Chios facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chios Χίος
Chios Location in Greece
Country	Greece
Administrative region	North Aegean
Regional unit	Chios
Area
• Municipality	842.3 km2 (325.2 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,297 m (4,255 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Municipality	50,361
• Municipality density	59.790/km2 (154.855/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	82x xx
Area code(s)	227x0
Vehicle registration	ΧΙ
Website	www.chios.gr

Chios (pronounced KYE-oss or KEE-oss; Greek: Χίος) is a large Greek island located in the northern Aegean Sea. It is the fifth largest island in Greece and the tenth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. A narrow channel, the Chios Strait, separates it from Turkey.

Chios is famous for its special mastic gum, which is a sticky sap from a tree. This is why the island is often called "the Mastic Island". Visitors love to explore its old medieval villages and the Nea Moni monastery, which was built in the 11th century. This monastery is so important that it's a World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO.

The island of Chios is its own local government area, part of the Chios regional unit in the North Aegean region. The main town and capital of the island is also called Chios. Locals often call Chios town Chora, which means "land" or "country" in Greek, but it's commonly used for the main town on a Greek island.

In 1822, during the Greek War of Independence, Chios experienced a very difficult time known as the Chios massacre. Many thousands of Greeks on the island suffered greatly from Ottoman troops. Chios remained under Ottoman rule until 1912.

Discovering Chios: Geography and Landscapes

Topographic map of Chios and Psara islands in the Aegean Sea.

Detailed map of Chios.

Buildings in Pyrgi decorated with Xistà (sgraffito).

View of the village of Mesta.

Chios island has a unique crescent or kidney shape. It is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) long from north to south and 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide at its broadest point. The island covers an area of about 842 square kilometers (325 square miles). The land is mostly mountainous and dry, with a ridge of mountains running all the way along the island.

The two tallest mountains are Pelineon, which is 1,297 meters (4,255 feet) high, and Epos, which is 1,188 meters (3,898 feet) high. Both are located in the northern part of the island. The middle of the island is split by a range of smaller mountains called Provatas.

Chios Regions: Exploring the Island's Areas

Chios can be divided into five main areas.

East Coast: Main Towns and History

Chios Municipal Park, with a statue of Konstantinos Kanaris.

Along the middle of the east coast are the main towns. These include the capital, Chios Town, and the areas of Vrontados and Kambos. Chios Town has about 32,400 people and is built around the island's main harbor and an old medieval castle. The castle walls are about 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) long. It was mainly built during the time of Genoese and Ottoman rule, but people have lived there since 2000 B.C. An earthquake in 1881 badly damaged the town, so it doesn't look exactly like it used to.

North of Chios Town is the large suburb of Vrontados, with about 4,500 people. Many believe it is the birthplace of the famous ancient poet Homer. An archaeological site called "Teacher's Rock" supports this connection.

Southern Region: The Mastic Villages

In the southern part of the island, you'll find the Mastichochoria (meaning 'mastic villages'). These are seven special villages: Mesta, Pyrgi, Olympi, Kalamoti, Vessa, Lithi, and Elata. For centuries, they have controlled the production of mastic gum. These villages were built between the 14th and 16th centuries. They have strong walls, fortified gates, and narrow streets to protect against pirate attacks.

Between Chios Town and the mastic villages are many other historic villages like Armolia, Myrmighi, and Kalimassia. Along the east coast, you can find fishing villages such as Kataraktis and Nenita.

Interior: The Ancient Monastery

Right in the center of the island, between the villages of Avgonyma (west) and Karyes (east), is the 11th-century monastery of Nea Moni. This monastery is a World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO. It was built with money from the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX. He funded it after three monks, who lived in nearby caves, asked him for help when he was in exile on the island of Lesbos. The monastery was very rich and had a large community until the massacre of 1822. It was also damaged by the 1881 earthquake. In 1952, Nea Moni became a convent because there were not enough monks.

Chios Climate: Sunny and Mild Weather

The island has a warm and mild climate, known as temperate Mediterranean. This means the weather doesn't change too much because of the sea. Average summer temperatures are around 30°C (86°F), and winter lows in January are about 7°C (45°F). Sometimes, temperatures can go above 40°C (104°F) or below freezing.

Chios usually has steady breezes throughout the year. The wind often comes from the north (called "Meltemi") or from the southwest (Sirocco).

Chios Geology: Unique Earth and Marble

Mount Pelinaio.

Rock of Saint Markella, patron saint of Chios.

The Chios Basin is a part of the Aegean Sea next to the island. A special white clay found near Pyrgi in the south of the island was famous in ancient times. It was called Chian earth and was used for cosmetics and medicine. People believed it made skin white and smooth and prevented wrinkles.

Chios is also known for its beautiful, colorful marble. This marble, called marmor chium or "portasanta" today, was very popular and expensive in the Roman world. It has a pink background with yellow, brown, and gray spots, and white or red lines. The name "portasanta" comes from the doorframes of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which are made of this marble.

Chios Through Time: A Rich History

16th-century detailed map of Chios by Piri Reis.

Etymology: How Chios Got Its Name

The ancient writer Pausanias wrote that the poet Ion believed the island was named after Chios, the son of the sea god Poseidon. He was born during a snowfall, and the Greek word for snow is chiōn. In ancient times, the island was also called Ophioussa ('snake island') and Pityoussa ('pine-tree island'). Later, during the Middle Ages, it was known by different names like Scio (Genoese), Chio (Italian), and Sakız (Ottoman Turkish). The capital city was then called Kastron, meaning 'castle'.

Prehistoric Times: Early Settlements

Archaeologists have found signs that people lived on Chios as far back as the Neolithic era (New Stone Age). The main places where they found evidence are cave homes at Hagio Galas in the north and a settlement with a burial ground at Emporeio in the far south. We don't have a lot of information about these early times, so the exact size and how long these settlements lasted are not fully known.

From 1952 to 1955, the British School at Athens studied the Emporeio site. Most of what we know comes from their findings. The Greek Archaeological Service has also been digging on Chios since 1970, but much of their work hasn't been published yet.

The houses at Emporeio were all very similar in size. This makes some experts think that there wasn't much difference in social status among people during the Neolithic era. Everyone seemed to benefit from farming and raising animals.

It's believed that the island might not have had many people living on it during the Middle Bronze Age (2300–1600 BC). However, some researchers now think this might just be because not enough digging has been done in Chios and the northern Aegean Sea.

By at least the 11th century BC, kings ruled the island. Later, over the next 400 years, the government changed to a system run by wealthy families or possibly by powerful rulers called tyrants. More digging might help us learn more about this time. Pottery found on the island shows that people from Euboea and Cyprus were present in the 9th century BC. Phoenicians were also noted at Erythrae, a city on the mainland that often competed with Chios.

Ancient Greece: Independence and Power

Ancient coin from Chios, circa 380-350 BC, showing a sphinx.

An ancient writer named Pherecydes said that the island was first settled by the Leleges, who were non-Greek people. They were supposedly under the control of the Minoans from Crete. Later, the Ionians invaded and drove them out.

Chios was one of the first twelve members of the Ionian League, a group of powerful Greek cities. Because of this, Chios was one of the first cities to make its own coins in the late 7th century BC. They chose the sphinx as their symbol, and it stayed on their coins for almost 900 years.

In the 6th century BC, Chios adopted a government system similar to the one in Athens. It later became more democratic, with a voting assembly and elected officials called damarchoi.

In 546 BC, the Persian Empire took control of Chios. But in 499 BC, Chios joined the Ionian Revolt against the Persians. Chios was very strong at sea during this time. At the Battle of Lade in 494 BC, the Chian fleet had 100 ships, the largest of all the Ionian forces. Even after other allies left the battle, the Chians fought bravely against the Persian fleet. But eventually, they had to retreat and came under Persian rule again.

When Persia was defeated at the Battle of Mycale in 479 BC, Chios became free from Persian rule. When the Athenians formed the Delian League, Chios joined. It was one of the few members that didn't have to pay money but instead provided ships to the alliance.

By the 5th and 4th centuries BC, the island's population grew to an estimated 120,000 people. This was two to three times the population in 2005! Most people are thought to have lived in the main city of Chios, based on the huge ancient burial ground found there.

In 412 BC, during the Peloponnesian War, Chios rebelled against Athens, and the Athenians surrounded the island. The Spartans helped Chios the next year, lifting the siege. In the 4th century BC, Chios was part of the Second Athenian League. However, it rebelled again during the Social War (357–355 BC) and became independent until the rise of Macedonia.

Hellenistic Period: Wine and Trade

A modern reproduction of the Sphinx, the symbol of Chios.

After Alexander the Great invaded Asia Minor, he ordered that exiles, including Theopompus, could return to Chios in 333 BC. He also ordered that Persian supporters on the island be exiled or put on trial. Theopompus was exiled again after Alexander's death and went to Egypt.

During this time, Chios became the biggest exporter of Greek wine. This wine was known for being very good quality. Chian amphoras (large pottery jars), which had a sphinx symbol and bunches of grapes, have been found in many countries where ancient Greeks traded. These places included Gaul, Upper Egypt, and Southern Russia.

Roman Period: New Buildings and Trade

During the Third Macedonian War, 35 ships allied with Rome were carrying about 1,000 Galatian troops and horses. They were sent by King Eumenes II to his brother Attalus. They were sailing from Elaea to Phanae harbor, planning to go to Macedonia. However, Perseus of Macedon's naval commander, Antenor, stopped the fleet between Erythrae (on the coast of Turkey) and Chios. According to the historian Livy, they were completely surprised. Eumenes' officers first thought the ships were friendly Romans. But when they realized it was the Macedonian enemy, they scattered. Some jumped off their ships and swam to Erythrae. Others crashed their ships onto land on Chios and ran towards the city. However, the Chians closed their gates, surprised by the chaos. The Macedonians, who had docked closer to the city, cut off the rest of the fleet outside the city gates. Out of 1,000 men, 800 were killed, and 200 were taken prisoner.

After the Romans conquered the area, Chios became part of the Roman province of Asia.

In 14 BC, King Herod the Great of Judaea, famous for his building projects, paid for a stoa (a covered walkway) to be built on Chios. It had been destroyed during the Mithridatic Wars. He also paid the taxes that the people of Chios owed to the Romans.

Pliny the Elder wrote about how the islanders used colorful marble in their buildings. They valued this stone more than paintings or other decorations. He also mentioned the special properties of the local Chian earth for cosmetics.

According to the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, Luke the Evangelist, Paul the Apostle, and their friends passed by Chios during Paul's third missionary trip. They were sailing from Lesbos to Samos.

Byzantine Period: Centuries of Stability and Change

The bell tower of Nea Moni of Chios (11th century).

The Byzantine Panagia Kokorovilia Church (13th century) in Kampos.

After the Roman Empire permanently split in 395 AD, Chios was part of the Byzantine Empire for seven centuries. This changed when a Turkish leader named Tzachas briefly took control of the island from 1090 to 1097. However, the Byzantines, with help from the First Crusade, pushed the Turks back, and Chios returned to Byzantine rule.

This period of peace ended when Constantinople was attacked by the Fourth Crusade in 1204. During the 13th century, who owned the island kept changing because of power struggles in the region. After the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire was divided, and Chios was technically given to the Republic of Venice. But when the Latin Empire suffered defeats, the island returned to Byzantine rule in 1225.

Genoese Period: Trade and Fortifications (1304–1566)

Entrance to the Castle of Chios.

Map of Chios by Benedetto Bordone, 1547.

A building in Kampos.

The Byzantine rulers had little power over Chios. In 1261, through the Treaty of Nymphaeum (1261), control was given to the Republic of Genoa. At this time, pirates often attacked the island, and by 1302–1303, new Turkish fleets were targeting it. To stop the Turks, the Genoese admiral Benedetto I Zaccaria took back the island in 1304. He became the ruler of Chios, starting the short-lived Lordship of Chios. His rule was fair, and local Greek landowners still had much control.

Benedetto Zaccaria was followed by his son and then his nephews. They tried to make the island more connected to Latin and Papal powers, moving away from Byzantine influence. The local people, who were still loyal to the Byzantine Empire, responded to a letter from the emperor. Despite having a small army, they forced the Zaccaria family off the island in 1329 and ended their rule.

Local rule didn't last long. In 1346, a company from Genoa called the Maona di Chio e di Focea was formed to take back Chios and the nearby town of Phocaea. The islanders at first refused their offer of protection. But a Genoese fleet, led by Simone Vignoso, invaded the island and surrounded the castle. On September 12, the castle surrendered peacefully. A treaty was signed, and the local landowners kept their rights as long as they accepted the new rulers. The Maona was controlled by the Giustiniani family.

The Genoese were more interested in making money than conquering land. They controlled trading posts and warehouses, especially for mastic, alum, salt, and pitch. Other trades, like grain, wine, oil, and cloth, were run together with the locals. After a failed uprising in 1347, and being greatly outnumbered (less than 10% of the population in 1395), the Latins kept loose control over the local people. They mostly stayed in the town and allowed complete religious freedom. This way, the island remained under Genoese control for two centuries. A famous Genoese person from this time was Christopher Columbus, who lived in Chios in the 1470s before his voyages to the Americas. In 1566, when Genoa lost Chios to the Ottoman Empire, there were 12,000 Greeks and 2,500 Genoese on the island.

Ottoman Period: Prosperity and Tragedy

The Massacre at Chios by Eugène Delacroix. This painting helped show Europe the disaster in Chios.

"The blowing up of the Nasuh Ali Pasha's flagship by Konstantinos Kanaris", painted by Nikiphoros Lytras. Kanaris took revenge for the massacre.

The abandoned village of Anavatos.

In April 1566, the Ottoman Empire captured the island of Chios after it surrendered to Piyale Pasha. The Genoese were sent to the capital, but later, with help from the French ambassador, they were allowed to return.

During Ottoman rule, Greeks still managed the government and collected taxes. The Turkish army presence was small and not very noticeable.

Besides the Latin and Turkish people, records show a small Jewish population on the island from at least 1049 AD. The original Greek (Romaniote) Jews were thought to have been brought by the Romans. Later, Sephardic Jews, welcomed by the Ottomans, joined them after being expelled from Spain in the late 15th century.

The island's famous wealth came from the mastic crop. Chios could give a lot of money to the Ottoman Empire while paying only low taxes. The Ottoman government considered it one of the most valuable parts of their empire.

When the Greek War of Independence began, the island's leaders were hesitant to join the rebels. They feared losing their safety and wealth. However, in March 1822, several hundred armed Greeks from the nearby island of Samos landed in Chios. They declared a revolution and attacked the Turks, which led the islanders to join the fight.

The Ottomans then sent a large force to the island and stopped the rebellion. The Ottoman massacre of Chios resulted in thousands of islanders being expelled, killed, or enslaved. Whole villages were destroyed, especially in the Mastichochoria area. This event caused strong negative reactions in Western Europe, shown in paintings by Eugène Delacroix and writings by Lord Byron and Victor Hugo. In 1825, Thomas Barker of Bath painted a fresco showing the Chios Massacre. In the end, Chios was not included in the new Greek state and remained under Ottoman rule.

The 1881 Chios earthquake, estimated to be 6.5 on the Richter scale, damaged many buildings and caused a great loss of life. Reports from that time said between 5,500 and 10,000 people died.

Despite this terrible destruction, Chios became very important for the modern Greek shipping industry in the late 19th century. For example, in 1764, Chios had only 6 ships with 90 sailors. But by 1875, it had 104 ships with over 60,000 tons registered. By 1889, there were 440 sailing ships with 3,050 sailors. The growth of Chian shipping in the 19th century was also helped by shipping services on the island. These included shipping insurance companies and a shipping bank. Chian ship owners successfully switched from sailing ships to steamships. They were supported by the strong Chian community of merchants and bankers living abroad. These connections helped them get money from financial centers like Istanbul and London. Shipping academies were also created in Chios, and Chian sailors were very skilled.

Independent Greece: Modern Times

The port of Lagada.

Chios became part of independent Greece after the First Balkan War in 1912. The Greek Navy landed in Chios in November 1912 and took control of the island after fighting for over a month. The Ottoman Empire officially recognized Greece's control of Chios and other Aegean islands by signing the Treaty of London (1913).

Even though Greece was officially neutral during World War I, the British occupied the island on February 17, 1916. This might have been because the island was close to the Ottoman Empire and the city of İzmir.

The island was also affected by the population exchange after the Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922. Greek refugees came to live in Kastro (which used to be a Turkish neighborhood) and in new settlements built quickly south of Chios town.

During the Greek Civil War, there was some local violence on the island. This ended when the last group of communist fighters was trapped and killed in the orchards of Kampos. Their bodies were then driven through the main town on a truck. In March 1948, the island was used as a camp for female political prisoners (communists or relatives of fighters) and their children. They were kept in crowded and poor conditions in military barracks near Chios town. Up to 1,300 women and 50 children were held there until March 1949, when the camp closed, and they were moved to Trikeri.

The production of mastic was in danger because of the 2012 Chios forest fire that swept through the southern half of the island in August 2012. It destroyed some mastic groves.

By 2015, Chios became a stopping point for refugees and people seeking asylum who were entering the EU from Turkey. A center for receiving and identifying them was set up at VIAL near Chalkeio village. However, in 2021, the Greek government announced a new, more isolated reception center would be built at Akra Pachy near Pantoukios village.

Chios Economy: Trade and Local Delights

Traditional collecting of mastic (plant resin).

Commerce: Island Products

The local Greek shipping community helps transport several products grown on the island. These include mastic, olives, figs, wine, mandarins, and cherries.

Cuisine: Taste of Chios

The island has many special local foods and drinks:

• Kordelia, a type of pasta.
• Malathropita, a local pie.
• Neratzopita, a bitter orange pie.
• Mastello, a local cheese.
• Valanes, another type of pasta.
• Sfougato, a kind of omelette.
• Mamoulia, a sweet dessert.
• Masourakia, another sweet dessert.
• Mastiha (drink), a drink made from mastic.
• Souma (drink), a strong alcoholic drink.

Antimony Mines: A Mining Past

For some time between the early 19th century and the 1950s, there was mining activity on the island at the Keramos Antimony Mines.

Chios Culture: Traditions and Landmarks

The Adamantios Korais public library in Chios town.

Rouketopolemos (Rocket war) in Vrontados.

• Nea Moni is a monastery with beautiful mosaics from the time of Emperor Constantine IX. It is a World Heritage Site.
• An ancient inscription (at Chios Archaeological Museum) from a 5th-century BC tomb for Heropythos shows his family history going back over fourteen generations to Kyprios in the 10th century BC. This was before written records existed in Greece.

Forts: Protecting the Island

• Castle of Chios, a Byzantine fort built in the 10th century.
  • Inside the castle, you can find St. George's church.

Museums: Learning About Chios

• Chios Byzantine Museum
• The Chios Mastic Museum
• Archaeological Museum of Chios
• Chios Maritime Museum

Traditions: Unique Celebrations

• The town of Vrontados has a very special Easter celebration called rouketopolemos (rocket war). Two rival churches fire tens of thousands of homemade rockets at each other's bell towers during the Easter service!

Sports: Local Teams

• F.C. Lailapas (Chios town)
• NC Chios, a water polo team
• Panchiakos GS

Media: News and TV

• Alithia TV
• Chiakos Laos, a newspaper
• Politis, a newspaper
• Dimokratiki, a newspaper

Twin Towns: Friends Around the World

Chios is twinned with these cities:

• Brezno, Slovakia
• Çeşme, Turkey
• Ermoupoli, Greece
• Genoa, Italy (since 1985)
• Guiyang, China
• Ortona, Italy
• Polykastro, Greece

Famous People from Chios

People from Chios are called Chians.

Ancient Chians

Bupalus and Athenis, sons of Archermus.

• Homer (8th century BC), a famous poet. Some say he was from Chios.
• Oenopides (c. 490 – c. 420 BC), a mathematician and geometer.
• Ion of Chios (484-421 BC), a writer of tragedies.
• Hippocrates of Chios (c. 470 – c. 410 BC), an important mathematician, geometer, and astronomer.
• Theopompus of Chios (378 – c. 320 BC), a historian who wrote about rhetoric.
• Erasistratus of Chios (304–250 BC), a pioneering anatomist and royal doctor. He founded the ancient medical school of Alexandria and discovered how organs are linked by veins, arteries, and nerves.
• Aristo of Chios (c. 260 BC), a Stoic philosopher.
• Claudia Metrodora (c. 54–68 AD), a public helper.

Medieval Chians

Leo Allatius.

• Saint Markella (14th century), a martyr and saint in the Greek Orthodox church.
• Leo Kalothetos (1315–1363), a provincial governor of the Byzantine empire.
• Leonard of Chios, a Greek Dominican scholar.
• Giovanni Giustiniani (1418-1453), died during the Fall of Constantinople and is buried in Chios.
• Matrona of Chios (* 15th century, † before 1455), a saint in the Greek Orthodox church.
• Andreas Argenti (saint) († 1465 AD), a new martyr of the Orthodox Church.
• Andrea Bianco (15th century), a Genoese mapmaker who lived on Chios.
• Some believe Christopher Columbus was born in Chios. He said he was from the Republic of Genoa, which included Chios at the time. Columbus was friends with Genoese families from Chios, mentioned Chios in his writings, and used Greek for some of his notes. 'Columbus' is still a common last name on Chios.
• Vincenzo Giustiniani, an Italian banker.
• Francisco Albo (16th century), a pilot on Magellan's expedition, the first trip around the Earth.
• Leo Allatius (c. 1586–1669), a Greek Catholic scholar and theologian.
• Constantine Rodocanachi (1635–1687), an Ottoman Greek scholar, chemist, and doctor to King Charles II of England.

Modern Chians

Ioannis Psycharis, who promoted the modern Greek language.

Andreas Syggros.

• Scylitzes family, of Byzantine background.
• Mavrokordatos family.
• Negroponte family.
• Damalas family.
• Athanasios Parios (1722–1813), a Greek monk and important theologian, philosopher, and educator.
• Macarius of Corinth (1731–1805), a bishop and spiritual writer.
• Nikephoros of Chios (c. 1750–1821), abbot of Nea Moni monastery, a writer, and an Orthodox saint.
• Eustratios Argentis (theologian).
• Eustratios Argenti (national hero) (1767‒1798), executed with Rigas Velestinlis.
• Alexandros Kontostavlos (1789–1865), a politician.
• Christophorus Plato Castanis (1814–1866), an Ottoman Greek scholar, author, and classicist. He was also a former slave, orphan, and refugee to the United States.
• Alexandros Georgios Paspatis (1814–1891), a linguist, historian, and doctor who studied the Romani language and culture.
• George Colvocoresses (1816–1872), a military officer.
• Mustapha Khaznadar (1817–1878), Prime Minister of Tunis.
• Michel Emmanuel Rodocanachi (1821–1901), a trader and banker in London.
• Andreas Syggros (1830), a banker from Chios.
• George Glarakis (1789-1855), a politician and Minister of Education (1838).
• Patriarch Constantine V of Constantinople (1833–?).
• Ralli Brothers (18th–19th century), who started a major trading business.
• Ibrahim Edhem Pasha (1819–1893), an Ottoman Grand Vizier.
• Namık Kemal (1840–1888), a founder of modern Turkish literature. He lived in Chios from 1886 until his death.
• Osman Hamdi Bey (1842–1910), an Ottoman painter and archaeologist.
• Ioannis Psycharis (1854–1929), a philologist from Chios.
• Ambrosios Skaramagas, a merchant.
• Konstantinos Amantos (1874–1960), a Byzantine scholar and professor.
• Stylianos Miliadis, a painter.
• Kostia Vlastos (1883–1967), a banker from the old Vlastos family.
• John D. Chandris (1890–1942), a Greek shipowner.
• Stavros Livanos (1891–1963), a very rich shipping owner.
• Ioannis Despotopoulos (1903–1992), an architect.
• Kostas Perrikos (1905–1943), a Greek Resistance leader.
• Yiannis Carras, a shipowner.
• Adamantios Lemos (1916–2006), an actor.
• Andreas Papandreou (1919–1996), a politician and Prime Minister of Greece.
• Mikis Theodorakis (1925-2021), a composer, born on the island.
• Jani Christou (1926–1970), a composer.
• George P. Livanos (1926–1997), a Greek shipowner.
• Petros Molyviatis, a politician.
• Stamatios Krimigis (1938), a NASA space scientist.
• Takis Fotopoulos (1940), a political philosopher.
• Adamantios Vassilakis (1942), a diplomat.
• Dimitris Varos (1949), an author, poet, and journalist.
• Theodoros Veniamis (1950), a shipowner.
• Mark Palios (1952, of Chian descent), a former professional footballer and chief executive of the English Football Association.
• Matthew Mirones (1956), a New York politician.
• Nikos Pateras (1963), a shipowner.
• Angeliki Frangou (1965), a shipowner.
• John Sitaras (1972), a fitness professional.
• Ioannis Fountoulis (1988), a water polo player.

Images for kids

• 

  Chios skyline.

See also

In Spanish: Isla de Quíos para niños