Editing Chios (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Chios topographic map-en.svg|thumb|right|Topographic map of Chios and [[Psara]] islands, situated in the [[Aegean Sea]] in Greece.]]
[[File:Chios2022OSM.png|thumb|right|Detailed map of Chios]]
[[File:Pyrgichios.jpg|thumb|right|Buildings in [[Pyrgi, Chios|Pyrgi]] covered with [[sgraffito]] (local name: ''Xistà'')]]
[[File:MestaXiou1.jpg|thumb|right|View of the village of [[Mesta, Greece|Mesta]]]]

Chios island is crescent or kidney-shaped, {{cvt|50|km}} long from north to south, and {{cvt|29|km}} at its widest, covering an area of {{cvt|842.289|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name=stat01>{{cite web |url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |publisher=National Statistical Service of Greece |title=Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) |language=el|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf|archive-date=21 September 2015}}</ref> The terrain is mountainous and arid, with a ridge of mountains running the length of the island. The two largest of these mountains, Pelineon ({{cvt|1297|m}}) and Epos ({{cvt|1188|m}}), are situated in the north of the island. The center of the island is divided between east and west by a range of smaller peaks, known as Provatas.

===Regions===
Chios can be divided into five regions.

====East coast====
[[File:Chiostownpark.jpg|thumb|[[Chios (town)|Chios]] Municipal Park, with a statue of [[Konstantinos Kanaris]]]]

Midway up the east coast lie the main population centers, the main town of Chios, and the regions of Vrontados and Kambos. Chios Town, with a population of 32,400, is built around the island's main harbour and medieval castle. The current castle, with a perimeter of {{cvt|1400|m}}, was principally constructed during the time of Genoese and Ottoman rule, although remains have been found dating settlements there back to 2000 B.C. The town was substantially damaged by an earthquake in 1881, and only partially retains its original character.

North of Chios Town lies the large suburb of [[Vrontados]] (population 4,500), which claims to be the birthplace of [[Homer]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=John Boardman |author2=C. E. Vaphopoulou-Richardson |title=Chios: a conference at the Homereion in Chios, 1984 |date=1986 |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=9780198148647 |page=v |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R19oAAAAMAAJ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722081400/https://books.google.ca/books?id=R19oAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y|archive-date=22 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The suburb lies in the [[Omiroupoli]] municipality, and its connection to the poet is supported by an archaeological site known traditionally as "Teacher's Rock".<ref>Δασκαλóπετρα</ref>

====Southern region (Mastichochória)====
In the southern region of the island are the {{lang|el-Latn|[[Mastichochoria]]}}<ref>{{lang|el|Μαστιχοχώρια}}</ref> (literally 'mastic villages'), the seven villages of Mesta ({{lang|el|Μεστά}}), Pyrgi ({{lang|el|Πυργί}}), Olympi ({{lang|el|Ολύμποι}}), Kalamoti ({{lang|el|Καλαμωτή}}), Vessa ({{lang|el|Βέσσα}}), Lithi ({{lang|el|Λιθί}}), and [[Elata]] ({{lang|el|Ελάτα}}), which together have controlled the production of [[Mastic (plant resin)|mastic gum]] in the area since the Roman period. The villages, built between the 14th and 16th centuries, have a carefully designed layout with fortified gates and narrow streets to protect against the frequent raids by marauding pirates.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}} Between Chios Town and the Mastichochoria lie a large number of historic villages including Armolia ({{lang|el|Αρμόλια}}), Myrmighi ({{lang|el|Μυρμήγκι}}), and Kalimassia ({{lang|el|Καλλιμασιά}}).{{citation needed|date=February 2016}} Along the east coast are the fishing villages of Kataraktis ({{lang|el|Καταρράκτης}}) and to the south, Nenita ({{lang|el|Νένητα}}).

====Interior====
Directly in the centre of the island, between the villages of Avgonyma to the west and Karyes to the east, is the 11th century monastery of [[Nea Moni of Chios|Nea Moni]], a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]]. The monastery was built with funds given by the Byzantine Emperor [[Constantine IX]], after three monks, living in caves nearby, had petitioned him while he was in exile on the island of [[Lesbos]]. The monastery had substantial estates attached, with a thriving community until the [[Chios Massacre|massacre of 1822]]. It was further damaged during the 1881 earthquake.<ref>[http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/5/717/2005/nhess-5-717-2005.pdf 1881 and 1949 earthquakes at the Chios-Cesme Strait (Aegean Sea) and their relation to tsunamis]</ref> In 1952, due to the shortage of monks, Nea Moni was converted to a convent.

===Climate===
The island's climate is warm and moderate, categorised as [[Mediterranean climate|temperate, Mediterranean]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csa''), with modest variation due to the stabilising effect of the surrounding sea. Average temperatures normally range from a summer high of {{cvt|30|°C|0}} to a winter low of {{cvt|7|°C|0}} in January, although temperatures of over {{cvt|40|°C|0}} or below freezing can sometimes be encountered.

The island normally experiences steady breezes (average {{cvt|3–5|m/s|mph}}) throughout the year, with wind direction predominantly northerly ("[[Etesian]]" Wind—locally called the "Meltemi") or southwesterly (Sirocco).

{{Weather box
| location=Chios town (23m)
| metric first=yes
| single line=yes
| Jan high C=12.8
| Feb high C=13
| Mar high C=17.3
| Apr high C=19.4
| May high C=24.5
| Jun high C=29.4
| Jul high C=32
| Aug high C=32.4
| Sep high C=28.6
| Oct high C=24.4
| Nov high C=19.6
| Dec high C=16.1
| Jan low C=7.2
| Feb low C=8
| Mar low C=10
| Apr low C=11.8
| May low C=15.5
| Jun low C=20.9
| Jul low C=23.3
| Aug low C=24
| Sep low C=20.5
| Oct low C=16.6
| Nov low C=13.4
| Dec low C=10.7
| Jan precipitation mm=139.6
| Feb precipitation mm=94.4
| Mar precipitation mm=41.8
| Apr precipitation mm=61.2
| May precipitation mm=27.6
| Jun precipitation mm=10.9
| Jul precipitation mm=0.1
| Aug precipitation mm=0
| Sep precipitation mm=3.6
| Oct precipitation mm=23.2
| Nov precipitation mm=88.2
| Dec precipitation mm=178
| source= <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/chios/ |title=Weather station of Chios Island |publisher=National Observatory of Athens}}</ref>(2019 – 2020 averages)
}}

===Geology===
[[File:Αγ.Απόστολοι και Πελλιναίο!-Βίκι.jpg|thumb|Mount Pelinaio]]
[[File:Saint Markellarocks.jpg|thumb|''Rock of [[Saint Markella]]'', patron saint of Chios]]

The Chios Basin is a hydrographic sub-unit of the Aegean Sea adjacent to the island of Chios.<ref>C.Michael Hogan. 2011. [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Aegean_Sea?topic=49523 ''Aegean Sea''. Eds. P.Saundry & C.J.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC]</ref> A kind of white dirt found near [[Pyrgi, Greece|Pyrgi]] on the southern part of the island<ref name=certh>{{citation |last=Hasluck |first=F.W. |contribution-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30096442 |contribution=Terra Lemnia |title=The Annual |publisher=The British School |location=Athens |volume=16 |date=1910 |pages=220–231 |jstor=30096442 }}.</ref> was famed as an [[astringent]] and [[cosmetics|cosmetic]] since [[classical antiquity|antiquity]] as '''Chian earth''' ({{langx|la|Chia terra}};<ref>{{citation |last= |first= |editor-last= |editor-first= |contribution=Chian, ''adj.'' (and ''n.'') |contribution-url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/31496 |url=https://www.oed.com |title=Oxford English Dictionary |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2021 }}. </ref> {{langx|el|πηλομαιοτικο}}, ''pēlomaiotiko'').<ref name=certh/> Extracted around [[May (month)|May]] each year,<ref name=certh/> it was considered less valuable than the similar medicinal earth produced by [[Lemnos]] given that the Limnian earth was considered protective against [[venom]]s and [[poison]]s<ref name=certh/> but nonetheless reputed to be "the greatest of all cosmetics... giv[ing] a [[skin whitening|whiteness]] and smoothness to the [[skin]] and prevent[ing] [[wrinkles]] beyond any of the other substances... for the same purposes."<ref>{{citation |last= |first= |editor-last=Smellie |editor-first=William |editor-link=William Smellie |display-editors=0 |contribution=[[:s:Encyclopædia Britannica, First Edition/Chian Earth|Chian Earth]] |title=[[:s:EB1|Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |edition=1st |volume=II |date=1771 |location=Edinburgh |publisher=[[Colin Macfarquhar]] }}.</ref>