Kefalonia

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Template:Infobox Pref GR Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallania, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek: Κεφαλλήνια; 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 island is named after the mythological figure Cephalus, although some believe its name literally means "an island with a head", referring to the island's shape, because the name "Cephalus" is derived from the Greek word for "head".

Contents

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Geography

The capital of the Kefalonia 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 city. The two cities account for almost two-thirds of the prefecture's population.

In ancient times, before it was named Kefalonia, only around 100 to 300 people lived there. When Kefalonia 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.

Kefalonia'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 estuary. Lixouri is situated 4km across the bay from Argostoli, on the Lixori peninsula. There is a road connection to the rest of the island, however driving from Lixouri to Argostoli involves a 30 km detour.

Kefalonia has one airport, Kefallinia Airport, with a runway of around 1 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 Kefalonia, Zante and Lefkas. In summer the airport handles many charter flights from all over Europe.

Kefalonia 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".

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Features

Image:Kephalonia.png

A large number of tourists visit Kefalonia 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 kilometers from Argostoli, and their numbers have increased since the best-seller, Captain Corelli's Mandolin became a movie (2001) which was shot on the island itself.

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

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 "Kefallinians", 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 Zacynthos. 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 Kefalonia 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 Kefalonia, was a separate island during the late Bronze Age. 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.

Kefalonia is home to two large monasteries. One is Aghia 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...

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Forestry and Fishing

Forestry is rare on the island, however timber output here is one of the highest in Ionia, although lower than 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 Kefalonia, and in Ionia generally.

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Agriculture

The primary agricultural products of Kefalonia are pasture and olives, 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 Kefalonians 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.

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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 Teloboes or Taphioi.

In the 16th to 18th centuries, it was one of the largest exporters of currents in the world, providing with Zakythos 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.

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 largely was 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 were 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.

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.

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 epicenter was located off the island in the sea. Service vehicles took care of the areas. No damages were reported.

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

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Sports teams

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Football team (D Division, junior/quarternary)

  • Leivatho - Leivathos
  • Olympiaki Floga - Olympic Flame
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Baseball team (A' Division, National Greek Championship)

  • AINOS Kefalonias

(2nd place in 2004)

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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:

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Communications

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Radio

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Television

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Statistics, and Area

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

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. Kefalonia had four provinces at that time: this was reduced to three, and Ithaca became a non-provincial municipality.
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Municipalities and communities

Municipality YPES code Seat
Argostoli 2701 Argostoli
Eleios-Pronoi 2702 Pastra
Erisos 2703 Vasilikades
Ithaca 2704Vathy
Leivathos 2705 Kerameies
Paliki 2707 Lixouri
Pylaris 2708 Agia Effimia
Sami 2709 Sami
Community YPES code Seat
Omala 2706 Omala

See also: List of settlements in the Kefalonia prefecture

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Bays and capes within the island

Bays:

Capes:

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Persons

  • 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 1940.
  • 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 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 physician.
  • Gerasimos Sklavos: the greatet greek sculptor,(with Giannoulis Halepas), of the 20th century.
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External links

Template:Ionian Islands (islands) Template:Prefectures of Greecede:Kephallonia el:Κεφαλονιά es:Cefalonia fr:Céphalonie it:Cefalonia la:Cephallenia lb:Kephallonia nl:Kefalonia pl:Kefalinia pt:Cefalônia sv:Kefalinia

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