  Small Cyclades | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°52′N25°43′E / 36.86°N 25.71°E /36.86; 25.71 |
| Total islands | 32 |
| Administration | |
Greece | |
| Region | South Aegean |
| Regional unit | Naxos |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 965 (2011) |
TheLesser Cyclades orSmall Cyclades (Greek:Μικρές Κυκλάδες) is an island complex in theAegean Sea, inside the archipelago of theCyclades. It is located to the south-east ofNaxos and comprises 32 islands and rocks.[1] The main islands areAno Koufonisi,Kato Koufonisi,Irakleia,Schoinoussa,Donousa andKeros. The largest of them is Irakleia with an area of 18 km2 and the most populated is Ano Koufonisi with a population of 399, according to the 2011 census. Only four of them are inhabited, Ano Koufonisi, Irakleia, Donousa and Schoinoussa. The islet ofKato Antikeri has also two inhabitants. Administratively, the islands belong to theNaxos and Lesser Cyclades municipality apart from the islets of Ano and Kato Antikeri that belong toAmorgos municipality.
During thelast ice age most of the islands of theCyclades were united into a big landmass. After the sea level rose in ca. 9,000 B.C. theAegean flooded the landmass to form the many small islands: this is when the archipelago acquired its modern form.[2]
The Lesser Cyclades have been inhabited since theStone Age. The islands flourished during the earlyBronze Age, when theCycladic culture appeared. The island ofKeros was one of the major sites of Cycladic culture and has given its name to Early Cycladic II period of Cycladic culture, known asKeros-Syros culture.[3] The islands continued to be populated thereafter. On the islands, particularly onSchoinoussa andIrakleia, ruins fromclassical antiquity and theRoman period can be found. The islands suffered from piracy both in medieval and modern times, which lead the islands to be at turn depopulated and colonised again by shepherds fromAmorgos. Since the 11th century most of the islands of the Lesser Cyclades were given as property to theHozoviotissa Monastery in Amorgos.[4] The monastery even today retains large areas in the islands as its property.[5] The islands today have been developed as a popular tourist destination.
| Island | Area (Km2) | Population (2011) |
|---|---|---|
| Irakleia | 18.1 | 141 |
| Keros | 15.0 | 0 |
| Donousa | 13.7 | 167 |
| Schoinoussa | 8.1 | 256 |
| Ano Koufonisi | 5.8 | 399 |
| Kato Koufonisi | 3.9 | 0 |
| Ano Antikeri | 1.1 | 0 |
| Kato Antikeri | 1.1 | 2 |