Cyclades

the principal group of islands in the Aegean Sea. They are twelve in number. The name is Grecian, and is derived from the same source as cycle, bicycle, etc. It was given because the islands were thought to form a ring about Delos. The islands are still known as the Cyclades, and form a department of modern Greece. The islands are volcanic. The inhabitants are engaged in fishing and in raising olives and grapes. The goat is the chief domestic animal. The capital is Hermopolis. Area, 928 square miles. The population of the Cyclades in 1907 was about 130,000.