[doh-dek-uh-nees, -neez, doh-dek-uh-] 
| a group of 12 Greek islands in the Aegean, off the SW coast of Turkey: belonged to Italy 1911–45. 121,017; 1035 sq. mi. (2680 sq. km). |
| Do·dec·a·nese (dō-děk'ə-nēz', -nēs') An island group of southeast Greece in the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Crete. The name means "12 islands," although there are also several islets. The islands were held by Turkey from 1522 until 1912. |
Dodecanese
group of islands in the Aegean Sea, off the southwestern coast of Turkey, and constituting the nomos (department) of Dhodhekanisos, Greece. The city of Rhodes is the administrative centre. The name Dodecanese means "12 islands." The term has been applied at various times to groups differently composed and numbering more than 12. The main islands of the Dodecanese group, with their Italian names in parentheses, are: Karpathos (Scarpanto), Patmos (Patmo), Kasos (Caso), Astipalaia (Stampalia), Lipsoi (Lisso), Leros (Lero), Kalimnos (Calino), Nisiros (Nisiro), Tilos (Piscopi), Khalki (Calchi), Simi (Simi), Rhodes (Rodi), and Cos (Coo) and the outlying Kastellorizon (Castelrosso). Their land area is 1,031 square miles (2,670 square km). (See also Astipalaia; Cos; Kalimnos; Karpathos; Kastellorizon; Leros; Patmos; Rhodes.
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