 Lesvos,
or Lesbos, island is located in the northeastern Aegean Sea, as part of
the Lesbos prefecture. It is the third largest of all the Greek islands,
and the eight largest in the entire Mediterranean Sea. It is believed that
the poems of Sappho, which contained very powerful emotional content toward
other women, held expressions of homosexual love. Because of this belief,
Lesbos and the town of Erosos, which is the birthplace of Sappho, are frequently
visited by lesbian tourists, and hence the word lesbian was derived.
Lesvos is a mountainous island,
with two predominant peaks. Lepetymnos and Olympus stand at approximately
3176 feet each, and dominate the northern and central areas of the island.
Due to the volcanic origin of Lesvos, there are several hot springs located
on the island.
On the western side of the island
lies the second largest petrified forest in the world consisting of Sequoia.
The main economic source of income on Lesvos is in olive oil, with tourism
also adding to the economy. The coastal towns of Petra, Plomari, Molyvos,
and Erosos are very popular attractions for tourists, due to the wonderful
beaches and the beautiful landscape. |
