Kos

Greek island, one of the Dodecanese, in the Aegean Sea; area 287 sq km/111 sq mi; population (2001) 17,900. A partly mountainous island, it is extremely fertile, and lies about 10 km/6 mi off the Turkish coast. The main town is Kos, located in the northeast of the island.

According to legend, the island derived its name from Kos, the daughter of King Meropes II. The island has been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times, and is mentioned in the Iliad. The Greek physician Hippocrates was born on the island, and founded a school there. The remains of the Asclepion, a hospital named after the Greek god of medicine Asclepios, date from the 4th century BC.