The island of Socotra is part of Yemen. It lies in the Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, roughly 380 kilometres south of the Arabian Peninsula.
Socotra is the largest island in the Socotra archipelago and contains about 95% of the archipelago’s land area. Its isolation produced remarkable biodiversity: roughly one-third of its plant species are endemic, including the distinctive dragon’s blood tree. The island’s unusual landscapes have led to its frequent nickname as one of the most otherworldly places on Earth.
Socotra became part of South Yemen in 1967 and has been part of the unified Republic of Yemen since 1990. It became a separate Yemeni governorate in 2013. The island is geographically close to Africa and geologically linked to the Somali plate, but politically and culturally it belongs to Yemen. That geographic distinction explains why quizzes sometimes create confusion with Oman or nearby African countries.