Which island or port was history's greatest legal or illegal pirate haven?
Short answerThere is no agreed winner. Candidates include Barbary ports, Port Royal, Rhodes, Visby, Madagascar and Socotra.
NotesSeveral East Asian islands are proposed, although their names are unclear in the captions. Barbary city-states, Port Royal and the Knights' bases at Malta or Rhodes illustrate different forms of political protection for raiding. Visby, Madagascar and Socotra broaden the comparison to other trading regions. Socotra is remembered as an independent pirate base whose vessels operated around the Arabian Sea. No common measure is established for choosing a single greatest haven, and some suggestions remain tentative.