Lesbos is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of 1632 km² (630 square miles) with 320 kilometres (almost 200 miles) of coastline, making it the third largest Greek island and the largest of the numerous Greek islands scattered in the Aegean. It is separated from Turkey by the narrow Mytilini Strait. Administratively, it forms part of the Lesbos Prefecture. Its population is approximately 90,000, a third of which lives in its capital, Mytilene, in the southeastern part of the island. The remaining population is distributed in small towns and villages. The largest are Kalloni, the Gera Villages, Plomari, Agiassos, Eressos and Molivos (the ancient Mythymna). Mytilene was founded in the 11th century BC by the family Penthilidae, who arrived from Thessaly, and ruled the city-state until a popular revolt (590–580 BC) led by Pittacus of Mytilene ended their rule.
The meaning of the word lesbian derives from the poems of Sappho, who was born in Lesbos. The poems contain powerful emotional content directed toward other women and have frequently been interpreted as expressing homosexual love. It is due to this association that Lesbos and especially the town of Eressos, her birthplace, are visited frequently by lesbian tourists.

Lesbos lies in the far east of the Aegean sea, facing the Turkish coast (Gulf of Edremit) from the north and east; at the narrowest point, the strait is about 5.5 km wide. Its shape is roughly triangular, but it is deeply intruded by gulfs of Kaloni, with an entry on the southern coast, and Gera, in the southeast.[
The island is forested and mountainous with two large peaks, Mt. Lepetymnos (968 m (3,177 f t)) and Mt. Olympus (967 m (3,174 f t)), dominating its northern and central sections.The island’s volcanic origin is manifested in several hot springs and two principal volcanic harbors.
Lesbos is verdant, aptly named Emerald Island, with a variety of flora that belies its size. Eleven million olive trees cover 40% of the island together with other fruit trees. Forests of mediterranean pines, chestnut trees and some oaks occupy 20%, and the remainder is scrub, grassland or urban. In the western part of the island is the world’s second largest petrified forest of Sequoia.
Its economy is essentially agricultural. Olive oil is the main source of income. Tourism in Mytilene, encouraged by its international airport and the coastal towns of Petra, Plomari, Molyvos and Eressos, contribute substantially to the economy of the island. Fishing and the manufacture of soap and ouzo, the Greek national liqueur, are the remaining sources of income.

The island of Lesbos contains 13 of the 17 municipalities and 1 community that comprise Lesbos Prefecture.
The Lesbian municipalities have a total population of 90,643 inhabitants, or over 83 percent of the prefecture's population, according to the 2001 census. Their combined land area, including uninhabited offshore islets, is 1,632.819 km2 (630.435 sq mi), or about 75.8% of the prefecture's land area. (The balance of the prefecture's population resides on the islands of LImnos, in four municipalities, and Saint Eustratius, in one community.)

Agia Paraskevi Agiassos
Gera
Eresos-Antissa
Evergetoulas
Kaloni
Loutropoli Thermis
Mantamados
Mithymna
Mytilene
Petra
Plomari
Polichnitos