Greece - a paradise in Europe.The country has become widely known for its rich history, it is of less interest as an international resort.Consider the largest island of Greece.
General
By country is more than one thousand four hundred islands.Many of them are uninhabited, their sizes are very small.The largest island in Greece, of which there are two hundred and twenty, exploited people.However, many do not live more than a hundred people.
most populous island in Greece - Crete, Lesvos, Rhodes and Kefalonia.They are also the largest in area.Each of them has a rich history of more than one thousand years.They had to survive the rise and fall of empires, of which currently remains unique ruins of temples, palaces, fortifications, gardens.
Crete
largest island in Greece like a fog shrouded in myths and legends.It is an extreme point of the whole of Europe.Crete occupies 550 thousand. People, its area - 8.336 square kilometers.The peculiarity of the island is that it is located at the intersection of sea routes between Africa, Europe and Asia Minor.The main ports of Crete - Agios Nikolaos, Heraklion, Chania and Rethymno.
Greek Islands are famous for their amazing beauty of nature, and Crete - is no exception.Its southern coast is steep and precipitous, and the North - sandy and flat.Maximum height of the mountains - 2400 meters, with an incredible number of them in caves - more than three thousand!According to legend, one of them was born of Zeus.Deep gorges, fertile plains and villages, immersed in the greenery of olive groves - all of this island of Crete in Greece.On its territory you can admire the chestnut, oak, cypress, pine and palm groves.The mountain slopes are covered with carpets made of herbs and flowering shrubs.
Gifts of Nature
Top island of Greece yield up to three times a year.For example, in Crete grow oranges, peaches, potatoes and peppers.Every available piece of land occupied by greenhouses, in which color polutorametrovy cloves or a bunch of bananas.The most common olive trees.
Euboea
In second place the list of "Largest island in Greece" is Euboea.From the shores of Southern Thessaly it is separated Trikkeriyskim Strait, west of Locride, Attica and Boeotia - straits Talaktiyskim and Eurypylus.In its most narrow point last a bridge to the mainland of Greece, because the distance is only 38 meters.
Evia heyday came in the period of antiquity, now it is of interest as a beautiful resort area.The total area of the island - more than 3,600 square kilometers, it is characterized by mountainous terrain.Mediterranean climate (subtropical dry), the soil is fertile valleys.The river network is poorly developed.The main products - wine, honey, wheat and oranges.Very common peach and mulberry trees (mulberry).
population of the island
largest island in Greece the most exploited people.So, on Euboea already in 1889, he lived a little more than ninety thousand people.According to official sources, the Greeks make up the main population of the island.
After confusion in connection with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire and the invasions of the Crusaders came to the island of large groups of persons whose origin was not Greek.In the southern regions of Evia settled Venetians, and after - arnauts Albanians and Turks.In the Middle Ages the northwest was swarmed by nomadic herders romanoyazychnymi shafts.Halkis inhabit Roma.Top of the nineteenth century was marked by mass migration on Euboea karakachanov, Greek-speaking nomadic group of unknown origin, adhering to the Orthodox faith.
Today, among the residents of Evia the most common modern Greek language, but in some villages it is still possible to hear the Albanian dialect.
Lesbos
This island is located in the northeast Aegean.He is third in the ranking of "The largest island in Greece" and the eighth largest in the Mediterranean (more Lesbos only Sicily, Cyprus, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, Euboea and Mallorca).Its area is 1632.81 square kilometer.The main town is considered to Mytilene.
excursion into the past
first settlements, which it is known, appeared on Lesbos at the beginning of the third millennium BC.The oldest island is famous native Terpander - poet, worked in the eighth century BC.
At the end of the seventh - early in the first half of the sixth century BC, Lesbos was a place of life of such famous poets as Arion, Alcaeus and Sappho.Thanks to the creativity of the last name of the island was the source of the appearance of a new term - "lesbian love" meant female homosexual relationships.
For some time, the island was home to Aristotle (before he got the rank of the court of the king of Macedonia Philip).It is expected that in the second century lived on Lesbos Tatius Long - writer, glorified the island in the pages of his novel "Daphnis and Chloe".
In the Middle Ages the Genoese captured Lesbos.The power over the territory in the hands of the genus Gattiluzio.Its representatives took the title of the Archons (chapters) of the island.They ruled from 1355 till 1462, the year before to Lesbos came the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II.Only at the end of 1912, Greek troops retook the island in the course of the liberation operation.According to the Treaty of Sevres, signed in 1920, Lesbos became part of Greece.
Which Rhodes Island in Greece the largest?We have already mentioned Crete, Euboea and Lesbos.Now consider the fourth area (1398 sq km) island called Rhodes.It is located in the southeastern part of the country and is part of the Dodecanese group of islands, in the Aegean Sea.From Rhodes to the capital - Athens - two hundred and seventy miles.
Island is often referred to as the pearl of the Mediterranean.In its territory a great variety of natural beauty and archaeological sites.By the decision of UNESCO, the historic part of Rhodes, listed as a world cultural heritage.
Climatic features
best Greek islands boast fresh summers and mild winters.And Rhodes is the clearest example of this.The climate is Mediterranean, the average temperature is 18-20 degrees Celsius.Sunny days on the island of many - about three hundred a year.The warmest months - July and August (29 on average), and the coolest - December, January, February and March (+ 9-11 degrees).
Culture and Art Antiquity
Centuries Rhodes played the role of an important trading port in the eastern Mediterranean.Island significantly influenced the history of the region, during his heyday particular progress has been art and literature.It reached its apogee painting, philosophy, physics, astronomy, geography, and sculpture.
Unfortunately, up to now have not reached Rhodes masterpieces of painting.The only source of information - the ancient writings.They can be found mention of the work of many talented artists.
Much more is known about ceramics.The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes presented the brightest examples of this art.Typical artifacts of the time - vessels, which depicts the wild goats, deer and griffins, interspersed with garlands of flowers and anfemiev.
Sculpture also reached a particular level of development is in Rhodes.Local craftsmen have used in their work password, not marble.In the fifth century BC on the island formed an independent sculptural school.In the Hellenistic period it became the most important in the East and one of the most famous in Greece.In this era on the island it employs about one hundred and thirty masters of their craft out of thirty cities.The most famous of them are Briaskida from Athens and Lysippos of Sicyon.
Rhodes lived and worked poet Apollonius and Aristippus Kirensk - philosopher, a student of Socrates.He Athens Aeschines founded a school on the island of oratory.Many Rhodians succeeded in philosophy.Among them Panetay, Here one can see.
«frozen music»
architectural appearance of any locality is directly dependent on the morphology of its territory, the historical past and geographical location.
Localities are divided into Rhodes located within the islands and seaside.The latter include the city of Rhodes and Linda.They are built in the shape of an amphitheater, of which boast amazing views over the expanse of the water surface.
As for settlements in the inland areas of the island, by their appearance, they are required to the need to protect the local population from constant attacks by pirates during the Byzantine period, and after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks.Thus, people have chosen to live areas that can not be seen from the sea, small plains, hillsides and mountains, valleys and places on the banks of rivers.Most of the new settlements were fortified.Stone, earth and wood used in the construction of houses and fortresses, but the island was enough.
Kefalonia
This island - the largest of the Ionian.Its name comes from the name mullet - the hero of Greek mythology.There is another version.Thus, it is believed that the word "Kefalonia" can be translated as "island with a head" and associated it with the name of the rock Kefalus.
Geographic data
closest neighbors islands - Zakynthos and gesso.Enos mountain - Kefalonia highest point (1628 meters), the area - 781 square kilometer.The administrative center and largest city - Argostoli.Kefalonia is located on earthquake-prone area.Most of the island hit by earthquake in 1953.As a result, most of the villages had been destroyed and all the cities.It survived only the northernmost town - Fiscardo.
little history
All the major islands of Greece, the name and description of which we presented above are based thousands of years ago.Thus, historians and archaeologists have found that people began to explore Kefalonia in the period of the Paleolithic.The first known inhabitants - Greek tribe Leleges.They came to the island in the fifteenth century BC.Currently, this area is home to thirty-five thousand people.Patron and protector of the island of St. Gerasimos Kefalonian believe.
transport network
The island operates the airport with a runway of 2.4 kilometers.It is located ten kilometers from the town of Argostoli.The main route - "Kefalonia - Athens."In addition, the airport takes a lot of charter flights from all over Europe.
from the port, located on the east coast, regular ferries to the mainland.So, from the port of Poros made the crossing to the west Peloponnese, and from themselves - in Patras.
Kefaloniytsy has long been engaged in seafaring.Even centuries ago, it brought a good income.As confirmed by the exhibits of the Ethnographic Museum, the inhabitants of the island were wealthy people.From journeys they brought home expensive fashionable furniture, dishes, clothes and art objects.Some recent major shipping companies are organized is kefaloniytsami.
wonders of nature
island is famous geological phenomena that can be observed due to tectonic processes occurs earlier.For a truly unique phenomenon occurs in a place called Katavores: tons of marine waters continuously hidden under the earth, pass through a peculiar underground tunnel seventeen kilometers long and pulled to the surface, falling into the lake Melissani and Karavomylos.
The Kefalonian Drogarati cave concerts.Thanks to the good acoustics at the same time, eight people can enjoy the beautiful sounds of music among the stalagmites and stalactites.
Enos Mountain range - a national nature reserve.On its territory you can see many rare plants listed in the Red Book, including rare species of orchids and violets.Mountain Sanctuary mostly covered with dark green fir trees, the wood that had been used in the construction of ships.
Fauna
The island inhabited by rare species of animals.One of the largest turtle - Caretta - is under state protection.Representatives of endangered species lay their eggs in the sand beach in the town reserve Munda.
Conclusion
largest islands of Greece, the list of which has been given above, are of exceptional interest to historians, archaeologists and ordinary travelers who simply soak up the sunshine on the beautiful beaches.
