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Kythera

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Coordinates: 36°10′N 23°0′E

Image:Flag of Greece.svg Kythera (Κύθηρα)
Coordinates 36°10′ N 23°0′ E
CountryGreece
Periphery Attica
Prefecture Piraeus
Population 3,354 source (2001)
Area 279.59 km²
Population density 12 /km²
Elevation  ? m
Postal code 801 00
Area code 27360

Kythera (in Greek, Κύθηρα) is an island of Greece, historically part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the eastern tip of the Peloponnesos peninsula and has an area of 284 km². The rugged terrain is a result of prevailing winds from the surrounding seas that have shaped its shores into steep, rocky cliffs with deep bays. For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means of transportation, the island possessed a strategic location. Since ancient times and until the mid-19th century, Kythera was a crossroads of merchants, sailors, and conquerors. As such, it has had a long and varied history and been influenced by a plethora of civilizations and cultures. This is reflected in Kythera's architecture (a blend of traditional, Aegean, and Venetian elements), as well as in its traditions and customs, influenced by centuries of coexistence of Greek, Venetian, and British cultures as well as by its numerous visitors.

Contents

[edit] History

At the start of the second millennium BCE, Kythera was a Minoan colony and in 424 BCE it came under the sway of Athens. In Ancient Greek mythology, it was considered to be the island of celestial Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, (cf. Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Sex). Over the centuries the island knew a succession of conquerors from the Romans to the Byzantines, Venetians, and Turks, and it was frequently looted by Barbary pirates. Kytherians still talk about the destruction and looting by Barbarossa, and it has become an intrinsic part of Kytherian folklore. The sight of several monasteries embedded in the rocky hillsides to avoid destruction by pirates attests to the truth behind these legends.

On May 21, 1864, the island was reunited with the newly recreated Greek state.

In the capital, Chora (or Kythera), inside the castle, one can find the Historical Archive of Kythera, the second largest in the Ionian Islands, after the one found in Corfu.

[edit] Kythera Today

Like many of the smaller Aegean islands, Kythera is depopulated. The island reached a peak population of about 14,500 in 1864, but that has steadily declined, mostly due to emigration, both internal (to major urban centers of Greece) and external (to Australia, the United States, Germany) in the first half of the 20th century. Today the population hovers around 3,354 people (2001 census), but the modern Greek diaspora has produced around 60,000 Kytherian descendants in Australia alone.

Kythera is administratively exceptional in that:

  • It geographically, culturally, and historically belongs (is closer to) to the Ionian islands.
  • It is administered and belongs to the prefecture of Piraeus, in Attica.
  • There are close ties and some service provision by the nearby mainland prefecture of Lakonia.
Image:Diakofti-port-200408.jpg

The capital, Chora, is located on the southern part of the island and has no ports connecting to the southern Peloponnese or Vatika. Kythera's port for Viatika is in Agia Pelagia Kythera.

Most of the village names, which number over 60, end with "-anika," and a few end with -athika, -iana, and -ades.

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 epicenters near or on the island. Probably the largest in recent times is the 1903 earthquake near the village of Mitata, which 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 5.6 and 5.8 on the Richter scale, and the earthquake of January 8, 2006, measuring 6.9ML. The epicenter of the latter was in the sea about 20km to the east of Kythera, at a depth of approximately 70km. 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.

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 internal, financial, and governmental problems meant that it was only decades later that one was built. That small port of Agia Pelagia (now only serving smaller ferry boats from Neapolis - Vatika) 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, Antikythera, Piraeus, Crete, and Neapolis - Vatika.

Additionally, the island has an airport, located in the region between the village of Friligiannika and Diakofti, about 8km from the capital. 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.

[edit] Municipalities

Kythera

[edit] Villages

[edit] Map of Kythera Island

See the map of Tourist & Culture Guide of Kythera

[edit] External links


Municipalities and communities of the Piraeus Prefecture
Aegina • Agios Ioannis Rentis • Ampelakia • Drapetsona • Hydra • Keratsini • Korydallos • Kythera • Methana • Nikaia • Perama • Piraeus • Poros • Salamis • Spetses • Troizina
Agkistri • Antikythera
ca:Citera

de:Kythira el:Κύθηρα es:Citera fr:Cythère it:Cerigo nl:Kythira no:Kythira pl:Kithira pt:Citera ru:Кифера sr:Китира sv:Kythera

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