Abd al Kuri
| Disputed island | |
|---|---|
 Photograph by NASA | |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 12°11′8.9″N 52°14′18″E / 12.185806°N 52.23833°ECoordinates: 12°11′8.9″N 52°14′18″E / 12.185806°N 52.23833°E |
| Archipelago | Socotra Archipelago[1] |
| Area | 133 km2 (51 sq mi) |
| Length | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Highest point |
|
| Administered by | |
| Yemen | |
| Governorate | Socotra Governorate[3] |
| Capital city | Kilmia |
| Claimed by | |
| Somalia | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 450[1] |
| Density | 3.38/km² |
Abd al Kuri (Arabic: عبد الكوري) is a rocky island in the Guardafui Channel.[4] As a part of the Socotra Archipelago[2] of the Socotra Governorate of Yemen,[3] it lies about 65 miles (105 km) southwest of the island of Socotra.[2] It is geographically closer to Somalia.[2] It consists of granite and diorite covered by limestone.[5] There is a dispute between Yemen and Somalia's government over the island's sovereignty.[6]
Geography[]
Much of Abd al Kuri is semi-desert with little vegetation.[2] Two ranges of hills separated near the centre occupy the entire length of the island.[7] The northern coast consists mostly of a sandy beach with a few rocky points, while the southern coast consists of steep cliffs.[7][8] Its highest point, Mount Ṣāliḥ, reaches an altitude of over 700 metres (2,300 feet). Most of its inhabitants subsist on fishing.[2] Kilmia is the main village.[9]
Flora and fauna[]
Abd al Kuri has a number of endemic plant species[2] and an endemic bird, the Abd al-Kuri sparrow with estimated population of fewer than 1,000.[10][11][12] The island has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International for the presence of the endemic sparrow as well as for colonies of red-billed tropicbirds and Persian shearwaters.[13]
Two species of lizards which are native to Abd al Kuri, Mesalina kuri and Pristurus abdelkuri, are named for the island.[14][15][16]
History[]
Thomas Fellowes was sent on HMS Briton in 1872 to Abd al Kuri, alongside Socotra, by British authorities to see if it would be a suitable place to settle liberated slaves. Fellowes decided against it, citing the poor living conditions on both islands.[17]
In 2020, during the Yemeni Civil War, the United Arab Emirates sent what it characterized as "developmental aid" to Abd al Kuri, providing the population with teachers and textbooks.[18]
As part of a broader effort to assert sovereignty over the entire Socotra archipelago, the United Arab Emirates has attempted to rename the island to "Kilmia."[19]
Gallery[]
Native dwellings (1903)
View of the 'Strath' and Native Dwellings, Abd-el-Kuri, 1898
Map[]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Socotra Governance & Biodiversity Project - "Welcome to Socotra" Archived 22 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine 10 June 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "ʿAbd al-Kūrī." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 6 October 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b GeoNames National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ Steele, John. Ocean Currents: A Derivative of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences. p. 160.
- ^ Schürmann (1974) pp. 24.
- ^ "For First Time in History, Somalia Claims Socotra as Its Own". Yemen Post. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Nautical magazine (1878) pp. 809.
- ^ National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (2007) pp. 180.
- ^ Abd al Kuri Island
- ^ Abd al Kuri Sparrow Passer hemileucus
- ^ 2010. "Passer hemileucus " In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. Archived 23 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine Downloaded on 6 October 2011.
- ^ Redman; Fanshawe; Stevenson (2009) pp. 412.
- ^ "Abd al-Kuri (Socotra)". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Abd el Kuri", p. 1; "Kur", p. 148).
- ^ "Mesalina kuri ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ "Pristurus abdelkuri ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Symposium, Colston Research Society (1974). Foreign Relations of African States: Proceedings of the Twentyfifth Symposium of the Colston Research Society Held in the University of Bristol, April 4th to 7th, 1973. Butterworths. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-408-70623-0.
- ^ "UAE aid for Socotra education and health services - Yemen". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ "UAE occupation forces change name of Island of Abd al Kuri to "Kilmia"". Retrieved 7 April 2021.
Bibliography[]
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (2007). Sailing Directions - Enroute. ProStar Publications. ISBN 9781577857600.
- Nautical magazine, Volume 47. London: Brown, Son, and Ferguson. 1878.
- Redman, Nigel; Fanshawe, John; Stevenson, Terry (2009). Birds of the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Socotra. A&C Black. ISBN 9780713665413.
- Schürmann, H. M. E. (1974). The Pre-cambrian in North Africa. Brill Archive. ISBN 9004036946.
External links[]
Media related to Abd al Kuri at Wikimedia Commons
Authority control  |
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- Islands of Yemen
- Socotra archipelago
- Islands of Somalia
- Disputed islands
- Territorial disputes of Yemen
- Territorial disputes of Somalia
- Important Bird Areas of Socotra
- Seabird colonies