Socotra The Island of Happiness

The fame and historic importance of socotra dates back to the beginning of holy commoditied trade prosperity and the activity of the old trad route which is much better known as Frankincense,Myrrh and Ladanum Route for the Island was one of the main producers of such essential commodities in addition to its being the back reserve for the support of Yemeni ancient Hadramawt Civilization along the first millennium B.C when the king of Hadhramawt was named King of Frankincense Myrrh & Ladanum ). In those old days Socotra Island became famous for the production of Incient Sticks ( a kind of incese) and Socotra Glue as the best quality glue . The Island became even more important and was widely known to furthermost  place of ancient civilizations who used to consider those holy commodities e.g incense,myrrh ,Ladnum,glue and other perfumes as hallowed not only this but named the land producing them as the Holy Land or The Land of The Gods .This is why Socotra Island was named by ancient Greeks and Romans as the Happiness Island .Due to the difficulty to reach it in the past .Many stories and legend have been woven in respect thereto .Today it is the focus of specialist researchers in the field of rare protected natural areas for Socotra Island is considered in the field of rare protected Natural areas for Socotra Island is consider one of the most important Worldwide Protected Natural Areas. Socotra Island is absolutely the biggest Yemeni Island . It is located to the East of Gulf od Aden between the Tow Latitudes 12,8-12,42 north of the equator and the tow longitudes 53,19-54,33 East of Greenwich and is Km 380 away from Ras Fartak in Mahrah Governorate which is the nearest point on the Yemeni Coast.Its area anounts to sqkm3650 .The more distant extension of the island is km 135 between the tow axes ,East & West and km42 benween the two axes , North & Soouth .The Islands administrative Capital is Hadibo .The Island prossess an archipelago of  small island which are located in the eastern direction, of which is the two brothers Island ,( Samah & Darsah), Abdel Kouri ,(Kiel Farason),(Siyal).Abdel Kouri Island is the most densely populated and was always known for its affluence of Diamonads Catching Sitessince ancent times.Furthermore it is by far and large ,the biggest island after Socotra .All the Island of he Archipelago form the most important fauna variety of Yemen, it is rather a natural History Museum.
The Relief:
The Surface of the island varies into four kinds of relief as follows:-
1-The Mountains:
The most important of which are the Mountainous Range of Hajhar Mountans which are located at the eastern section of the Island along Arida Bay ,overlooking the Island Capital Hadiboo and extending north easterly to south westerly at a distance of km25 of which the highest peak is Dawkam whose elevation is 1630-m above sea level.
2-The Central Plateau:
It occupies most of the Island Area and is parted by Wadi Tartra (Tartra Valley) into two main parts:-
The Eastern and The Western Plateau.

3-Sea Plains:
The Coastal Plains are concentrated in the north and south of the island and are non-existent in the east and west of the island due to the extension of drifts to the coast.
The coastal palins are divided into two parts:-
The Northern Coastal plain named Hadibo Plain ,the Southern Plain which is called by the Island inhabitants as (Nawjad).
4-The Wadis (Valleys):
The plain are intersspersed  by many vallies .Some of which pour at the northern part of the Island and some of which pour at its southern part and the most important of whch is Azroo Valley which intersects the Island from the Hajhar Mountainous Range which are characterized for their running water all along the year.
The Climate:
The Island is prevailed generally with a sea relatively hot weather where the average daily temperature in Hajhar Mountains ranges between 25-28 Celsius . While in june the temperature reaches its extreme and falls during January and February .
The humidity Average ranges between less than 55% in August to more than 7% during January.
-The Island is subjected to sharp southern westerly winds during  the summer months ( June,July,August) whose speed decreases gradually during September till they end at the beginning of October and the average speed of winds during summer ranges between 13-18km/h.The effect of October and the average  speed of wind differs between the extremities of the island .On the northen plain of Qalansiyah till the Head of Dahmria they became sharp and dust-genetic named Al Tooz leading to the suspension of human activity and susepends the marine transport to the island in small ships and baots .
At the southern Part of the Island the effect of winds restricts to water only which are subjected to strong  water current .As for Nawjad and the southern declivities of Hajhar mountains ,the winds transform and became higher dut to their collision with the mountains and the return of a part thereof to the south causing dence clouds and affluent rains all aling the Summer season.
The Annual Rain Average of the Island is 150-170mm but this quantity fluctuates to a great extent form one year to another .The rain falls in tow season and they are:
Winter;It begins in October till December where Noutherly Easterly Winds rush and rain on the Nourthern Coast ,the mountains of Hajhar and their northern declivities of Hajha and their nourthern declivities.
Summer: June-August where Southerly Westerly Winds rush and rain on the Southern Declivities of Hajha mountains and the Southern Coastal Plain.
Geological Formation of Rocks:Most of the Island Rocks are sedimentary or metamorphic .The visitor will see clearly the calcareous rocks and marble as for igneous rock they do not appear except at the east of the Island towards Ras Mooni.
The Distribution of Population:
The popualrtion of the Island are distributed between its distant parts,there are cavemen in mountainous areas who work in pasturing and Coastal population work in fishing and pasturing whist in inner valleys they exercise pasturing and planatation of plam trees.The population of Happiness Island (Socotra) are 100,000 people . They spek besides Arabic Old Yemeni Longuage in the Diaalect of Socotra and Maharah . All of them embrace the Island Faith .Their daily life has got Special Yemeni Socotra harmony and they have an authentic and rare social habits and traditions particularly marriag ceremonies and the festivals held in Sufi religious and Island Occasion as well as Yraly Visits which are Al Fadool and the Weekly Visit of Al-Hashmi which is exercised every Thursday .The Yemeni Community has a special Socotran Flavor that appears conspicuously through the traditional deep rooted arts.