The Municipality of Kos belongs to the Prefecture of the Dodecanese of the South Aegean Region and its present form is due to the consolidation of the former municipalities of the island, Kos, Herakleidon and Dikaioi, according to the Kallikratis Program.
The Municipality has an area of ​​290,3km2 and a population of 33,388 inhabitants, based on the latest census of 2011.
The seat of the Municipality of Kos is the city of Kos, which is the second largest region after Rhodes.
Kos is very close to the coast of Asia Minor opposite today's Bodrum, the old Bodrum and between the islands of Kalymnos and Nisyros.
Historically Kos was first inhabited by the Carians who came from the opposite Caria, followed by the Minoans of Crete and then the Mycenaeans. The Dorians built the ancient Kos, which together with Lindos, Kamiros, Ialysos of Rhodes, Cnidus and Bodrum constituted the Dorian Capt. Kos occupied the Persians and afterwards the island became a member of the Athenian Alliance (479BC). In 460 BC, Hippocrates, the father of medicine and the one who founded the first medical school in the world, was born on the island. After his death, his fellow citizens built the Asclepius in honor of God Asklepios and operated as a hospital treating thousands of patients from all over the Mediterranean, based on the treasure left by Hippocrates.
Later, the capital of Kos was established in today's position, presenting great prosperity in the years to come. The island was conquered by Alexander the Great and after the Ptolemeans. The Byzantine period followed, marked by the attacks of the Saracens. The Knights of St. John of Rhodes occupied the island in 1315 and they are due to the fortress that is currently at the entrance of the harbor. In 1522 the Turks conquered Kos until 1912 when the Italians took their place. In 1948 Kos was united with Greece.
Kos has a great archaeological interest: the Venetian castle of the Knights of St. George, Ioannou in the harbor, the plane tree of Hippocrates, which is said to have planted himself and under him taught, the mosque of Gazi Hasan of 1786, the ruins of the ancient market, Stoa and others. Four kilometers southwest of the city of Kos is the Asklepieion.
Kos has a strong tourist experience especially during the summer months. It features high-end hotel units, shops and lively nightlife. Very good beaches are Turona, Kardamena, Tigaki, Kamari, Mastihari etc.