkin concludes that the people are a mix, and that they became isolated from the rest of Arabia, from where they must have most of their origin, between 1000 and 500 BCE. In addition to this, traders passing through, Indians, Portuguese, British must have given their contributions too. The people living in the extreme east, have blue eyes, and are believed to be descendants of Europeans.

welcome to Socotra Island

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Your Compass for a Different World



Socotra is one of those “lost world” islands (separated
from the world six million years ago) where intrepid
travelers - particularly those seeking  exotic nature and
wildlife in a remote tropical setting - can go days on
end without rubbing shoulders with that less -than-
endangered species…tourists.

Known for decades as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean,
it’s the world’s tenth richest island for endemic plant
species. And the biggest island in the Middle East 125
kilometers in length and 45 kilometers across.

Meanwhile the landscape is one of contrasts, for example,
it has isolated nature preserves with dazzling wildlife
(including 900 species of plants, and the famous Dragon’s
Blood Tree “dracaena cinnabara” and the some of rarest
birds that exist nowhere else in the world), and
picturesque sandy beaches.















This website is designed to help you discover the virgin
beauty of the magical Socotra Island. This site is a
complete eco-tourism and destination guide to Socotra
Island and offers over 50 Pages of Essential Information,
Travel Tips for visitors, comprehensive reports about the
Socotra General information, Socotra History, Socotra
natural history of fauna and flora, people and culture,
Socotra weather patterns, and the local organizations
present on the island.  Additionally, we describe in
detail our services in Our Contacts and Who we are?

This is the award winning tourism destination guide to
Socotra Island where recommended programs/itineraries and
tailor-made  tours can be made at your convenience. DBT
Socotra Adventure Tours offers a variety of science trips
by 4x4 vehicles with a wealth of beautiful sceneries,
ancient culture, traditional villages. And some
vicinities incorporate camping in the presence of pure
nature, trekking and camel riding, bird watching, and the
sea waters invites you to go scuba diving, surfing and of
course swimming, as well as many other activities such as
fishing and boat safaris. You will have the opportunity
to reward yourself by observing whales and dolphins right
next to the boat, and if you are lucky you will be
thrilled to swim with the gentle dolphins of the Indian
Ocean.  There are many other activities such as
bicycling, visiting tropical markets, etc.  There is much
to see and do outdoors.  Socotraislandadventure.com will
help you to choose this paradise island as one of your
future eco-vacation destinations .



Other links discuss the places to visit  with an
interactive map and tour guide plus exhaustive
information about the verity of tourism sites on the
island you will visit including the spectacular fresh
water pools, splendid canyons and valleys, amazing sand
dunes, and giant clam beaches. In addition are some
useful articles about the Zoning Plan, the Caves
Explorations, and the Geography & Geology of Socotra
Island.

One of our most popular pages is the Socotra photo
gallery  where you can browse through our extensive image
library which shows current images and views from around
the island. Be sure to check out Socotra Map  where you
can see its location from the world and identify it from
Yemen-Socotra. A dynamic map of Socotra Island and the
archipelago map shows the other islands of Abdul Kuri,
Samha and Darsa.  

 Enjoy your visit to our website and find out for
yourself why this small island in the Indian Ocean is
really known in as the other Galapagos Island!

socotra Places to Visit

Places to see: If you look at the size of Socotra, you can hardly imagine that this island has so much to offer! From the many historical monuments, and picturesque villages, to the amazing landscape, impressive volcanic caves, rugged cost lines, beautiful natural beaches, marine biodiversity, and last but not the least, the breathtaking views. There is so much to see that you will soon realize that one visit to Socotra just isn’t enough! To help you to put together your own itinerary of the places you would like to explore on your first visit to Socotra – or of all the sites you haven’t seen yet - you will find in the following pages all the information needed about the most interesting and attractive places to see, just start navigating!

(1)   Hadibo (2)   Qalansiya (3)   Higgihir Mountains and Scant (PA) (4)   Dicksam plateau (5)   Aomak beach (6)   Momi plateau (7)   Arher beach (8)   Wadi Daerhu (9)   Dihamri (MPA)

(10)    Homhil (NPA) (11)    Detwah lagoon (PA) (12)    Shouab beach (13)    Ayhaft Canyon (PA) (14)    Hoq Cave (15)    Dagoub Cave (16)    Rosh (PA)

The People and Culture of Socotra

The Socotra Archipelago is divided into two administrative districts, Hadibo and Qalansiya, which also includes the islands of Abdul Kuri, Darsa and Samhah. Both districts come under the administration of the Governor of Hadramaut in al-Mukalla, The population of the entire Archipelago is estimated at 70,000 , with most people living on Socotra Island and concentrated in the capital town of Hadibo and the western town of Qalansiya. Owing to the isolation of the islands, the ancient language of Socotra was able to survive. Today both Socotri and Arabic are spoken on the island. Socotra is distinguished by a distinct and unique cultural history.  Although it is unlikely that the legend that Aristotle advised Alexander the Great to send colonists to Socotra to harvest aloe is true, the existence of such a legend points to Socotra being “on the map” already in ancient times.  Archaeological work over the last century has shown that the island was inhabited from at least the first centuries A.D., and that Socotra was visited and settled by Africans, Arabs and Indians.  Socotra’s language – belonging to a group of Semitic South-Arabian languages – was most probably spoken in some form on the island even at this time.  Christianity was the island’s most prominent religion until the 15-16th centuries, when Socotra came increasingly under the influence of the Mahran Sultanate of eastern Yemen.  It is difficult to say how quickly Socotra’s Islamization proceeded, but by the end of the 18th century at the latest the last vestiges of Christianity had disappeared.  During the 19th century Socotra came to attract the attention of great powers again with the interest of Great Britain the region culminating in the island becoming a British protectorate in the 1870s.  British influence on Socotra ceased in 1967, when the Socialist People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen came to power in Southern Yemen.  In 1990 North and South Yemen were unified and Socotra has been part of a unified Yemen ever since. Socotra’s population is divided between the inhabitants of the mountainous interior and the islands’ coastal regions.  The former have traditionally made their living herding goats, sheep and cows and harvesting their date palms, while the latter’s livelihood has been based on fishing.  Some of the fishermen on the island’s northern coast are of African origin, having been brought over at the end of the 19th century to work for the Sultan.  Since 1999, when the island’s airstrip was lengthened, enabling flights year-round, including during the four month summer monsoon, development on the island has expanded rapidly.  Simultaneously, Yemenis from the mainland have immigrated to Socotra in greater numbers, opening numerous shops in the island’s capital, Hadibo. Socotra heavily depends on outside support, which comes mainly from the Yemeni Government and some development programs of NGO’s and International Organizations. An estimated number of 8,000 Socotris live and work in the Emirates,   probably contributing considerably to the income of related families on the island. Due to the insufficient provision of basic human needs, such as access to sustainable livelihoods, safe water, health services, education etc.., a majority of the population of Socotra Archipelago are considered to live below the absolute poverty line. Today, as the memory of the days when Socotra was ruled by local sultans fades with the passing of the island’s older generations, Socotra finds itself at a crossroads.  Will the Socotris be able to preserve their environment, their culture and language while benefiting from development and tourism, or will Socotra suffer the fate of so many other once isolated regions of the world and lose its unique human and natural heritage as it is increasingly integrated into world economic flows?