Mykonos (/ˈmɪkəˌnɒs/, /ˈmɪkəˌnoʊs/;Greek: Μύκονος [ˈmikonos]) is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 square kilometres (33.0 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 metres (1,119 feet) at its highest point. There are 10,134 inhabitants (2011 census), most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek, following the common practice in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town).

Mykonos' nickname is The island of the winds. Tourism is a major industry.

History

Archaeological findings suggest the presence of the Neolithic tribe Kares on the island in 3000 BC, but the first real settlers seem to be the Ionians from Athens in the early 11th century BC. There were many people living on the neighbouring island of Delos, just 2 km (1.2 miles) away, which meant that Mykonos became an important place for supplies and transit. It was, however, during ancient times a rather poor island with limited agricultural resources and only two towns. Its inhabitants were pantheists and worshipped many gods.

In the Mykonos restaurant assassinations (Persian: ترور رستوران میکونوس, also the "Mykonos Incident"), Iranian-Kurdish opposition leaders Sadegh Sharafkandi, Fattah Abdoli, Homayoun Ardalan and their translator Nouri Dehkordi were assassinated at the Mykonos Greek restaurant in Berlin, Germany on 17 September 1992. The assassination took place during the KDPI insurgency (1989-1996).

Events

At the time, two-term Prime Minister of Sweden and then leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party Ingvar Carlsson, then party secretary of the Swedish Social Democratic Party Mona Sahlin and former Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Pierre Schori were originally intended to participate. However, due to a telephone call to Ingvar Carlsson from then Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt, who urged Carlsson to immediately return to Sweden due to the urgent state of the Swedish economy, all three flew back to Sweden the same day and thus probably escaped being assassinated as well. Sharafkandi, Abdoli, Ardalan and Dehkordi were murdered in a mafia style attack at the Mykonos Greek restaurant located on Prager Strasse in Berlin at about 11 pm on 17 September 1992. Three victims died instantly, while the fourth one died at a hospital.

Mykonos may refer to: