Socotra Island is about 87 miles long and between 25 and 31 miles wide, covering an area of 1,400 square miles. It lies in the Arabian Sea, 180 miles south of the Arabian Peninsula and 120 miles due east of mainland Africa where the nearest point is Cape Guardafui in Somalia. The jagged outline of the Haghir Mountains viewed from a date palm grove near the islandˇs principal town, Hadibo, characterizes the dramatic mountainous scenery that rises almost 5,000 feet from the coastal plains. .