Kefalonia

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(Redirected from Cephallenia)

Cephallonia Prefecture Νομός Κεφαλληνίας

Periphery	Ionian Islands
Capital	Argostoli
Population	42,088 (2005)Ranked 50th
Area	904 km² Ranked 49th
Population density	46.6/km²Ranked 33rd
Number of provinces	3
Number of municipalities	8
Number of communities	1
Postal codes	28x xx
Area codes	267x0
Licence plate code	ΚΕ
ISO 3166-2 code	GR-23

Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallania, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek: Κεφαλληνία; Modern Greek: Κεφαλλονιά or Κεφαλονιά ), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece. Location: 20°30' E, and between 38°12' and 38°18' N. The f in the name comes from the modern convention of transcribing the Greek character φ as an f. In Ancient Greek, where this character was pronounced as an aspirated p, it was normally transcribed as ph, which explains the older spellings of the name.

The island is named after the mythological figure Cephalus (Ciphalis), although some believe its name literally means "an island with a head", referring to the island's shape, because the name "Ciphalis" is derived from the Greek word for "head".

[edit] Geography

Image:Petani beach, Kefalonia 10-2003 01.jpg

The capital of the Kephalonia prefecture is Argostoli. The island's population is nearly 45,000. It used to be the fastest-growing part of Greece, with a growth rate of 35% to 40% during the 1990s. The size of the island is ca. 800 km² (300 mi²), and the present population density is 55 people per km² (140/mi²). Argostoli is home to one-third of the island's habitants. Lixouri is the second major settlement. The two towns account for almost two-thirds of the prefecture's population.

In ancient times, before it was named Kephalonia, only around 100 to 300 people lived there. When Kephalonia was founded in ancient times, the population had trebled to around 500–1,000 people. The population steadily grew until it reached 10,000 in the mid-20th century. The total topped 20,000 during the 1970s.

The island is covered by dense vegetation and offers plentiful natural beauty including beaches -- many of them inaccessible from land -- and spectacular caves. Mirtos, the most famous of these beaches, is a major tourist attraction, and has been ranked fifth worldwide for its scenic view.

Image:MirtosBay.JPG

Kephalonia's tallest mountain is Mount Ainos, elevation of 1628m (almost the same elevation as Denver, Colorado in North America). To the west-northwest are the Paliki mountains, where Lixouri is located. Other mountains include Gerania.

There are five harbours and ports in the prefecture: four main harbours on the island, Sami or Same, and a major port with links to Patras and Ithaca. Poros, in the south, has ferry routes to Kyllini. Argostoli, in the west, is the largest port, for local boats and ferries to Zante and regularly to Lixouri. Vasiliki, in the north, has links to Lefkas and Ithaca. There is room for about 100 small boats in Argostoli, where the port stretches 1 kilometre around the bay. Lixouri is situated 4 km across the bay from Argostoli, on the Lixouri peninsula. There is a road connection to the rest of the island, but driving from Lixouri to Argostoli involves a 30 km detour.

Kephalonia has one airport, Kephallinia Airport, with a runway of around 2.4 km. in length. The airport is about 10 km south of Argostoli. Almost every scheduled flight is an Olympic plane. The planes mainly fly to Athens, however there is an Ionian Island Hopper service 3 times a week calling at Kephalonia, Zante and Lefkas. In summer the airport handles many charter flights from all over Europe.

Kephalonia is located in the heart of an earthquake zone. Dozens of minor tremors occur each year. In 1953, a massive earthquake almost destroyed the island, leaving only Fiscardo in the north untouched.

Most of the Kefalonia population have surnames ending in "-atos".

[edit] Features

Image:Kephalonia.png

A large number of tourists visit Kephalonia during the peak season but, as one of the largest islands in Greece, it is well-equipped to handle them. Most tourists stay in or around Lassi, a serene resort a few kilometres from Argostoli, and their numbers have increased since the best-seller, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, became a movie (2001) shot on the island itself.

Almost every community in Kefphlonia has a name ending in "-ata", such as Lourdata, Favata, Delaportata, etc.

Kephalonia is home to two large monasteries. One is Haghia Panagia, in Markopoulo to the southeast, and the other is on the road between Argostoli and Michata, on a small plain surrounded by mountains. This second monastery has an avenue of about 200 trees lined from NW to SE with a circle in the middle.

A spectacular view of the Ionian Sea can be seen from west of Skála to north of Fiskárdo...

[edit] Ithaca

Off the northeast coast is Ithaca, an island known worldwide thanks to the Odyssey, the epic poem written by Homer about Odysseus's voyage and return. Odysseus was said by Homer to be the leader of the "Kephallinians", which is often offered as a folk explanation for why modern inhabitants of the islands are keen on travelling to other countries. Homer describes Ithaca thus:

"Around are many islands, close to each other, Doulichion and Same and wooded Zakynthos. Ithaca itself lies low, furthest out to sea, facing the western sunset. The rest stand apart, and face both dawn and sun."

Homer offers 26 descriptions of specific places on Odysseus' home island, but these do not match the modern island of Ithaca. For instance, the modern Ithaca faces east, and it is mountainous -- it does not "lie low". Thus it has been suggested that Homer's Ithaca is not the same place as the modern island of Ithaca.

Firstly, it has been suggested that Kephalonia and Ithaca once may have been joined, because Homer describes Ithaca as being both much larger than it now is, and on the final edge of Greece "facing the western sunset". Geographical data also suggests that the islands once may have been connected, although research still is being done to prove this.

Secondly, Robert Bittlestone, in his book Odysseus Unbound, has suggested that Paliki, now a peninsula of Kephalonia, was a separate island during the late Bronze Age, and it may be this that Homer was referring to when he described Ithaca. Bittlestone also suggests that migrants from Paliki may have carried the Odyssey tale with them as they migrated during the Greek Dark Ages, first to the mainland and finally to the eastern Aegean, where tradition places Homer's birthplace: this would account for the epic's detailed knowledge of Paliki.

[edit] Forestry and Fishing

Forestry is rare on the island, however timber output here is one of the highest in the Ionian islands, although lower than that of Elia in the Peloponnese. Forest fires were common during the 1990s and the early 2000s, but they have been handled safely by the island's fire service.

Fishing is very common throughout the waters within and around the island. The harbors of Argostoli and Lixouri are the main fishing centres. Overfishing can be a problem in Kephalonia, and in the Ionian area generally.

[edit] Agriculture

The primary agricultural occupations of Kephalonia are animal breeding and olive growing, with the remainder largely composed of grain and vegetables. Most vegetable production takes place on the plains, which cover less than 15% of the island. The majority of the island is rugged and mountainous, suitable only for goats. Less than a quarter of the island's land is arable.

The majority of Kephalonians lived in rural areas before the 1970s. Today the urban population accounts for two-thirds of the prefecture, while the other third remain in rural towns and villages close to farmland.

[edit] History

The island received its name from the mythical hero Cephalus, who arrived to the island as a refugee from Athens, displacing the island's initial inhabitants who were known as Taphians (Teloboes or Taphioi).

In the 16th to 18th centuries, it was one of the largest exporters of currents in the world, providing with Zakynthos and owned a large shipping fleet, even commissioning ships from the Danzig shipyard.

The towns and villages mostly were built high on hilltops, to prevent attacks from raiding parties of pirates that sailed the Ionian Sea during the 1820s.

Image:Fiscardo, Kefalonia 10-2003 01.jpg

In 1864, Kefalonia, together with all the other Ionian Islands, became a full member of the Greek state.

In World War II, the island was occupied by Axis powers. Until late 1943, the occupying force was predominantly Italian -- the Acqui division plus Navy personnel totalled 12,000 men -- but about 2,000 troops from Nazi Germany also were present. The island was largely spared from the fighting, until the armistice with Italy concluded by the Allies in September 1943. Confusion followed on the island, as the Italians were hoping to return home, but the Germans did not want the Italians' munitions to be used eventually against them. The Italian forces were hesitant to turn over their weapons for the same reason. As German reinforcements headed to the island the Italians dug in and, eventually, after a referendum among the soldiers to choose between surrender or fighting, they fought against the new German invasion. The fighting came to a head at the siege of Argostoli, where the Italians held out for around 6 hours. Ultimately the German forces prevailed, taking full control of the island. 6000 of the 9000 surviving Italian soldiers were brutally rounded up and executed.

While the war ended in central Europe in 1945, Kefalonia remained in conflict due to the Greek Civil War. Peace returned to Greece and the island in 1949.

[edit] The Great Earthquake of 1953

Kefalonia is just to the east of a major tectonic fault, where the European plate meets the Aegean plate at a slip boundary. This is similar to the more famous San Andreas Fault. There are regular earthquakes along this fault.

A series of four earthquakes hit the island in August 1953. These caused widespread destruction, with virtually every house on the island being destroyed. The third and most destructive of the earthquakes took place on August 12, 1953 at 09:24 UTC (11:24 local time) and had a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale. The epicentre of the quake was directly below the southern tip of the island. The entire island was raised as a result of this quake by 60cm and remains that much higher to this day. This can be seen in water marks on rocks around the coast.

Almost every house was destroyed in the 1953 earthquake, with only regions in the north escaping heavy shaking. Damage was estimated in tens of millions of dollars. However, the real damage to the economy occurred when residents left the island. It is estimated that 100,000 of the population of 125,000 left the island soon after the earthquake looking for a new life elsewhere.

The forest fire of the 1990s caused damage to the island's forests and bushes, especially a small scar north of Troianata, and a large area of damage extending from Kateleios north to west of Tzanata, ruining about 30 square kilometres of forest and bushes and resulting in the loss of some properties. The forest fire scar was seen for a couple of years.

Kefalonia became famous in the late 1990s thanks to the novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by English author Louis de Bernières. The love story that is the theme of the book takes place during the events of the Second World War, and is based on historical facts. A film adaptation was released in 2001.

The strong Lefkada earthquake of August 14, 2003 -- 50 years to the week after the 1953 quake -- also shook the entire island. However, little damage was reported on Kefalonia and Ithaca.

Three months after the Lefkada earthquake, another mid-November earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale caused minor damages to business, residential property, and other buildings within the Argostoli periphery. Damages were in the $1,000,000 range (300,000,000 drachmas).

On the morning of Tuesday September 20, 2005, an early-morning earthquake shook the southwestern part of the island, especially near Lixouri and its villages. The earthquake measured 4.9 on the Richter scale. The epicentre was located off the island in the sea. Service vehicles took care of the area. No damage was reported.

Between January 24 and 26 of 2006, a major snowstorm blanketed the entire island causing a major blackout.

[edit] Paliki Peninsula as Ancient Ithaca?

In 2005, British author Robert Brittlestone, with the assistance of classics expert James Diggle and geological expert John Underhill, published a book entitled Odysseus Unbound. The book theorizes that geological evidence plus classics-based analysis of The Odyssey point to the Paliki Peninsula of modern Kefalonia as the site of ancient Ithaca, home of Odysseus. The book essentially argues that many earthquakes, some rather massive, occurring over the last three millennia in and around Kefalonia, generated rockfall which served to fill up the narrow sea channel which formerly separated Paliki (ie. Ithaca) from the Kefalonia mainland. As of 2006, research testing this provocative theory was in progress.

[edit] Sports teams

[edit] Football team (D Division, junior/quarternary)

Argostoli AU - Argostoli
Dilinata AU - Dilinata
Ikossimias AU
Leivatho AU - Leivathos
Olympiaki Floga - Olympic Flame
Pylariakos - Pylaros
Sami AU - Sami

[edit] Baseball team (A' Division, Amateur Greek Championship)

AINOS Kefalonias

(2nd place in 2004)

[edit] Transportation

Stone roads and sidewalks once were common in Argostoli and Lixouri. Gravel roads replaced stone roads in the late 20th century, with the first paved road created in the 1960s on two one-way main streets in Argostoli. Other roads linking to Sami, to Poros, and to Lixouri, were built in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s the road network east of Argostoli to Michata and the monastery was opened. There now is a paved road with gravel, opened in 2002, east of Argostoli. There are approximately 2.5 km of one-way streets on the island. The island's main street is J. Metaxas Street. And the island now has traffic lights...

Other routes include:

Greek National Road 50, commonly Argostoli-Sami Road
Argostoli-Poros Road
Argostoli-Fiskardo Road
Road linking Poros and Sami
Road linking Sami and Lixouri

[edit] Communications

[edit] Radio

Radiokimata - Tzanata

[edit] Television

In Kefalonia:
- Kefalonia TV
- Planet TV
In Ithaca:
- Ithaki TV

[edit] Statistics, and Area

Here are the largest cities, villages and towns in order:

Argostoli (seat) 13,000
Lixouri 9,000
Fiskardo, rarely Fiscardo around 1,000
Sámi around 800
Skála around 2,000
Póros around 1,200
Ássos around 50 to 100

There are three provinces, and one independent municipality, Ithaca:

Formerly there was a province in the northeastern part of the prefecture:

Province of Ithaca, the province ceased to exist when the commune of Kalamos became a part of the prefecture of Lefkada. Kephalonia had four provinces at that time: this was reduced to three, and Ithaca became a non-provincial municipality.

[edit] Municipalities and communities

Municipality	YPES code	Seat (if different)
Argostoli	2701
Eleios-Pronnoi	2702	Pastra
Erisos	2703	Vasilikiades
Ithaca	2704	Vathy
Leivathos	2705	Kerameies
Paliki	2707	Lixouri
Pylaros	2708	Agia Effimia
Sami	2709
Community	YPES code	Seat (if different)
Omala	2706	Valsamata

[edit] Bays and capes within the island

Bays:

Mounda Bay, near Kateleios
Katelios

Capes:

Cape Agios Georgios (lat: 38.1667/38°10' N, long: 20.43333/20°26' E)

[edit] Persons

Spiros Kagadis, the Hollywood class screenplay writer of the Odyssey
Juan de Fuca (Ioannis Phokas), a Greek explorer employed by Spain who discovered the entrance to the Puget Sound and the Inland Passage between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland. The Strait is named after him.
Spyros Marinatos (November 4, 1901 in Lixouri - October 1, 1974 in Santorini)
Constantine Phaulkon, Greek adventurer
Nikolaos Platon, Greek archaeologist, excavated the Minoan Palastes on the island of Crete
Nikos Kavadias, a famous Greek poet
Ioannis Metaxas, general and governor of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941.
Ilias Miniatis: priest-teacher, who helped the Greeks, during the Turk Occupation.
Adonis Abatielos: an important member of KKE and the greatest Greek syndicalist of 20th century.
Marinos Harbouris: greco-russian engineer, who transported a giant rock from Finland to Saint Petersburg for the construction of the statue of Great Pierre. His action was considered as the greatest mechanic achievement of these ages.
Marinos Antypas: one of the first Greek socialists and the instigator of the agrarian revolution of Kileler.
Gerasimos Markoras: a Greek poet.
Andreas Gerasimos Michalitsianos: A Greek-American NASA astronomer.
Andreas Laskaratos: a famous Greek satiric poet.
Mikelis Avlihos: Greek satiric poet.
George Molfetas: Greek satiric poet.
Panait Istrati (Panagis Valsamis): national poet of Romania.
Dionysis Zakythinos: the greatet Greek byzantinologist.
Panagiotis Kavadias: the "father" of the Greek archaeology, who found the theatre of Epidaurus.
Spiros Vikatos: a famous Greek painter.
Nikos Xidias: Greek painter.
Gerasimos Steris: an international known Greek painter.
Thanasis Fokas: a great physist.
Gerasimos Sklavos: the greatet Greek sculptor,(with Giannoulis Halepas), of the 20th century.