Duchy of the Archipelago

The Duchy of the Archipelago, also known as the Duchy of Naxos or the Duchy of the Aegean, was a maritime state founded in 1207 CE. Created by Venetian interests in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea after the Fourth Crusade, it was centered on the islands of Naxos and Paros and included most of the Cyclades. The Duchy became a tributary of the Ottoman Empire in 1537 and was annexed by the Ottomans in 1579, marking its dissolution.