Group of small volcanic islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea NE of Sicily, also known as the Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie in Italian). Coordinates approx. 38°5'N, 15°E.
Land area 44 sq. mi/118 sq. km, population around 2000, declining. Popular tourist destination, famous for its geological activity. Part of Messina province.
The group is made up of the main island of Lipari with the small town of the same name and the smaller ones Salina, Vulcano and Stromboli which is a well-known active volcano.
According to legend, this is where the god Aeolus kept the winds in caves. First inhabited in neolithic times and later occupied by every conquering nation in the Mediterranean from Greeks to Aragonese.