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Kythira
Κύθηρα
The island's main port Diakofti
The island's main port Diakofti
Geography
Coordinates: 36°10′N 23°0′E / 36.167, 23
Island Chain: Ionian Islands
Area:[1] 279. 593 km² (108 sq.mi.)
Government
Flag of Greece Greece
Periphery: Attica
Prefecture: Piraeus
Capital: Kythira (town)
Statistics
Population: 3,354 (as of 2001)
Density: 12 /km² (31 /sq. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece Piraeus is one of the Prefectures of Greece. It is part of the periphery of Attica and the Athens-Piraeus super-prefecture. mi. )
Postal Code: 801 00
Area Code: 27360
License Code: Z
Website
www.kythira.gr

Kythira (Greek: Κύθηρα, Cythera, Kythera, Italian: Cerigo) is an island of Greece, historically part of the Ionian Islands. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία This article is about the group of islands west of Greece For the ancient region in western Anatolia see Ionia. It lies opposite the eastern tip of the Peloponnesos peninsula. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula It is administratively part of the Piraeus Prefecture (centered in the Athens metropolitan area) although geographically distant from the prefecture's population center. Piraeus is one of the Prefectures of Greece. It is part of the periphery of Attica and the Athens-Piraeus super-prefecture. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's It has a land area of 279. 593 km² (107. 951 sq mi), the second-largest (after Megara) in the Attica periphery. Megara ( Greek:, "Big Houses" is an ancient city (pop Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece The peripheries ( Περιφέρειες) are the official regional Administrative divisions of Greece. It is also the second-least densely populated (after neighboring Antikythira) in Attica. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume Antikythera (Αντικύθηρα (ˌæntɪkɪˈθɪərə an-ti-ki-theer-uh ˌɑndiˈkiθirɑˌɑndiˈkiθirɑ ahn-dee-kee-thee-rah is a Greek Island The rugged terrain is a result of prevailing winds from the surrounding seas which have shaped its shores into steep rocky cliffs with deep bays. For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means for transportation, the island possessed a strategic location. Since ancient times, until the mid 19th century, Kythira had been a crossroads of merchants, sailors, and conquerors. As such, it has had a long and varied history and has been influenced by many civilisations and cultures. This is reflected in its architecture (a blend of traditional, Aegean and Venetian elements), as well as the traditions and customs, influenced by centuries of coexistence of the Greek, Venetian, Ottoman and British civilisations as well as its numerous visitors. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

Contents

Geography

The island houses numerous beaches of varying type and size. Unfortunately due to the island's rugged and mountainous terrain, only about half of them are accessible by road.

The island is close to the Hellenic-arc plate boundary, and thus, a highly seismogenic part of the region. Many earthquakes in recorded history have had their epicentres near or on the island. Probably the largest in recent times is the 1903 earthquake near at the village of Mitata, that caused significant damage as well as limited loss of life. At the beginning of the 21st century, two main earthquakes have been of concern: that of November 5, 2004, an earthquake measuring between 5. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer 6 and 5. 8 on the Richter scale and the earthquake of January 8, 2006, measuring 6. The Richter magnitude scale, or more correctly local magnitude M L scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 9 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the latter was in the sea about 20km to the east of Kythira, at a depth of approximately 70km. The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth 's surface that is directly above the Hypocenter or focus the point where an Earthquake Damage was caused to many buildings, particularly old ones, mostly in the village of Mitata, but there were no casualties. Due to its strength it was felt as far as Italy, Egypt, and Jordan. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern

The Kythirian Straights, formed by the southeastern peninsula of the Peloponnese and the islands of Elafonissos and Kythira represent one of the most dangerous navigational hazards in the Mediterranean. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula Elafonisos (Greek Ελαφόνησος is a small Greek island between the Peloponnese (Greek Πελοπόνησος and Kythira (Greek Κύθηρα The majority of sea-traffic transiting from Athens, Istanbul, and the Black Sea heading west of the Aegean Sea pass through the straights and are often subject to strong winds and shipwrecking on Cape Malea. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Cape Malea (Ακρωτήριος Μαλέας or Κάβο Μαλέα is one of the Peninsulas in the southeast of the Peloponnese in Greece.

History

At the start of the second millennium BC it was a Minoan colony and in 424 BC it came under the sway of Athens. The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization which arose on the island of Crete. Events By place Persian empire Xerxes II rules as King of Persia for only about 45 days until he is killed Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's In Ancient Greek Mythology, Kythira was considered to be the island of celestial Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, (cf. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love). Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Over the centuries it knew a succession of conquerors from the Romans to the Byzantines, Venetians and Turks, and it was frequently looted by Barbary pirates. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Barbary pirates, also sometimes called Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim Pirates and Privateers that operated from North Africa, from Kytherians still talk about the destruction and looting of Paliochora by Barbarossa, it has become an intrinsic part of the Kytherian folklore, yet one can easily accept the stories of locals by noticing the number of monasteries embedded in the rocky hillsides to avoid destruction by the pirates. Paliochora, known as by its contemporaries as Agios Dimitrios was a village of approximately eight-hundred on the island of Kythira in southern Greece Oruç Reis (also called Barbarossa or Redbeard) ( Turkish: Aruj or Oruç Reis, Arabic: عروج بربروس After a long period under Venetian control, the island fell to France in 1797, when it became part of the short-lived départment Mer-Égée. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Mer-Égée ( French for Aegean Sea) was a one of three short-lived French départements in present Greece. Subsequently it fell to Russia and Turkey (Septinsular Republic) from 1799 to 1807, then back to France, and finally to the British-controlled United States of the Ionian Islands. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Septinsular Republic ( Επτάνησος Πολιτεία, Repubblica Settinsulare) was an island Republic that existed from 1800 to 1807 under The United States of the Ionian Islands (Ηνωμένον Κράτος των Ιονίων Νήσων ( Enomenon Kratos ton Ionion Neson) Stati Uniti delle Isole Ionie was a

On the 21st of May 1864, the island was reunited with the then-young Greek state. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία In the capital, Chora (or Kythira), inside the castle, one can find the Historical Archive of Kythira, the second largest in the Ionian islands, after the one found in Corfu. Corfu (Κέρκυρα Kérkyra, ˈkʲe̞ɾkʲiɾa Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα Corcyra Corfù is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea

Demographics

Like many of the smaller Aegean islands, Kythira's population is decreasing. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. While the island had reached a peak population of about 14,500 in 1864, that has steadily declined mostly due to emigration, both internal (to major urban centres of Greece) and external (to Australia, the United States, Germany) in the first half of the 20th century. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Today its population hovers around 3,354 people (2001 census), but the modern Greek diaspora has produced around 60,000 Kytherian descendants in Australia alone. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions

Economy

Kythira's economy is largely built on tourism. Greece attracts more than 16 million tourists each year thus contributing 15% to the nation's Gross Domestic Product Economy. The popular season usually begins with the Greek holiday of Pentecost at the end of May, and lasts until the middle of September. During this time, primarily during August, the island's population will often triple due to the tourists and natives returning for vacation. The island supports a varied degree of tourism that ranges sporadically from year to year along with a diverse origin. The Greek Islands are a collection of over 6000 Islands and Islets that belong to Greece.

Only five of the island's villages are on the coast (Platia Amos, Agia Pelagia, Diakofti, Avlemonas, & Kapsali) Additionally, the island is known for its active nightlife, which centers on the village of Kapsali at the southern tip of the island. During July and August, several traditional dances will be held in various villages. These dances usually attract the majority of the island's population, the biggest of which are the festival of 'Panagia' in Potamos on the 15th of August, and the wine festival in Mitata on the first Friday and Saturday of August.

Government

Kythira is administratively exceptional in that:

Kythira (town)

The capital, Chora, is located on the southern part of the island having no ports connected to the southern Peloponnese or Vatika. Voies (Greek Βοιές or also Vatika (Βάτικα is a rural Municipality of Greece found in the prefecture of Laconia on Kythira's port for Vatika was previously situated at Agia Pelagia, although in recent years this port has been decommissioned and has been replaced by a new port at the coastal town of Diakofti, Kythira.

Most of the over 60 village names end with "-anika" and a few end with -athika, -iana and -ades. This is due to the villages being named after influential families that settled first in that region. For Example, 'Logothetianika' is derived from the Greek last name of 'Logothetis'.

Transportation

The island in the past has been plagued by a poor infrastructure that has been unaiding to the effects of the weather on transportation during the winter months. However the construction of the new port in Diakofti along with the renovation of the island's airport have significantly reduced these effects. A new road from the island's most populated town of Potamos in the north to the island's capital of Chora in the south is currently in the planning and development stage.

Port

Despite the fact that the island has been a trade route for centuries, construction of a modern port was postponed several times until the latter half of the 20th century. In 1933, efforts were made to construct a port in the village of Agia Pelagia, yet financial and governmental problems meant that decades later that one was built. That small port of Agia Pelagia (currently being renovated from a ferry dock to a tourist/recreational boat dock) was the island's main port until the mid-1990s. Around that time the new port of Diakofti, the site originally chosen by the island's British rulers in the 19th century, was constructed along with a modern wider road, aiming to support larger cargo and passenger vessels. The port of Diakofti currently serves scheduled routes to/from Gythion, Kalamata, Antikythera, Piraeus, Crete & Neapolis - Vatika. Piraeus (pɪˈræʊs Πειραιάς, piɾeˈas Πειραιεύς, piɾeˈefs is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Proposals have been made to attach a Marina to the south side of the port, however no plans or timetables have been produced. Additionally, the harbour of Agia Patrikia (north of Agia Pelagia) is the primary fishing boat harbour, housing two wide boatramps and a boat repair facility.

Airport

Additionally, the island has the Kithira Island National Airport, located in the region between the village of Friligiannika and Diakofti, about 8km from the capital. Kithira Island National Airport is an airport in Kithira, Greece. The airport was revamped and extended at the turn of the 21st century, largely by private funds provided by the local population. The island is served by Olympic Airlines flights. Olympic Airlines (Ολυμπιακές Αερογραμμές Olympiakés Aerogrammés - OA is the Flag carrier Airline of Greece, based

Villages

The largest villages (2001 Greek census) are Potamós (pop. 396), Agía Pelagía (281), Chóra/Kýthira (267), Áno Livádi (175), Kálamos (157), and Livádi (126).

Notable people

References

  1. ^ Basic Characteristics. Kalamos is a village in the south east side of Kythira, an island in the Ionian Sea, Greece Moses b Elijah Capsali (1420 &ndash 1495 was Hakham Bashi ( Chief rabbi) of the Ottoman empire. Karavas ( Greek: Καραβάς Turkish: Alsancak) is the sister Village of Lapithos in the Kyrenia District of Milopotamos (Μυλοπόταμος meaning "mill on the river" is a village on the island of Kythira, southern Greece. Ioannis Vilaras (GreekΓιάνης Βηλαράς, 1771 - 1823 was a Greek lyricist and a writer with important use on linguistus questions Juliette de Bairacli Levy, born in 1912 is a European herbalist and author noted for her pioneering work in holistic Veterinary medicine. Michael Zullo (born 11 September 1988 in Brisbane, Australia)is an Australian footballer currently playing for in the Hyundai Queensland Roar FC is an Australian Association football (soccer club from Brisbane, Australia competing in the A-League competition playing Ministry of the Interior. www. ypes. gr. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great.

See also

External links

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