The largest island, also called Socotra, is about 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies some 240 kilometres (150 mi) east of the Horn of Africa and 380 kilometres (240 mi) south of the Arabian Peninsula. The island is very isolated and through the process of speciation, a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on the planet. It has been described as the most alien-looking place on Earth. The island measures 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length and 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) in width.

A young arab boy, armed with a rifle and a knife, in the Aden Protectorate near Yemen. (Photo by Richards/Fox Photos/Getty Images). February 1938

Fruit vendors chew qat, a mild stimulant, amid concerns of the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a fruit market in Sanaa, Yemen on June 1, 2020. (Photo by Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

A woman plays billiards during a local championship at a sports hall in Yemen's capital Sanaa on December 16, 2019. (Photo by Mohammed Huwais/AFP Photo)

A farmer stands near pumpkins on display on the side of a road near Sanaa, Yemen on February 15, 2025. (Photo by Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

People carry the body of a man they uncovered from under the rubble of houses destroyed by Saudi airstrikes in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, June 12, 2015. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Women loyal to the Houthi movement parade to show support to the movement in Sanaa, Yemen January 17, 2017. (Photo by Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)