 Aerial view of Linosa | |
 | |
  Linosa  Linosa | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Mediterranean Sea |
| Coordinates | 35°52′N12°52′E / 35.867°N 12.867°E /35.867; 12.867 |
| Archipelago | Pelagie Islands |
| Area | 5.4 km2 (2.1 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Italy | |
| Region | Sicily |
| Province | Agrigento |
| Comune | Lampedusa e Linosa |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 430 |
Linosa (Italian pronunciation:[liˈnoːza];[1]Sicilian:Linusa[lɪˈnuːsa];Arabic:نموشة,Nammūša) is one of thePelagie Islands in the Sicily Channel of theMediterranean Sea.
The island is a part of the Italiancomune ofLampedusa e Linosa, part of theprovince of Agrigento inSicily,Italy. It has a population of 430.
The island is cited first asGreek Aethusa (Αἰθοῦσσα) by ancient geographersStrabo andPtolemy, and as Algusa (Ἀλγοῦσσα) by Roman essayistPliny the Elder in hisNaturalis Historia. Aethusa is Greek for "the sacrifices" (αἱ θυσίαί), probably referring to the twin volcanic peaks. The name "Lenusa" appeared first during the 16th century in the writing ofTommaso Fazello, while the modern one dates back to 1845.
The island has an area of 5.45 square kilometres (2.10 sq mi) and is of volcanic origin. It is formed by a series of craters of which Monte Vulcano, 195 metres (640 feet) high, is the most important. The closest land to Linosa is the island ofLampedusa, which lies 43 km (27 mi) to the south. Linosa is situated 119 kilometres (74 miles) west ofGozo,Malta, 121 km (75 miles) southeast ofPantelleria, 163 km (101 mi) south ofSicily and 165 km (103 mi) east of Cape Mahida inTunisia.
During thePunic Wars it was used by theRomans as a base; the 150 water cisterns remaining are from this period. Roman domination was followed bySaracen,Norman,Angevin andAragonese control. During theNapoleonic Wars, the British considered the possibility of taking over Linosa (together withPantelleria and Lampedusa) so as to be able to supplyMalta, but a Royal Commission stated in an 1812 report that there would be considerable difficulties in this venture.[2]
The island remained deserted until 1843 whenFerdinand II of the Two Sicilies ordered Knight Bernardo Maria Sanvinsente, captain of frigate, to colonize the island. The first thirty colonists (artisans fromUstica,Agrigento and Pantelleria) with the addition of a mayor, a priest and a doctor, landed on 25 April 1845.
During World War II, a small Italian garrison surrendered[3] to a British force fromHMSNubian on the morning of 13 June 1943.
Few were interested in the island during theKingdom of Italy and only in the 1970s did the island begin to change, with technological innovations and the development of tourism. The first telephone exchange was installed in 1963, the first power station in 1967, and a new school with a nursery in 1968. In 1983 the building of adesalinization plant provided a constant supply of potable water.
Linosa's population subsists on agriculture and tourism. As of 2018, there are no airports, hotels or banks on the island.[4]
