Ro, Greece

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

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. The dispute was solved in a 1932 treaty, which assigned Ro to the Italian side. It finally came under Greek sovereignty in 1947, together with the other former Italian possessions in the Aegean.

Ro has been uninhabited for most of history, except for the one Greek woman who made it famous, Despina Achladioti. Every day, Achladioti, also known as the Lady of Ro, would fly a Greek flag, clearly visible from Turkish soil, over the island, until her death in 1982.

A small Greek military unit is now based on the island, with the primary duty of continuing the tradition of raising the flag, set by the "Lady of Ro", Despoina Achladioti. According to the 2011 census the island has no permanent residents.

Greece

Greece (ⁱ/ɡriːs/ GREESS; Greek: Ελλάδα, Elláda [eˈlaða]), officially the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Ellīnikī́ Dīmokratía [eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a]) and known since ancient times as Hellas (/ˈhɛləs/; Greek: Ελλάς, Ellás), is a country located in southeastern Europe. According to the 2011 census, Greece's population is around 10.8 million. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki, which is commonly referred to as the co-capital.

Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Situated on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north and Turkey to the northeast. Greece consists of nine geographic regions: Macedonia, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands (including the Dodecanese and Cyclades), Thrace, Crete, and the Ionian Islands. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands, of which 227 are inhabited. Eighty percent of Greece is mountainous, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak at 2,918 metres (9,573 ft).

Greece (European Parliament constituency)

In European elections, Greece is a constituency of the European Parliament, currently represented by twenty-one MEPs. It covers the member state of Greece.

Current MEPs

As of October 2007

1981

The 1981 European election was a by-election held after Greece joined the European Communities in 1981. The rest of the EC had voted in 1979.

1984

The 1984 European election was the second European election and the first time Greece voted with the rest of the Community.

1989

The 1989 European election was the third election to the European Parliament and was held on June 15 for Greece.

1994

The 1994 European election was the fourth election to the European Parliament and was held on June 12 for Greece.

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1999

The 1999 European election was the fifth election to the European Parliament and was held on June 13 for Greece.

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2004

The 2004 European election was the sixth election to the European Parliament and was held on June 13 for Greece. The ruling New Democracy party made strong gains, while the opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement made smaller gains, both at the expense of minor parties.

Greece (disambiguation)

Greece may refer to:

See also