The amazing island of Socotra

Socotra (Arabic: سقطرى‎‎) is an archipelago of four islands and two rocks in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia, about 350 km south of the Arabian Peninsula. Due to the rigid isolation of the island, many of the local species of flora and fauna are no longer found in any corner of the world.

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1. The modest size of the island - 134 km long and 43 km wide - does not prevent it from being one of the world's most important centers of biological diversity.

2. Translated from Sanskrit, “Sokotra” means the Island of Happiness. And it's easy to agree with this - a riot of botanical charm coexists here with isolation, silence and huge white beaches.

3. For many centuries, the island of Socotra was inaccessible to naturalists and early explorers. But at the end of the 90s, active attention fell upon it, especially from those interested in its economic development and the preservation of the local unique natural environment. Due to its nature, which has been preserved since prehistoric times, the island attracts not only specialists and scientists, but also lovers of ecotourism and a relaxing holiday. Socotra is one of the few places on the planet where progress has not spoiled the proper relationship of man to the nature around him and to himself.

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