Skorpios is a private island

Private island

A private island is a disconnected body of land wholly owned by a single private citizen or corporation. Although this exclusivity gives the owner substantial control over the property, they still fall within the jurisdiction of national and sometimes local governments.-Ownership:There are many...

 in the Ionian Sea

Ionian Sea

The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...

 off the western coast of Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 and just to the east of the island of Lefkada

Lefkada

Lefkada, or Leucas or Leucadia , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece, connected to the mainland by a long causeway and floating bridge. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Lefkada . It is situated on the northern part of the island,...

. The 2001 census reported a population of two inhabitants. Administratively it is part of the municipality

Communities and Municipalities of Greece

For the new municipalities of Greece see the Kallikratis ProgrammeThe municipalities and communities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. Thirteen regions called peripheries form the largest unit of government beneath the State. ...

 of Meganisi

Meganisi

Meganisi is a Greek island and municipality immediately to the east-southeast of the island of Lefkada. The municipality includes the offshore islands of Skorpios and Sparti. Its total population was 1,092 at the 2001 census.The island has three villages: the central village of Katomeri Meganisi...

 in Lefkada Prefecture.

Population

Year	Island Population	Change
1981	—	—
1991	1	—
2001	2	+1/+100%

Geography

The island is heavily forested from south to north and features an abundant number of colorful trees.

History

It is mainly known as the private

Personal property

Personal property, roughly speaking, is private property that is moveable, as opposed to real property or real estate. In the common law systems personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In the civil law systems personal property is often called movable property or movables - any...

 island of the late Greek shipping

Shipping

Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...

 billionaire Aristotle Onassis

Aristotle Onassis

Aristotle Sokratis Onassis , commonly called Ari or Aristo Onassis, was a prominent Greek shipping magnate.- Early life :Onassis was born in Karatass, a suburb of Smyrna to Socrates and Penelope Onassis...

. It was the site of his wedding to former US First Lady

First Lady of the United States

First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...

 Jacqueline Kennedy on October 20, 1968. Upon his death it passed to his daughter Christina

Christina Onassis

-See also:*Christina, a song dedicated to her by artist - Patty Griffin*Christina O - the Onassis family yacht, named after Christina by her father-External links:...

, and then in turn to her daughter Athina Roussel

Athina Roussel

Athina Onassis Roussel is a French competitive show jumper and heiress. She is the only surviving descendant of her grandfather Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate, and is of half Greek and half French descent.- Early life :...

. Onassis, his son Alexander, and his daughter Christina are all buried on the island.

Little is known about Athina's relationship to her island, and she is believed to have spent very little time there. There have been rumors published that she may sell it, and stories in financial publications have placed its value at over US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

200 million. On 9 August 2009, a British newspaper claimed – without any confirmation – that the island had been put up for sale by Onassis at the reported price of 100 million Euro. Bill Gates

Bill Gates

William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...

has reportedly shown interest in the purchase of the island. Reports on Greek Television and republished worldwide that the island has been sold to Giorgio Armani for 150 million Euro in September 2010 were denied, according to ANSAmed agency.

External links

• Skorpios on GTP Travel Pages (in English and Greek)
• Official website of Municipality of Meganisi