Perim
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Perim (Arabic: [Barīm]) is a volcanic island in the Strait of Mandeb off the southwestern coast of Yemen. Sometimes by its erupting it has blocked the strait, and caused the Red Sea to evaporate[[Citing sources citation needed]].
The island was occupied by the British East India Company in 1799 in preparation for an invasion of Egypt. It was reoccupied by the British in 1857 for the construction of a lighthouse, and used again in 1869 as a coal filling station for ships using the Suez Canal. In 1916, Turkish forces attempted to seize the island but were repulsed. British occupation continued until 1967, when the island was handed over to Yemen. The absence of fresh water on the island has always been one of the major difficulties facing settlers.
Reference
- The Times, London, 1799, 1857, 1858, 1963
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