Zakynthos

This article covers the island. For the city, see Zakynthos (city) .

Zakynthos Municipality Δήμος Ζακύνθου (Ζάκυνθος)
Basic data
State :	Greece
Region :	Ionian islands
Regional District :	Zakynthos
Geographic coordinates :	37 ° 47 '  N , 20 ° 46'  E Coordinates: 37 ° 47 '  N , 20 ° 46'  E
Area :	405.225 km²
Residents :	40,759 (2011)
Population density :
Seat:	Zakynthos
LAU-1 code no .:	3301
Districts :	6 municipal districts
Local self-government :	9 city districts 40 local communities
Location in the Ionian Islands region

Zakynthos in a NASA satellite photo

Flag of Zakynthos

Cave entrances (sea coast) on the island of Zakynthos

The island of Marathonisi in the bay of Laganas, west side of the island in view

Zakynthos , also Zákinthos ( Greek Ζάκυνθος [ ˈzakʲinθɔs ] ( f. Sg. ); Italian Zante ), is the third largest and southernmost of the larger Ionian islands and the tenth largest island in Greece after Kefalonia and Corfu with an area of ​​about 406 km² . The main town is the city of the same name Zakynthos .

Together with the uninhabited archipelago of the Strofaden , Zakynthos formed the prefecture of Zakynthos from 1866 to 2010 ( Νομός Ζακύνθου Nomós Zakýnthou ). With the Greek administrative reform in 2010 , the prefectures were abolished and the six municipalities of the island were merged into a single municipality of Zakynthos. The municipality is congruent with the regional district Zakynthos (gr. Periferiaki Enotita Zakynthou ) of the Ionian Islands .

In contrast to mainland Greece, the island of Zakynthos was under Western and Central European rule for more than seven centuries. The Venetians , who ruled the island for more than four centuries, called Zakynthos or Zante with the nickname "Fior di Levante" (Flower of the East). In terms of tourism, Zakynthos is the most important travel destination on the Ionian Islands after Corfu. The island is of particular importance as the main nesting site for the sea turtle Caretta caretta ( loggerhead sea turtle ) in the Mediterranean. In 1999 the Greek state set up a marine national park to protect the nesting sites, also from increasing tourism .

Geography, geology and climate

geography

Zakynthos is the southernmost of the larger Ionian Islands. The island has an area of ​​406.619 km² and is a maximum of 40 km long and 20 km wide. The island's long axis runs from northwest to southeast. Its northernmost point is Cape Skinari, its southernmost is Cape Marathia on the peninsula of the same name. The westernmost point of the island is Cape Plemonari, the easternmost the Cape Vasilikos on the Skopos Peninsula. Zakynthos is roughly at the latitude of the Greek capital Athens.

The island is roughly divided by two different landforms: According to the longitudinal axis of the island from northwest to southeast, a mountain range runs in the west and north of the island, the highest point of which is Mount Vrachionas with a height of 756 m. Accordingly, the entire western course of the island's coast drops steeply to the Ionian Sea, sometimes up to 200 m in height. To the east of the mountain massif, a larger plain extends to the east and south-east, which has only a few hills near the coast. In the south of the island, the roughly crescent-shaped bay of Laganas (Kolpos Lagana) forms a north-facing incision into the island's land mass. Laganas Bay is bounded by two peninsulas to the west and east. To the west, the Marathia Peninsula (or Keri Peninsula) delimits the Bay of Laganas from the open Ionian Sea to the west. The peninsula is hilly and at its highest point, Mount Kakavakia, it reaches 416 m above sea level. The second highest peak, Skopos, is 3 m lower. The coasts of the Marathia peninsula are steep coasts, with the exception of a few places in the bay of Laganas. The eastern boundary of the Bay of Laganas is formed by the Skopos Peninsula, which separates the Bay of Laganas from the strait of the Zakynthos Channel. The highest point of the peninsula is the mountain (or hill) Skopos with a height of 491 m. Mount Skopos is located in the transition between the Skopos Peninsula and the island plain southeast of the island's capital Zakynthos. The Skopos Peninsula flattens to the southeast and ends in Cape Gerakas. Accordingly, flat coastal profiles are found primarily on the east side of the peninsula, while flat and steep coast profiles alternate on the west side.

Zakynthos has several small islands at a maximum of 2 km from the island's coast: In the west of the island, in front of the Porto Vromi bay, lies the uninhabited island of Agios Ioannis and in the northeast of the island, in front of the village of Agios Nikolaos, the uninhabited island of the same name. There are three islands in the bay of Laganas (Kolpos Lagana) in the south of the island: The largest island, Marathonisi, is in the west of the bay, east of Cape Marathia. The second largest island Kalonisi ( Pelouzo ) is located in the east of the bay, west of the Skopos Peninsula and south of Dafni Beach. The third largest island Agios Sostis is just under 100 meters in front of the port of Agios Sostis and is connected to it via a footbridge southwest of the village of Laganas. All three islands are uninhabited, with Agios Sostis being used as a bar and disco. Both Marathonisi and Agios Sostis are privately owned.

North of Zakynthos lies the largest Ionian island, Kefalonia . The closest distance between the northern tip of Zakynthos (Cape Skinari) and Kefalonia is 15 km. To the east of Zakynthos lies the north-western tip of the Peloponnese , Cape Kyllini. The part of the Ionian Sea between the northwest coast of the Peloponnese and the east coast of Zakynthos is known as the Zakynthos Channel: at its narrowest point it is 9.5 km wide. To the west, the closest landmass is southern Italy and Sicily. Approx. The Strofades archipelago is 35 km south of Zakynthos.

Athens is about 300 km east of Zakynthos, Thessaloniki about 500 km northeast, Patras about 70 km east-northeast.

geology

Zakynthos is one of the most earthquake prone areas in Greece. According to the four-stage earthquake risk classification of Greece (based on the probability of severe earthquakes, where I means low and IV very high probability) Zakynthos belongs to Zone IV according to the classification according to the earthquake protection laws of Greece from 2003 (for comparison: Florina II, Athens III, Thessaloniki III, Corinth IV, Syros I, Naxos I). Severe earthquakes with major property damage as well as injuries and deaths have been described repeatedly for Zakynthos. The last major earthquake with human casualties and considerable destruction on the island occurred on August 12, 1953. Earthquakes with tsunamis have also been described, for example an earthquake on December 3, 1898. Changes in the landscape have also been made in Zakynthos over the past thousand years Caused by earthquakes: An earthquake with a tsunami led to considerable flooding on November 5, 1633 and to the separation of today's small island of Agios Sostis southwest of Laganas from Cape Agios Sostis and thus the mainland.

The reason for this earthquake frequency is the location of the so-called Zakynthos Hellenic trench (English Hellenic trench ), the west extending the island from northwest to southeast. The Hellenic Rift is created by the collision between the Eurasian and African continental plates . The latter forms a large part of the bottom of the Ionian Sea between Sicily and southern Italy in the west and the Ionian Islands and mainland Greece in the east. Both mainland Greece and the Ionian Islands, including Zakynthos, are located on the Eurasian continental plate. Earthquakes occur repeatedly due to the tension between the colliding continental plates. Another consequence of the plate collision is the Hellenic rift as a deepening of the earth's crust , which in the Ionian Sea to the west, south-west and south of Zakynthos reaches depths of more than 4,000 m and is one of the deepest places in the Mediterranean.

climate

Zakynthos is located in the Mediterranean climate zone and thus has rainfall especially in the winter half-year . However, the annual rainfall is quite high, which creates a lush vegetation . This precipitation occurs in winter when the air over the warm Ionian Sea is saturated with moisture and the clouds then hit land for the first time from west to east on the Greek west coast and thus also in Zakynthos and rain down there.

Monthly average temperatures, hours of sunshine, rainy days and water temperatures for Zakynthos Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max. Temperature ( ° C ) 14th 14th 16 20th 25th 29 32 32 29 25th 20th 16 O 22.7 Min. Temperature (° C) 8th 8th 10 13 16 19th 22nd 22nd 20th 17th 14th 10 O 15th Hours of sunshine ( h / d ) 4th 5 6th 8th 9 10 12 11 9 7th 5 4th O 7.5 Rainy days ( d ) 13 13 10 6th 3 2 0 1 3 8th 11 15th Σ 85 Water temperature (° C) 12 12 13 14th 18th 22nd 24 25th 23 20th 17th 16 O 18th Source: missing

fauna

Protective cage for a nesting site for the sea turtle Caretta caretta on the beach of Laganas

The endangered loggerhead turtle ( Caretta caretta ) uses the beaches in the south of the island along the Bay of Laganas as a nesting area. The beaches used as nesting areas have a total length of 5.5 km with widths between 10 and 60 m; the longest nesting beach is 2.7 km long. The loggerhead turtle laid eggs between 857 and 2018 per year. From the beginning of June, the female animals come to the southern beaches to bury their eggs in the sand at night. The breeding season is about 55 days. The hatched cubs immediately set off for the open sea. It is very important to protect the clutches as the survival rate of the young is very low. One or two turtles can make it out of around 1000 eggs. If a nest is found in an endangered area (e.g. a beach entrance), it is protected with a grid. To protect these turtles, motorized water sports are not allowed on some beaches. There are also boundaries on some beaches so that umbrellas and the like do not destroy the eggs. In order not to disturb the animals when they lay their eggs at night, part of the beach is completely closed from 7:00 p.m.

Portions of this article appear since 2009 is out of date to be .
Please help to research and insert the missing information .

With the help of the environmental organization "Earth, Sea and Sky", a new turtle rescue station is to be completed in spring 2009.

Dolphins live in the island's surrounding coastal waters. For the land fauna cf. Kühnelt 1941.

history

Memorial for Greek EAM partisans who were executed in Zakynthos town during the Second World War

Zakynthos was settled around 110,000 years ago; this is evidenced by correspondingly old stone tools of the Neanderthals .

The earliest clearly datable traces of modern humans ( Homo sapiens ) on Zakynthos come from the early Bronze Age; the classification of some tools and red, hand-made ceramics as Neolithic is not certain. What is striking is the lack of findings so far, clearly identified as Middle Bronze Age (or Middle Helladic ) , although Early Bronze Age (or Early Helladic ) artefacts were discovered in several places on the island. However, some finds that are considered to be from the Early Bronze Age could possibly come from the Middle Bronze Age. Finds from the Mycenaean period are quite significant , e.g. B. the Mycenaean tombs at Kambi and Keri. On linear B panels from the so-called Palace of Nestor in Messenia , which dates back to the early 12th century BC. Chr., Encountered several times the designation Za-ky-si-ja , which is read as "from Zakynthos", or similar forms. From there came u. a. Wagon wheels and rowers. It is obvious to connect it with the island of Zakynthos, but it cannot be completely ruled out that the name may refer to another region, e.g. B. in Messinia relates. The Achaians settled Zakynthos from their settlement area on the nearby Zakynthos Peloponnese . They also used the island as a stopover for the colonization of southern Italy with the subsequent founding of cities Kroton and Sybaris . According to legend, the town of Sagunto was a colony of the island of Zakynthos. 456 BC Zakynthos and the neighboring island of Kefalonia joined the Attic League under the leadership of Athens. In the Peloponnesian War of 431 to 404 BC Zakynthos fought on the side of Athens and was defeated in 404 BC. Under Spartan control. With the expansion of the hegemony of the Kingdom of Macedonia under Philip II , Zakynthos came under Macedonian control. This ended after the First Macedonian-Roman War from 215 to 205 BC. Chr .: In return for the neutrality of the Athaman in this war, the Macedonian King Philip V gave Zakynthos to Athamania . In the First Macedonian-Roman War, the Roman Empire conquered in 211 BC. BC Zakynthos briefly and devastated the island. The Romans did not leave a garrison behind.

In the summer of 191 BC Armed forces of the Roman Empire conquered Zakynthos and devastated the island: They once again left no occupying power behind and withdrew after they had been conquered and devastated. At that time, the island was still under Athaman's rule. According to the Roman historian Livy, the Athenian governor sold the island to the Achaean League . This sale of the island and its occupation by the Achaean League aroused resistance from the Roman Empire. At an Achaean federal assembly, Titus Quinctius Flaminius succeeded in regaining Zakynthos for the Roman Empire. With the breaking of the Achaean League in 146 BC BC Zakynthos finally fell into the hands of the Roman Empire , which assigned the island to the Roman province of Achaia.

Roman rule lasted until the division of the empire in AD 395. Zakynthos fell to the Byzantine Empire as part of this division of the empire . The Byzantines ruled the island until 1185. In that year the Normans conquered the island and then kept it under their control as the Palatinate Counties of Kefalonia and Zakynthos . The first "western" ruler of Zakynthos was Margaritos of Brindisi , who ruled Zakynthos with the other islands conquered by the Normans until 1194. After being blinded, Zakynthos and the Palatinate went to the Orsini family, who in 1209 submitted to the Republic of Venice .

The established Palatinate County remained in what is now Greece's territory even after the fall of Constantinople in 1204 as part of the Fourth Crusade and the subsequent Crusader states. Despite its re-establishment and expansion (1224 to 1261 and subsequent years), the Byzantine Empire was never able to regain control over Zakynthos. In 1212 the Roman Catholic diocese of Zante was founded on Zakynthos ; Zakynthos (city) became a bishopric. The palatine estate of Kefalonia and Zakynthos fell in 1324 to the King of Naples from the Anjou family ; the rule of the Orsini ended. In 1357 Robert of Taranto handed Zakynthos over to the nobleman and Neapolitan banker Leonardo I. Tocco from Benevento, Italy . In 1479 the rule of the Tocco family ended Zakynthos. The island fell to Venice in 1482 after its successful war against the Ottoman Empire (1463–1479). Venice had to pay tribute to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire 500 ducats annually. The Venetians divided the society of Zakynthos and the other islands under their control into three strata: (1) the nobles (nobili), who had political and economic power, (2) the commoners (civili; Cittadini), but the sometimes economic ones had no political power and the (3) Popolari (Plebeii), who held neither economic nor political power. This system primarily cemented political power in the hands of the nobles. In 1811, more than ten years after the end of Venetian rule, the classes of the Nobili and Civili comprised no more than 90 families with 33,353 inhabitants.

In 1571 Zakynthian ships took part in the Battle of Lepanto on the side of the Holy League and remained victorious with this over the Ottoman fleet.

In the 17th century, two severe earthquakes with tsunamis occurred on Zakynthos within eleven years. The first earthquake occurred on May 5, 1622, and the second on November 5, 1633. Three people died in the latter earthquake. After the Venetian defeat in the siege of Heraklion in 1669 and the subsequent end of Venetian rule over Crete , parts of the population also left Crete for Zakynthos. This influx of people and their culture founded the Ionian School as an art direction on Zakynthos, initially in painting. At the end of the 17th century, the Venetians under Francesco Morosini used Zakynthos and the other Ionian Islands under their control as a base for the campaign against the Peloponnese (Morea), which was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. In this campaign, German (Hanoverian) soldiers under Otto Wilhelm von Königsmarck were on the side of Venice who participated in the war and stayed on Zakynthos.

The Venetians exercised control over the island of Zakynthos until the fall of Venice to Napoleon I in 1797 ( Peace of Campo Formio ). After the fall of Venice, the politically unrestricted population, the Popolari, of Zakynthos rose against the ruling class of the Nobili and burned the Libro d'Oro , the table of contents of the noble families of Zakynthos. Zakynthos then came to France as Department Mér-Égée until 1799 . French rule ended after a joint intervention by the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire . Zakynthos was occupied by Russian troops and was administratively subordinate to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. In March 1799, the Republic of the Ionian Islands was established, to which Zakynthos belonged. A year later, in 1800, the British took control of the Republic of the Ionian Islands as a protective power. 1802 took place on Zakynthos an uprising against the ruling political structures; the later first Greek president, Ioannis Kapodistrias , implemented reforms on the Ionian Islands and thus also on Zakynthos as a result of the uprising. On January 22nd, 1804, the Legislative Assembly of the Ionian Islands decided that the small islands of Marathonisi, Pelouzo, Trenta Nova, Prodano, Sapientza, Porto Selinari, Venetica and all other islands up to Cape Gallo should be assigned to Zakynthos.

Due to the Napoleonic expansion in Central Europe, the balance of power changed again in 1807. In the Peace of Tilsit in 1807, the Ionian Islands and thus Zakynthos were again added to France. Two years later, in 1809, the British annexed Zakynthos. In 1815 Zakynthos became a British crown colony as part of the Republic of the Ionian Islands. Although Zakynthos was involved both in the preparations (from 1819) and in the implementation of the Greek War of Independence from 1821 to 1829, it was not assigned to the New Greek state established in 1829, but remained under British suzerainty. The end of Venetian rule and the beginning of British rule were culturally accompanied by the emergence of the Ionian school in music. The first Greek music school was founded in Zakynthos Town in 1815, the first wind orchestra in 1816 and a philharmonic orchestra in 1843.

With the abdication of Otto I and the appointment of George I as King of Greece in 1864, the British surrendered the Ionian Islands, including Zakynthos, to the Kingdom of Greece. On April 17, 1893, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 caused severe damage. The villages of Keri, Gaitani, Agalas and Lithakia were destroyed, in Zakynthos town 2,000 houses were destroyed and damage of 13.2 million drachmas was caused; two people died.

During the Second World War , Zakynthos was occupied by Italian troops in April 1941. When Italy turned to the side of the Allies in September 1943, the Italian occupation forces were replaced by the German Wehrmacht . The deportation of the 275 people of Jewish faith in Zakynthos, planned by the German Wehrmacht in 1944, was successfully prevented by the mayor of Zakynthos town Loukas Carrer and the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Zakynthos Christostomos; instead of the names of the Jewish citizens of Zakynthos, they put their two names on the list required by the occupying power. The German occupation ended in September 1944 with the general withdrawal of the Wehrmacht from Greece. During the Greek Civil War from 1946 to 1949, Zakynthos was also the scene of fighting.

The earthquake on August 12, 1953 caused great damage . Large parts of the island villages, including the capital Zakynthos, were almost completely destroyed. 95% of all buildings on Zakynthos were destroyed by the earthquake.

Economy and Transport

Drying plant for currants (September 1929)

Old olive tree on Zakynthos

Olive trees above Keri village, Laganas municipality

economy

Until the advent of tourism, the economy of Zakynthos was dominated by agriculture. Main agricultural products were and are currants , tropical fruits, wine and, above all, olive oil . 36% of the island's area is covered by olive trees. A significant expansion of olive production took place under English rule: from 1828 to 1836 the area under olive cultivation was increased from 104,523 acres to 219,339 acres. The acreage for wine also rose in the same period from 49,066 to 119,152 acres. Grain is grown only in small quantities: it was introduced under English rule. From 1828 to 1836, the grain acreage on Zakynthos increased from 0 to 16,137 acres. In addition to agriculture, fishing played a prominent role: its importance has decreased significantly due to the decline in fish stocks around Zakynthos. The main economic pillar of Zakynthos has meanwhile become tourism.

Zakynthos had significant mineral resources, especially in ancient times, due to the occurrence of pitch. In Limni Keriou there are springs of liquid earth pitch up to 2.5 m in diameter and 1 m deep. They were already described by Herodotus in antiquity and used for caulking (sealing) ships. In the past, leaks of liquid earth pitch could also be observed at Porto Vromi: in the present, no more earth pitch emerges at this point. On the Skopos peninsula on the mountain of the same name and in the Anavyssos Gorge between Kiliomeno and Lithakia, larger quarries are operated.

traffic

Zakynthos has a dense road network, which is largely based on British colonial rule in the 19th century. The roads themselves are well developed in smaller parts, but narrow, winding and insufficiently secured in larger parts (guardrails on mountain routes or coastal roads). The main road connections all start in Zakynthos Town and lead in a star shape to all regions of the island. These road connections also include the only national road from Zakynthos, national road 35 , which leads from Zakynthos in the southwest of the island via Laganas, Pandokratoras, Lithakia and Limni Keriou to Keri. To the north, the main road connection leads from Zakynthos Town via Katastari to Volimes, to the south from Zakynthos Town via Argasi and Agios Nikolaos to Vasilikos on the Skopos Peninsula. A road running in the longitudinal axis on the mountain range of Zakynthos connects Keri in the south via Agalas, Kiliomeno, Exo Chora, Maries and Anafonitira with Volimes in the north. A branch line runs parallel to this route on the eastern slopes of the mountain range from Lithakia via Pandokratoras, Macherado, Agia Marina to Katastari. The road network also provides the basis for local and long-distance public transport, which is implemented exclusively with buses. The connections between the different places on the island are carried out by the KTEL Zakynthos. In addition, some communities and towns, especially Zakynthos City, have local bus routes.

The connection to the mainland (Peloponnese) and to neighboring islands (Kefalonia) is realized via car ferries . While the ferry connection to Kefalonia is only carried out in the summer half of the year from Agios Nikolaos, the car ferries operate continuously between Zakynthos town and the port of Kyllini in the Peloponnese . In summer, the ferries run every 3 hours from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day. The ferry connection from Zakynthos to Kyllini is the fifth largest ferry connection in Greece in terms of the number of passengers: 987,000 in 2002, 993,000 in 2003 and 1.043 million in 2004. On the ferry to Kyllini also regular bus services to be Athens and Thessaloniki by KTEL performed Zakynthos.

Railways do not exist on Zakynthos. An indirect railway connection existed until 2011 in Kavasila in the Peloponnese, which could be reached by ferry. The railway line was shut down in 2011 .

Zakynthos has been connected to international air traffic since 1972 by the Zakynthos International Airport "Dionysios Solomos" . Scheduled planes only run to Athens Airport ; Charter flights operate throughout Europe, especially during the tourism season.

Downsides

The island hit the headlines first within Greece, later also internationally, in the context of the Greek national debt crisis with regard to false certificates for illegally obtaining blind money. 700 of the approximately 38,000 inhabitants of Zakynthos were certified as visually impaired in terms of blind allowance - almost ten times as many as the European average. When the disbursements were frozen and controls for further approval by State Secretary Markos Bolaris were ordered in the spring of 2012, however, only 100 affected persons appeared. The medical officer was only able to certify a disability for 70 people. Among the false recipients who received government blind allowance of 350 euros per month were a taxi driver who continued his trade and hobby hunters. The Greek Ministry of Health called for criminal prosecution of the illegal recipients and those who had issued incorrect certificates. The Ministry of Zakynthos estimates the annual financial damage caused by the fraud at around two million euros.

Tax evasion and illegal construction also attracted further attention. While taxes and fees were paid for just 2.8 million square meters on the island, there is actually real estate with an area of ​​6.2 million square meters. A hotel with over 6,200 square meters has only paid taxes for a reported 60 square meters for several decades. An 880 square meter villa with a swimming pool was reported as 20 square meters. The owner of a two-story house with 938 square meters had declared only 40 square meters.

4,329 buildings, including luxury villas, were reported with a living space of zero square meters. Many residents paid no taxes at all. Around 15,000 buildings were erected in nature reserves without building permits. Many residents tapped the electricity directly from the grid or from neighboring properties. The community lost an annual income of six million euros.

Population and administrative division

population

Zakynthos - view of the main town Zakynthos (town)

Development of the population:

• 1811: 33,353 (island), 14,124 (city)
• 1836: 35.848
• 1844: 38.929
• 1850: 40,000
• 1857: 38,929 (island), 20,000 (city)
• 1860: 38,627 (island), 20,000 (city)
• 1863: 39,367 (island), 18,000 (city)
• 1900: 42,000
• 1981: 30.011
• 1991: 32,556 (island), 13,000 (city)
• 2001: 38,000
• 2011: 40,759

The capital Zakynthos has about 13,000 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Zakynthos was divided into 6 municipalities after the Greek local government reform Schedio Kapodistrias carried out in 1997 . These were formed partly from the amalgamation of pre-existing communities and partly from the expansion of existing communities. Since the administrative reform in 2010 , they have formed the municipal districts (Ez. Gr. Dimotiki enotita ) of the united municipality of Zakynthos.

Parish	Greek name	code	Area (km²)	Residents 2011	City district / local communities (Δημοτική / Τοπική Κοινότητα)	location
Zakynthos	Δημοτική Ενότητα Ζακυνθίων	330101	045.763	16,810	Zakynthos , Ambelokipi, Argasi, Bochali, Gaitani, Vasilikos
Alykes	Δημοτική Ενότητα Αλυκών	330102	042.881	05,203	Agios Dimitrios, Alikanas, Alykes, Ano Gerakari, Kallithea, Katastari, Kato Gerakari, Meso Gerakari, Pigadakia, Skoulikado
Arkadii	Δημοτική Ενότητα Αρκαδίων	330103	026,475	05,215	Agios Kirykos, Kalipado, Kypseli, Planos, Sarakinado, Tragaki, Vanato
Artemisia	Δημοτική Ενότητα Aρτεμησίων	330104	104.890	04,612	Agia Marina, Agii Pandes, Agios Leondas, Fiolitis, Galaro, Gyri, Kiliomenos, Langadakia, Lagopodo, Loucha, Macherado, Romiri, Vougiato
Elatia	Δημοτική Ενότητα Ελατίων	330105	111.412	01.933	Anafonitria, Ano Volimes, Exo Chora, Maries, Orthonies, Volimes
Laganas	Δημοτική Ενότητα Λαγανά	330106	073,804	06,986	Agalas, Kalamaki, Keri, Lithakia, Mouzaki, Pandokratoras
total		3301	405.225	40,759

The Strofades archipelago belongs administratively to the municipality of Zakynthos.

Places and sights

The Panagia Faneromeni Church from 1633 in Zakynthos Town

View of the bay with the shipwreck (Navagio)

Mizithres rocks on the southwest coast of the island near the village of Keri

The island of Agios Sostis in the bay of Laganas

The "turtle island" Marathonisi

The capital Zakynthos is located on the east coast in the form of an ancient theater , on a hill whose summit crowns the citadel built by the Venetians . It has many Greek Orthodox churches (including the Church of Panagia Faneromeni and that of Agios Dionysios) and a Roman Catholic Church. The city is significantly shaped by the Venetian influence in its architecture and urban layout. In the severe earthquake on August 12, 1953, Zakynthos Town was almost completely destroyed.

The west coast is rocky and mostly difficult to walk on. Nevertheless, this part of the island offers a very good view of mountains, rocks, forests and the sea. The bay with the shipwreck (Navagio) is in the northern section and can only be reached by ship. Further south are Porto Vromi, Kambi and Limnionas. On the ridge from north to south comes first to Anafonitria with the viewing terrace on the shipwreck and with two Greek Orthodox monasteries. The villages of Maries, Kambi, Exo Chora, Kiliomeno and other smaller villages follow to the south. They are predominantly characterized by agriculture. In some places (Anafonitria, Maries, Kambi) tourism is becoming increasingly important. In the very south of the island is the small village of Keri.

Smugglers Bay (Navagio, Shipwreck Bay)

A particularly popular travel destination is Navagio Bay, which is only accessible from the sea ( 37 ° 51 ′ 34.2 ″  N , 20 ° 37 ′ 30 ″  E ) with the shipwreck of Zakynthos. The wreck of the coaster “Panagiotis” lies there on a small beach, surrounded by up to 200 meters high, vertically rising rock walls, over which there is a small platform. It is the only vantage point that allows a view of the wreck from the land side. The smuggler's ship ran aground in October 1980 when the coastguard pursued it in a stormy sea. It suffered machine damage and stranded without a driver with its illegal cargo of cigarettes in the bay formerly known as "Agios Georgios". The ship's crew managed to save themselves.

The bay was a location of South Korean television series Descendants of the Sun . This resulted in increased interest from tourists from China and South Korea to visit the bay.

Keri

Above the coast on a slope overgrown with olive trees is the village of Kerí at the southern end of the west coast. The earthquake of 1953 did little damage to the mighty, Renaissance-style church of Panagia Keriótissa . The windows and the portico still have the original decorations. The bell tower next to the church can be climbed and offers a magnificent view of the village and coast. From the village a road leads down about 2 km to the snow-white lighthouse Cape Kerí. Along the lighthouse, the two Mizítres rocks are clearly visible, stone cones of different sizes formed by the sea. The largest Greek flag in the world has been flying since 2007 at the “Lighthouse Restaurant” in Keri. The fabric, which weighs over 80 kg, is 36.9 m long and 18.1 m wide.

Kampi

The small hamlet (which belongs to the municipality of Exo Chóra ) only has around 70 inhabitants, but is a popular destination for tourists. With the 5-star hotel opened on the edge of the village in 2008, tourism has become even more important. The deeply cut Pórto Skíza Bay, whose bright rocks fall around 200 meters vertically into the sea, is a special sight. Visible from afar, a white cross mounted above the cliff commemorates the victims of the Greek civil war . The Mycenaean cemetery indicates the settlement of the island during the Mycenaean culture .

Blue grottos at Cape Skinari (Galazia Spilea)

The blue grottoes can be visited with small boats. The water there reflects in various shades of blue.

Marathonisi

Opposite the coast of Keri or Limni Keriou is the small island of Marathonisi in the bay of Laganas. The island has two reefs called Pontikonisia. The island has a diameter of about 1.5 km. It is not inhabited and is privately owned. Marathonisi has a lush vegetation of fennel (Greek name Marathia), oak and pine trees and two beaches: a large beach that sticks out like a tongue into the sea and is used by the sea turtle Caretta caretta as a nesting place, and a smaller one with rocks after three Sides enclosed beach on the west coast of Marathonisi. The rest of the island is rocky and protrudes up to 145 m from the sea. From a distance, Marathonisi resembles a turtle and is therefore mainly referred to by tourists as the “turtle island”.

Personalities

Personalities connected to Zakynthos

• Konstantin Sergejewitsch Aksakow (* 1817, Novo Aksakow, Orenburg, Russia; † 1860, Zakynthos): Russian writer .
• Juan de Fuca (* 1536, Kefalonia ; † 1602 Zakynthos): Greek navigator .
• Nikolaos Doxaras (* 1706/1710, Kalamata ; † 1775, Zakynthos): Greek painter .
• Theodoros Kolokotronis (* 1770, Karitena , Peloponnese; † 1843, Athens ): fled the Ottoman Empire to Zakynthos in 1806.
• Georgios Kostakis (* 1913, Moscow ; † 1990, Athens ): Greek art collector from a Zakynthian family.
• Iosif Liveralis (* 1820, Corfu ; † 1899, Zakynthos): Greek composer .
• Edgar Allan Poe dedicated the poem "Sonnet - to Zante" to the island.
• Georgios Tertsetis (* 1800; † 1874): poet and prose writer , friend of Dionysios Solomos.
• Leonardo II. Tocco (* around 1375/76; † 1418/19), Lord of Zakynthos.
• Ioannis Varvakis (* 1745, Psara ; † 1825, Zakynthos): Greek military in the service of the Russian Empire and in the Greek War of Independence
• Andreas Vesalius (* 1514, Brussels ; † 1564, Zakynthos): Flemish anatomist .
• Gregorios Xenopoulos (* 1867, Constantinople ; † 1951, Athens ): Greek writer .
• Ernst Ziller (* 1837, Serkowitz ; † 1923, Athens ): German architect, built the theater in Zakynthos City .

Sons and Daughters of Zakynthos

Tomb of the poet Dionysios Solomos in the museum in Zakynthos (town)

• Nikolaos Koutouzis (* 1741, Zakynthos; † 1813, Zakynthos): Greek writer .
• Antonio Cagnoli (* 1743, Zakynthos; † 1816, Verona , Italy): Italian astronomer .
• Nikolaos Kandounis (* 1767, Zakynthos; † 1834, Zakynthos): Greek writer .
• Ugo Foscolo (* 1778, Zakynthos; † 1827, Turnham Green, London): Italian poet .
• Andreas Kalvos (* 1792, Zakynthos; † 1869, Louth, Great Britain): Greek poet .
• Dionysios Solomos (* 1798, Zakynthos; † 1857, Corfu ): Greek poet , author of the Greek national anthem .
• Elisabeth Moutsan-Martinegnou (* 1801, Zakynthos; † 1832, Zakynthos): Greek writer .
• Gennaios Kolokotronis (* 1803, Zakynthos; † 1868): Greek politician , Prime Minister 1862.
• Dionysios Kallivokas (* 1806, Zakynthos; † 1877, Athens): Greek painter
• Konstantinos Iatras (* 1811, Zakynthos; † 1888, Zakynthos): Greek painter .
• Dionysios Tsokos (* 1814, Zakynthos; † 1862, Athens ): Greek painter .
• Pavlos Carrer (* 1829, Zakynthos; † 1896, Zakynthos): Greek composer .
• Dionysios Thavoularis (* 1840, Zakynthos; † 1928): actor
• Loukas Karreris , also Lukas Carrer: Greek politician, mayor of Zakynthos during World War II.
• Sokrates Kapsaskis (* 1928, Zakynthos; † 2007): Greek poet, film director and translator
• Panagiotis Kapodistrias (* 1961, Banato, Zakynthos): Greek theologian and writer .
• Kostas Koklas (* 1966, Zakynthos): Greek actor
• Petros Klampanis (* 1981, Zakynthos): Greek jazz musician

literature

• Zakynthos. Road-Tourist & Navy Map, 1: 50,000. Orama Editions, Athens, ISBN 978-960-8283-05-3 .
• Zakynthos. 1: 70,000. Road Editions, Athens, ISBN 960-8481-53-8 .
• Marco Polo Greece - Mainland, Cyclades, Corfus, Sporades. Map 1: 300,000. Mairdumont, Ostfildern 2008, ISBN 978-3-8297-3750-0 .
• Klaus Bötig : Marco Polo Zákynthos (Itháki, Kefalloniá, Léfkas). 8th edition. Mairs Geographischer Verlag, Ostfildern 2005, ISBN 978-3-89525-753-7 .
• Antje Schwab, Gunther Schwab: Zakynthos. 5th edition. Michael Müller Verlag, Erlangen 2013, ISBN 978-3-89953-786-4 .
• Stelios Kontaratos, Iakovos Kontarakos (ed.): Zakynthos. Summer Dream Editions. Athens, ISBN 960-7439-59-7 .
• Zakynthos. Adam Editions (Verlag Adam-Pergamos SA), Peania Attikis, ISBN 960-500-387-2 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Results of the 2011 census. ( MS Excel ; 2.6 MB) National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ)
2. ↑ If Pliny , Naturalis historia 4, 54 as another name Hyrie leads (Zacynthus, aliquando appellata Hyrie) , it confuses the ionic island with the alternative name Zakynthos Cycladic island Paros ; see. Ludwig Bürchner : Hyria 3. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume IX, 1, Stuttgart 1914, column 453 ( digitized version ).
3. ↑ Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή [ΕΛΣΤΑΤ] (Ed.): Στατιστική Επετηρίδα της Ελλάδος (Statistical Yearbook of Greece) 2009 & 2010 . Piraeus 2011, p. 47 .
4. ↑ ID Banitsiotou, TM Tsapanos, VN Margaris, PM Hatzidimitriou: Estimation of the seismic hazard parameters for various sites in Greece using a probabilistic approach. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. Volume 4. 2004, pp. 399-405, p. 404.
5. ↑ ^{a b} Information from the USGS about the earthquake in Kefalonia on August 12, 1953. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008 ; Retrieved July 20, 2008 (English). 
6. ↑ Historical tsunamis in Greece. Information from the Geodynamic Institute of Athens National Observatory on earthquakes (seismicity) in Greece (English). Last accessed July 30, 2008
7. ↑ ^{a b} Historical tsunamis in Greece. Information from the Geodynamic Institute of Athens National Observatory on earthquakes (seismicity) in Greece (English). Last accessed July 30, 2008
8. ↑ ^{a b} Information from NOAA about the tsunami of November 5, 1633 in Zakynthos (English). Last accessed July 30, 2008
9. ↑ Information from the Geodynamic Institute of the Athens National Observatory on earthquakes ( seismicity ) in Greece (English). Last accessed July 30, 2008
10. ↑ ^{a b} Kornaraki E. et al .: Effectiveness of different conservation measures for loggerhead sea turtle (caretta caretta) nests at Zakynthos Island, Greece. Biological Conservation 130 (2006), 324-330.
11. ↑ Project Areas Zakynthos island
12. ↑ Our current conservation campaign for sea turtles
13. ^ Wilhelm Kühnelt: Zoological results from one of Professor Dr. Jan Versluys guided research trip to Zante. In: Negotiations of the Zoological-Botanical Society in Vienna. 88-89, 1941, pp. 109-214 ( PDF on ZOBODAT ).
14. ↑ George Ferentinos et al .: Early seafaring activity in the southern Ionian Islands, Mediterranean Sea. In: Journal of Archaeological Science , online pre-publication of February 10, 2012, doi: 10.1016 / j.jas.2012.01.032 .
15. ↑ Christina Souyoudzoglou-Haywood: The Ionian Islands in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, 3000-800 BC. Liverpool University Press, 1999, p. 7.
16. ↑ Christina Souyoudzoglou-Haywood: The Ionian Islands in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, 3000-800 BC. Liverpool University Press, 1999, p. 121 f.
17. ↑ s on the mentions Thomas G. Palaima : Maritime Matters in the Linear B Tablets. , Aegaeum 7 (1991), pp. 273-311 ( PDF ( Memento of September 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive )).
18. ↑ Livy , Ab urbe condita 21,7,2 ; Strabon 3,4,6 ; Appian , Iberica 2.7 ; Pliny , Naturalis historia 16,216 .
19. ↑ ^{a b} Rene Pfeilschifter: Titus Quinctius Flamininus: Investigations on the Roman policy on Greece. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2005, ISBN 3-525-25261-7 , p. 233.
20. ^ John Davy: Notes and observations on the Ionian Islands and Malta: with some remarks on Constantinople and Turkey, and on the system of quarantine as at present conducted. Volume 2. Smith, Elder & Co, London 1842, p. 33.
21. ^ Information from NOAA about the tsunami of May 5, 1622 in Zakynthos. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012 ; accessed on July 30, 2008 (English). 
22. ^ Information from NOAA about the earthquake of November 5, 1633 in Zakynthos. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012 ; accessed on July 30, 2008 (English). 
23. ↑ Great Britain Foreign Office (Ed.): British and Foreign State Papers 1849-1850 (2). Vol. XXXIX. Harrison & Sons, London 1863, p. 623.
24. ^ Information from NOAA about the earthquake of April 17, 1893 in Zakynthos (English). Last accessed July 30, 2008.
25. ↑ United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: The Holocaust in Greece. P. 17 ff.
26. ^ ^{A b c} Royal Geographic Society of Great Britain: A Gazetteer of the World. Volume IV, Hensburrow-Lurin. A. Fullarton, Edinburgh / London / Dublin 1856, p. 255.
27. ↑ National Statistical Service of Greece (EYSE): 2005 Concise Statistical Yearbook. Piraeus 2006, ISSN  0069-8245 , p. 203.
28. ↑ The Telegraph of April 18, 2012: Greece tries to crack down on fraud as Mayor of Zakynthos faces revolt.
29. ↑ Christian Science Monitor of April 30, 2012: Greek 'island of the blind'? More like 'island of welfare cheats'.
30. ↑ Focus from April 15, 2012: The Greeks are dreaming again.
31. ↑ FAZ of May 13, 2012: Blindes Hellas.
32. ^ John Davy: Notes and observations on the Ionian Islands and Malta: with some remarks on Constantinople and Turkey, and on the system of quarantine as at present conducted. Volume 2. Smith, Elder & Co, London 1842, p. 32.
33. ^ ^{A b} Royal Geographic Society of Great Britain: A Gazetteer of the World. Volume IV, Hensburrow-Lurin. A. Fullarton, Edinburgh / London / Dublin 1856, p. 254.
34. ↑ ^{a b} Georg Friedrich Kolb: Handbook of comparative statistics and national studies and national studies. Meyer & Zeller Verlag, Zurich 1857, p. 293.
35. ^ Georg Friedrich Kolb: Handbook of comparative statistics and national state and national studies. Förstnersche Buchhandlung (Arthur Felix Verlag), Leipzig 1862, p. 380.
36. ^ Georg Friedrich Kolb: Handbook of comparative statistics and national state and national studies. Arthur Felix Verlag, Leipzig 1865, p. 412.
37. ↑ Law 2539/1997, «Συγκρότηση της Πρωτοβάθμιας Τοπικής Αυτοδιοίκησης." ΦΕΚ 244A / December 4, 1997, Άρθρο 1. Σύσταση δήμων και κοινοτήτων. P. 8801 ( PDF Online , Greek).
38. ↑ Kallikratis Program, Law 3852/2010, «Νέα Αρχιτεκτονική της Αυτοδιοίκησης και της Αποκεντρωμένης ΔιοκεντρωμΠνης Διοίκησης - Πρόγραμημα άρτάτης τρτάτης. ΦΕΚ 87 A / 7.6.2010, Άρθρο 1. Σύσταση δήμων. P. 1788 ( PDF Online , Greek).
39. ↑ Tourists flock to this country to stand where Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo stood in 'Descendants of the Sun' , Allkpop . March 26, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2018. 
40. ↑ You'd be surprised by how many real locations made up Descendants of the Sun's fictional country of Uruk . DramaFever . April 27, 2016. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved July 6, 2018. 
41. ↑ Latest Drama Hit Creates New Travel Boom , The Korea Bizwire. March 26, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2018. 
42. ^ The Biggest Flag of The World (Greek) www.theflag.gr ( Memento from January 1, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Official website
43. ^ Günther, Hans-Christian (trans.): Dionysios Solomos: Works . Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 978-3-515-07249-6 , p. 24.
44. ↑ Alexander von Bormann: Discontinuities in European Romanticism. Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg 2006, ISBN 3-8260-3001-X , p. 119 ff.

Web links

Commons : Zakynthos  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files