View source for Ionian Islands

{{short description|Group of islands in Greece}}
{{About|the group of islands west of Greece|the administrative unit|Ionian Islands (region)|the ancient region in western Anatolia|Ionia}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Ionian Islands
| official_name      = 
| type               = [[Geographic regions of Greece|Geographic region]] of [[Greece]]
| image_skyline      = CapeDrastisCorfuJuly122022 02.jpg
| image_caption      = Cape Drastis (Corfu)
| image_blank_emblem = 
| native_name        = {{lang|el|Ιόνιοι Νήσοι}}{{br}}<small>''Iónioi Nísoi''</small>
| image_map          = Location map of IonianIslands (Greece).svg
| established_title  = [[Cession]]
| established_date   = 1864
| coordinates        = {{coord|37|48|N|20|42|E|type:isle_region:GR_dim:200000|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Greece]]
| subdivision_type1  = 
| subdivision_name1  = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_party       = 
| parts_type         = Islands
| p1                 = [[Corfu]]
| p2                 = [[Ithaca (island)|Ithaca]]
| p3                 = [[Kefalonia]]
| p4                 = [[Kythira]]
| p5                 = [[Lefkada]]
| p6                 = [[Paxi]]
| p7                 = [[Zakynthos]]
| seat_type          = Capital
| seat               = [[Corfu (city)|Corfu]]
| area_total_km2     = 2306.94
| population_total   = 207855
| population_as_of   = 2011
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = Heptanesian, Septinsular
| population_footnotes = <ref name=2011census>{{cite web |publisher=[[Hellenic Statistical Authority]] |title=Demographic and social characteristics of the Resident Population of Greece according to the 2011 Population - Housing Census revision of 20/3/2014 |date=12 September 2014 |url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A1602_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_03_F_EN.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908142240/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A1602_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_03_F_EN.pdf |archive-date=8 September 2015}}</ref>
| timezone           = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset         = +2
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +3
| iso_code           = GR-F
| website            = {{URL|http://www.pin.gov.gr}}
}}

The '''Ionian Islands''' ([[Modern Greek]]: {{lang|el|Ιόνια νησιά}}, {{lang|el-Latn|Ionia nisia}}; [[Ancient Greek]], [[Katharevousa]]: {{lang|grc|Ἰόνιαι Νῆσοι}}, {{lang|grc-Latn|Ioniai Nēsoi}}) are a [[archipelago|group of islands]] in the [[Ionian Sea]], west of mainland [[Greece]]. They are traditionally called the '''Heptanese''' ("Seven Islands"; {{lang|grc|Ἑπτάνησα}}, ''Heptanēsa'' or {{lang|grc|Ἑπτάνησος}}, ''Heptanēsos''; {{langx|it|Eptaneso}}), but the group includes many smaller islands in addition to the seven principal ones.

As a distinct historic region, the collective of islands date to the [[Venetian rule in the Ionian Islands|centuries-long Venetian rule]], which preserved them from the Muslim conquests of the [[Ottoman Empire]], and created a distinct cultural identity with many Italian influences. The Ionian Islands became part of the modern Greek state in 1864. Administratively today, they belong to the [[Ionian Islands Region]] except for [[Kythera]], which belongs to the [[Attica Region]].

==Geography==
[[File:Ionian Islands.svg|thumb|260px|The seven primary Ionian islands]]
[[File:Ionian sea islands, pic2.JPG|thumb|A view of [[Lefkada]]]]
The seven primary islands are, from north to south:

*[[Corfu|Kerkyra]] (Κέρκυρα) usually known as Corfu in English and ''Corfù'' in Italian
*[[Paxi]] (Παξοί) also known as Paxos in English
*[[Lefkada]] (Λευκάδα) also known as Lefkas in English
*[[Ithaki]] (Ιθάκη) usually known as Ithaca in English
*[[Kefalonia]] (Κεφαλονιά) often known as Cefalonia, Cephalonia and Kefallinia in English
*[[Zakynthos]] (Ζάκυνθος) sometimes known as Zante in English and Italian
*[[Kythira]] (Κύθηρα) usually known as Cythera in English and sometimes known as Cerigo in English and Italian

The six northern islands are off the west coast of Greece, in the [[Ionian Sea]]. The seventh island, [[Kythira]], is off the southern tip of the [[Peloponnese]], the southern part of the Greek mainland. Kythira is not part of the [[modern regions of Greece|region]] of the [[Ionian Islands (region)|Ionian Islands]], as it is included in the region of [[Attica (region)|Attica]].

==Etymology==
<!-- Throughout this article the islands will be called by their Modern Greek names. -->
In [[Ancient Greek]], the adjective ''Ionios'' ({{lang|grc|Ἰόνιος}}) was used as an epithet for the sea between [[Epirus]] and Italy in which the Ionian Islands are found, because, according to myth, [[Io (mythology)|Io]] swam across it.<ref>{{LSJ|*)io/nios|Ἰόνιος|longref}}</ref> Although they have the same Latin transliteration and [[Modern Greek]] pronunciation, the Ionian Sea and Islands are not related to [[Ionia]], an Anatolian region; in Greek, the Ionian Sea and Ionian Islands are spelled with an [[omicron]] (Ιόνια), whereas Ionia has an [[omega]] (Ιωνία), reflecting a classical difference in pronunciation. The two words are still distinguished by stress: the western "Ionia" is accented on the [[antepenult]] ({{IPA|el|iˈonia|IPA}}), and the eastern on the [[penult]] ({{IPA|el|ioˈnia|IPA}}).

The islands themselves are known by a variety of names. During the centuries of rule by [[Venice]], they acquired [[Venetian language|Venetian]] names, by which some of them are still known in English (and in [[italian language|Italian]]). Kerkyra was known as [[Corfù]], Ithaki as [[Ithaca (island)|Val di Compare]], Kythera as [[Cerigo]], Lefkada as [[Santa Maura]] and Zakynthos as [[Zante]].

A variety of spellings are used for the Greek names of the islands, particularly in historical writing. Kefallonia is often spelled as [[Cephallenia]] or [[Cephalonia]], Ithaki as [[Ithaca (island)|Ithaca]], Kerkyra as [[Corcyra]], Kythera as [[Cythera (island)|Cythera]], Lefkada as [[Leukas|Leucas]] or [[Leucada]] and Zakynthos as [[Zacynthus]]. Older or variant Greek forms are sometimes also used: [[Kefallinia]] for Kefallonia and [[Paxos (island)|Paxos]] or Paxoi for Paxi.

==History==
[[File:Achilles in Corfu.jpg|thumb|The statue of [[Achilles]] in the gardens of the [[Achilleion (Corfu)]].]]

The islands were settled by Greeks at an early date, possibly as early as 1200&nbsp;BC, and certainly by the 9th century BC. The early [[Eretrian]] settlement at Kerkyra was displaced by colonists from [[Corinth]] in 734&nbsp;BC. The islands were mostly a backwater during Ancient Greek times and played little part in Greek politics. The one exception was the conflict between Kerkyra and its mother-city Corinth in 434&nbsp;BC, which brought intervention from [[Athens]] and triggered the [[Peloponnesian War]].

Ithaca was the name of the island home of [[Odysseus]] in the epic [[Ancient Greek]] poem the ''[[Odyssey]]'' by [[Homer]]. Attempts have been made to identify Ithaki with ancient Ithaca, but the geography of the real island cannot be made to fit Homer's description.{{Dubious|date=May 2024}}{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} Archeological investigations have revealed findings in both Kefalonia and Ithaca.

===Roman and Byzantine rule===
{{main|Cephallenia (theme)}}
By the 4th century BC, most of the islands were absorbed into the empire of [[Macedon]]. Some remained under the control of the Macedonian Kingdom until 146&nbsp;BC, when the Greek peninsula was gradually annexed by [[Roman Republic|Rome]]. After 400&nbsp;years of peaceful rule, the islands continued under the control of the [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire]] after the fall of the [[Western Roman Empire]].

Under Byzantine rule, from the mid-8th century, they formed the [[Theme (Byzantine district)|theme]] of [[Cephallenia (theme)|Cephallenia]]. The islands were a frequent target of [[Saracens|Saracen]] raids and from the late 11th century, saw a number of [[Normans|Norman]] and Italian attacks. Most of the islands fell to [[William II of Sicily]] in 1185. Corfu and Lefkas remained under Byzantine control.

Kefallonia and Zakynthos became the [[County palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos]] until 1357, when this entity was merged with Lefkada and Ithaki to become the Duchy of Leucadia under French and Italian dukes. Corfu, Paxi and Kythera were taken by the Venetians in 1204, after the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire by the [[Fourth Crusade]]. These became important [[Stato da Mar|overseas colonies]] of the Republic and were used as way-stations for their maritime trade with the [[Levant]].

===Venetian rule===
{{main|Venetian rule in the Ionian Islands}}
[[File:Lion St Mark Corfu.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[Lion of St. Mark]], symbol of the [[Venetian Republic]], at the [[New Fortress, Corfu|New Fortress of Corfu]], the longest-held of Venice's [[Stato da Mar|overseas possessions]].]]

From 1204, the [[Republic of Venice]] controlled Corfu and slowly all the Ionian islands fell under Venetian rule. In the 15th century, the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] conquered most of Greece, but their attempts to conquer the islands were largely unsuccessful. Zakynthos passed permanently to Venice in 1482, Kefalonia and Ithaki in 1483, Lefkada in 1502. Kythera had been in Venetian hands since 1238.

The islands became the only part of the Greek-speaking world to escape Ottoman rule. During this time, large numbers of Greeks moved to the Ionian islands to escape Ottoman persecution. Smaller numbers of Albanian, Aromanian and Slavic-speaking Christians also fled to the islands, though they quickly assimilated into the Greek majority.

[[Venetian language|Venetian]] was the official language of the islands during this period, and many Greeks adopted the Venetian language for social advancement. This was bolstered by the arrival of thousands of settlers from other parts of the Venetian Republic, forming the basis of the [[Corfiot Italian]] community.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://6612springbottomway.blogspot.com/2018/12/blog-post.html |title=History of the Corfiot Italians |date=11 December 2018 |access-date=2019-03-18 |archive-date=2019-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230113951/https://6612springbottomway.blogspot.com/2018/12/blog-post.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The majority of the island, however, remained ethnically, linguistically and religiously Greek. Many Corfiot Italians later Hellenised, adopting the Greek language and religion, such as [[Ioannis Kapodistrias]].

In the 18th century, a Greek national independence movement began to emerge, and the free status of the Ionian islands made them the natural base for exiled Greek intellectuals, freedom fighters and foreign sympathisers. The islands became more self-consciously Greek as the 19th century, the century of romantic nationalism, neared.

===Napoleonic era===
{{main|French rule in the Ionian Islands (1797–1799)|Septinsular Republic|French rule in the Ionian Islands (1807–1814)}}
[[File:Flag of the Septinsular Republic.svg|thumb|200px|The flag of the [[Septinsular Republic]] (1800–1807), the first self-governed Greek state since the Middle Ages. It is used as an unofficial flag of the region today.]]
[[File:Kapodistrias2.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Ioannis Kapodistrias]] from the [[Corfu|Island of Corfu]], founder and first Governor (1828–1831) of the modern Greek state.]]

In 1797, the French general [[Napoleon I of France|Napoléon Bonaparte]] conquered [[Venice]]. By the [[Treaty of Campo Formio]] of October 1797 the islanders found themselves [[French rule in the Ionian Islands (1797–1799)|under French rule]], which organised the islands as the [[Département in France|départements]] ''[[Mer-Égée]]'', ''[[Ithaque]]'' and ''[[Corcyre]]''. In 1798–1799 a Russian-Ottoman fleet under the command of the Russian [[Admiral Ushakov]] evicted the French; the victors established the [[Septinsular Republic]] of 1800–1807 under joint Russo-Ottoman protection—the first time Greeks had had even limited self-government since the [[fall of Constantinople]] in 1453.<ref>
Μεγάλοι Έλληνες, τόμος Ά, του Παναγιώτη Πασπαλιάρη, Ιωάννης Καποδίστριας, σελ. 45, {{ISBN|978-960-6845-32-1}}</ref>
In 1807 the [[Treaty of Tilsit]] between France and Russia ceded the Ionian Islands to the French again, and the [[First French Empire|French Empire]] [[French rule in the Ionian Islands (1807–1814)|took possession]].

===British rule===
{{main|United States of the Ionian Islands}}
In 1809, the [[Royal Navy|British Royal Navy]] defeated the [[French Navy|French fleet]] in Zakynthos (October 2, 1809) captured Kefallonia, Kythera and Zakynthos, and took Lefkada in 1810. The French held out in Corfu until 1814. The [[Treaty of Paris (1815)|Treaty of Paris]] in 1815 turned the islands into the "[[United States of the Ionian Islands]]" under British protection (November 5, 1815). In January 1817, the British granted the islands a new constitution. The islanders elected an Assembly of 40 members, who advised the British High Commissioner. The British greatly improved the islands' communications, and introduced modern education and justice systems. The islanders welcomed most of these reforms, and took up afternoon tea, [[cricket]] and other English pastimes. The British also brought thousands of Maltese to the Ionian Islands to work as builders and artisans, forming the basis of the [[Corfiot Maltese]] community.

Once [[Greek War of Independence|Greek independence]] was established after 1830, however, the islanders began to press for ''[[Enosis]]'' &ndash; union with Greece. The British statesman [[William Ewart Gladstone]] toured the islands and recommended that having already [[Crown colony of Malta|Malta]], giving the islands to Greece would not hurt the interest of the [[British Empire]]. The [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]] resisted, since like the Venetians they found the islands made useful naval bases. They also regarded the [[Kingdom of Bavaria|Bavarian]]-born king of Greece, [[Otto of Greece|King Otto]], as unfriendly to Britain. However, in 1862, Otto was deposed in a coup by the [[Hellenic Parliament#History|Great National Assembly]] and a new king, [[George I of Greece|George I]] from Denmark, was elected in his place.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

===Union with Greece===
[[File:Aspiotis κβ.jpg|thumb|200px|Postal card from 1914 on the 50th anniversary of union with Greece, featuring the flags of Greece and the British protectorate, and the emblems of the seven islands: ancient ship (Corfu), trident (Paxi), Odysseus (Ithaca), Venus (Cythera), Cephalus (Cephalonia), St George (Lefkada), Zacynthus (Zante)]]

In 1862, Britain decided to transfer the islands to Greece, as a gesture of support intended to bolster the new King's popularity (probably as a counterbalance to the newly established Italian state).

On May 2, 1864, the British departed and the islands became three provinces of the Kingdom of Greece, though Britain retained the use of the port of Corfu. On 21 May 1864 the Ionian Islands officially reunited with Greece.<ref name="Ionian U.">{{cite web |title=ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑ, ΜΝΗΜΕΙΟ ΕΝΩΣΕΩΣ |url=http://tab.ionio.gr/culture/activities/projects/epigraphs/viewer.php?id=195 |website=Ionian U. |access-date=2015-05-20 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305135725/http://tab.ionio.gr/culture/activities/projects/epigraphs/viewer.php?id=195 |url-status=live }}</ref> Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark was born in [[Corfu]] in 1921 and grew up to become Britain's [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]]. In 1923, following orders by Mussolini, the Italians temporarily [[Corfu incident|occupied Corfu]].

===World War II===
{{Further|Axis occupation of Greece}}

In 1941, when [[Axis powers of World War II|Axis]] forces occupied Greece, the Ionian Islands (except Kythera) were handed over to the Italians. Long a target of [[Italian irredentism|Italian expansionism]], the Greek civil authorities were replaced by Italians in preparation for a post-war annexation.

In 1943, the Germans replaced the Italians, and deported the centuries-old [[Jew]]ish community of Corfu to their deaths. By 1944, most of the islands were under the control of the [[National Liberation Front (Greece)|EAM]]/[[Greek People's Liberation Army|ELAS]] resistance movement, and they have remained in general a stronghold of left-wing sentiment ever since.

===1953 earthquake===
{{main|1953 Ionian earthquake}}
The 1953 Ionian islands earthquake occurred with a surface wave magnitude of 7.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme'') on August 12, 1953. Building damage was extensive and the southern islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos were practically levelled. The islands were reconstructed from the ground up over the following years under a strict building code. The code has proven extremely effective, as many earthquakes since that time have caused no damage to new buildings.

===Today===
[[File:CorfuTownView.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Corfu (city)|The City of Corfu]].]]
[[File:Zakintos - panorama.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Zakynthos (city)|The City of Zakynthos]].]]

Today, all the islands are part of the Greek [[modern regions of Greece|region]] of the [[Ionian Islands (region)|Ionian Islands]] (''Ionioi Nisoi''), except Kythera, which is part of the region of [[Attica (region)|Attica]]. Kerkyra has a population of 103,300 (including Paxoi), Zakynthos 40,650, Kefallonia 39,579 (including Ithaca), Lefkada 22,536, Ithaki 3,052, Kythera 3,000 and Paxi 2,438.

In recent decades, the islands have lost much of their population through emigration and the decline of their traditional industries, fishing and marginal agriculture. Today, their major industry is tourism. Specifically Kerkyra, with its harbour, scenery and wealth of ruins and castles, is a favourite stopping place for cruise liners. British tourists in particular are attracted through having read [[Gerald Durrell]]'s evocative book ''[[My Family and Other Animals]]'' (1956), which describes his childhood on Kerkyra in the 1930s. The novel and movie ''[[Captain Corelli's Mandolin]]'' are set in Kefalonia, in which Captain Corelli is part of the Italian occupation force during the Second World War.

==Demographics==
The Ionian Islands' official population, excluding Kythera, in 2011 was 207,855, decreased by 1.50% compared to the population in 2001. Nevertheless, the region remains the third by population density with 90.1/km<sup>2</sup> nationwide, well above the national of 81.96/km<sup>2</sup>. The most populous of the major islands is Corfu with a population of 104,371, followed by [[Zakynthos]] (40,759), [[Kefalonia]] (35,801), [[Lefkada]] (23,693) and [[Ithaca (island)|Ithaca]] (3,231).<ref>{{cite web |script-title=el:ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ |url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A1602_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_02_F_GR.pdf |access-date=18 July 2014 |language=el |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710154514/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A1602_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_02_F_GR.pdf |archive-date=10 July 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The foreign-born population was in 2001 19,360 or 9.3%, the majority of which was concentrated in Corfu and Zakynthos. Most of them originate from [[Albania]] (13,536).<ref>{{cite web |script-title=el:Πίνακας 3: Αλλοδαποί κατά υπηκοότητα, φύλο και λόγο εγκατάστασης στην Ελλάδα Σύνολο Ελλάδος και νομοί |url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/Other/A1602_SAM07_TB_DC_00_2001_03_F_GR.pdf |access-date=18 July 2014 |language=el |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140830083524/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/Other/A1602_SAM07_TB_DC_00_2001_03_F_GR.pdf |archive-date=30 August 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The fertility rate for 2011 according to Eurostat was 1.35 live births per woman during her lifetime.<ref name="europa">{{cite web |url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tgs00100&plugin=1 |title=Eurostat – Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table |publisher=epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu |access-date=2014-04-11 |archive-date=2014-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143236/http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tgs00100&plugin=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Culture==
{{Further|Cuisine of the Ionian islands|Music of the Heptanese|Ionian School (music)|Heptanese School (literature)|Heptanese School (painting)}}

== Economy ==
[[File:Zante currant drying in Tsilivi.jpg|thumb|200px|Sun-drying of [[Zante currant]] on Zakynthos.]]

The regional gross domestic product for 2010 was 4,029&nbsp;million euros. The GDP per capita for the same year was 18,440&nbsp;euros per capita which was lower than the national median of 20,481. However, the GDP per capita of Kefalonia and Zante, 23,275 and 24,616 respectively, was much higher than the national figure.<ref name="statistics">{{cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/PAGE-themes?p_param=A0703 |title=PAGE-themes |publisher=statistics.gr |access-date=2014-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710105424/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/PAGE-themes?p_param=A0703 |archive-date=2014-07-10 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Additionally, unemployment for 2012 was 14.7, the lowest among all Greek regions, and much lower compared to the national unemployment of 24.2.<ref name="europa2">{{cite web |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STAT-13-78_en.htm |title=EUROPA – PRESS RELEASES – Press release – Unemployment in the EU27 regions in 2012 Regional unemployment rates ranged from 2.5% in Salzburg and Tirol to 38.5% in Ceuta and 34.6% in Andalucía |publisher=europa.eu |access-date=2014-04-11 |archive-date=2017-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728202342/http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STAT-13-78_en.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:Carnival in Kerkyra by Pachis.jpg|thumb|200px|''Carnival in Kerkyra'' by [[Charalambos Pachis]].]]

The region is a popular tourist destination. The airports of Corfu, Zante and Kefalonia were in the top ten in Greece by number of international arrivals, with 1,386,289 international arrivals for 2012, with Corfu being the sixth airport by number of arrivals nationwide. While Kefalonia Airport had the biggest increase nationwide by 13.11% compared to 2011, while Corfu had an increase of 6.31%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greek Tourism: Facts and Figures 2012 |url=http://sete.gr/files/Media/Ebook/2012/Facts%20%20Figures%202012%20teliko.pdf |access-date=18 July 2014 |language=en, el |archive-date=27 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427111549/http://sete.gr/files/Media/Ebook/2012/Facts%20%20Figures%202012%20teliko.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=INTERNATIONAL TOURIST ARRIVALS AT THE MAIN AIRPORTS, JAN-DEC 2012/2011- PROVISIONAL DATA |url=http://www.tovima.gr/files/1/2013/01/09/stoixeia%20setedec12.pdf |access-date=18 July 2014 |language=en, el |archive-date=13 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413154742/http://www.tovima.gr/files/1/2013/01/09/stoixeia%20setedec12.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Major communities==
*[[Argostoli|Argostóli (Αργοστόλι)]], in Kefalonia
*[[Corfu (city)|Kérkyra (Κέρκυρα)]], in Corfu
*[[Lefkada (city)|Lefkáda (Λευκάδα)]], in Lefkada
*[[Lixouri|Lixouri (Ληξούρι)]], in Kefalonia
*[[Zakynthos (city)|Zákynthos (Ζάκυνθος)]], in Zakynthos

==See also==
*[[Greek islands]]
*[[Homer's Ithaca]]
*[[Italian irredentism]]
*[[Ionian mode]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q170295|c=category=Ionian Islands|n=no|b=no|voy=Ionian Islands|v=no|wikt=Ionia|q=no|s=1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Ionian Islands|m=no|mw=no|species=no}}
*[http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/greek_islands/ionian_islands Ionian Islands] The Official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation

{{Ionian Islands|state=expanded}}
{{History of the Ionian Islands}}
{{Geographic departments of Greece}}
{{Portal bar|Greece}}

{{Commons category|Ionian Islands}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ionian Islands| ]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Greece]]
[[Category:Mediterranean islands]]
[[Category:Ionian Sea]]
[[Category:Territories of the Republic of Venice]]