Agios Efstratios Άγιος Ευστράτιος | |
|---|---|
 Agios Efstratios village | |
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  Agios Efstratios | |
| Coordinates:39°31′N25°00′E / 39.517°N 25.000°E /39.517; 25.000 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | North Aegean |
| Regional unit | Lemnos |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 43.325 km2 (16.728 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Municipality | 257 |
| • Density | 5.93/km2 (15.4/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 815 00[2] |
| Area code | 2254 |
| Vehicle registration | ΜΗ, ΜΥ |
Agios Efstratios orSaint Eustratius (Greek:Άγιος Ευστράτιος), colloquiallyAi Stratis (Greek:Άη Στράτης), ancientlyHalonnesus orHalonnesos (Ancient Greek:Ἁλόννησος),[3] is a smallGreek island in the northernAegean Sea about 30 kilometres (19 miles) southwest ofLemnos and 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest ofLesbos. The municipality has an area of 43.325 km2.[4] Together with Lemnos and nearby islets it forms theregional unit ofLemnos, part of the Greek archipelagicregion of theNorth Aegean.
In antiquity the island was known as Halonnesus, and under this name was a bone of contention betweenancient Athens andMacedon as was noted inOn the Halonnesus, attributed toDemosthenes. The island was named afterSaint Eustratius (Όσιος Ευστράτιος ο Θαυματουργός), who lived on the island in the 9th century as an exile, because he was opposed to theiconoclastic policies of the Byzantine EmperorLeo the Armenian. His grave is still being shown by the inhabitants. The island is mentioned in theIsolario byCristoforo Buondelmonti in 1420 as Sanstrati. It was also known as "Bozbaba" during Ottoman rule. TheOttoman Census of 1831 states that the island population was composed exclusively of Greeks, and that there were 310 Greek males fit to fight. This register did not include women, orphans, Christians below the age of puberty, high-ranking officials, and the mentally or physically incapacitated, so the actual population would be much higher.[5]
Agios Efstratios is quiet, isolated and dry, with a population of approximately 300 people. The climate is arid, with little rainfall during the winter months and long, hot summers. The landscape is mostly rocky, with scarce and low vegetation.Locust infestation is a recurring problem.[6] Crops are insignificant; the surrounding sea, however, is rich infish which are fished by local fishermen. There are numerous beaches on the island such as Agios Antonios, Lemonies, Avlakia and others, most of which are reached by caique. Agios Efstratios Island is linked by boat withLimnos,Agios Konstantinos,Kymi andKavala.
The island was used to housepolitical prisoners ininternal exile since the 1930s. The first communists were exiled to the island with theIdionymon law ofVenizelos, later during theMetaxas Regime and again during theGreek civil war. AfterMakronisos it became the largest prison island in Aegean. During theGreek military junta of 1967–74, the island was again used as a prison for political dissidents. Exiles here includedIlias Iliou,Stefanos Sarafis,Dimitris Glinos,Kostas Varnalis,Tasos Leivaditis,Yiannis Ritsos,Menelaos Lountemis,Manos Katrakis,Kostas Gavriilidis andMikis Theodorakis.
On 19 February 1968, anearthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) demolished most of the houses,[7] which were replaced by concrete prefabricated buildings laid out in a military-like camp formation. Nonetheless, the island retains a very attractive capital, also called Agios Efstratios, while preserving a rather unspoiled Mediterranean environment with pristine beaches. It is mostly a place for relaxation and meditation.
Athens News Agency[8] reported that, on 4 June 2009, at a two-day international conference in Athens on "Climate change and Challenges for the Future Generations"[9] under the patronage ofUNESCO, Greece's Development MinisterKostis Hatzidakis said that Agios Efstratios would soon become the country's first "green" island, entirely powered byrenewable energy sources (RES), its residents relying on solar and wind generated energy and moving around the island on bicycles and inelectric cars. Hatzidakis said a €10 million project would be implemented by 2010. At the same conference Professor Philippos Tsalidis, Development Ministry General Secretary for Research and Technology, said that although Greece's energy needs currently required strategic reliance on natural gas, Aghios Efstratios, could serve as a global model for 100% reliance on RES. Agios Efstratios is included in the European Union'sNatura 2000 network of nature protected areas.
Agios Efstratios has one port, which offers year-round ferry connections to the island ofLemnos, as well to mainland Greece, namelyLavrio. The ship operating these routes is owned byHellenic Seaways.There is also a small heliport on the main village outskirts, but it is used mostly for emergency airlift, or coast guard and military helicopters' stopover.
A slightly fictionalized Agios Efstratios appears in the 2013tactical shootervideo gameArma 3 as the island of "Stratis", part of theisland country of the "Republic of Altis and Stratis". In the game, Stratis is mostly composed of sparsemilitary installations and a smallairfield, with most of the civilian settlements on the island having been left abandoned following acivil war. "Altis", based onLemnos, is north of the island as it is in real life.
| Regional unit ofChios |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Regional unit ofIkaria | ||
| Regional unit ofLemnos | ||
| Regional unit ofLesbos | ||
| Regional unit ofSamos | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
