Icaria
Encyclopedia
Icaria, also spelled Ikaria , is a Greek
island in the Aegean Sea
, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos
. It derived its name from Icarus
, the son of Daedalus
in Greek mythology
, who fell into the sea nearby. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Ikaria peripheral unit
, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery
. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Agios Kirykos
.
pre-Hellenic people that Greeks called Pelasgians
.
Around 750 BC, Greeks from Miletus
colonized Ikaria, establishing a settlement in the area of present day Campos, which they called Oenoe
for its wine.
Ikaria, in the 6th century BC, became part of Polycrates
' sea empire, and, in the 5th century BC, the Ikarian cities of Oenoe and Thermae were members of the Athenian-dominated Delian League
. In the 2nd century, the island was colonized by Samos
. At this time, the Tauropolion, the temple of Artemis
was built at Oenoe. Coins of the city represented Artemis and a bull
. There was another, smaller temenos
that was sacred to Artemis Tauropolos
, at Nas
, on the northwest coast of the island. Nas had been a sacred spot to the pre-Greek inhabitants of the Aegean and an important island port in antiquity, the last stop before testing the dangerous seas around Ikaria. It was an appropriate place for sailors to make sacrifices to Artemis Tauropolos, who, among other functions, was a patron of seafarers; here, the goddess was represented in an archaic wooden xoanon
.
In the 14th century Ikaria became part of a Genoese
Aegean empire. At one stage, during this time, the Ikarians actually destroyed their harbors to deter the aggressive visitors.
According to local historians, the Ikarians, left to their own devices, built seven watchtowers around the coast. As soon as a hostile or unknown sail was seen, the watchers immediately lit a fire and then ran to a cistern
that was always filled with water. They pulled out a wooden bung in the bottom, and the water, of course, began to leak out. The garrisons of the other towers had been alerted by the fire to do the same thing at the same time.
Inside each cistern in each castle were identical lines, like those on a measuring jar. Each of these calibrations had a different message attached to it: "pirates attacking", "unknown sail approaching", etc.
When the water level reached the level of the appropriate message, the senders rebunged the cistern and put out the fire, and everyone in the other towers could determine the size and the proximity of the danger.
During this time, the Ikarians seldom built villages. Each house was remote from its neighbors, had one door, and was barricaded behind high walls. A working chimney could be a giveaway, so they endured smoke-filled rooms that were kept bare of lootable belongings: they hid their belongings in wall niches and slept on the floor.
, exerted some control over Ikaria until 1521, when the Ottoman Empire
incorporated Ikaria into its realm. The Ikarians hanged the first Turkish tax collector but managed to escape punishment, as none would identify the guilty one and the Turks realistically determined that there was neither profit nor honour in punishing all.
Thanks in part to the island's primitive conditions and poverty, the Turks imposed a very loose administration, not sending any officials to Ikaria for several centuries. The best account we have of the island during these years is from archbishop J. Georgirenes who in 1677 described the island with 1,000 hardy, long-lived inhabitants, who were the poorest people in the Aegean. Without a port, the island depended for its very limited intercourse with the outside world on small craft that were drawn up on the beaches, for which Icarian boat-builders had a high reputation, building boats from the abundant fir forests; they sold botas and lumber for coin and grain at Chios
. The inshore waters, Georgirenes asserted, provided the best cockle
s in the Archipelago. Goats and sheep roamed virtually untended in the rocky landscape. Cheeses were made for consumption in each household. Ikarios in the 17th century was unusual in the Archipelago in not providing any wine for export; rather than keeping the wine made for local consumption in barrels, they continued to store it in the age-old fashion, in terracotta pithoi
sunk to their rims in earth.
Apart from three small towns, none of which exceeded 100 houses, and numerous village settlements, each house had a walled orchard and a garden plot. Unlike the closely built towns of Samos, the hardy inhabitants lived separately in fortified unfurnished farmsteads. They slept without bedding and wrapped themselves in their clothing. They often lived to great ages. They admitted no strangers, and strictly married among themselves.
The ruins of the lighthouse on the promontory that faces Samos, called the "Tower of Icarus", were strictly off limits to the islanders, as tradition asserted that there was treasure to be found in them.
In 1827, during the Greek War of Independence
, Icaria broke away from the Ottoman Empire
, but was not included in the narrow territory of the original independent Greece and was forced to accept Turkish rule once more a few years later.
It remained part of the Ottoman Empire until July 17, 1912 when the Ikarians expelled a Turkish garrison and thereby achieved independence.
George Spanos (c.1872-1912) of Evdilos, killed in a Turkish ambush on that July 17, is honored as the hero of the Icarian Revolution. His bust, depicting him defiantly, with bandoliers and rifle in hand, may be seen in the National Resistance Square in Evdilos.
On July 18, 1912, the Free State of Icaria was declared. The neighboring islands of Fournoi Korseon
were also liberated and became part of the Free State. Ioannis Malachias was the only president of the short-lived nation.
For five months, it remained an independent state, with its own armed forces, flag, stamps, and anthem. These five months were difficult times. There were food shortages, the people were without regular transportation and postal service, and they were at risk of becoming part of the Italian Aegean Empire. But in November 1912, after a delay due to the Balkan Wars
, Icaria became part of Greece
.
alone, over 100 perished from starvation.
(1945–1947), after which the Greek government used the island to exile about 13,000 communists. To this date, many of the islanders have remained sympathetic to communism, and, for this reason, Ikaria is referred to by some as the Kokkino Nisi (Greek: Κόκκινο νησί) (Red Island) or the Kokkinos Vrahos (Greek: Κόκκινος Βράχος) (Red Rock).
In his analysis, "Rebels and Radicals; Icaria 1600-2000", historian Anthony J. Papalas (East Carolina University
) examines modern Icaria in the light of such 20th-century questions as poverty, emigration to America, the nature of the Axis occupation, the rise of Communism, the Civil War and the rightwing reaction to radical post-war movements.
. Today, Icaria is considered one of the world's five "Blue Zone
s" - places where the population regularly lives to an advanced age (one in three make it to their 90s).
In 2002 Greek authorities captured Ikarian-born, Christodoulos Xiros, a member of Revolutionary Organization 17 November
. A 58-year-old professor and economist, Alexandros Giotopoulos
, was identified as the group's leader and was arrested on the nearby island of Lipsi.
It is one of the middle islands of the northern Aegean
, 255 km² (99 mi²) in area with 102 miles (160 km) of coastline and a population of 8,312 inhabitants. The topography is a contrast between verdant slopes and barren steep rocks. The island is mountainous for the most part. It is traversed by Aetheras range, whose highest summit is 1,037m. Most of its villages are nestled in the plains near the coast, with only some of them on the mountains. Icaria has a tradition in the production of strong red wine
. Many parts of the island, especially the ravines, are covered in large bushes, making the landscape lush with green. Aside from domestic and domesticated species (small goat herds make their presence known with their bells, disturbing the serenity of the island) there are a number of small wild animals to be found, such as marten
s, otters
, jumping spider
s and toads
. Icaria exhibits a typical Mediterranean climate
.
Agios Kirykos
Evdilos
Raches
Kato Raches
, Kouniadoi, Mavriannos, Nanouras, Xinta, Proespera, Profitis Ilias, Tsakades)
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos
Samoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
. It derived its name from Icarus
Icarus (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus. The main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax...
, the son of Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, who fell into the sea nearby. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Ikaria peripheral unit
Ikaria (peripheral unit)
Ikaria is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of North Aegean. The regional unit covers the island of Ikaria and the small archipelago Fournoi Korseon, in the Aegean Sea.-Administration:...
, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery
Peripheries of Greece
The current official regional administrative divisions of Greece were instituted in 1987. Although best translated into English as "regions", the transcription peripheries is sometimes used, perhaps to distinguish them from the traditional regions which they replaced. The English word 'periphery'...
. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Agios Kirykos
Agios Kirykos
Agios Kirykos is a town and a former municipality on the island of Ikaria, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ikaria, of which it is a municipal unit. Its population was 3,243 at the 2001 census, and its land area is 74.745 km²...
.
History
Ikaria has been inhabited since at least 7000 BC, when it was populated by the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
pre-Hellenic people that Greeks called Pelasgians
Pelasgians
The name Pelasgians was used by some ancient Greek writers to refer to populations that were either the ancestors of the Greeks or who preceded the Greeks in Greece, "a hold-all term for any ancient, primitive and presumably indigenous people in the Greek world." In general, "Pelasgian" has come...
.
Around 750 BC, Greeks from Miletus
Miletus
Miletus was an ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia , near the mouth of the Maeander River in ancient Caria...
colonized Ikaria, establishing a settlement in the area of present day Campos, which they called Oenoe
Oenoe
Oenoe , also written Oinoi or Oene, referred to several cities in Greece:*Oenoe, a city in Attica, modern Oinoi*Oenoe, an ancient city located in Argolis*Oene , an ancient city in modern Elis...
for its wine.
Ikaria, in the 6th century BC, became part of Polycrates
Polycrates
Polycrates , son of Aeaces, was the tyrant of Samos from c. 538 BC to 522 BC.He took power during a festival of Hera with his brothers Pantagnotus and Syloson, but soon had Pantagnotus killed and exiled Syloson to take full control for himself. He then allied with Amasis II, pharaoh of Egypt, as...
' sea empire, and, in the 5th century BC, the Ikarian cities of Oenoe and Thermae were members of the Athenian-dominated Delian League
Delian League
The Delian League, founded in circa 477 BC, was an association of Greek city-states, members numbering between 150 to 173, under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire after the Greek victory in the Battle of Plataea at the end of the Greco–Persian Wars...
. In the 2nd century, the island was colonized by Samos
Samoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
. At this time, the Tauropolion, the temple of Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
was built at Oenoe. Coins of the city represented Artemis and a bull
Bull (mythology)
The worship of the Sacred Bull throughout the ancient world is most familiar to the Western world in the biblical episode of the idol of the Golden Calf. The Golden Calf after being made by the Hebrew people in the wilderness of Sinai, were rejected and destroyed by Moses and his tribe after his...
. There was another, smaller temenos
Temenos
Temenos is a piece of land cut off and assigned as an official domain, especially to kings and chiefs, or a piece of land marked off from common uses and dedicated to a god, a sanctuary, holy grove or holy precinct: The Pythian race-course is called a temenos, the sacred valley of the Nile is the ...
that was sacred to Artemis Tauropolos
Artemis Tauropolos
Artemis Tauropolos in ancient Greece, was an epithet for the goddess Artemis, variously interpreted as worshipped at Tauris, or pulled by a yoke of bulls, or hunting bull goddess. A statue of Artemis "Tauropolos" in her temple at Brauron in Attica was supposed to have been brought from the Taurians...
, at Nas
Nas (Ikaria)
Nas is a small village on the Greek island of Icaria.It is famous for the beach which is located near the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis....
, on the northwest coast of the island. Nas had been a sacred spot to the pre-Greek inhabitants of the Aegean and an important island port in antiquity, the last stop before testing the dangerous seas around Ikaria. It was an appropriate place for sailors to make sacrifices to Artemis Tauropolos, who, among other functions, was a patron of seafarers; here, the goddess was represented in an archaic wooden xoanon
Xoanon
A xoanon was an Archaic wooden cult image of Ancient Greece. Classical Greeks associated such cult objects, whether aniconic or effigy, with the legendary Daedalus. Many such cult images were preserved into historical times, though none have survived to the modern day, except where their image...
.
Fate of classical remnants
The temple stood in good repair until the middle of the 19th century when the marble was pillaged, for their local church, by the Kato Raches villagers. In 1939, it was excavated by the Greek archeologist Leon Politis. During the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II, many of the artifacts that were unearthed by Politis disappeared. Local custom states that there are still marble statues embedded in the sand off the coast.Genoese era
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
Aegean empire. At one stage, during this time, the Ikarians actually destroyed their harbors to deter the aggressive visitors.
According to local historians, the Ikarians, left to their own devices, built seven watchtowers around the coast. As soon as a hostile or unknown sail was seen, the watchers immediately lit a fire and then ran to a cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
that was always filled with water. They pulled out a wooden bung in the bottom, and the water, of course, began to leak out. The garrisons of the other towers had been alerted by the fire to do the same thing at the same time.
Inside each cistern in each castle were identical lines, like those on a measuring jar. Each of these calibrations had a different message attached to it: "pirates attacking", "unknown sail approaching", etc.
When the water level reached the level of the appropriate message, the senders rebunged the cistern and put out the fire, and everyone in the other towers could determine the size and the proximity of the danger.
During this time, the Ikarians seldom built villages. Each house was remote from its neighbors, had one door, and was barricaded behind high walls. A working chimney could be a giveaway, so they endured smoke-filled rooms that were kept bare of lootable belongings: they hid their belongings in wall niches and slept on the floor.
Ottoman Era
The Knights of St. John, who had their base in RhodesRhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, exerted some control over Ikaria until 1521, when the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
incorporated Ikaria into its realm. The Ikarians hanged the first Turkish tax collector but managed to escape punishment, as none would identify the guilty one and the Turks realistically determined that there was neither profit nor honour in punishing all.
Thanks in part to the island's primitive conditions and poverty, the Turks imposed a very loose administration, not sending any officials to Ikaria for several centuries. The best account we have of the island during these years is from archbishop J. Georgirenes who in 1677 described the island with 1,000 hardy, long-lived inhabitants, who were the poorest people in the Aegean. Without a port, the island depended for its very limited intercourse with the outside world on small craft that were drawn up on the beaches, for which Icarian boat-builders had a high reputation, building boats from the abundant fir forests; they sold botas and lumber for coin and grain at Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
. The inshore waters, Georgirenes asserted, provided the best cockle
Cockle
Cockle may refer to:* Cockle , a group of edible saltwater clams * Lolium temulentum, a tufted grass plant* Berwick cockles, a confectionery from ScotlandCockleshell* The Mark II canoes used in Operation Frankton in 1942...
s in the Archipelago. Goats and sheep roamed virtually untended in the rocky landscape. Cheeses were made for consumption in each household. Ikarios in the 17th century was unusual in the Archipelago in not providing any wine for export; rather than keeping the wine made for local consumption in barrels, they continued to store it in the age-old fashion, in terracotta pithoi
Pithos
Pithos originally referred in ancient Greek to a large storage jar of a characteristic shape. The word was at one point used by western classical archaeologists to mean the jars uncovered by excavation in Crete and Greece, it has now been taken into the American English language as a general word...
sunk to their rims in earth.
Apart from three small towns, none of which exceeded 100 houses, and numerous village settlements, each house had a walled orchard and a garden plot. Unlike the closely built towns of Samos, the hardy inhabitants lived separately in fortified unfurnished farmsteads. They slept without bedding and wrapped themselves in their clothing. They often lived to great ages. They admitted no strangers, and strictly married among themselves.
The ruins of the lighthouse on the promontory that faces Samos, called the "Tower of Icarus", were strictly off limits to the islanders, as tradition asserted that there was treasure to be found in them.
In 1827, during the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
, Icaria broke away from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, but was not included in the narrow territory of the original independent Greece and was forced to accept Turkish rule once more a few years later.
Free State of Icaria
George Spanos (c.1872-1912) of Evdilos, killed in a Turkish ambush on that July 17, is honored as the hero of the Icarian Revolution. His bust, depicting him defiantly, with bandoliers and rifle in hand, may be seen in the National Resistance Square in Evdilos.
On July 18, 1912, the Free State of Icaria was declared. The neighboring islands of Fournoi Korseon
Fournoi Korseon
Fournoi Korseon , more commonly simply Fournoi, is a complex or archipelago of small Greek islands that lie between Ikaria, Samos and Patmos in Ikaria peripheral unit, North Aegean Periphery. The two largest islands of the complex, the main isle of Fourni and the isle of Thymaina, are inhabited, as...
were also liberated and became part of the Free State. Ioannis Malachias was the only president of the short-lived nation.
For five months, it remained an independent state, with its own armed forces, flag, stamps, and anthem. These five months were difficult times. There were food shortages, the people were without regular transportation and postal service, and they were at risk of becoming part of the Italian Aegean Empire. But in November 1912, after a delay due to the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, Icaria became part of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Second World War occupation and starvation
The island suffered tremendous losses in property and lives during the Second World War as the result of the Italian and then German occupation. There are no exact figures on how many people starved, but, in the village of KaravostamoKaravostamo
Karavostamo is a seaside village in Ikaria. It is composed of an upper and lower village and is situated in the northern part of the island east of the municipal unit of Evdilos. It has approximately 485 inhabitants...
alone, over 100 perished from starvation.
Red Rock
After the ravages of the war the nationalists and communists fought in the Greek Civil WarGreek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
(1945–1947), after which the Greek government used the island to exile about 13,000 communists. To this date, many of the islanders have remained sympathetic to communism, and, for this reason, Ikaria is referred to by some as the Kokkino Nisi (Greek: Κόκκινο νησί) (Red Island) or the Kokkinos Vrahos (Greek: Κόκκινος Βράχος) (Red Rock).
In his analysis, "Rebels and Radicals; Icaria 1600-2000", historian Anthony J. Papalas (East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
) examines modern Icaria in the light of such 20th-century questions as poverty, emigration to America, the nature of the Axis occupation, the rise of Communism, the Civil War and the rightwing reaction to radical post-war movements.
Modern Era
The quality of life improved greatly after 1960 when the Greek government began to invest in the infrastructure of the island to assist in the promotion of tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Today, Icaria is considered one of the world's five "Blue Zone
Blue Zone
A Blue Zone is a region of the world where people commonly live active lives past the age of 100 years. Scientists and demographers have classified these longevity hot-spots by having common healthy traits and life practices that result in higher-than-normal longevity.The name Blue Zone seems to...
s" - places where the population regularly lives to an advanced age (one in three make it to their 90s).
In 2002 Greek authorities captured Ikarian-born, Christodoulos Xiros, a member of Revolutionary Organization 17 November
Revolutionary Organization 17 November
Revolutionary Organization 17 November , was a Marxist urban guerrilla organization formed in 1975 and believed to have been disbanded in 2002 after the arrest and trial of a...
. A 58-year-old professor and economist, Alexandros Giotopoulos
Alexandros Giotopoulos
Alexandros Giotopoulos is serving a sentence of life imprisonment, having been found guilty in 2003 of leading the Marxist Greek terrorist group November 17th ....
, was identified as the group's leader and was arrested on the nearby island of Lipsi.
Geography
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, 255 km² (99 mi²) in area with 102 miles (160 km) of coastline and a population of 8,312 inhabitants. The topography is a contrast between verdant slopes and barren steep rocks. The island is mountainous for the most part. It is traversed by Aetheras range, whose highest summit is 1,037m. Most of its villages are nestled in the plains near the coast, with only some of them on the mountains. Icaria has a tradition in the production of strong red wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
. Many parts of the island, especially the ravines, are covered in large bushes, making the landscape lush with green. Aside from domestic and domesticated species (small goat herds make their presence known with their bells, disturbing the serenity of the island) there are a number of small wild animals to be found, such as marten
Marten
The martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in family Mustelidae.-Description:Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in taigas, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the northern hemisphere. They have bushy tails, and large...
s, otters
European Otter
The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
, jumping spider
Jumping spider
The jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among invertebrates and use it in courtship, hunting and navigation...
s and toads
European Green Toad
The species group of the green toads is an anuran group toad found in mainland Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. They live in many areas, including steppes, mountainous areas, semi-deserts, and urban areas...
. Icaria exhibits a typical Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
.
Municipality
The present municipality Ikaria was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- Agios KirykosAgios KirykosAgios Kirykos is a town and a former municipality on the island of Ikaria, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ikaria, of which it is a municipal unit. Its population was 3,243 at the 2001 census, and its land area is 74.745 km²...
- EvdilosEvdilosEvdilos is a village and a former municipality in the central part of the island of Ikaria, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ikaria, of which it is a municipal unit. 40 km northwest of Agios Kirykos...
- RachesRachesRaches is a village and a former municipality on the island of Ikaria, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ikaria, of which it is a municipal unit...
Subdivisions
The municipal units Agios Kirykos, Evdilos and Raches are subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):Agios Kirykos
- Agios Kirykos (Agios Kirykos, Therma IkariasTherma IkariasTherma Ikarias is a spa town on the island of Icaria in Greece.According to a study conducted by the University of Thessaloniki, the saline hot mineral springs of Ikaria contain the largest concentration of radon in Greece, being also among the most radioactive springs in the world.The three...
, Katafygio, Lardades, Mavrato, Mavrikato, Xylosyrtis, Oxea, Tsouredes, FarosFarosFaros is a village at the southeast end of the island of Ikaria, Greece. Its beach, undeveloped, is the longest one on the island.....
) - Perdiki (Perdiki, Kioni, Mileopo, Monokampi, Ploumari)
- Chrysostomos (Chrysostomos, Vardarades, Vaoni, Livadi, Plagia)
Evdilos
- Evdilos (Evdilos, Agia Kyriaki, Droutsoulas, Kerameio, Kyparissi, Xanthi, Fytema)
- Arethousa (Arethousa, Kyparissi, Pera Arethousa, Foinikas)
- Dafni (Dafni, Akamatra, Kosoikia, Petropouli, Steli)
- KaravostamoKaravostamoKaravostamo is a seaside village in Ikaria. It is composed of an upper and lower village and is situated in the northern part of the island east of the municipal unit of Evdilos. It has approximately 485 inhabitants...
- Manganitis (Manganitis, Kalamonari)
- Frantato (Frantato, Avlaki, Kalamourida, Kampos, Kremasti, Maratho, Pigi, Stavlos)
Raches
- Raches (Christos, Agios Dimitrios, Armenistis, Vrakades, Kares, Nas or
Kato Raches
Nas (Ikaria)
Nas is a small village on the Greek island of Icaria.It is famous for the beach which is located near the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis....
, Kouniadoi, Mavriannos, Nanouras, Xinta, Proespera, Profitis Ilias, Tsakades)
- Agios Polykarpos (Agios Polykarpos, Agios Panteleimonas, Gialiskari, Kastanies, Lapsachades, Lomvardades, Mandria,
- KarkinagriKarkinagriThe village of Karkinagri stands beside the southwestern tip of Ikaria, Greece. It has about 300 permanent residents, but in summertime the population increases substantially. Primarily a fishing village, it is surrounded by giant rocks and in the background rises the majestic Atheras mountain...
(Karkinagri, Amalo, Kalamos, Lagkada, Pezi, Trapalo)
Notable people
- Eleftheria ArvanitakiEleftheria ArvanitakiEleftheria Arvanitaki is a Greek folk singer. She originates from the island of Icaria...
(1957) singer - Apostolos Kratsas politician (married to Rodi Kratsa-TsagaropoulouRodi Kratsa-TsagaropoulouRodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou is a Greek politician, Member of the New Democracy party. She was born and brought up at the island of Zakynthos, Greece. She studied Sociology at the University of Geneva...
vice pr. of european parliament) - Ilias Kratsas (born 1946) Director of Daihatsu Australia
- Aris PoulianosAris PoulianosAris Poulianos is a Greek anthropologist and archaeologist.-Early life and career:Before becoming an anthropologist, Poulianos fought during World War II as a member of ELAS from 1942 up until 1943. During the Greek Civil War, he fought on the side of the DSE from 1948 up until 1949...
(1924) anthropologist - Stan Gronthos (April 11, 1963) professor of stem cell research
- Mikis TheodorakisMikis TheodorakisMikis Theodorakis is one of the most renowned Greek songwriters and composers. Internationally, he is probably best known for his songs and for his scores for the films Zorba the Greek , Z , and Serpico .Politically, he identified with the left until the late 1980s; in 1989, he ran as an...
(lived several years on the island as exiled) - Konstantinos MendrinosKonstantinos MendrinosKonstantinos Mendrinos is a Greek football player currently playing for Panachaiki in the Greek Football League. He has previously played for PAS Giannina F.C., Atromitos, Ionikos and Olympiakos. Mendrinos left Olympiakos on 27 April 2009, after a disagreement with the club for renewal of his...
(born 28 May 1985) football player - Stephan PastisStephan PastisStephan Thomas Pastis is an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Pearls Before Swine.-Background:...
(born January 16 1968) cartoonist - Gerasimos Andreatos singer
- Anargiros Frangos (June 30, 1927) Apollo Program Engineer