Lefkada Λευκάδα | |
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  Lefkada Location within the region  | |
| Coordinates:38°43′N20°39′E / 38.717°N 20.650°E /38.717; 20.650Coordinates:38°43′N20°39′E / 38.717°N 20.650°E /38.717; 20.650 | |
| Kintra | Greece |
| Admeenistrative region | Ionie Islands |
| Regional unit | Lefkada |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 335.8 km2 (129.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2001)[1] | |
| • Municipality | 21414 |
| • Municipality density | 64/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Lefkada, orLeucas orLeucadia[2] (Greek:Λευκάδα,[lefˈkaða];Auncient Greek anKatharevousa: Λευκάς,Lefkás,[leu̯kás]), is aGreekisland in theIonie Sea on the wast coast o Greece, connected tae the mainland bi a langcausewa anfloatin brig. The principal toun o the island an seat o the municipality isthe ceety o Lefkada.[3] It is situatit on the northren pairt o the island, approximately 20 minutes bi automobile awa fraeAktion Naitional Airport. The island is pairt o theregional unit o Lefkada.
The meeth abootSappho's suicide at Cape Lefkada is relatit tae ither meeths linkin the island tae the auncient Greek goddess o luve,Aphrodite, an taeOdysseus, the hero oHomer's Odyssey. TheGerman airchaeologistWilhelm Dörpfeld, haein performed excavations at various locations o Lefkada, wis able tae obtain fundin tae dae wirk on the island bi suggestin that Lefkada wisHomer's Ithaca, an thepalace o Odysseus wis locatit wast oNidri on the sooth coast o Lefkada. Thare hae been suggestions bi local tourism offeecials that several passages in theOdyssey pynt tae Lefkada as a possible model for Homeric Ithaca. The maist notable o thir passages pushed bi the local tourism buird describes Ithaca as an island reachable on fuit, which wis the case for Lefkada syne it is no really an island, that it wis connectit tae the mainland bi a nairae causewa. Accordin taeStrabo, the coast oAcarnanie wis ried Leucas in earlier times. The auncient soorces caw Leucas a Corinthian colony, aiblins wi aCorcyraen participation.[4] Durin thePeloponnesian War Leucas haed jynt theSpartan Confederation.[5]
TheOttomans cried it "Ayamavra" (a renderin o the Greek Αγία Μαύρα, the island's medieval name), an ruled it atween 1479–1502, 1504–1684 an 1715-1716.[6][7]
Lefkada measures 35 km frae north tae sooth, an 15 km frae east tae wast. Its aurie is 336 km2. Its heichest pynt is the muntainStavrota, 1158 m elevation,[8] situatit in the middle o the island. The east coast section o the island haes smaresorts oLygia,Nikiana anPerigiali, aw north oNidri, the lairgest resort on the island. It is set in a sheltered location wi views athort taeSkorpios—awned biAristotle Onassis,Meganissi an ither sma islands, as well as the Greek mainland. The main coastal road frae Lefkada tae Vasiliki runs throu the veelage, awtho a bypass haes nou been completit which skirts the veelage tae the wast. Thare are regular caur ferries taeKefalonia,Ithaca an Meganissi.
20 km sooth o Nidri is the resort oVasiliki, awindsurfin center. Thare are ferries tae Kefalonia an Ithaca frae Vasiliki. Sooth o Vasiliki isCape Lefkada, whaur theGreek female poetSappho allegedly leapt tae her daith frae the 30 m heich cliffs.
The famous beach oPorto Katsiki is locatit on Lefkada's wast coast. Lefkada wis attached tae mainland Greece (see abuin aboot Homer's Ithaca bein Lefkada). TheCorinthians dug a trench in the 7t century BC on its isthmus.[9]
The island haes a teepical Mediterranean climate: het simmers an ceul winters, especially in the muntains.
The present municipality Lefkada wis formit at the 2011 local govrenment reform bi the merger o the follaein 7 umwhile municipalities, that became municipal units:[3]
The municipality covers the island Lefkada an the smawer islandsKastos anKalamos.
(in chronological order)
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