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GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES:

Zakynthos is one of the Ionian Islands situated on the southern coast of the mainland of Greece.

It is 406 sq. kilometres in extent with 35000 inhabitants (census 1991). Its shape is irregular triangle 2/3 of its land is mountainous (higher peaks Vrachionas 758m.high and Scopos 492m. high. ? is a plain.

There are not rivers or lakes. The western coasts are rocky and steep, on the contrary to the north eastern ones which are sandy with beautiful beaches.

CLIMATE:

Mild, healthy with lots of rainfall during winter and sunshine in summer.

CAVES:

Undeveloped and unexpored like Drossospilia at Mouzaki, the big Cave and Hassiotis’ cave at Yiri, the Bee at Katastari etc.

There are plenty of Sea Caves at Keri and the caves of the western coasts.

ENVIROMENT:

There is rich wild vegetation of the most characteristic of the Mediterranean Coniferous trees like pines, umbrella pines, cedars, cypresses, arbutus and heather, grow on the island, as well as thyme, sage wild orchids, iris and many other species.

They caltivate olive trees and vegetables of fine quality Stock.raising is not developed but it is worth mentioning the existence of big sheep and horses of excellent breed.

Fishing is not so productive, but it covers the demand of the island.

The fauna is very rich..Zakynthos is also a passing for migratory birds.

We meet the sea turtle caretta- caretta on the beaches of the island. It poaches its eggs in the sandy beaches of Laganas bay and is protected by international conracts

Another species is the Mediterranean Seal Monachus-Monachous which lives on the western coasts of the island

FOLKLORE:

The people celebrate the religious anniversaries with music and dance.

At Easter there is the local custom of the procession of the Crucifix early in the afternoon on Good Friday and the breaking of crochery etc.

The Carnival in Zakynthos is an immitation of the well-known Venetian Carnival.

SIGHTSEEING:

When you visit Zakynthos it is worth wandering throught the town and the villages. Following roads and paths in order to discover the natural beauty of the island and to know the works of the people suitably joined with the beautiful countryside full of smells and murmurs coming down from old forgotten legends and live tradition.

The town of Zakynthos has the church of Saint Dennis,the patron of the island,the after Byzantine museum with a rich collection of hagiographies and wood-carvings, the Solomos and the Eminent Zakynthians Museum, Xenopoulos Museum, Solomos square, saint Marcos square , plenty of churches, the English Cemetery , its harbour.

Worth visitingis Bohalis with its Castle and Stranis Hill, Vasilikos with its beautiful beaches and Scopos. Laganas bay from Kalamaki till Keri full of interchanges of simple lines and wonderful colours and ,of course, turtles.

Come to the sandy beaches of Argasi, Tsilivi, Tragaki, Kypseli, Gerakario, Alikana, and Alikes.

Visit the mountenous villages with the beautiful wild Western beaches, Agalas with its Damiano’s Cave, Kiliomenos with its stone steeple, Loucha, Gyri with the windmills and their caves, St.Leon with its beautiful Limniona, Kambi with its Mycenean Cemetery, and the marvellous sunset of Exo Hora with its wells and the Plane tree.

Don’t miss Maries with its natural harbour, Porto Vromi and Steniti, Anafonitria with its manasteries and the multi photographed Shipwreck. Volimes also with its churches and seacaves as well as Orthonies with Xigia the sulphurus spa.

The wonderful villages of Riza have rich vineyards and olive trees. Pigadakia has a local museum. Other villages are Kalithea, skoulikado, Saint Marina, Galaro, Lagadakia, Romiri, Mouzaki, Pandokratoras and Lithakia.

HISTORY:

Due to its georgaphical position Zakynthos has come in contact with many people since Homer’s era without losing its greek identity. The Zakynthians have tried and succeeded in broadening their cultural inheritance, assimilating creatively the elements of the cultures they met.The oldest findings of human life are paleolithic.

The first who settled in Zakynthos were the Arkadians and later there came the Romans, French, Venetians, Rossoturkish and English until the Union with mother Greece on 21^st May 1864

ARCHITECTURE:

Its history, the climate conditions, the local materials (stone in abundance) and the earthquakes created concrete structures with a perpetual reformation.

The buildings today are earthquake proof but they keep architectural elements of the past like arches etc.

Worth noticing are the steeples of the churches, daring structures , excellent samples of the Zakynthian architecture.

LITERATURE:

The rich cultural tradition of the island bore poets and writers of international longevity. Our national poet Dionisios Solomos, Andreas Kalvos, N. Hugo Foskolo, Gregory Xenopoulos and many others.

MUSIC:

Music culture is widely developed with arekies (kind of songs without being accompanied by musical instruments ), the Zakynthian Kandades and the church music.

DANCE:

There exists local dances coming down from the ancient times like “Yiargitos” or “Thissea’s dance”, the “amiri”, the “hunter” etc.

THEATRE:

Theatre had been great development since the Venetian Occupation and the so called “Omilies” are adaptations of ancient tragedies or novels. They were performed only by men. They are performed even today mostly during the Carnival.