Rhodes is the largest and most cosmopolitan of the Dodecanese islands. Rhodes is best known for sunshine, butterflies, beaches and the Colossus of Rhodes. It is also the capital of Dodecanese and the central office of the Prefecture. Rhodes is strategically located southeastern of the Dodecanese archipelago, facing the shores of Asia Minor. It has a population of approximately 110,000 and a land area of 1,398 square kilometers.

Rhodes is shaped like a spearhead, 79.7 kilometers in length and 38 kilometers wide. Its coastline measured to approximately 220 kilometers. The Island of Rhodes comprises of ten main municipalities namely; Afandou, Archangelos, Attavyros, Ialysos, Kallithea, Kameiros, Lindos, Petaloudes, Rhodes and South Rhodes. The Island of Rhodes also has 43 towns and villages.

Rhodes’ landscape comprises mainly of hills and low mountains. Its flora and fauna is comparable to the Asia Minor than the rest of the Greek islands. Because of its unique landscape, half of the population in Rhodes resides in the city.

Relative to the national picture, the Island of Rhodes account for 10 percent of the total number of people in Greece (10,964,000 persons). Its population growth rate is higher than the national level. A discrepancy also exists in the official and actual population in the area. The Rhodes City has an official population of 54,000, but the actual estimated population is about 75 to 80,000. It was posited that this is because some of the permanent residents of the city used their place of birth in the registration. The result is the total number of individuals living in the city as estimated by the census, is less than the actual number.

The official language in Rhodes is Greek, but being a popular foreign destination, English is widely spoken. Some locals too are able to speak in German, French and other European languages.

The official and dominant religion is Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Rhodes. Nevertheless, there are also Muslims (remnants of the Ottoman Turkish times), Roman Catholics (descendants of Italians) and Jews in the area. The Eastern Orthodox Christianity played a significant role in the rallying of independence of the Greeks. It preserved the language, values and national identity of the state.

The per capita income of Rhodes is 41 percent higher compared to the national average of 20 percent. This can be accounted for the flourishing tourism sector in the island. There are also small industries that process imported raw materials, as well as, agricultural goods production, stockbreeding, fishery and winery.