Saso Islands
Native name: جزيرة ساسوه | |
|---|---|
Satellite picture of Saso Islands | |
Saso Islands | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Red Sea, Saudi Arabia |
| Coordinates | 16°54′0″N 41°42′0″E / 16.90000°N 41.70000°E |
| Archipelago | Farasan Islands |
| Adjacent to | Red Sea |
| Area | 22.6 km2 (8.7 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Jazan Province | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| Area code | 017 |
Sarso Islands or Saso Islands or Western Sasuh and Eastern Sasuh Islands are two small, uninhabitated coral-derived islands off the south-western coast of Saudi Arabia. They are part of the Farasan Islands archipelago, located in the southern Red Sea. They are separated by a small north-south drending channel and the size of both islands is about 22.6 square kilometres (8.7 square miles).
Description
Soils on the island are predominantly sandy and saline, derived from weathered coral limestone and aeolian deposits, with no permanent rivers or lakes present. Vegetation is sparse.
In the 15th century, Arab navigators utilized maritime routes in the southern Red Sea that passed to the west of Sarso Islands, serving as a landmark amid the Farasan archipelago's complex reef systems and channels.[1]
Endemic species
The islands are housing same endemic species: The Sarso Island racer (Platyceps insulanus), a rare snake and the crab E. azizi.[2]
References
- ^ Tibbetts, Gerald Randall (1961). "Arab Navigation in the Red Sea". The Geographical Journal. 127: 322–324. doi:10.2307/1794953.
- ^ Brösing, Andreas (1 March 2014). "Description of a New Genus and New Species of Sesarmidae (Decapoda: Brachyura) from the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia, Red Sea". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 34 (2): 273–282. doi:10.1163/1937240X-00002223.