Why is Socotra called the lost world

The landscape of the Socotra Island, located off the coast of Somalia, resembles the setting of a sci-fi film. It is separated from mainland Africa between six and seven million years ago and much like the Galapagos Island, the Socotra Island too has given rise to a unique array of flora and fauna and is also home to 800 rare species, a third of which are found nowhere else on the planet. According to The Daily Mail, the island, nestled in the Indian Ocean, about 250 kms away from Somalia and about 300 kms from Yemen, is also famous for its almost inhospitable environment. Yet the island also has a unique combination of wide sandy beaches, limestone caves and towering mountains. Most places in the island are however, too hot to be hospitable and it is also too dry, leading to the distinctive appearance of its flora. It is one of the most remote places on Earth and it considered by experts to be one of the most ‘alien’ places. It was once a part of the Gondwana super continent until it broke away to its current location.