Greek islands owned by Italy
One question often asked is: which Greek islands are owned by Italy? This sounds mystifying at first and although the answer is zero, many Greek islands were historically controlled by the Italians between 1912 and 1947 courtesy of both the Italo-Turkish War and World War II. The Dodecanese were occupied and administered by Italy for decades, however after the second great war ended, the islands were transferred to Greece in 1947 under the Paris Peace Treaties.
| Island – History |
|---|
| Agathonisi – Formerly under Italian administration as part of the Dodecanese. |
| Astypalaia – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Chalki – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Kalymnos – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Karpathos – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Kasos – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Kastellorizo – Formerly Italian-administered before transfer to Greece. |
| Kos – One of the principal Dodecanese islands administered by Italy. |
| Leros – Important Italian naval base during the occupation period. |
| Lipsi (Leipsoi) – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Nisyros – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Patmos – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Pserimos – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Rhodes – Administrative centre of the Italian Dodecanese. |
| Symi – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Telendos – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
| Tilos – Former Italian-administered Dodecanese island. |
The reality:
Although Italian Kingdom (ending in 1946) maintained control of these islands for years, the local inhabitants remained fundamentally and ethnically Greek. This adds a certain amount of perspective about the history and truth behind the “Greek” aspect of the islands, where locals maintained culture through wars and occupational changes (IE Crete).
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Last Updated on June 12, 2026 by admin