Elis Prefecture: Encyclopedia II - Elis Prefecture - Geography

Elis Prefecture - Geography

The northernmost point is 38.1° or 38° 06′ N, the westernmost is around 22.2° E or 22° 12′ E, the southernmost is 37.3° N or 37° 18′ N, and the easternmost is 21.9° E or 21° 54′ E. The length from north to south (Directly is 100 km (60 miles), and from east-to-west is around 55 km (35 miles). There two tiny peninsulas in the region. Its coast line includes 120 km of sandy beaches.

The longest river is the Alpheus River (Greek: Πόταμος Αλφειόυ Alfeios). Other rivers are Erymanthus (Ερύμανθος Erymanthos) by the boundary of Elia-Arcadia, Peneus (Πόταμος Πηνειός Pineios) of the west runs down into the southern part of Vartholomio. The Neda (Νέδα) river is the boundary of Messenia and Elis. More rivers can be found here. Peneus used to emptied near what is now Lechaina and Aghios Panteleimonas in ancient times. The distance of Peneus river flows near Palaeochori today.

The prefecture has about 250 to 300 kilometers of sandy coastline filled with beaches, rocks, the port of Kyllini and contains the mouths of Peneus, Alpheus and its delta and Neda Rivers. north of Neochori and Kyllini, the only spot of not having a beach, rocky cliffs dominate their shoreline. The total length is around 1 km. The coastline throughout history was a bit longer 3,000 to 4,000 years ago.

Unlike the Aegean and the Ionian islands, there is only one rocky island, and it has a lighthouse on top of the cape. Elis's largest island has a cape for the Kyllini coast. The size of the island is only about 7,000 m². All of its islands is deforested, and rocky. The island was cut off from the rest of the land as the water level rose, and soil erosion of rocks, wiping out 0.2 km² over tens of thousands of years. There was an island tens of thousands of years ago existed between Elis and Zakynthos. Today the depth is only 5 m under the sea. It is the highest point under the sea, it almost look like an island. There are 3 lagoons covered between the sea.

Lighthouses like in Kyllini are scattered throughout its coastlines and there are less than 10 lighthouses in the area.

Forests are founded in the east. The other is plain or rocky least-forested hills. Piney trees are mostly founded in places from Neda River up to Peneus River. About half of the area are covered with forest. The other is plain of rocky least-forested hills. There are forest preserves in Pholoe (Φολόη Foloi, Pholoi, modern Greek or Pholoe, ancient and modern Greek.), and the mountain ranges of Eastern Elis. Another forests in the northern part is the Strofylia forests which has pine trees.

Tree-planting is very rare, or not being planted. The rate of forestation is slightly decreasing, mainly by fires and road networks. But larger forests not linked by any roads are getting protected, mainly in Pholoe.

Its mountain range is the southern part of Movri (Μόβρη Movre)(around 400 m/1,700 ft), Pholoe ranges (around 300 m), Divri (Δίβρί) (around 1500 m), Minthe (Μίνθη) (around 1100m), and more.

Reservoirs are founded in the north and east. the first is Peneus which supplies water for Northern Elis. The water is not safe for drinking, because it contain some contaminants. It dams up the Peneus River. Its dam is made out of earth and it is considered the highest dam in Elis, but not the Peloponnese. The second is not far from Olympia and Krestena. This reservoir is small but is supplies water from Pyrgos to the southern part. It dams up the Alpheus River.

The port of Kyllini in the northwest is the busiest port in Elis. It ferries cars into the port and out into the islands of Zante and Corfu with two ferry lines. Other ports or harbors are small in size and fits omly small or smaller boats.

Two thermal springs offers beautiful blue-colored sea with the best beaches around. Thermal springs of Kyllini, Kaiafa are the major springs there.

There are mountains filled with spring water, but there are no spring water factories in Elia, such as Avra (Temene) (Άυρα) from Temene and Loutraki (spring water) from Loutraki, outside Elis. Loutraki or Avra is the top-selling spring water in the entire region.

There are no skiing resorts in the area. The nearest from the north is on the Panachaicus, and from the south is from Mainalon, and Taygetus.

Elis is located in the heart of the earthquake zone, and the faultline. Every year, tens of minor earthquakes and aftershocks are trembled each year. There are a number of faultlines scattered in the area. Elis or the western Peloponnese has a lot of history of earthquakes.

Here lies the ancient ruins of Elis (Ancient Greek Ηλίς Elis, Modern Greek Ηλίδα Ilida), Epitalium (Επιτάλιον, Επιτάλιο (modern Greek spelling Epitalion) and Olympia, and once held the ancient Olympic games which started in 776 BC. A museum is founded with statues that relate with the history of Olympia. Another museum is in Elis, but the size is very small.

Elis has a military airport in Andravida located slightly north of Pyrgos, 3 km north of the center of Andravida. There are no international or local airports in the area. There are military bases in Elis, like the one in Kyllini.

The nearest airport on land is in Kalamata, and from Kyllini, the nearest airport is in the island of Zakynthos which is around 20 km southwest.

Monasteries are scattered around the region. The nearest from Amalias is Agia Frangavilli about 5 km SE of Amalias and N or Pyrgos via GR-9.

Straws and bamboo sticks are founded along the roads in the plains of the area. Its total length of roads running into the bamboo sticks is about 8% to 15% of the total length of roads. Every year, fires are set on the Bamboo sticks to make road conditions clearer, other are cutting them for use. Marshes are founded in riverbanks and some swamps in which the use for products is sometimes rare.

Elis's most crowded train station is near the heart of Pyrgos. it has 5 to 6 tracks line up within the station. The location is about a 100 m east of the old Pyrgos to Patras Road.

There are about four lagoons in the west, right next to the Ionian Sea. Some of them were drained to make room for farmland. They are concentrated between SW of Pyrgos and into the Alpheys Delta and south to the beaches of Kaiafa. Some of the lagoons near Epitalio has been drained for farming purposes.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Geography", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki