With reference to Socotra Island, which of the following statement/s is/are correct ? 1). It is an Island of Oman, situated in the Arabian Sea. 2). It was designated as a world natural heritage site by UNESCO in 2008. Select the correct answer using the codes given below. Codes:

Correct answer: B (only 2).

Socotra is an island of Yemen, not Oman. It does lie in the Arabian Sea, near the Horn of Africa at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden, and it is administratively part of Yemen's Socotra governorate. So statement 1 fails on the country, even though the sea is right.

Statement 2 is correct. UNESCO inscribed the Socotra Archipelago as a natural World Heritage Site in 2008 because of its very high endemism. Over a third of its plant species are found nowhere else on earth, including the dragon's blood tree.

• Statement 1 is wrong: the island belongs to Yemen, not Oman.
• Statement 2 is right: UNESCO natural World Heritage listing in 2008.

Core concept: island biogeography and endemism. It ties into the Environment syllabus on biodiversity hotspots and, for Mains, into conservation of fragile island ecosystems.

Trap: Aspirants often place Socotra with Oman because of its proximity to the Omani coast and the Arabian Sea. Always check the sovereign state before accepting a geography statement.