"18th century, the Ionian Islands (Corfu, Zakynthos, Cephalonia, Lefkada, Ithaca, and Kythira) along with a handful of exclaves on the Epirote mainland, namely the coastal towns of Parga, Preveza, Vonitsa, and Butrint, were the sole remaining overseas possessions of the once mighty Republic of Venice in the East. During the last century of Venetian rule, the society of the Ionian Islands was marked by multiple divisions. On the top of the pyramid were the noble families, who enjoyed full Venetian citizenship. They were mostly settled in the cities and their privileges secured by inscription in the ""Libro d'Oro"", apart from"
"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."
"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"
"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"
"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"
"Diapontia Islands The Diapontia Islands or Diapontian Islands (), also known as Othonoi Islands () are a Greek island complex in the Ionian Sea. They are located some 6 km to the northwest of Corfu, and about 80 km away from Italian coasts. The main islands of the archipelago are Othoni, Ereikoussa and Mathraki. They are the only inhabited islands. The complex includes also the islets and rocks of Diakopo, Diaplo, Karavi, Kastrino, Leipso, Ostrako, Plaka, Plateia and Tracheia. Sazan (; ; ; ) located in southern Albania, is considered to be part of the Diapontia islands. The largest island"
"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 a"
"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"
"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"
"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"
"Othonoi Othonoi (, also rendered as Othoni) is a small Greek island in the Ionian Sea, located northwest of Corfu, and is the westernmost point of Greece. Othonoi is the largest of the Diapontia Islands. It is a former community of the Ionian Islands. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality of Corfu, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 10.078 km and population of 392 (2011). In the 19th century the island was the capital of the Diapontia Islands municipality, which also included nearby islands of Ereikoussa,"
"Ionian Islands The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: , ; Ancient Greek, Katharevousa: , ; ) are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e. ""the Seven Islands"" (, ""Heptanēsa"" or , ""Heptanēsos""; ), but the group includes many smaller islands as well as the seven principal ones. As a distinct historic region they date to the centuries-long Venetian rule, which preserved them from becoming part of the Ottoman Empire, and created a distinct cultural identity with many Italian influences. The Ionian Islands became part of the modern Greek state in 1864. Administratively today they belong"
"the Ionian islands, Crete and Rhodes. This zone represents an uplifted part of the fore-arc. The inner or volcanic arc extends for 450 km from Methana on the eastern coast of the Peloponnese in the west to the island of Nisyros off the Aegean coast of Turkey in the east. It consists of a series of dormant or active volcanic islands including Santorini, the site of the catastrophic Minoan-era eruption. The current geometry of the Hellenic arc is a result of the southwards migration of the subduction zone. This has led to extension both along the line of the arc"
"Messenian Oinousses Messenian Oinousses () is a Greek island complex in the southwest coasts of Peloponnese, in Ionian Sea. It is located in the south of Messenian peninsula, opposite Methoni and Foinikounda. The complex comprises from the islands Schiza and Sapienza and the islets and rocks Venetiko, Agia Mariani, Avgo, Dyo Aderfia and Boba. The largest island is Schiza, whereas the only populated is Sapientza. In the southwest of Oinousses is the deepest point of Mediterranean Sea, the Calypso Deep, known in Greek as Oinousses Trench. Oinousses has been included in the environmental program Natura 2000. The islands belong to"
"Pylos-Nestor municipality. Messenian Oinousses Messenian Oinousses () is a Greek island complex in the southwest coasts of Peloponnese, in Ionian Sea. It is located in the south of Messenian peninsula, opposite Methoni and Foinikounda. The complex comprises from the islands Schiza and Sapienza and the islets and rocks Venetiko, Agia Mariani, Avgo, Dyo Aderfia and Boba. The largest island is Schiza, whereas the only populated is Sapientza. In the southwest of Oinousses is the deepest point of Mediterranean Sea, the Calypso Deep, known in Greek as Oinousses Trench. Oinousses has been included in the environmental program Natura 2000. The islands"
"Zakynthos Zakynthos ( ; ) or Zante (; ; , ""rare"": ; from the Venetian form), is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. 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. Zakynthos is a tourist destination,"
"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."
"to settlements. There is complete electrification and a telephone network with Internet access. Othonoi Othonoi (, also rendered as Othoni) is a small Greek island in the Ionian Sea, located northwest of Corfu, and is the westernmost point of Greece. Othonoi is the largest of the Diapontia Islands. It is a former community of the Ionian Islands. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality of Corfu, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 10.078 km and population of 392 (2011). In the 19th century the island was the"
"to the Ionian Islands Region except for Kythera, which belongs to the Attica Region. The seven islands are; from north to south: The six northern islands are off the west coast of Greece, in the Ionian Sea. The seventh island, Kythira, is off the southern tip of the Peloponnese, the southern part of the Greek mainland. Kythira is not part of the region of the Ionian Islands, as it is included in the region of Attica. In Ancient Greek the adjective ""Ionios"" () was used as an epithet for the sea between Epirus and Italy in which the Ionian Islands"
"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"
"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)"
"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"
"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"
"all buildings have been fortified to protect against further tremors. On 26 October 2018, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake south of the island caused no injuries but damaged the local pier and a 13th Century monastery. Zakynthos lies in the eastern part of the Ionian sea, around west of the Greek (Peloponnese) mainland. The island of Kefalonia lies on the north. It is the southernmost of the main group of the Ionian islands (not counting distant Kythira). Zakynthos is about long and wide, and covers an area of . Its coastline is approximately long. According to the 2011 census, the island has"
"Ios Ios or Io or Nio (, , locally Nios ) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides, situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long and wide, with an area of . Population was 2,024 in 2011 (down from 3,500 in the 19th century). Ios is part of the Thira regional unit. The Port of Ios is at the head of the Ormos harbour in the northwest. There is a path up the nearby hill to Chora, the"
"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"
"Echinades The Echinades (; Greek: per Herodotus, Thucydides, and Strabo, per Homer Echinae (, ) are a group of islands in the Ionian Sea, off the coast of Acarnania, Greece. The archipelago is commonly subdivided into three groups: the Drakoneres in the north, the Modia in the middle and the Ouniades in the south. Administratively, the Echinades form part of two regional units: Ithaca and Cephalonia. Six of the islands, including Oxeia the largest, are owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, who purchased them for a reported £7.3 million sterling. The Battle of the Echinades"
"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"
"years later. In Othoni, there is one 5x5 football field and one basketball cort next to Agia Triada church. Diapontia Islands The Diapontia Islands or Diapontian Islands (), also known as Othonoi Islands () are a Greek island complex in the Ionian Sea. They are located some 6 km to the northwest of Corfu, and about 80 km away from Italian coasts. The main islands of the archipelago are Othoni, Ereikoussa and Mathraki. They are the only inhabited islands. The complex includes also the islets and rocks of Diakopo, Diaplo, Karavi, Kastrino, Leipso, Ostrako, Plaka, Plateia and Tracheia. Sazan (;"
"died on Zakynthos after being shipwrecked while making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His body is thought to have been buried on the island but the site has been lost. Zakynthos Zakynthos ( ; ) or Zante (; ; , ""rare"": ; from the Venetian form), is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. 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,"
"night. Today Mylopotas beach has been developed to an equivalent mass package tourism resort like Platys Gialos and Paradise Beach of Mykonos. Ios Ios or Io or Nio (, , locally Nios ) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides, situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long and wide, with an area of . Population was 2,024 in 2011 (down from 3,500 in the 19th century). Ios is part of the Thira regional unit. The Port of Ios"
"2018 Ionian Sea earthquake A strong earthquake measuring magnitude occurred in the Ionian Sea near the coasts of Greece during the night between 25 and 26 October 2018 at 22:54:51 UTC (01:54:51 in Greece). Sea level changes were predicted, and a tsunami advisory was issued. Reports of sea level change of up to 20 centimeters were reported in Greece and Italy. The epicenter was located about 133 km from Patras. The earthquake occurred 14km below the surface. Power outages were reported on the island of Zakynthos, and a 15th century monastery was also damaged on the islands of Strofades. The"
"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"