"January 1822, and after the Battle of Navarino in 1827, the establishment of a Greek state was recognized in the London Protocol of 1828. The first borders of the Greek state consisted of the Greek mainland south of a line from Arta to Volos plus Euboea and the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. The rest of the Greek-speaking lands, including Crete, Cyprus and the rest of the Aegean islands, Epirus, Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace, remained under Ottoman rule. More than a million Greeks also lived in what is now Turkey, mainly in the Aegean region of Asia Minor, especially"
"and the rest in the Ionian Sea. Estimates of the number of islands vary between 1,200 and 6,000. A figure frequently cited in travel guides is 1,425 islands, of which 166 are said to be inhabited. The Greek Tourism Organization reports a figure of 6,000, with 227 of them inhabited. Paris Match, however, raises this number to 9,841 islands, of which only 169 have a recorded continuous human presence. The Greek islands account for about 20% of the country's total territory, and vary greatly in size as well as in climate. The country's largest island is Crete, with Euboea being"
"of seven islands. The six northern islands lie off the western coast of Greece, in the Ionian Sea. The other island, Kythira, lies off the southern tip of the Peloponnese. Kythira is part of the modern administrative region of Attica, not the Ionian Islands (""Ionioi Nisoi""). The Ionian Islands are distinct from the historical region of Ionia, which is today part of western Turkey. Crete is the largest island of Greece and the second largest in the Eastern Mediterranean, after Cyprus. The island spans 260 km from east to west and 60 km from north to south at its widest."
"Crete Crete (, """" ; Ancient Greek: , ""Krḗtē"") is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete and a number of surrounding islands and islets constitute the region of Crete (), one of the 13 top-level administrative units of Greece. The capital and the largest city is Heraklion. , the region had a population of 623,065. Crete forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, while retaining its own local cultural"
"second largest. Other large Greek islands include Rhodes and Lesbos in the Aegean Sea, and Corfu and Cephalonia in the Ionian Sea. Many of the smaller Greek islands form groups or chains, often called archipelagos, with notable examples being the Cyclades and the Sporades in the south and central Aegean Sea respectively. The islands of the Aegean Sea are situated between mainland Greece to the west and north, Anatolia to the east and the island of Crete to the south. Traditionally, the islands are classified into seven groups, from north to south: Geographical features The Ionian Islands are a group"
"the Isthmus of Corinth. Greece also has many islands, of various sizes, the largest being Crete, Euboea, Lesvos, Rhodes, Chios, Kefalonia, and Corfu; groups of smaller islands include the Dodecanese and the Cyclades. According to the ""CIA World Factbook"", Greece has of coastline, the largest in the Mediterranean Basin. Greece's latitude ranges from 35°N to 42°N and its longitude from 19°E to 28°E. As a result of this and its physical geography, the country has considerable climatic variation. Greece's climate is divided into three main classes: Greece's largest island, Crete straddles two climatic zones, due to its geographical position and"
"places in the country. Rare marine species such as the pinniped seals and the loggerhead sea turtle live in the seas surrounding mainland Greece, while its dense forests are home to the endangered brown bear, the Eurasian lynx, the roe deer and the wild goat. Greece features a vast number of islands, between 1,200 and 6,000, depending on the definition, 227 of which are inhabited. Crete is the largest and most populous island; Euboea, separated from the mainland by the 60m-wide Euripus Strait, is the second largest, followed by Lesbos and Rhodes. The Greek islands are traditionally grouped into the"
"Corfu Corfu or Kerkyra (; , ; , ; ; ) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the northwesternmost part of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality, which also includes the smaller islands of Ereikoussa, Mathraki and Othonoi. The municipality has an area of 610,9 km, the island proper 592,8 km. The principal city of the island and seat of the municipality (pop. 32,095) is also named Corfu. Corfu is home"
"Salamis Island Salamis (; ""Salamína"", Ancient and Katharevousa: Σαλαμίς ""Salamís""), is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about 1 nautical mile (2 km) off-coast from Piraeus and about west of central Athens. The chief city, Salamina, lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf. On the Eastern side of the island is its main port, Paloukia, in size second in Greece only to Piraeus, the port of Athens. The traditional etymology of Salamis derives it from the eponymous nymph Salamis, the mother of Cychreus, the legendary first king of"
"from which were derived French ""Candie"" and English ""Candy"" or ""Candia"". Under Ottoman rule, in Ottoman Turkish, Crete was called ""Girit"" (). Crete is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea separating the Aegean from the Libyan Sea. The island has an elongated shape: it spans from east to west, is at its widest point, and narrows to as little as (close to Ierapetra). Crete covers an area of , with a coastline of ; to the north, it broaches the Sea"
"largest island, Christiani was considered by NATO as a military base intended to host a missile silo, this never came to pass. These islands are privately owned and public access is restricted. Christiana Islands Christiana () is a group of three volcanic Greek islands in the Cyclades. The group is located about 10 miles southwest of Santorini and is made up of the islands Christiani (Χριστιανή, the largest one), Eschati (Εσχάτη) and Askania (Ασκανιά). The island's area is about 2.35 km². All three islands are now uninhabited but on Christiani there are remains of human settlement dating back to Neolithic"
"Santorini Santorini (, ), classically Thera (English pronunciation ), and officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast of Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago, which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. It forms the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km (28 sq mi) and a 2011 census population of 15,550. The municipality of Santorini includes the inhabited islands of Santorini and Therasia and the uninhabited islands of"
"Cephalonia Cephalonia or Kefalonia ( or ), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Evoia, Lesvos, Rhodes, and Chios. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It was also a former Latin Catholic diocese Kefalonia–Zakynthos (Cefalonia–Zante) and short-lived titular see as just Kefalonia. The capital of Cephalonia is Argostoli. An ""aition"" explaining the name of Cephallenia and reinforcing its cultural connections with Athens associates the island with"
"Paxi Paxi or Paxoi (Greek: Παξοί, pronounced in English and in Greek) is the smallest island group within the Ionian Islands (the Heptanese). In Greek it is a plural form. The largest islands are Paxos and nearby Antipaxos. Antipaxos is famous for its wine and two of the finest sand beaches in the Ionian Sea. The main town of Paxoi, and the seat of the municipality, is Gaios. The municipality has an area of 30.121 km.. The area of the island is 76 square kilometers = just under 30 square miles. In Greek mythology, Poseidon created the island by striking"
"Thasos Thasos or Thassos () is a Greek island, geographically part of the North Aegean Sea, but administratively part of the Kavala regional unit. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area. Thasos is also the name of the largest town of the island (officially known as ""Limenas Thasou"", ""Port of Thasos""), situated at the northern side, opposite the mainland and about from Keramoti. Thassos island is known from ancient times for its termae making it a climatic and balneoclimateric resort area. Thasos' economy relies on timber (it is rich in forests), marble quarries, olive oil"
"Lesbos Lesbos (, ; , ) is an island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece. It is separated from Turkey by the narrow Mytilini Strait and in late Palaeolithic/Mesolithic times was joined to the Anatolian mainland before the end of the last glacial period. Lesbos is also the name of a regional unit of the North Aegean region, within which Lesbos island is one of five governing islands. The others are Chios, Ikaria, Lemnos, and Samos. The North Aegean region governs nine inhabited islands:"
"Rhodes Rhodes (, ""Ródos"" ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece in terms of land area and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the South Aegean administrative region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Rhodes. The city of Rhodes had 50,636 inhabitants in 2011. It is located northeast of Crete, southeast of Athens and just off the Anatolian coast of Turkey. Rhodes' nickname is ""The island of the Knights"", named after the Knights of Saint"
"Rhodes panorama 2017: Rhodes Rhodes (, ""Ródos"" ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece in terms of land area and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the South Aegean administrative region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Rhodes. The city of Rhodes had 50,636 inhabitants in 2011. It is located northeast of Crete, southeast of Athens and just off the Anatolian coast of Turkey. Rhodes' nickname is ""The island of the Knights"", named after the"
"of Corinth. Mainland Greece covers about 80% of the total territory and is largely mountainous. The largest mountain range of Greece is the Pindus range, the southern extension of the Dinaric Alps, which forms the spine of the Greek mainland, separating Epirus from Thessaly and Macedonia. The country's tallest mountain is Mount Olympus, which also separates Thessaly from Macedonia. Its highest peak rises to 2,919 m above sea level, making it the second highest of the Balkan peninsula after Musala in the Rila Mountains. Greece has a vast number of islands, with most of them being in the Aegean Sea"
"are as follows: Cephalonia is the home of Kassandra and Alexios, main characters of the popular videogame ""Assassin's Creed Odyssey"" (2018). Cephalonia Cephalonia or Kefalonia ( or ), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Evoia, Lesvos, Rhodes, and Chios. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It was also a former Latin Catholic diocese Kefalonia–Zakynthos (Cefalonia–Zante) and short-lived titular see as just Kefalonia. The capital of"
"Euboea Euboea or Evia; , ""Evvoia"", ; , ""Eúboia"", ) is the second-largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow (only at its narrowest point) Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to . Its geographic orientation is from northwest to southeast, and it is traversed throughout its length by a mountain range, which forms part of the chain that bounds Thessaly on the east, and is continued south of Euboea in the lofty islands of"
"the protection of Mount Olympus. According to myth, the large rocks all over the island are said to be the petrified testicles (or, in bowdlerized versions, the entire corpses) of the giants. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. It is situated east of Athens in the Aegean Sea. The island features no rivers, but numerous seasonal streams two of which have been converted into reservoirs. The island is composed mostly of granite and the terrain is very rocky with many areas eroded by the strong winds. High quality clay and"
"percent of the municipality's population. The only other inhabited islands are Agios Minas, and Thymaina. Fournoi Korseon Fournoi Korseon () or Fournoi Ikarias (), more commonly simply Fournoi (), is a complex or archipelago of small Greek islands that lie between Ikaria, Samos and Patmos in Ikaria regional unit, North Aegean region. The two largest islands of the complex, the main isle of Fournoi and the isle of Thymaina , are inhabited, as is Agios Minas Island to the east. The municipality has an area of 45.247 km. On the main isle Fournoi (town) is the largest settlement and then"
"Fournoi Korseon Fournoi Korseon () or Fournoi Ikarias (), more commonly simply Fournoi (), is a complex or archipelago of small Greek islands that lie between Ikaria, Samos and Patmos in Ikaria regional unit, North Aegean region. The two largest islands of the complex, the main isle of Fournoi and the isle of Thymaina , are inhabited, as is Agios Minas Island to the east. The municipality has an area of 45.247 km. On the main isle Fournoi (town) is the largest settlement and then Chrysomilia in the north the second largest (and third largest overall, after Thymaina). Fournoi (town)"
"and Ergotelis F.C., which plays at the Pankritio Stadium (Iraklion) were both members of the Greek Superleague. During the 2012–13 season, OFI Crete, which plays at Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium (Iraklion), and Platanias F.C., which plays at the Perivolia Municipal Stadium, near Chania, are both members of the Greek Superleague. Notable people from Crete include: Crete Crete (, """" ; Ancient Greek: , ""Krḗtē"") is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete and a number of"
"Karpathos Karpathos (, ), also Carpathos, is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands, in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Together with the neighboring smaller Saria Island it forms the municipality of Karpathos, which is part of the Karpathos regional unit. Because of its remote location, Karpathos has preserved many peculiarities of dress, customs and dialect, the last resembling those of Crete and Cyprus. The island has also been called Carpathus in Latin, Scarpanto in Italian. The island is located about southwest of Rhodes, in the part of the Mediterranean which is called the ""Carpathian Sea"" (). The Sea of"
"Makronisos Makronisos (, lit. ""Long Island""), or Makronisi, is an island in the Aegean sea, in Greece, notorious as the site of a political prison from the 1940s to the 1970s. It is located close to the coast of Attica, facing the port of Lavrio. The island has an elongated shape, north to south, around east to west, and its terrain is arid and rocky. It is the largest uninhabited Greek island. It is part of the Kea-Kythnos regional unit and in the municipality of Kea. In ancient times the island was called Helena (), and was situated so as"
"Ionian Sea to the west, the Cretan Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at in length, featuring a large number of islands, of which 227 are inhabited. Eighty percent of Greece is mountainous, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak at . The country consists of nine geographic regions: Macedonia, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands (including the Dodecanese and Cyclades), Thrace, Crete, and the Ionian Islands. Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilisation, being the birthplace"
"Mykonos Mykonos (, ; ) is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 10,134 inhabitants (2011 census), most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also known as ""Chora"" (i.e. ""the Town"" in Greek, following the common practice in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town). Mykonos's nickname is ""The Island of the Winds""."
"History of Zakynthos Zakynthos (, Zante in Italian) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Today, Zakynthos is a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and its only municipality. It covers an area of and its coastline is roughly in length. The name, like all similar names ending in -nthos, is pre-Mycenaean or Pelasgian in origin. In Greek mythology the island was said to be named after Zakynthos, the son of a legendary Arcadian chief Dardanus. The history of Zakynthos is long and complex, even by Greek standards."
"Dance Group ""Erevna"". Also, regional, traditional and seasonal festivals are organized throughout the year, indicatively: the Annual Festival, ""Salaminia"" (to commemorate the Naval Battle of Salamis), the ""Fisherman's Festival"" and the Carnival. Salamis island has four football teams: Aias (Ajax) Salaminas, Ampelakiakos F.C., A.E. Salaminas and Salaminomachoi. Salamis Island is twinned with Famagusta, Cyprus (1998) Salamis Island Salamis (; ""Salamína"", Ancient and Katharevousa: Σαλαμίς ""Salamís""), is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about 1 nautical mile (2 km) off-coast from Piraeus and about west of central Athens. The chief city, Salamina, lies in the west-facing core of the"
"Saronic Islands The Saronic Islands or Argo-Saronic Islands is an archipelago in Greece, named after the Saronic Gulf in which they are located, just off the Greek mainland. The main inhabited islands of this group are Salamis, Aegina, Agistri, and Poros. The islands of Hydra and Dokos, which lie off the northeast tip of the Peloponnese (technically between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf), are sometimes included as part of the Saronic Islands. Many mainland Greeks have vacation homes in the Saronic Islands, which are regularly served by ferries from Piraeus and the Peloponnese. Salamis, the largest island of"
"party. Ionian Islands (region) The Ionian Islands Region (, , ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. The administrative region does not include all of the Ionian Islands; the island of Kythera, which historically was part of the island group, was separated and integrated to the (far away) Attica Region. The population of the Ionian Islands in 2011 was 207,855, decreased by 1,50% compared to the population in 2001. Nevertheless, the region remains the third by population density with 90.1/km² nationwide, well above the national of 81.96/km². The most populous of the major islands is Corfu with"