Mykonos

There are two prevailing theories as to the origin of the name "Mykonos". The first, from Hesychius of Alexandria, surmises that the name comes from the ancient Greek "Mykon", which roughly translates to "pile of stones" or "rocky place". The second, from Stephanus of Byzantium, ties it to the mythological hero Mykonos, son of Anius.

Herodotus mentions Carians as the original inhabitants of the island. Ionians from Athens seem to have followed next in the early 11th century BC. There were many people living on the neighboring island of Delos, the meeting ground for the Delian League, only 2 km (1.2 miles) away, which meant that Mykonos became an important place for supplies and transit. It was, however, during ancient times a rather poor island with limited agricultural resources. Its inhabitants were polytheists and worshiped many gods. After the death of Alexander the Great, Mykonos was member of the League of the Islanders during the Hellenistic period. It came under the control of the Romans and then was part of the Byzantine Empire until the 12th century. In 1204, with the fall of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade, Mykonos was occupied by Andrea Ghisi. …

The island has an area of 85.5 square kilometres (33.0 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 metres (1,119 feet) at its highest point. It is situated 150 kilometres (93 miles) east of Athens in the Aegean Sea. The island features no rivers but has numerous seasonal streams, two of which have been converted into reservoirs. The island is composed mostly of granite and the terrain is very rocky with many areas eroded by the strong winds. High quality clay and baryte, which is a mineral used as a lubricant in oil drilling, were mined on the eastern side of Mykonos until the late 1900s. It produces 4,500 cubic metres (160,000 cu ft) of water daily, by reverse osmosis of sea water in order to help meet the needs of its population and visitors. The island has a population of nearly 12,500, most of whom live in the main town of Chora. …