Socotra (in Arabic, Suquţrā), island, south-eastern Yemen, in the Indian Ocean, at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden. It has an area of 3,579 sq km (1,382 sq mi). The principal commercial products are ghee, aloes, and incense. The inhabitants keep extensive herds of goats and cows. Socotra has largely shared the history of South Arabia. It was under British protection from 1886 to 1967, and was part of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen from 1967 to 1990, when the country was united with Yemen Arab Republic to form the Republic of Yemen. The most important town of the island is Hadiboh (population, 1984 estimate, 51,000).