The Region of the South Aegean is one of the thirteen regions of Greece. It consists of the Cyclades and Dodecanese island groups in the central and south-eastern Aegean Archipelagos. The capital of the region is situated in Ermoupoli on the island of Syros. The region is divided into 13 regional units, formed around major islands: Andros, Kea-Kythnos, Syros, Thira (Santorini), Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Tinos, Paros, Rhodes, Kos, Kalymnos and Karpathos. With a population of 308.610 inhabitants and numbering more than 50 inhabited islands, each one with its own peculiarity, historical background and culture, its unique geophysical environment, gastronomic identity and local products, the South Aegean Region is a “paradise on Earth”.