The Dodecanese belong to a country.
The Dodecanese ( [ doʊdɪkəˈniːz ] Δωδεκάνησα , Dodekánisa , [ ðoðeˈkanisa ] , literally `` twelve islands '' ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea , off the coast of Asia Minor ( Turkey ) , of which 26 are inhabited . They belong to the wider Southern Sporades island group . Greece ( Ελλάδα , [ eˈlaða ] ) , officially the Hellenic Republic ( Greek : Ελληνική Δημοκρατία , [ eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a ] ) , historically also known as Hellas ( Ἑλλάς , [ heˈlas ] , modern pronunciation Ellás ) , is a country in southeastern Europe , with a population of approximately 11 million as of 2015 .