Megisti
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Kastellorizo Καστελλόριζο |
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View of Kastellorizo
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 Kastellorizo
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Location within the region
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| Coordinates: 36°9′N 29°35′E / 36.150°N 29.583°ECoordinates: 36°9′N 29°35′E / 36.150°N 29.583°E | ||
| Country | Greece | |
| Administrative region | South Aegean | |
| Regional unit | Rhodes | |
| Area | ||
| • Municipality | 11.98 km2 (4.63 sq mi) | |
| Highest elevation | 273 m (896 ft) | |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Municipality | 492 | |
| • Municipality density | 41/km2 (110/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | |
| Postal code | 851 11 | |
| Area code(s) | 22460 | |
| Vehicle registration | ΚΧ, ΡΟ, PK | |
| Website | www.megisti.gr | |
Kastellorizo or Castellorizo (Greek: Καστελλόριζο - Kastellorizo, officially Μεγίστη - Megísti or Meyísti) is a Greek island and municipality located in the southeastern Mediterranean. It lies roughly 2 kilometres (1 mile) off the south coast of Turkey, about 570 km (354 mi) southeast of Athens and 125 km (78 mi) east of Rhodes, almost halfway between Rhodes and Antalya and 280 km (170 mi) to Cyprus. Kastellorizo is part of the Rhodes regional unit.
The island has become more popular in recent years, among tourists looking for an isolated place in the Dodecanese, thanks also to the 1991 Oscar-winning movie Mediterraneo, by Gabriele Salvatores, which is set on the island during the Second World War.
The island's official name, Megisti (Μεγίστη) means "biggest" or "greatest", but at only 11.98 km2 (4.626 sq mi) in area, it is the smallest of the Dodecanese. The name, however, refers to the fact that it is the largest of the small archipelago. This name was used in antiquity, but is now rarely used in Greek, the name Kastellórizo (Καστελλόριζο) being common since the twelfth century. There are several hypotheses about the origin of this name. "Kastello" derives from the Italian word "castello", meaning "castle". There is some argument on the second part of the name. The arguments are centered on the following possible origins of the element rizo:
It has gone by several different names in its history, including Kastellorizo (Greek), Castellorizo (Greek name with Italian spelling), Castelrosso (Italian, meaning "Red Castle"), Château Rouge (French translation of Italian name) and Turkish: Meis or Kızılhisar, the former deriving from the island's official name in Greek, the latter meaning "Red Castle", a translation of the Italian name.
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Wikipedia