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Elis also known as Ellis or Ilia (, ''Eleia'') is a historic region in the western part of the
Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...
peninsula of
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. It is administered as a regional unit of the modern region of
Western Greece Western Greece Region (, ) is one of the thirteen Modern regions of Greece, administrative regions of Greece. It comprises the western part of Central Greece (geographic region), continental Greece and the northwestern part of the Peloponnese pen ...
. Its capital is Pyrgos. Until
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
it was Elis Prefecture, covering the same territory. The modern regional unit is nearly coterminous with the
ancient Elis Elis () or Eleia (; ; Elean: ; ) is an ancient district in Greece that corresponds to the modern regional unit of Elis. Elis is in southern Greece on the Peloponnese, bounded on the north by Achaea, east by Arcadia, south by Messen ...
of the classical period. Here lie the ancient ruins of cities of Elis, Epitalion and Olympia, known for the
ancient Olympic Games The ancient Olympic Games (, ''ta Olympia''.), or the ancient Olympics, were a series of Athletics (sport), athletic competitions among representatives of polis, city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held at ...
which started in 776 BC.


Geography

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 , and from east-to-west is around . The modern regional unit is not completely congruent with
ancient Elis Elis () or Eleia (; ; Elean: ; ) is an ancient district in Greece that corresponds to the modern regional unit of Elis. Elis is in southern Greece on the Peloponnese, bounded on the north by Achaea, east by Arcadia, south by Messen ...
: Lampeia belonged to ancient Arcadia, and Kalogria is now part of
Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek language, Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwest ...
. The longest river is the
Alfeios The Alpheios (, , Latin Alpheus), sometimes spelled Alfeiós, is the main stream of the Alpheios Valley drainage system, a dendritic type, originating on the north slopes of Mount Taygetus, located in the center of the Peloponnesus of Greece, a ...
. Other rivers are the Erymanthos, Pineios and Neda. Alfeios, Pineios and Neda flow into the
Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...
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. The Pineios Dam supplies water for Northern Elis. The water is not safe for drinking, because it contains some
contaminant Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that renders something unsuitable, unfit or harmful for the physical body, natural environment, wiktionary:Workplace, workplace, etc. Types of contamina ...
s. A second, smaller reservoir in the river Alfeios near Olympia and Krestena supplies water to Pyrgos. The eastern part of the regional unit is forested, with mostly
pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...
trees in the south. There are forest preserves in Foloi and the mountain ranges of Eastern Elis. In the north is the Strofylia forest which has pine trees. Mountain ranges include Movri (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 the Samiko 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 of Elis, Epitalion and Olympia, known for the
ancient Olympic Games The ancient Olympic Games (, ''ta Olympia''.), or the ancient Olympics, were a series of Athletics (sport), athletic competitions among representatives of polis, city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held at ...
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.


Climate

Elis has a
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, 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.


Natural disasters

Elis is located in a seismically active zone, and there are several
earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
s each year. Some of the most significant earthquakes to have hit the area are: *1909: earthquake in Chavari *1910: earthquake in Vartholomio *1920: earthquake in Kyllini *1953: Ionian earthquake, minor damage in Elis *2008: 8 June Peloponnese earthquake, 2 deaths; hundreds of damaged homes and buildings were reported in Lechaina, Amaliada and Vartholomio 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 in Manolada, Nea Manolada and Kounoupeli. In August 2007, there were enormous
forest fires A forest fire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire ( in Au ...
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 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.newspaper "TA NEA"; September 3, 2007 The archaeological site of Olympia was seriously threatened, but not damaged.


Administration

The regional unit Elis is subdivided into 7 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox): * Ancient Olympia (4) * Andravida-Kyllini (6) * Andritsaina-Krestena (3) * Ilida (2) * Pineios (7) * Pyrgos (1) * Zacharo (5)


2011 reform

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Elis was created out of the former
prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...
Elis (). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.


Provinces

Before 2006, Elis was divided into two
provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
: Elis Province and Olympia Province. Elis Province contained Hollow or Lowland Elis and the northern part of
Pisatis Pisa () is a village situated to the east of Olympia, Greece, located on the northwest side of the Peloponnesus peninsula. Currently it is not politically independent but it is a community of the municipality of Ancient Olympia, in the regional ...
. It was the smallest, but most populous of the two provinces. The seat was Pyrgos. Olympia Province contained most of Pisatis and Triphylia. Its seat was Andritsaina, in the mountains; Krestena and Zacharo were the largest towns in the province.


Population

Elis is the second most populous regional unit of the Peloponnese, after
Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek language, Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwest ...
. Between 70% and 75% of the population live on fertile lands away from the mountains. 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. 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.


Economy


Agriculture

The primary source of agriculture is maize, 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 towns Amaliada and Pyrgos. Currently, one third of jobs in Elis is in the agricultural sector.


Fishing

Squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...
, and all types of fish are common in the waters of Elis. Fishing is mainly done in the southeastern
Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...
and in the Bay 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.


History

In
classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...
, Elis was an independent state, centred on the town Elis and included the sanctuary at Olympia, where the
Ancient Olympic Games The ancient Olympic Games (, ''ta Olympia''.), or the ancient Olympics, were a series of Athletics (sport), athletic competitions among representatives of polis, city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held at ...
were held between 776 BC and 394 AD. After 146 BC, Elis was part of the province
Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek language, Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwest ...
within the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
. In the
Migration Period The Migration Period ( 300 to 600 AD), also known as the Barbarian Invasions, was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories ...
(3rd - 4th century AD)
Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...
and
Visigoths The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
rampaged through the region. After the final partition of the Roman Empire in 395, Elis was ruled by the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
. In the aftermath of the
Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
, crusaders from Western Europe (traditionally referred to as ''
Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...
'' in southeastern Europe) established the
principality of Achaea The Principality of Achaea () or Principality of Morea was one of the vassal states of the Latin Empire, which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thes ...
in the territory of the defeated Byzantine Empire. The region of Elis was the Principality's heartland, containing its capital,
Andravida Andravida (, ) is a town and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Elis (regional unit), Elis, in the northwest of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipal ...
, the port town and mint of Glarentza, the fortress of Chlemoutsi, and the extensive Barony of Akova. The Principality lasted from 1204 until 1432, when it was conquered by the Byzantine
Despotate of the Morea The Despotate of the Morea () or Despotate of Mystras () was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid-14th and mid-15th centuries. Its territory varied in size during its existence but eventually grew to include almost a ...
, which in turn fell in 1460 to the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. The Ottoman Empire ruled most of Greece until the
Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...
of 1821. The Venetian Republic controlled a few coastal towns in the 1490s, early 16th century and from 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 the
Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...
, the area was unaffected during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. As a result of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), Greek refugees from
Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
settled in the area around Amaliada.
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
struck parts of Elis, houses were damaged, leaving people homeless, and afterwards the
Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...
caused more destruction and economic decline. The return to democracy after the Greek military junta of 1967–1974, and Greece joining the
European Communities The European Communities (EC) were three international organizations that were governed by the same set of Institutions of the European Union, institutions. These were the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Atomic Energy Co ...
in 1981 stimulated economic development and improvement of infrastructure.


Transport


Roads

Elis has 200 km of
highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...
s. There are no limited-access freeways in the prefecture, but a freeway (A9) is being built between
Patras Patras (; ; Katharevousa and ; ) is Greece's List of cities in Greece, third-largest city and the regional capital and largest city of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaiko ...
and Kyparissia, planned opening 2012. The principal
highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...
s include: * E55 ( GR Highway 9), Patras- Pyrgos–Kyparissia, along the western coast of the Peloponnese * GR Highway 74, Pyrgos– Lagkadia, Tripoli * GR Highway 76, Pyrgos– Andritsaina
Megalopolis A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enough ...


Railways

The total length of railway tracks in Elis is around 140 km. There is a railway line from Patras to
Kalamata Kalamata ( ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece after Patras, and the largest city of the Peloponnese (region), homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regiona ...
via Pyrgos, and a branch line from Pyrgos to Olympia. 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.


Ports

The port of Kyllini in the northwest is the busiest port in Elis, with car ferries to the islands of
Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; ; ) or Zante (, , ; ; from the Venetian language, Venetian form, traditionally Latinized as Zacynthus) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands, with an are ...
and
Kefalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia (), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallonia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th-largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It is also a separate regio ...
. The port of Katakolo is an important stop for cruise ships, offering an opportunity for passengers to visit the site of Ancient Olympia. Other ports or harbors are small in size and fit only smaller boats.


Airports

Elis has a military airport near
Andravida Andravida (, ) is a town and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Elis (regional unit), Elis, in the northwest of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipal ...
, north of Pyrgos. There are no public airports in the area. The nearest
airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
on land is in
Kalamata Kalamata ( ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece after Patras, and the largest city of the Peloponnese (region), homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regiona ...
.


Communications

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. * ORT (''Olympiaki Radiofonia Tileorasi'') serves the whole of Elis. ORT is a
Polis Polis (: poleis) means 'city' in Ancient Greek. The ancient word ''polis'' had socio-political connotations not possessed by modern usage. For example, Modern Greek πόλη (polē) is located within a (''khôra''), "country", which is a πατ ...
affiliate. There are several local radio stations, for instance RSA ( Radio Station of Amalias) from Amalias and Eleftheri Radiofonas Krestenas from Krestena. There are hundreds of transmitter towers scattered over Elis.


Persons

* Panagiotis Adraktas (b. September 28, 1948 in Kardamas), a New Democracy politician * Hristodoulos Aholos or Acholos * Panagiotis Anagnostopoulos, revolutionary leader * Astydameia *
Atreus In Greek mythology, Atreus (, ) was a king of Mycenae in the Peloponnese, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia (daughter of Oenomaus), Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. His descendants became known collectively as the Atreidae ...
* Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou among the youngest politicians of the Greek Parliament and UN Award recipient * Avgerinos family: ** Agamemnon Avgerinos ** Andreas Avgerinos ** Charalambos Avgerinos ** Dimitrios Avgerinos ** Nakis Avgerinos ** Petros Avgerinos * Dionyssios N. Bokos, writer of ''Myrsini'', ''Nihta Pepromenou'', etc. *Andreas Bratis, writer of ''To Vartholomo'' (''The Vartholonio'') *Christopoulos family: ** Agamemnon Christopoulos, politician, brother of Asimakis ** Anastasios Christopoulos, revolutionary leader ** Asimakis Christopoulos, politicians, brother of Tzannetos ** Charalampos Christopoulos, politician **Christos Christopoulos, father of Anastasios ** Tzannetos Christopoulos, politician, son of Anastasios * Christos Daralexis, journalist * Themistoklis Daralexis, politician * Vyronas Davos, a writer, historian and a poet, he published works on Ilia during the Frankish, Ottoman, Venetian periods, the Greek War of Independence and the Modern period * Dionyssis Diakos, revolutionary leader * Ioannis Diakos, revolutionary leader * Takis Doxas, writer *Epeus, ancient mythological legend * Ioannis Giannopoulos, politician * Kostis Gontikas (b. 1934), politician * Dimitrios Gontikas (1888–1967), politician and former president of the Greek parliament * Aristeidis Griboutis, journalist * Miltiadis Iatridis, revolutionary leader * Nikos Kahtitsis, writer * Antonios Kalogeropoulos, a revolutionary leader from Myrsini (then Souleimanaga) * Athanassios Kanellopoulos, politician * Simon Karas, music historian * Andreas Karkavitsas * Kostas Kazakos, actor * Dimitrios Kioussopoulos, former
Prime Minister of Greece The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic (), usually referred to as the prime minister of Greece (), is the head of government of the Greece, Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Cabinet of Greece, Greek Cabinet. The officeholder's of ...
* Dionyssos Kokkinos, writer * Dimitrios Korkolis, politician and mayor of Pyrgos * Krestenitis family: ** Aristeidis Krestenitis ** Georgios Krestenitis, two politicians ** Ioannis Krestenis (elder) ** Ioannis Krestenitis (younger), politician ** Lykourgos Krestenitis (1793–1873), president of the Greek parliament ** Stamatis Krestenitis, a Greek revolutionary leader *
Christos Laskaris Christos Laskaris (Greek: Χρίστος Λάσκαρης, 1931 – December 11, 2008) was a Greek poet. Laskaris was born in the village of Chavari in Elis, but moved to Patras as a child. He studied at the Pedagogical Academy of Tripoli, ...
, poet *Liourdis family: ** Ioannis Liourdis, politician ** Spyros Liourdis, Greek revolutionary leader **
Georgios Georgios (, , ) is a Ancient Greek, Greek name derived from the word ''georgos'' (, , "farmer" lit. "earth-worker"). The word ''georgos'' (, ) is a compound (linguistics), compound of ''ge'' (, , "earth", "soil") and ''ergon'' (, , "task", "underta ...
and Petros Mitzos, revolutionary leaders * Georgios Nikoloutsopoulos, a revolutionary leader from Myrsini (then Souleimanaga) * Alexandros Panagoulis * Georgios Papandreou, an unrelated historian * Ioannis Pesmazoglou * Takis Sinopoulos, poet * Sisinis family: ** Chrysanthos Sisinis (died 1845), a Greek revolutionary leader and a politician * Georgios Sisinis, a Greek revolutionary leader * Christos Stefanopoulos, politician *Theodoridis family: ** Thallis Theodoridis (elder), a Greek revolutionary leader ** Thallis Theodoridis (younger), a politician ** Vasileios Theodoridis, journalist * Konstantinos Varouxis, journalist, ''Patris'' writer * Leonidas Varouxis, journalist, ''Patris'' writer * Alexis Vilaetis, a 19th-century politician who was elected in 1868 * Charalambos Vilaetis, a Greek revolutionary leader * Lysandros Vilaetis, a chief of Pyrgos and a politician * Nikolaos Vilaetis * Panagis Vourloumis * Panagiotis Kondylis, philosopher, writer and editor * Dimitris Eleas, writer living in London * Panos Karnezis, writer living in London *For the kings of Elis (now Ilia), see section *
Pyrrho Pyrrho of Elis (; ; ) was a Greek philosopher of Classical antiquity, credited as being the first Greek skeptic philosopher and founder of Pyrrhonism. Life Pyrrho of Elis is estimated to have lived from around 365/360 until 275/270 BCE. Py ...
, father of Skepticism


Sporting teams

* Aias - Gastouni * Asteras - Amaliada * Dafni -
Andravida Andravida (, ) is a town and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Elis (regional unit), Elis, in the northwest of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipal ...
* Iliakos - Lechaina * Olympiacos Zacharos - Zacharo * Panileiakos - Pyrgos * PAO Varda - Varda


In popular culture

* The central action of Maeve Binchy's romance novel, '' Nights of Rain and Stars'' (2004), is set in Agia Anna, Elis. * Elis is known within the Greek internet community for the strange or tragicomic news stories that are reported from the region, similar to the " Florida Man" meme.


See also

* Elis (constituency)


Notes


References

*''I Ileia Dia Meson ton Aionon'' (''Ilia In The Middle Of The Age'') Georgios Papandreou *''Ston Pyrgo kai stin Ileia tou 1821-1930'' (''Στον Πύργο και στην Ηλεία του 1821-1930'' = ''In Pyrgos And In Ilia (1821–1930)'') Vyronas Davos 1996 *''Ilia Before The Revolution of 1821'' (''η Ηλεία πρίν την επανάσταση του 1821'' = ''I Ileia prin tin epanastasi tou 1821'') Vyronas Davos 1997 *''The Life Of The Inhabitants Of Ilia During The Turkish Rule'' (''η ζωή των κατοίκων της Ηλείας κατα την τουρκοκρατία'' = ''I zoi ton katoikon tis Ileias kata ton tourkokratia'') Vyronas Davos 1997 *''Toponmia tis Ileias'' (''Τοπονύμια της Ηλείας'' = ''Toponym of Elis'') Vyronas Davos


External links


Amaliada City Web Portal- Η Διαδικτυακή Πύλη της Αμαλιάδας (''I Diadiktyaki Pyli tis Amaliadas'') - www.amaliada.netThe Prefectural administration of Ilia
(in Greek)

(in Greek)
Structurae: Structural engineering and architecture Guide to Ilia Prefecture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elis (Regional Unit) Prefectures of Greece 1899 establishments in Greece Regional units of Western Greece Peloponnese