Lazarus: Reverted edits by Billkor (Talk); changed back to last version by Irlandos

2006-07-20T12:04:52Z

Reverted edits by Billkor (Talk); changed back to last version by Irlandos

Billkor: /* External links */

2006-07-20T11:29:49Z

External links

Billkor: /* External links */

2006-07-20T11:29:35Z

External links

Irlandos at 14:26, December 12, 2005

2005-12-12T14:26:25Z

New page

{| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" style="float:right; empty-cells:show; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:0,5em; background:#FFDEAD;"

! align="center" colspan="2" | Statistics
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| [[Prefecture]]: || [[Magnesia]] prefecture
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| [[Provinces of Greece|Province]]: || [[Province of the Northern Sporades|Northern Sporades]]
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top"
| Location: || {{coor dms|39|9|36|N|23|29|4|E|region:GR}}
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Area: -Total -Water -Rank|| 48km² km² [[List of municipalities of Greece by area|Rank xxth]]
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Dwellings: ||
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Population: ([[2001]])  - Total  - Density¹  - Rank||  3,318  -/km² 
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Elevation:  -lowest:  -centre:  -highest:|| Aegean Sea 5 m(centre) 436 m
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Settlements: || 4
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| [[List of postal codes in Greece|Postal code]]: || 370 02
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| [[Area codes in Greece|Area/distance code]]: || 11-30-[[Greece dialing code 24270|24270]] (030-24270)-2 
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| [[YPES|Municipal code]]: || 3722
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| [[License plates in Greece|Car designation]]: || <code>BO</code>
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| 3-letter abbreviation: || SKI '''Ski'''athos
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Name of inhabitants: || Skiathian or Skiathian ''sing.'' -s ''pl.''
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| Website: || [http://www.skiathos.gr www.skiathos.gr]

|}

'''Skiathos''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Σκιάθος), Latin forms: '''Sciathos''' and '''Sciathus''' is a city and a small island in the [[Aegean Sea]] belonging to [[Greece]]. It is next to [[Skopelos]], it also consists of 2 main towns (Skiathos Town and [[Koukounaries]]) and the settlements being [[Kanapitsa]] and [[Troullos]], and has one nudist beach at south end of the island (Banana beach). Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Sporades but not the Aegean. The mainland Greece along with Magnesia is to the west. The name of the island dates back to ancient times.

Skiathos town has a school, a lyceum, a gymnasium, a church located on a hilltop to the northwest, banks, a post office, a beach and a square (''plateia''). It is also has a port which small boats are founded and ferry services to [[Skopelos]] and [[Volos]] in Magnesia with the rest of Greece. It is aligned within the city.

==Geography==

Much of the island are forested. The area around the villages and Skiathos are deforested and has farms. The forests include [[pine]] trees. It is located in the southeastern part of the island. The island of [[Skopelos]] can be seen and on clearer days, [[Euboea]] and [[Scyros]]. The mountaintop which includes a communications tower is to the west. The slope of the hill is to the north and contain several valleys. The residential area stretches as far back as within the small hilltop.

==Transportation==

The island is linked to mainland Greece with sea routes from [[Thessaloniki]], [[Volos]] and [[Agios Konstantinos]]. There also exists an airport at the northeast of the island. There is airline connection to Athens throughout the year.

The roads are to the south and to the east and to the northwest. There are no gravel roads to the central and the northern part. There is only one major road and is linked with all of the four settlements on the island. The one linking to the northwest are not used and has the view of the eastern part of [[Magnesia]].

There is frequent bus connection from [[Koukounaries]] to Skiathos town.

==History==

In [[Ancient Greece|Ancient times]], the island played a minor role during the [[Persian Wars]]. In [[480 BC]], the fleet of the Persian king [[Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes]] was hit by a storm and was badly damaged on the rocks of Skiathos' coast. Following this the Greek fleet was beaten at [[Battle of Artemisium|Artemisium]] but finally managed to destroy the Persian fleet at the [[Battle of Salamis]]. Skiathos remained in the [[Delian League]] until it lost its independence. The city was destroyed by [[Philip II of Macedon]] in [[200 BC]].

During the middle ages the island was repeatedly ravaged by pirate attacks. In [[1207]] the Gyzi brothers captured the island and buit the Bourtzi, a small venetian-styled fortress similar to the [[Bourtzi]] in [[Nafplio]], on an islet just out of Skiathos town, to protect the capital from the pirates. But the Bourtzi was ineffective in protecting the population and in the middle 14th century the inhabitants moved the capital from the ancient site that lied were modern Skiathos town is, to Kastro (the greek word for castle), located on a high rock, overlooking a steep cliff to the sea at the northernmost part of the island. Kastro remained the only settlement of the island until the end of the Greek [[War of Independence]], when the island's capital was relocated to the original site were it still remains.

In 1704 monks from [[Mount Athos|Athos]] built the Evangelistria monastery which played a part in the [[War of Independence]] as a hideout for Greek rebels.

During the 19th century Skiathos became an important shipbuilding center in the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] due to the abundance of pine forests on the island. The pine woods of the island were then almost obliterated. This was brought to a halt though, due to the emergence of steamboats. A small shipwright remains north of Skiathos town, that still builds traditional Greek caiques.

In [[1964]] Skiathos was designated by the [http://www.eot.gr/?langID=2| Greek National Tourism Organisation] as a development zone for turism. The results of this decision have largely transformed the island since, due to turist oriented construction projects. These include the construction of the coast road from Skiathos town to [[Koukounaries]], the construction of Skiathos airport in [[1984]] and the construction of the first large hotel over Koukounaries beach. Along the coast road many hotels have been constructed since the island became an important tourist destination.

There were have been protests in the early-[[2000s]], one against mining in [[September 2002]] as they were pushing away mining trucks which was owned by the municipality and another in [[2004]], a power line which would have connect hydro with the rest of the Sporades was also being protested due to the plan being in a forested area.

==Historical population==

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Year !! Communal population !! Change (town) !! Municipal/Island population 
|-
| [[1981]] || 4,129 || - || - 
|-
| [[1991]] || 4,512 || 383/9.28% || 5,096
|-
| [[2001]] || - || - || about 5,100
|}

The majority of the population (584 or 88.5%) of the total population live in the city.
There are no municipal boundaries. It is encircled with the Aegean Sea.

==Persons==

*[[Alexandros Papadiamantis]]
*[[Alexandros Moraitidis]]

==Significant Sites on Skiathos==
*Skiathos town ("Chora")
*[[Koukounaries]]
*[http://www.skiathos.gr/html/today/en/01_mpourtzi_01.html Bourtzi]
*[[Lalaria | Lalaria beach]]
*Evangelistria Monastery
*Kastro

==External links==

*[http://www.skiathos.gr/index-en.html Municipality of Skiathos]
*[http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?tb=1&city=Skiathos&country=GR Mapquest - Skiathos]
*[http://www.travel-to-skiathos.com Travel to Skiathos] Skiathos travel guide

[[Category:Cities and towns in Greece]]
[[Category:Islands of Greece]]
[[Category:Magnesia]]

@@ Line 111: / Line 111: @@
 ==External links==
 *[http://www.skiathos.gr/index-en.html Municipality of Skiathos]
 *[http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?tb=1&city=Skiathos&country=GR Mapquest - Skiathos]

Skiathos - Revision history

Lazarus: Reverted edits by Billkor (Talk); changed back to last version by Irlandos

Billkor: /* External links */

Billkor: /* External links */

Irlandos at 14:26, December 12, 2005