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 consists of granite and diorite covered by limestone.[5]
Native name: عبد الكوري | |
|---|---|
 Photograph by NASA | |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 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 (22.4 mi) |
| Width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Highest point | Mount Ṣāliḥ[2] |
| Administration | |
Yemen | |
| Governorate | Socotra Governorate[3] |
| Capital city | Kilmia |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 450[1] |
| Pop. density | 3.38/km2 (8.75/sq mi) |
Geography edit
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.[6] The northern coast consists mostly of a sandy beach with a few rocky points, while the southern coast consists of steep cliffs.[6][7] Its highest point, Mount Ṣāliḥ, reaches an altitude of over 700 metres (2,300 feet). The total area of Abd al Kuri is 133 km2 (51 sq mi). Most of its inhabitants subsist on fishing.[2] Kilmia is the main village.[8]
Flora and fauna edit
Abd al Kuri has a number of endemic plant species[2] including Ruellia kuriensis and Convolvulus kossmatii.
It is home to an endemic bird, the Abd al-Kuri sparrow with estimated population of fewer than 1,000.[9][10][11] 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.[12]
Two species of lizards which are native to Abd al Kuri, Mesalina kuri and Pristurus abdelkuri, are named for the island.[13][14][15]
History edit
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.[16]
Gallery edit
-
Native dwellings (1903) -
View of the 'Strath' and Native Dwellings, Abd-el-Kuri, 1898 -
1898 photograph of Jebel Saleh on Abd al Kuri, from The Natural History of Socotra and Abd-el-kuri
Map edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Socotra Governance & Biodiversity Project - "Welcome to Socotra" Archived 22 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine 10 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f "ʿAbd al-Kūrī." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 6 October 2011.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
Bibliography edit
- 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 edit
Media related to Abd al Kuri at Wikimedia Commons
