Elis
Elis
Περιφερειακή ενότητα Ηλείας | |
---|---|
EEST) | |
Postal codes | 27x xx |
Area codes | 262x0 |
ISO 3166 code | GR-14 |
Car plates | ΗΑ |
Website | www |
Elis or Ilia (
it was Elis Prefecture, covering the same territory.The modern regional unit is nearly coterminous with the
Geography
The northernmost point of Elis is 38° 06'N, the westernmost is 22° 12′E, the southernmost is 37° 18′N, and the easternmost is 21° 54′E. The length from north to south is 100 km (62 mi), and from east-to-west is around 55 km (34 mi).
The modern regional unit is not completely congruent with
The longest river is the
supplies water to Pyrgos.The eastern part of the regional unit is forested, with mostly pine trees in the south. There are forest preserves in Foloi and the mountain ranges of Eastern Elis. In the north is the Strofylia forest which has pine trees. Mountain ranges include Movri (around 720 m or 2,400 ft), Divri (around 1500 m), Minthe (around 1100 m), and more.
About one-third of the land is fertile; the rest is mountainous and not suitable for crops. Swamplands used to cover 1–1.5% of the region, especially in the
Here lie the ancient ruins of
Climate
Elis has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, sunny summers. Temperatures over 40 °C have been recorded. The mountainous interior is colder, and snow covers the mountains in winter. Elis is more humid than the eastern Peloponnese.
Natural disasters
Elis is located in a seismically active zone, and there are several earthquakes each year. Some of the most significant earthquakes to have hit the area are:
- 1909: earthquake in Chavari
- 1910: earthquake in Vartholomio
- 1920: earthquake in Kyllini
- 1953: Ionian earthquake, minor damage in Elis
- 2008: 8 June Peloponnese earthquake, 2 deaths;[1] hundreds of damaged homes and buildings were reported in Lechaina, Amaliada and Vartholomio
Rainy weather in 2002-2003 caused destruction of villages by mudslides, and some bridges and roads were also cut off. In February 2008, frost devastated many crops in Manolada, Nea Manolada and Kounoupeli.
In August 2007, there were enormous forest fires which led to tens of deaths and a massive environmental and economic disaster. The final toll for the prefecture was: 45 dead, 100,000 affected[clarification needed] by the fire, 3,500 left homeless by the fire, 25,000 dead animals, 8,500 hectares of burnt forests, 2,300 hectares of burnt farmland.[2] The archaeological site of Olympia was seriously threatened, but not damaged.
Administration
The regional unit Elis is subdivided into 7 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):[3]
- Ancient Olympia (4)
- Andravida-Kyllini (6)
- Andritsaina-Krestena (3)
- Ilida (2)
- Pineios (7)
- Pyrgos (1)
- Zacharo (5)
2011 reform
As a part of the 2011
New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat |
---|---|---|
Ancient Olympia (Archaia Olympia) |
Archaia Olympia | Archaia Olympia |
Lampeia | ||
Lasiona | ||
Foloi | ||
Andravida-Kyllini | Andravida | Lechaina |
Vouprasia | ||
Kastro-Kyllini | ||
Lechaina | ||
Andritsaina-Krestena | Andritsaina | Krestena |
Alifeira | ||
Skillounta | ||
Ilida | Amaliada | Amaliada |
Pineia | ||
Pineios | Gastouni | Gastouni |
Kavasila | ||
Vartholomio | ||
Tragano | ||
Pyrgos | Pyrgos | Pyrgos |
Volakas | ||
Iardanos | ||
Oleni | ||
Zacharo | Zacharo | Zacharo |
Figaleia |
Provinces
Before 2006, Elis was divided into two
Population
Elis is the third most populous regional unit of the Peloponnese, after Achaea and Messinia. Between 70% and 75% of the population live on fertile lands away from the mountains.
Year | Population |
---|---|
1940 | 186,945[4] |
1961 | 188,861[5] |
1981 | 217,371[6] |
2001 | 193,288[7] |
2011 | 159,300[8] |
The population of ancient Elis (from 1000–1 BC) was in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 and reached 10,000 or 20,000 by 1 BC.[citation needed] The population reached 217,000 around 1981, but has been declining since. Pyrgos became the largest city having the population over the 10,000 mark in the mid-20th century, and above 20,000 in the late 1980s. The population in the northwest is growing while the population is declining in the southeast and east.
Economy
Agriculture
The primary source of agriculture is corn, tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers, livestock, watermelon, melon and some vegetables. There are 3 major operating tomato factories in Savalia (Kyknos), Gastouni (Pelargos), and north of Andravida (Asteris). The most fertile land in Peloponnese is the plain that covers the northern part of Elis and the adjacent part of Achaea.
Textiles used to be dominant in business from antiquity until the Middle Ages. In the 1950s, agriculture was the dominant occupation, except in the towns
Fishing
Squid, and all types of fish are common in the waters of Elis. Fishing is mainly done in the southeastern Ionian Sea and in the Bay of Patras. Most of the production is sent into Patras, some into Athens, some elsewhere in the world (with small production) and some into the local markets of Elis from Kyllini and Katakolo. Overfishing is a problem north of Lechaina.
History
In
In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, crusaders from Western Europe (traditionally referred to as Franks in southeastern Europe) established the principality of Achaea in the territory of the defeated Byzantine Empire. The region of Elis was the Principality's heartland, containing its capital, Andravida, the port town and mint of Glarentza, the fortress of Chlemoutsi, and the extensive Barony of Akova. The Principality lasted from 1204 until 1432, when it was conquered by the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea, which in turn fell in 1460 to the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman Empire ruled most of Greece until the
As a part of independent Greece, Elis experienced an economic and agricultural upswing in the first decades after the war of independence. Houses were built, and Pyrgos became a regional centre. Like most of the
Transport
Roads
Elis has 200 km of highways. There are no limited-access freeways in the prefecture, but a freeway (A9) is being built between Patras and Kyparissia, planned opening 2012.[needs update]
The principal highways include:
- Pyrgos–Kyparissia, along the western coast of the Peloponnese
- Lagkadia, Tripoli
- GR Highway 76, Pyrgos–Andritsaina–Megalopolis
Railways
The total length of railway tracks in Elis is around 140 km. There is a railway line from Patras to Kalamata via Pyrgos, and a branch line from Pyrgos to Olympia. Since January 2011, traffic is suspended on the line from Patras to Kalamata, and only the branch line from Pyrgos to Olympia has regular passenger trains.
Ports
The port of Kyllini in the northwest is the busiest port in Elis, with car ferries to the islands of
Airports
Elis has a military airport near Andravida, north of Pyrgos. There are no public airports in the area. The nearest airport on land is in Kalamata.
Communications
Telephones became more common after the 1960s when the Hellenic Telecommunication Organization (
There are several local radio stations, for instance RSA (Radio Station of Amalias) from Amalias and Eleftheri Radiofonas Krestenas from Krestena. There are hundreds of transmitter towers scattered over Elis.
Persons
- Panagiotis Adraktas (b. September 28, 1948 in Kardamas), a New Democracy politician
- Hristodoulos Aholos or Acholos
- Panagiotis Anagnostopoulos, revolutionary leader
- Astydameia
- Atreus
- Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou among the youngest politicians of the Greek Parliament and UN Award recipient
- Avgerinos family:
- Dionyssios N. Bokos, writer of Myrsini, Nihta Pepromenou, etc.
- Andreas Bratis, writer of To Vartholomo (The Vartholonio)
- Christopoulos family:
- Agamemnon Christopoulos, politician, brother of Asimakis
- Anastasios Christopoulos, revolutionary leader
- Asimakis Christopoulos, politicians, brother of Tzannetos
- Charalampos Christopoulos, politician
- Christos Christopoulos, father of Anastasios
- Tzannetos Christopoulos, politician, son of Anastasios
- Christos Daralexis, journalist
- Themistoklis Daralexis, politician
- Vyronas Davos, a writer, historian and a poet, he published works on Ilia during the Frankish, Ottoman, Venetian periods, the Greek War of Independence and the Modern period
- Dionyssis Diakos, revolutionary leader
- Ioannis Diakos, revolutionary leader
- Takis Doxas, writer
- Epeus, ancient mythological legend
- Ioannis Giannopoulos, politician
- Kostis Gontikas (b. 1934), politician
- Greek parliament
- Aristeidis Griboutis, journalist
- Miltiadis Iatridis, revolutionary leader
- Nikos Kahtitsis, writer
- Antonios Kalogeropoulos, a revolutionary leader from Myrsini (then Souleimanaga)
- Athanassios Kanellopoulos, politician
- Simon Karas, music historian
- Andreas Karkavitsas
- Kostas Kazakos, actor
- Dimitrios Kioussopoulos, former Prime Minister of Greece
- Dionyssos Kokkinos, writer
- Dimitrios Korkolis, politician and mayor of Pyrgos
- Krestenitisfamily:
- Aristeidis Krestenitis
- Georgios Krestenitis, two politicians
- Ioannis Krestenis (elder)
- Ioannis Krestenitis (younger), politician
- Lykourgos Krestenitis (1793–1873), president of the Greek parliament
- Stamatis Krestenitis, a Greek revolutionary leader
- Christos Laskaris, poet
- Liourdis family:
- Ioannis Liourdis, politician
- Spyros Liourdis, Greek revolutionary leader
- Georgios and Petros Mitzos, revolutionary leaders
- Georgios Nikoloutsopoulos, a revolutionary leader from Myrsini (then Souleimanaga)
- Alexandros Panagoulis
- Georgios Papandreou, an unrelated historian
- Theodoros Papasimakopoulos, revolutionary leader
- Ioannis Pesmazoglou
- Takis Sinopoulos, poet
- Sisinisfamily:
- Chrysanthos Sisinis (died 1845), a Greek revolutionary leader and a politician
- Georgios Sisinis, a Greek revolutionary leader
- Christos Stefanopoulos, politician
- Theodoridis family:
- Thallis Theodoridis (elder), a Greek revolutionary leader
- Thallis Theodoridis (younger), a politician
- Vasileios Theodoridis, journalist
- Konstantinos Varouxis, journalist, Patris writer
- Leonidas Varouxis, journalist, Patris writer
- Alexis Vilaetis, a 19th-century politician who was elected in 1868
- Charalambos Vilaetis, a Greek revolutionary leader
- Lysandros Vilaetis, a chief of Pyrgos and a politician
- Nikolaos Vilaetis
- Panagis Vourloumis
- Panagiotis Kondylis, philosopher, writer and editor
- Dimitris Eleas, writer living in London
- Panos Karnezis, writer living in London
- For the kings of Elis (now Ilia), see section
- Pyrrho, father of Skepticism
Sporting teams
- Aias - Gastouni
- Asteras - Amaliada
- Dafni - Andravida
- Iliakos - Lechaina
- Olympiacos Zacharos - Zacharo
- Panileiakos- Pyrgos
- PAO Varda- Varda
In popular culture
- The central action of Maeve Binchy's romance novel, Nights of Rain and Stars (2004), is set in Agia Anna, Elis.
- Elis is known within the Greek internet community for the strange or tragicomic news stories that are reported from the region, similar to the "Florida Man" meme.
See also
Notes
- ^ "Two killed by large Greek quake". BBC. 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
- ^ newspaper "TA NEA"; September 3, 2007
- ^ a b "ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
- ^ "Detailed census results 1940" (PDF). (47 MB) (in Greek and French)
- ^ "Detailed census results 1961" (PDF). (35 MB) (in Greek and French)
- ^ "Detailed census results 1981" (PDF). (13 MB) (in Greek)
- ^ "Detailed census results 2001" (PDF). (39 MB) (in Greek and English)
- ^ Detailed census results 2011 Archived December 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine (in Greek)
References
- I Ileia Dia Meson ton Aionon (Ilia In The Middle Of The Age) Georgios Papandreou
- Ston Pyrgo kai stin Ileia tou 1821-1930 (Στον Πύργο και στην Ηλεία του 1821-1930 = In Pyrgos And In Ilia (1821–1930)) Vyronas Davos 1996
- Ilia Before The Revolution of 1821 (η Ηλεία πρίν την επανάσταση του 1821 = I Ileia prin tin epanastasi tou 1821) Vyronas Davos 1997
- The Life Of The Inhabitants Of Ilia During The Turkish Rule (η ζωή των κατοίκων της Ηλείας κατα την τουρκοκρατία = I zoi ton katoikon tis Ileias kata ton tourkokratia) Vyronas Davos 1997
- Toponmia tis Ileias (Τοπονύμια της Ηλείας = Toponym of Elis) Vyronas Davos