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Ro

Native name: Ρω
The island of Rho seen from WNW
Geography
Coordinates	36°09′19″N 29°29′50″E / 36.15528°N 29.49722°E / 36.15528; 29.49722
Archipelago	Dodecanese
Area	1.6 km (0.62 sq mi)
Highest elevation	83 m (272 ft)
Administration
Greece
Region	South Aegean
Regional unit	Rhodes
Demographics
Population	0 (2011)
Additional information
Official website	www.megisti.gr

Ro or Rho (Greek: Ρω) is a small Greek island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, more precisely in the Levantine Sea, near Kastellorizo, close to Turkey's Anatolian coast. It is part of the municipality of Megísti (Kastellorizo) in the South Aegean region.

Description

Together with other islets in the surrounding region, Ro was the object of a sovereignty dispute in the 1920s between Turkey and Italy, which at the time was in possession of Kastellorizo and the Dodecanese islands. A 1932 treaty assigned Ro to the Kingdom of Italy. It came under Greek sovereignty in 1947, together with the other former Italian possessions in the Aegean.

The islet is named Kara Ada ("black island") in Turkish.

History

Anciently, the island was known as Rhoge (Ancient Greek: Ῥώγη). An inhabitant of the island was called Rogaeus (Ancient Greek: Ῥωγαῖος). Ancient fortifications show that during the Hellenistic period and later, there was a small garrison post on the island. The three towers of Kastellorizo, Ro and Strongyli comprise the main links in a dense network of watchtowers constructed by the citizens of Rhodes during the Hellenistic period, to control the sea routes and the coast.

Ro has been uninhabited for most of its modern history, except for the one Greek woman, with her husband and her mother, who made it famous, Despina Achladioti. Every day, Achladioti, also known as the Lady of Ro, raised a Greek flag over the island, until her death in 1982.

A Greek border outpost is based on the island, with the primary duty of continuing the tradition of raising the flag. According to the 2011 census the island has no permanent residents.

On April 10, 2018, Greek soldiers fired warning shots at a Turkish helicopter approaching the island. The helicopter was flying at a very low altitude late at night with its navigation lights switched off.

See also

• List of islands of Greece
• Italian Islands of the Aegean

References

1. 344 Καστελλοριζο Kastellorizo. Terrain Editions. ISBN 978-618-5160-17-3.
2. Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
3. Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 65, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
4. "ToposText". topostext.org.
5. "ToposText". topostext.org.
6. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Ancient Towers of the Aegean Sea". UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
7. Chroniko tou Eikostou Aiona (Chronicle of the 20th century), ed. 4E, Athens, 1990, p. 1258.
8. "Greek Population Census, 2011". Retrieved 25 January 2014.
9. "Greek fighter pilot killed in crash after Turkish intercept mission: officials". France 24. April 12, 2018.
10. Squires, Nick (April 10, 2018). "Greek soldiers fire warning shots at Turkish helicopter in Aegean Sea amid growing tensions" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.

• Kalliopi Bairami, "Ro" in: Andreas Vlachopoulos (ed.), Archaiologia: Nisia tou Aigaiou, Melissa 2005, p. 375.

External links

• Official website of Municipality of Megisti (in Greek)

• Kastellorizo