Elis Περιφερειακή ενότητα Ηλείας | |
|---|---|
 Municipalities of Elis | |
  Elis Elis within Greece  | |
| Coordinates:37°40′N21°30′E / 37.667°N 21.500°E /37.667; 21.500 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Western Greece |
| Seat | Pyrgos |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,618 km2 (1,011 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 149,896 |
| • Density | 57/km2 (150/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 27x xx |
| Area code(s) | 262x0 |
| Vehicle registration | ΗΑ |
| Website | www |
Elis also known asEllis orIlia (Greek:Ηλεία,Eleia) is a historic region in the western part of thePeloponnese peninsula ofGreece. It is administered as aregional unit of themodern region ofWestern Greece. Its capital isPyrgos. Until2011 it was Elis Prefecture, covering the same territory.
The modern regional unit is nearly coterminous with theancient Elis of the classical period. Here lie the ancient ruins of cities ofElis,Epitalion andOlympia, known for theancient Olympic Games which started in 776 BC.
The northernmost point of Elis is 38° 06'N, the westernmost is 22° 12′E, the southernmost is 37° 18′N, and the easternmost is 21° 54′E. The length from north to south is 100 km (62 mi), and from east-to-west is around 55 km (34 mi).
The modern regional unit is not completely congruent withancient Elis:Lampeia belonged to ancientArcadia, andKalogria is now part ofAchaea.
The longest river is theAlfeios. Other rivers are theErymanthos,Pineios andNeda. Alfeios, Pineios and Neda flow into theIonian Sea in Elis. Less than 1% of the prefecture is open water, most of it found in artificial reservoirs and dams, in the north and east. ThePineios Dam supplies water for Northern Elis. The water is not safe for drinking, because it contains somecontaminants. A second, smaller reservoir in the river Alfeios nearOlympia andKrestena supplies water to Pyrgos.
The eastern part of the regional unit is forested, with mostlypine trees in the south. There are forest preserves inFoloi and the mountain ranges of Eastern Elis. In the north is theStrofylia forest which has pine trees. Mountain ranges includeMovri (around 720 m or 2,400 ft),Divri (around 1500 m),Minthe (around 1100 m), and more.
About one-third of the land is fertile; the rest is mountainous and not suitable for crops. Swamplands used to cover 1–1.5% of the region, especially in theSamiko area. Most of them have been drained for agricultural purposes; only 10 km² (4 sq miles) has been kept and is now protected.
Here lie the ancient ruins ofElis,Epitalion andOlympia, known for theancient Olympic Games which started in 776 BC. There is a museum with statues that relate to the history of Olympia. Another museum is in Elis, but it is very small. Monasteries are scattered around the region.
Elis has aMediterranean climate, with hot, sunny summers. Temperatures over 40 °C have been recorded. The mountainous interior is colder, and snow covers the mountains in winter. Elis is more humid than the eastern Peloponnese.
Elis is located in aseismically active zone, and there are severalearthquakes each year. Some of the most significant earthquakes to have hit the area are:
Rainy weather in 2002-2003 caused destruction of villages by mudslides, and some bridges and roads were also cut off. In February 2008, frost devastated many crops inManolada,Nea Manolada andKounoupeli.
In August 2007, there were enormousforest fires which led to tens of deaths and a massive environmental and economic disaster. The final toll for the prefecture was: 45 dead, 100,000 affected[clarification needed] by the fire, 3,500 left homeless by the fire, 25,000 dead animals, 8,500 hectares of burnt forests, 2,300 hectares of burnt farmland.[3] The archaeological site ofOlympia was seriously threatened, but not damaged.
The regional unit Elis is subdivided into 7 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):[4]
As a part of the 2011Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Elis was created out of the formerprefecture Elis (Greek:Νομός Ηλείας). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.[4]
| New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient Olympia (Archaia Olympia) | Archaia Olympia | Archaia Olympia |
| Lampeia | ||
| Lasiona | ||
| Foloi | ||
| Andravida-Kyllini | Andravida | Lechaina |
| Vouprasia | ||
| Kastro-Kyllini | ||
| Lechaina | ||
| Andritsaina-Krestena | Andritsaina | Krestena |
| Alifeira | ||
| Skillounta | ||
| Ilida | Amaliada | Amaliada |
| Pineia | ||
| Pineios | Gastouni | Gastouni |
| Kavasila | ||
| Vartholomio | ||
| Tragano | ||
| Pyrgos | Pyrgos | Pyrgos |
| Volakas | ||
| Iardanos | ||
| Oleni | ||
| Zacharo | Zacharo | Zacharo |
| Figaleia |
Before 2006, Elis was divided into twoprovinces:Elis Province andOlympia Province. Elis Province containedHollow or Lowland Elis and the northern part ofPisatis. It was the smallest, but most populous of the two provinces. The seat wasPyrgos. Olympia Province contained most of Pisatis andTriphylia. Its seat wasAndritsaina, in the mountains;Krestena andZacharo were the largest towns in the province.
Elis is the third most populous regional unit of the Peloponnese, afterAchaea andMessenia. Between 70% and 75% of the population live on fertile lands away from the mountains.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1940[5] | 186,945 | — |
| 1961[6] | 188,861 | +1.0% |
| 1981[7] | 217,371 | +15.1% |
| 1991[8] | 174,287 | −19.8% |
| 2001[8] | 183,521 | +5.3% |
| 2011[8] | 159,300 | −13.2% |
| 2021[1] | 149,896 | −5.9% |
The population of ancient Elis (from 1000–1 BC) was in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 and reached 10,000 or 20,000 by 1 BC.[citation needed] The population reached 217,000 around 1981, but has been declining since. Pyrgos became the largest city having the population over the 10,000 mark in the mid-20th century, and above 20,000 in the late 1980s. The population in the northwest is growing while the population is declining in the southeast and east.
The primary source of agriculture is corn, tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers, livestock, watermelon, melon and some vegetables. There are 3 major operating tomato factories in Savalia (Kyknos), Gastouni (Pelargos), and north of Andravida (Asteris). The most fertile land in Peloponnese is the plain that covers the northern part of Elis and the adjacent part of Achaea.
Textiles used to be dominant in business from antiquity until the Middle Ages. In the 1950s, agriculture was the dominant occupation, except in the townsAmaliada andPyrgos. Currently, one third of jobs in Elis is in the agricultural sector.
Squid, and all types of fish are common in the waters of Elis. Fishing is mainly done in the southeasternIonian Sea and in theBay of Patras. Most of the production is sent into Patras, some into Athens, some elsewhere in the world (with small production) and some into the local markets of Elis from Kyllini and Katakolo. Overfishing is a problem north of Lechaina.
Inclassical antiquity, Elis was an independent state, centred on the town Elis and included the sanctuary atOlympia, where theAncient Olympic Games were held between 776 BC and 394 AD. After 146 BC, Elis was part of the provinceAchaea within theRoman Empire. In theMigration Period (3rd - 4th century AD)Vandals andVisigoths rampaged through the region. After thefinal partition of the Roman Empire in 395, Elis was ruled by theByzantine Empire.
In the aftermath of theFourth Crusade, crusaders from Western Europe (traditionally referred to asFranks in southeastern Europe) established theprincipality of Achaea in the territory of the defeated Byzantine Empire. The region of Elis was the Principality's heartland, containing its capital,Andravida, the port town and mint ofGlarentza, the fortress ofChlemoutsi, and the extensiveBarony of Akova. The Principality lasted from 1204 until 1432, when it was conquered by the ByzantineDespotate of the Morea, which in turn fell in 1460 to theOttoman Empire.
The Ottoman Empire ruled most of Greece until theGreek War of Independence of 1821. TheVenetian Republic controlled a few coastal towns in the 1490s, early 16th century andfrom 1686 until 1715. Battlegrounds of the Greek War of Independence in Elis include Chlemoutsi, Gastouni, Lala, Lampeia, Pyrgos and Andritsaina.
As a part of independent Greece, Elis experienced an economic and agricultural upswing in the first decades after the war of independence. Houses were built, and Pyrgos became a regional centre. Like most of thePeloponnese, the area was unaffected duringWorld War I. As a result of theGreco-Turkish War (1919–1922),Greek refugees fromAsia Minor settled in the area around Amaliada.
World War II struck parts of Elis, houses were damaged, leaving people homeless, and afterwards theGreek Civil War caused more destruction and economic decline. Thereturn to democracy after theGreek military junta of 1967–1974, and Greece joining theEuropean Communities in 1981 stimulated economic development and improvement of infrastructure.
Elis has 200 km ofhighways. There are no limited-access freeways in the prefecture, but a freeway (A9) is being built betweenPatras andKyparissia, planned opening 2012.[needs update]
The principalhighways include:
The total length of railway tracks in Elis is around 140 km. There is a railway line from Patras toKalamata via Pyrgos, and a branch line from Pyrgos toOlympia. Since January 2011, traffic is suspended on the line from Patras to Kalamata, and only the branch line from Pyrgos to Olympia has regular passenger trains.
The port of Kyllini in the northwest is the busiest port in Elis, with car ferries to the islands ofZakynthos andKefalonia. The port ofKatakolo is an important stop for cruise ships, offering an opportunity for passengers to visit the site ofAncient Olympia. Other ports or harbors are small in size and fit only smaller boats.
Elis has a military airport nearAndravida, north of Pyrgos. There are no public airports in the area. The nearestairport on land is inKalamata.
Telephones became more common after the 1960s when the Hellenic Telecommunication Organization (ΟΤΕ) created hundreds of kilometres of phone lines in the region. Now nearly every household has a telephone. The ΟΤΕ built tens of towers to connect more lines for the internet, telephones, and cell phones to increase the service. Lines began around the mid-20th century to enable more people to communicate by phones in the whole of Greece. There are also several communication towers throughout the prefecture.
There are several local radio stations, for instance RSA (Radio Station of Amalias) from Amalias andEleftheri Radiofonas Krestenas from Krestena. There are hundreds of transmitter towers scattered over Elis.
| Regional unit ofAchaea |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Regional unit ofAetolia-Acarnania | ||
| Regional unit ofElis | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
