Zakynthos

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Template:Infobox Pref GR Zakynthos (Ζάκυνθος, also known as Zante), the third largest of the Ionian Islands, covers an area of 410 square kilometers and its coastline is roughly 123 kilometers in length. The island is named after Zacynthus, son of a legendary Arcadian chief Dardanus. The name, like all similar names ending in -nthos, is pre-Mycenaean or Pelasgian in origin.

1 Description
2 History
- 2.1 The April 2006 Earthquake Swarm
3 Transportation
4 Population
5 Communications
- 5.1 Television
6 Municipalities
7 Persons
8 Sporting teams
9 External links
10 Notes and references

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Description

Zakynthos has a varied terrain, with fertile plains in the southeastern part and mountainous terrain with steep cliffs along the coasts on the west. Zakynthos town coordinates are: latitude 37.79139/37°47'29 N, longitude: 20.89528/20'53'43 E.

The mild, Mediterranean climate and the plentiful winter rainfall endow the island with dense vegetation. The principal products are olive oil, currants, grapes and citrus fruit.

The capital, which has the same name as the prefecture, is the town of Zakynthos; apart from the official name, it is also called Chora (i.e. the Town, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town). According to the 2001 census, the island has a population of 38,957.

The most famous Zakynthian is the 19th century poet Dionysios Solomos, the principal modern Greek poet and author of the national anthem of Greece. His statue adorns the main town square. Also Juan de Fuca (Ioannis Focas) was born here.

Image:Zakynthos-Hafen.jpg

The island has one airport, the Dionysos Solomos Airport (on former GR-35) in its southwest which connects flights with other Greek airports. Further southwest is the National Marine Park of Zakynthos where loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are found in (the bay of Laganas). Caretta caretta is an endangered species - especially by the deck chairs laied out on their breeding grounds and the inevitable pollution. Every year beginning in June the female turtles come to the southern beaches in order to bury their eggs in the sand. The breeding times takes approx. 55 days. The babies slip themselves into the sea, and the survival rate is very small for the males. A pregnant turtle lays about 1,000 eggs.

The port of Zakynthos has a ferry connecting to the port of Kyllini on the mainland. Another ferry connects the village of Skinari to Argostoli on the island of Kefalonia.

The Zante currant, a small sweet seedless grape is native to the island.

Island length: 40 km
Island width: 20 km
Highest point: Vrachionas, 758 m

The sites of interest including Shipwreck Bay, Cape Skinari and the blue cave. The western part of the island is accessible and has a panoramic view of the sea. The ridge area from Anafontria has an observation deck and a ship wreck and with the monastery.

Keri is located in the far south of the island. It is a mountain village and has a lighthouse in the south. It includes a panorama of the southern part of the Ionian Sea.

For tourism, Zante has campsites and beaches including a beautiful one near Keri with a length of a 100 m surrounded by cliffs. The island also offers a numerous amount of arches and cliffs which are famous. One of the arches are underground. Several documentary shows were filmed around that part of Zakynthos/Zante. Other campsites include Camping Alykes. Beaches are in Porto Limnionas, Porto Vromi and Porto Zoro.

Image:Zakynthos flag.jpg

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History

This 'paradise on earth' suffered two severe earthquakes in the summer of 1953, resulting to the total destruction of the island's infrastructure, including most of its state archives. The most destructive of those quakes, registering 7.3 on the Richter Scale, occured in the early hours of August 12, 1953 and was felt throughout most of the country. Only three buildings were left standing after the disaster: the St. Dionysios Cathedral, the National Bank building and the church of St. Nicholas "tou Molou" (of the Quay). A few other buildings in outlying areas managed to avoid complete collapse. The first relief efforts came from the state of Israel; During Nazi Germany's occupation of the island, the island's Bishop Chrysostomos gave the Germans a list of Jews on the island. It was a list of two names; his own and the mayor's. Israel's relief came with a message that read "The Jews of Zakynthos have never forgotten their Mayor or their beloved Bishop and what they did for us."<ref name="Zakynthos">Zakynthos: The Holocaust in Greece, United States Holocuast Memorial Museum, URL accessed April 15 2006.</ref> The rebuilding of the island was subject to a very rigid antiseismc code, and has thus withstood several moderate and powerful earthquakes at a minimal amount of damage.

Mining is also common on the island, where a small mountain located in Zakynthos' west side was mined during the 1990s, though it is no longer in use. Today, mining still continues, but now with two quarries on the mountain range in the western part of the island. Tourism remains thriving and Zakynthos is currently one of the most popular tourist destinations in Greece.

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The April 2006 Earthquake Swarm

Starting in the early morning hours of April 9, 2006 an usual series of moderate to strong earthquakes occuring in an almost daily basis have kept rattling the entire island. On April 11, however, the phenomenon intensified in both magnitude and rate of events. At 03:02 local time of that day, a powerful, magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit the area, only to be followed by an even stronger tremor registering at 5.9 on the Richter Scale, at 8:30 PM (20:30) EET. On April 12, a committee of the nation's most prominent seismologists had an emergency meeting with the Greek Ministry of Environment and Public Works in order to asess the emerging situation. The meeting ended in a scientific consesus among them that this specific area of the Ionian Sea is simply not ready to produce an even stronger quake thus advising the nervous citizens of the island to remain calm. Unfortunately Mother Nature seems to have already decided to keep these nerves on the edge. At 19:52 and at 19:56 local time of that same evening, two more earthquakes shook the region sending scores of terrified people into the streets. The earthquakes had a preliminary moment magnitude of 5.8 and 5.4 respectively. Seismologists at the Athens Seismological Institute were taken once again by surprise by what is turning into an unprecedented riddle on whether or not these are actually foreshocks of a major event. The chances are, nonetheless, that this is just a phenomenon known as Earthquake Swarm, characterized by a pattern of a considerable amount of magnitude-wise similar tremors, all occuring within a limited number of days or weeks. As a result of the recurring jolts, moderate damage was reported to a total of sixty residencies and one library while a small crack appeared on the eastern part of the capital's port. In addition, several rocks were tumbled on one of the island's main roads, located in the mountainous areas.

The Ionian Islands are situated upon one of Europe's most notorious faults, capable of producing earthquakes that could potentially result to both widespread damage and a considerable loss of life. However it should be stressed that, following the catastrophe of 1953, the authorities of Zakynthos have enforced a strict program of antiseismic standards to be applied in every building to be constructed ever since. That is, all buildings have been built on a swimming slab and enforced with steel, determined by the government to ensure safety. Therefore, an earthquake similar to that of August 12, 1953 will most certainly result to far less destruction. Image:Zákynthos 1.JPG

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Transportation

Greece Interstate 35, a road linking Zante and Porto Roma and another road linking Zante and Volimes.

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Population

1900: 42,000
1981: 30,011
1991: 32,556 (island), 13,000 (city)
2001: 38,596

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Communications

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Television

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Municipalities

Municipality	Municipal code	Seat	Postal code
Alykes	1601	Alykes	290 90
Arkadi	1602	Vanato	291 00
Artemisio	1603	Macherado	290 92
Elata	1604	Volimes	290 91
Lagana	1606	Lagana	290 92
Zakynthos	1605	Zakynthos (city)	291 00