Lesbos{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"  style="float:right; empty-cells:show; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:0,5em; background:#DEFFAD;"

! align="center" colspan="2" | Statistics
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Capital: || Mytilene
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Area: || 2,154 square kilometre|kmē<!--
<br/>List of the prefectures of Greece by area|Ranked xxth-->

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Elevation: || Lowest: Aegean Sea<br>Highest: Mount Olympus (Lesbos)|Mount Olympus
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top"
| Inhabitants: || 103,700<small>''(1991)''</small><br>105,082<small>''(2001)''</small>

<!--<br/>List of the prefectures of Greece by population|Ranked xxth-->
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Population density: || 48.14/kmē<small>''(1991)''</small><br>48.78/kmē
<!--<br/>List of the prefectures of Greece by population density|Ranked xxth-->

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ISO 3166-2:GR|ISO 3166-2: || GR-83
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| FIPS code: || GR51
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| License plates in Greece|Car designation: || '''MH''' (Lemnos and Agios Efstratios)<br>'''MY''' (Lesbos island)
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"a
| YPES|Code for the municipalities: || -xx
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Number of municipalities: || -
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

| Number of independent communes: || -<!--
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Area codes in Greece|Area/distance code: || Greek dialing codes beginning with 258|11-30-258x0 (0030-255x0)<br>11-30-25510 (030-25510), eastern part
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
|List of postal codes in Greece|Postal code || 68x xx<!--
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Name of inhabitants: || Lesvonian or Lesviot ''sing.''<br>-s ''pl.''-->

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| 2-letter abbreviation/HASC: || LV
<!--|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Address of administration: || <br>Mytilini
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Website: || [http://www..gr www..gr]<br>(also in Greek)-->
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

! colspan="2" bgcolor="#DEFFAD" | Map
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
! colspan="2" align="center" | Image:GreeceLesbos.png
|}

'''Lesbos''' (Λέσβος) is a prefecture of Greece consisting of a number of islands in the Aegean Sea, and part of the North Aegean Peripheries of Greece|periphery subdivision.  In modern Greece, the island's name is pronounced and usually transliterated '''Lesvos''' and its inhabitants are thus called Lesvonians or Lesviots (rather than "Lesbians"). 


"Lesbos"  or "Lesvos" is also the name of the prefecture's main island, also called '''Mytilene''', and lying just off the coast of Turkey. The second largest island is Lemnos, to the northwest, lying nearer the nothern part of the Greek mainland.  Principal towns on the main island are Mytilene (the capital), Kalloni, Mithymna, Plomari, Agiassos, Petra.  On the south coast of Lesbos is the pretty coastal town of Plomari, where it is said that the finest ouzo in the world is made to this day in traditional copper stills.  At the western tip of the island is the small fishing village of Sigri, close to which is the world's largest petrified wood|petrified forest, estimated to be about twenty million years old.

In Greek mythology, "Lesbos" was also the name of the patron god of the island. Lesbos was son of Lapithes and he married Methymna.

The island has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. It is first mentioned in Hittite records as ''Lazpa''. Other ancient names are: ''Lassia, Imerti, Aegira, Issa, Mytonis, and Les-Ba''.  Lesbos was a great center of civilization in the 6th century BCE, and was included among the Aeolian Greek settlements; it was home to the poets Sappho and Alcaeus.  Aristotle and Epicurus both also spent some time there.

In 477 BCE, Lesvos joined the Delian League, an alliance of Greeks headed by Athens, against the Persians.  In 428 BCE, Lesbos rose up against the Athenian Empire. However, this revolt was unsuccessful and Lesbos remained in Athenian hands until Lysander of Sparta conquered the island in 405 BCE.  

During the medieval period Lesbos was ruled by the Gattilusio family from 1355.  The last of the Gattilusio Princes of Lesbos, Niccolo of Lesbos, was defeated by Mehmed II, who almost completely demolished Mytilene and conquered the island for the Ottoman Empire in 1462.

The word "lesbian" is derived from the island's name, after the poet Sappho of Lesbos, who wrote about love between women. In recent years this has often made Lesbos the destination of cruises and other vacations for lesbians, despite of the disapproval of conservative Lesviot authorities, with some cruise ships being denied permission to dock.

Image:Olympos_lesbos.jpg|thumb|Olympos peak rises 968 meters over Lesbos
Image:Kallonis_bay_lesbos.jpg|thumb|A view of Kallonis Bay
==Climate==

Its climate is mainly Mediterranean climate is at much of the island.  Winters are rarely founded in higher elevations.

<!--
==Transportation==

*Greece Interstate |GR-

==Communications==
===List of Greek language television channels|Television===

==Famous inhabitants of the Lesbos prefecture==

==Places==

==Archaeological sites==

==Municipalities==

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"

|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Municipality !! YPES code !! Seat !! Postal code !! Area code ((0)30-)
|-
|

==Communities==

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Commune !! YPES code !! Seat !! Postal code !! Area code ((0)30-)
|-
| 

*See also: Communities of the Lesbosos prefecture-->

==External Links==
*[http://www.culture.gr/2/21/maps/aigaio/lesvos/lesvos.html Prefecture of Lesvos] - Hellenic Ministry of Culture

Category:Islands of GreeceCategory:North AegeanCategory:Prefectures of Greece

cs:Lesbos
de:Lesbos
et:Lesbos
el:Λέσβος
eo:Lesbo
fr:Lesbos
ko:레스보스
la:Lesbos
nl:Lesbos
ja:レスボス島
pt:Lesbos
fi:Lesvos
sv:Lesbos