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Perim , also called Mayyun in Arabic, is a volcanic island located in the Strait of Mandeb at the southern entrance into the Red Sea, off the southwestern coast of Yemen.
The island measures 5.63 kilometres (3.50 mi) long and 2.85 kilometres (1.77 mi) wide;[1] it has a surface area of 13 square kilometers and rises to an altitude of 65 meters. The distance from the Perim Island to Africa (Djibouti) is 20.3 kilometers. There is a natural harbour on the southwestern coast. The fishing village of Mayyun is located at the back shore the southern bay.
The absence of fresh water on the island has always been one of the major difficulties impeding permanent settlement. Although there are occasional heavy rains, there may be stretches of eight months or more without rain; the long-term average rainfall (in 1821–1912) was about 60 mm per year.[2] Vegetation is very scarce. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perim