| Ro Ρω |
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|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Island chain: | Dodecanese |
| Government | |
| Greece | |
| Periphery: | South Aegean |
| Prefecture: | Dodecanese |
| Statistics | |
| Population: | 15 (as of 2001) |
| Website | |
| www.megisti.gr | |
Ro or Rho (Greek: Ρω) is a small Greek island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea near Kastelorizo, close to the Turkish coast. It is part of the municipality of Megísti (Kastelorizo), in the Dodecanese prefecture.
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 Kastelorizo 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 Achladioti. The 2001 census reported a population of 15 inhabitants.
The islet is named Kara Ada in Turkish.
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