View source for Zakynthos

{{short description|Greek island in the Ionian Sea}}
{{Other uses|Zakynthos (disambiguation)|Zante (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox Greece place
| name                    = Zakynthos
| name_local              = Ζάκυνθος
| type                    = regional unit and municipality
| image_skyline           = Zakintos - panorama.jpg
| caption_skyline         = View of Zakynthos city
| image_map               = 2019 Dimos Zakynthou.png
| map_caption             = Zakynthos within the Ionian Islands
| coordinates             = {{coord|37|48|N|20|45|E|display=inline,title}}
| periph                  = [[Ionian Islands (region)|Ionian Islands]]
| seat                    = [[Zakynthos (city)]]
| mayor                   = Georgios Stasinopoulos<ref name=mayor>[https://ekloges.ypes.gr/current/d/home/en/municipalities/9116/ Municipality of Zakynthos, Municipal elections – October 2023] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508155501/https://ekloges.ypes.gr/current/d/home/en/municipalities/9116/ |date=8 May 2024 }}, Ministry of Interior</ref>
| since                   = 2023
| area                    = 405.55
| elevation               = 
| population              = 41180
| population_as_of        = 2021
| demonym                 = 
| postal_code             = 29x xx
| area_code               = 2695
| licence                 = ΖΑ
| website                 = {{URL|www.zakynthos.gov.gr}}
}}
'''Zakynthos''',{{efn|Also spelled '''Zakinthos''', and traditionally latinized as '''Zacynthus'''. {{langx|el|Ζάκυνθος}} (romanized: ''Zákynthos''), pronounced {{IPA|el|ˈzacinθos||El-Ζάκυνθος.ogg}}; {{langx|it|Zacinto}}, pronounced {{IPA|it|dzaˈtʃinto|}}.}} also known as '''Zante''',{{efn|The Venetian name, pronounced {{IPA|it|ˈdzante|}} in Italian and {{IPAc-en|ˈ|z|æ|n|t|i}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|z|ɑː|n|t|eɪ}} in English.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/zante|title=Zante|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|access-date=5 May 2019}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190505164412/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/Zante "Zante"] (US) and {{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Zante |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216210828/https://www.lexico.com/definition/zante |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-12-16 |title=Zante |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> The Greek form is {{lang|el|Τζάντε}} (romanized: ''Tzánte''), pronounced {{IPA|el|ˈdza(n)de|}}.}} is a [[Greece|Greek]] island in the [[Ionian Sea]]. It is the third largest of the [[Ionian Islands]], with an area of {{convert|405.55|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}},<ref name=stat01>{{cite web |url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |publisher=National Statistical Service of Greece |title=Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) |language=el |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |archive-date=21 September 2015 }}</ref> and a coastline {{convert|123|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} in length. The name, like all similar names ending in ''{{not a typo|-nthos}}'', is pre-[[Mycenaean Greek|Mycenaean]] or [[Pelasgians|Pelasgian]] in origin. In [[Greek mythology]], the island was said to be named after [[Zacynthus (mythology)|Zacynthus]], the son of the legendary [[Arcadia (region)|Arcadian]] chief [[Dardanus (son of Zeus)|Dardanus]].

Zakynthos is a tourist destination, especially amongst British tourists,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/07/multimedia/zakynthos-greece-shipwreck-beaches.html,%20https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/07/multimedia/zakynthos-greece-shipwreck-beaches.html|title=Shipwrecks and Secluded Beaches: Exploring the Greek Island of Zakynthos|last=Hiltner|first=Stephen|date=2019-08-07|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-01-07|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> with an [[Zakynthos International Airport|international airport]] served by charter flights from northern Europe. The island's nickname is "the Flower of the Levant", bestowed upon it by the [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]], who ruled Zakynthos from 1484 to 1797.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

==History==
{{main|History of Zakynthos}}

[[File:Dionysios Solomos statue - Zakynthos – Greek – 01.jpg|thumb|Statue of [[Dionysios Solomos]] with the Byzantine museum in the background]]

===Ancient history===
The ancient Greek poet [[Homer]] mentioned Zakynthos in the ''[[Iliad]]'' and the ''[[Odyssey]]'', stating that its first inhabitants were the son of King Dardanos of Arcadia, called Zakynthos, and his men.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} Before being renamed Zakynthos, the island was said to have been called Hyrie. Zakynthos was then conquered by King [[Arkesios]] of [[Kefalonia]], and then by [[Odysseus]] from [[Homer's Ithaca|Ithaca]]. Zakynthos participated in the Trojan War and is listed in the Homeric [[Catalogue of Ships]], which, if accurate, describes the geopolitical situation in early Greece at some time between the [[Bronze Age|Late Bronze Age]] and the eighth century BC. In the ''Odyssey'', Homer mentions 20 nobles from Zakynthos among a total of 108 of Penelope's suitors.<ref name="John Murray">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=William |title=Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography |date=1854 |publisher=John Murray }}</ref>

The [[Classical Athens|Athenian]] military commander [[Tolmides]] concluded an alliance with Zakynthos during the [[First Peloponnesian War]], some time between 459 and 446 BC. In 430 BC, the Lacedaemonians led a force of about 1,000 heavy infantry, led by the Spartan admiral [[Cnemus]], in an attack upon Zakynthos. Although the attackers managed to burn much of the surrounding countryside, the city itself refused to surrender, and the attack ultimately failed.<ref>Thucydides, ''History of the Peloponnesian War'', [[wikisource:History of the Peloponnesian War/Book 2#2:66|2.66]]</ref> The Zakynthians are then enumerated among the autonomous allies of Athens in the disastrous [[Sicilian Expedition|Sicilian expedition]]. After the [[Peloponnesian War]], Zakynthos seems to have passed under the supremacy of Sparta because in 374 BC, Timotheus, an Athenian commander, on his return from Kerkyra, landed some Zakynthian exiles on the island and assisted them in establishing a fortified post. These exiles must have belonged to the anti-Spartan party, as the Zakynthian rulers applied for help to the Spartans, who sent a fleet of 25 to the island.<ref name="John Murray"/><ref>{{cite book |title=History of the Peloponnesian War |last=Thucydides |author-link=Thucydides |translator=[[Richard Crawley]] |at=2.8 |url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/History_of_the_Peloponnesian_War/Book_2 |access-date=24 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Library of History |last=Diodorus Siculus |author-link=Diodorus Siculus |translator=C. H. Oldfather |volume=4 |year=1946 |publisher=Loeb Classical Library |isbn=978-0-674-99413-3 |at=11.84.7 |url=https://archive.org/details/diodorussiculus09diod |url-access=registration |access-date=24 July 2010 }}</ref>

The importance of this alliance for Athens was that it provided them with a source of [[tar]]. Tar is a more effective protector of ship planking than [[Pitch (resin)|pitch]] (which is made from [[Pine|pine tree]]s). The Athenian [[trireme]] fleet needed protection from rot, decay, and the [[Shipworm|teredo]], so this new source of tar was valuable to them. The tar was dredged up from the bottom of a lake (now known as [[Keri, Greece|Lake Keri]]) using leafy [[Myrtus|myrtle]] branches tied to the ends of poles. It was then collected in pots and could be carried to the beach and swabbed directly onto [[Hull (watercraft)|ship hulls]].<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Herodotus |last=Herodotus |author-link=Herodotus|translator=George Rawlinson |year=1910 |at=4.195 |url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/History_of_Herodotus/Book_4 |access-date=24 July 2010}}</ref> Alternatively, the tar could be shipped to the Athenian naval yard at [[Piraeus]] for storage.<ref>{{cite book |title=Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy |last=Hale |first=John |year=2009 |publisher=Viking |location=New York |isbn=978-0-670-02080-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lordsofseaep00hale/page/107 107] |url=https://archive.org/details/lordsofseaep00hale/page/107|url-access=registration }}</ref>In addition to tar and miltos, the Athenians sourced timber for shipbuilding from various regions, as Greece's limited forest resources necessitated the import of quality wood. This practice ensured a steady supply of essential materials for constructing and maintaining their naval fleet.<ref>{{cite book |last=Casson |first=Lionel |title=Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |year=1995 |page=234 |isbn=9780801851308}}</ref>

[[Philip V of Macedon]] seized Zakynthos in the early 3rd century BC, when it was a member of the Aetolian League. In 211 BC, the Roman praetor [[Marcus Valerius Laevinus]] took the city of Zakynthos except for the citadel. It was afterwards restored to Philip V of Macedon. The Roman general [[Marcus Fulvius Nobilior (consul 189 BC)|Marcus Fulvius Nobilior]] finally conquered Zakynthos in 191 BC for Rome. In the [[Mithridatic Wars|Mithridatic War]], it was attacked by Archelaus, the general of Mithridates, but he was repulsed.<ref name="John Murray"/>

===Medieval period===
In 459, the island was plundered by the [[Vandals]] under [[Geiseric]], who carried off 500 local aristocrats.<ref name="ODB">{{ODB|last=Gregory|first=Timothy E.|title=Zakynthos|pages=2219–2220}}</ref> Zakynthos appears to have been spared from the [[Slavic migrations to the Balkans|Slavic invasions]] of the 6th–7th centuries, as no Slavic names are attested on the island.<ref name="ODB"/>

During the middle Byzantine period (7th–12th centuries), Zakynthos belonged to the [[Cephallenia (theme)|Theme of Cephallenia]], and the local bishopric was likewise a [[suffragan]] of Cephallenia (and later of the [[Metropolis of Corinth]]).<ref name="ODB"/> In 880, the [[Aghlabids]] raided Zakynthos, but were [[Battle of Cephalonia|defeated]] by the [[Byzantine navy]] under [[Nasar]].<ref name="ODB"/> Plundered by the [[Pisa]]ns in 1099, it was captured by [[Margaritus of Brindisi]] in 1185, and thereafter formed part of the [[County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos]].<ref name="ODB"/> A [[Latin Church|Latin]] [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Cephalonia and Zakynthos|bishopric]] was installed on the island, alongside the Orthodox one.<ref name="ODB"/>

===Venetian period and modern era===
By 1460, and during the reign of [[Mehmed II]], the Ottoman Turks eventually controlled most of the [[Peloponnese]] with the exception of the remaining Venetian-controlled towns of [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]], [[Nafplio]], [[Monemvassia]], [[Methoni, Messenia|Methoni]], and [[Koroni]]. After the collapse of the [[Hexamilion]], which was supposed to act as a defense across the [[Isthmus of Corinth]], and hence, protect the Peloponnese, Leonardo III Tocco agreed with [[Venice]] to accept 10,000 refugees from this region. Leonardo III Tocco and his realm were increasingly vulnerable to Ottoman Turkish attacks. These refugees consisted of Greeks, [[Arvanites]], and some Venetian officials.<ref name="Κολυβά1989">{{cite book |last1=Κολυβά |first1=Μ. |title=Η Ζάκυνθος μεταξύ του α' και του γ' βενετο-τουρκικού πολέμου. Συμβολή στην πολιτική ιστορία και στην ιστορία των θεσμώ |date=1989 |publisher=Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών-Φιλοσοφική Σχολή-Τμ. Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας |location=Greece}}</ref>
Zakynthos was captured by the [[Ottoman Empire]] in 1478 but was conquered by the [[Republic of Venice]] in 1482.<ref name="ODB"/> It remained in Venetian hands, as part of the [[Venetian Ionian Islands]], until the [[Fall of the Republic of Venice]] in 1797. It then passed successively under [[French rule in the Ionian Islands (1797–1799)|French rule]], became part of the autonomous [[Septinsular Republic]] in 1800, and [[French rule in the Ionian Islands (1807–1814)|returned to the French]] in 1807. Seized by the British in 1809, it formed part of the [[United States of the Ionian Islands]] until the [[Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece]] in 1864.

====World War II====
{{further|Rescue of the Jews of Zakynthos|History of the Jews in Zakynthos}}

During the [[Axis occupation of Greece]], Mayor [[Loukas Karrer]] and Bishop [[Chrysostomos Dimitriou]] refused German orders to turn in a list of the members of the town's Jewish community for deportation to the death camps. Instead, they hid all (or most) of the town's Jewish people in rural villages. According to some sources, all 275 Jews of Zakynthos survived the war.<ref name="Holocaust Museum">{{cite web |url=https://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/special-focus/holocaust-in-greece/zakynthos |title=Zakynthos |publisher=United States Holocaust Memorial Museum|access-date=1 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The miraculous story of the Jews of Zakynthos|url=https://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/The-miraculous-story-of-the-Jews-of-Zakynthos|access-date=10 January 2018|work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |issn=0792-822X}}</ref> Both were later recognized as [[Righteous Among the Nations|Righteous among the Nations]] by [[Yad Vashem]]. In contrast, over 80% of Greek Jews were deported to [[Extermination camp|death camps]] and murdered in [[the Holocaust]].<ref>[http://www.afjmg.org/resources/jewingreece.pdf ''History of the Jewish Communities of Greece'', American Friends of the Jewish Museum of Greece] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629161504/http://www.afjmg.org/resources/jewingreece.pdf |date=2007-06-29 }}, afjmg.org. Retrieved 7 December 2014.</ref>

===Earthquakes===
Zakynthos was hit by a 7.3-magnitude [[1953 Ionian earthquake|earthquake on 12 August 1953]], destroying most of the buildings on the island. Subsequently, all buildings have been strengthened to protect against further tremors. On 26 October 2018, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake south of the island caused no injuries, but damaged the local pier and a 13th-century monastery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Zakynthos earthquake: Greek island shaken by 6.4 tremor|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45988853|access-date=26 October 2018|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Zakynthos 3D version 1.gif|right|thumb|Three-dimensional view of Zakynthos relief]]

Zakynthos lies in the eastern part of the Ionian Sea, around {{convert|20|km|0|abbr=off}} west of the Greek ([[Peloponnese]]) mainland. The island of [[Kefalonia]] lies {{convert|15|km|0|abbr=off}} to the north. It is the southernmost of the main group of the Ionian islands (not counting distant [[Kythira]]). Zakynthos is about {{convert|40|km|0|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|20|km|0|abbr=off}} wide, and covers an area of {{convert|405.55|km2|sqmi|2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="stat01"/> Its coastline is approximately {{convert|123|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long. According to the 2011 census, the island has a population of 40,759.<ref name=census11>{{cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gr/documents/20181/1210503/resident_population_census2011rev.xls |script-title=el:Απογραφή Πληθυσμού – Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός |publisher=Hellenic Statistical Authority |language=el}}</ref> The highest point is [[Vrachionas]], at {{convert|758|m|abbr=off}}.

Zakynthos has the shape of an [[arrowhead]], with the "tip" (Cape Skinari) pointing northwest. The western half of the island is a mountainous plateau, and the southwest coast consists mostly of steep cliffs. The eastern half is a densely populated, fertile plain with long sandy beaches, interrupted by several isolated hills, notably [[Bochali]], which overlooks the city and the peninsula of [[Vasilikos, Zakynthos|Vasilikos]] in the northeast. The peninsulas of Vassilikos to the north and Marathia to the south enclose the wide and shallow bay of [[Laganas]] on the southeast part of the island.

The capital, which has the same name as the prefecture, is the town of [[Zakynthos (city)|Zakynthos]]. It lies on the eastern part of the northern coast. Apart from the official name, it is also called ''Chora'' (i.e., the Town, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town). The port of Zakynthos has a ferry connecting to the port of [[Kyllini (Elia), Greece|Kyllini]] on the mainland. Another ferry connects the village of Agios Nikolaos to [[Argostoli]] on Kefalonia. Minor uninhabited islands around Zakynthos included in the municipality and regional unit are: Marathonisi, Pelouzo, Agios Sostis in the Laganas bay, [[Agios Nikolaos, Zakynthos|Agios Nikolaos]] near the eponymous harbor on the northern tip, and Agios Ioannis near Porto Vromi on the western coast.

===Flora and fauna===
{{See also|Caretta caretta|Zakynthos horse}}
The mild [[Mediterranean climate]] and plentiful winter rainfall endow the island with dense vegetation. The principal agricultural products are [[olive oil]], [[Zante currant|currants]], grapes and [[citrus]] fruit. The Zante currant is a small, sweet, seedless grape that is native to the island.

The Bay of Laganas is the site of the first National [[Zakynthos Marine Park|Marine Park]] and the prime nesting area for [[loggerhead sea turtle]]s (''Caretta caretta'') in the Mediterranean.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alberti |first=Mia |date=2021-07-27 |title=Pandemic gives breathing room to endangered sea turtles |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/27/pandemic-gives-respite-to-greek-island-sea-turtles-but-returning-tourists-could-wreck-it |access-date=2023-04-24 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

===Climate===
Zakynthos has a hot-summer [[Mediterranean climate]] (''Csa'') with hot, dry summers and mild to cool, rainy winters. Like most of the [[Ionian Islands]], it receives sizeable amounts of precipitation during the winter, while the summers are mostly hot and sunny. The average annual temperature stands at around {{Convert|18.5|C|F}} while humidity is fairly high throughout the year, even during the summer months.{{Weather box
| location = Zakynthos 1961–1990 (extremes 1961–present)
| single line = Yes
| metric first = Yes
| Jan record high C = 20.2
| Feb record high C = 22.8
| Mar record high C = 24.2
| Apr record high C = 29.8
| May record high C = 35.0
| Jun record high C = 39.4
| Jul record high C = 42.2
| Aug record high C = 40.0
| Sep record high C = 36.8
| Oct record high C = 32.0
| Nov record high C = 26.6
| Dec record high C = 22.2
| year record high C = 42.2
| Jan high C = 14.4
| Feb high C = 14.5
| Mar high C = 16.1
| Apr high C = 18.9
| May high C = 23.4
| Jun high C = 27.8
| Jul high C = 30.7
| Aug high C = 30.6
| Sep high C = 27.6
| Oct high C = 23.0
| Nov high C = 19.0
| Dec high C = 15.8
| year high C = 21.8
| Jan mean C = 11.3
| Feb mean C = 11.5
| Mar mean C = 12.9
| Apr mean C = 15.5
| May mean C = 19.8
| Jun mean C = 24.1
| Jul mean C = 26.7
| Aug mean C = 26.6
| Sep mean C = 23.8
| Oct mean C = 19.6
| Nov mean C = 15.8
| Dec mean C = 12.8
| year mean C = 18.4
| Jan low C = 8.1
| Feb low C = 8.2
| Mar low C = 9.2
| Apr low C = 11.1
| May low C = 14.4
| Jun low C = 18.2
| Jul low C = 20.4
| Aug low C = 20.9
| Sep low C = 18.8
| Oct low C = 15.7
| Nov low C = 12.5
| Dec low C = 9.6
| year low C = 13.9
| Jan record low C = -2.6
| Feb record low C = -2.0
| Mar record low C = 0.0
| Apr record low C = 2.6
| May record low C = 5.0
| Jun record low C = 8.4
| Jul record low C = 12.0
| Aug record low C = 13.4
| Sep record low C = 10.0
| Oct record low C = 5.2
| Nov record low C = 2.8
| Dec record low C = 0.2
| year record low C = -2.6
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 150.4
| Feb precipitation mm = 112.8
| Mar precipitation mm = 89.6
| Apr precipitation mm = 51.3
| May precipitation mm = 17.0
| Jun precipitation mm = 7.2
| Jul precipitation mm = 5.0
| Aug precipitation mm = 9.1
| Sep precipitation mm = 25.4
| Oct precipitation mm = 146.5
| Nov precipitation mm = 159.1
| Dec precipitation mm = 169.9
| year precipitation mm = 943.3
| Jan humidity = 74.3
| Feb humidity = 72.8
| Mar humidity = 72.8
| Apr humidity = 71.7
| May humidity = 67.8
| Jun humidity = 62.8
| Jul humidity = 59.3
| Aug humidity = 61.2
| Sep humidity = 66.7
| Oct humidity = 71.7
| Nov humidity = 76.0
| Dec humidity = 75.3
| year humidity = 69.4
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 12.8
| Feb precipitation days = 11.3
| Mar precipitation days = 8.2
| Apr precipitation days = 6.1
| May precipitation days = 2.5
| Jun precipitation days = 1.1
| Jul precipitation days = 0.5
| Aug precipitation days = 0.9
| Sep precipitation days = 2.8
| Oct precipitation days = 8.1
| Nov precipitation days = 11.0
| Dec precipitation days = 13.2
| year precipitation days = 78.5
| source 1 = NOAA,<ref name = NOAA>{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/GR/16719.TXT |title=Zakinthos Airport Climate Normals 1961–1990 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731112325/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/GR/16719.TXT |archive-date=2020-07-31 |url-status=dead |access-date=2 March 2015}}</ref> Info Climat extremes 1991-present <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/normales-records/1981-2010/zakinthos-dionysios/valeurs/16719.html | title=Normales et records climatologiques 1981-2010 à ZAKINTHOS DIONYSIOS - Infoclimat }}</ref>
| date = March 2015
| source = 
}}

===Sights===
[[File:Ναυάγιο Ζακύνθου.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Navagio]] ([[MV Panagiotis|shipwreck]]) bay]]
[[{{Not a typo|File:White cliffs on the coast of Zaknythos (Island).jpg}}<!-- Do not change the spelling of the file! -->|alt=White cliffs on the coast of Zakynthos|thumb|White cliffs on the coast of Zakynthos]]
Famous landmarks include the [[Navagio Beach|Navagio beach]], a cove on the northwest shore isolated by high cliffs and accessible only by boat. Numerous natural "blue caves" are carved into the cliffs around Cape Skinari; they are accessible only by small boats, which are popular among tourists.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.greeka.com/ionian/zakynthos/zakynthos-excursions/zakynthos-blue-caves.htm |title=Zakynthos Blue Caves: The Blue Caves of Zakynthos Greece, Ionian |access-date=18 June 2015}}</ref> [[Keri, Greece|Keri]], on the south of the island, is a mountain village with a lighthouse. The whole western shore from Keri to Skinari contains [[rock formations]] including arches.<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news |url=https://traveltips.usatoday.com/beaches-zakynthos-greece-37375.html |title=Beaches in Zakynthos, Greece |author=Carole Simm |publisher=USA Today Travel |access-date=18 June 2015 |archive-date=10 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710060210/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/beaches-zakynthos-greece-37375.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Cliff-walled beach and cliff underpass, Marathia cape, Zakynthos, Greece 01.jpg|thumb|Cliffs and stone arches at Cape Marathia]]

The northern and eastern shores feature numerous wide sandy beaches, some of which attract tourists in the summer months. The largest resort is [[Laganas]]. Marathonissi islet (also known as "Turtle Island") near Limni Keriou has tropical vegetation, turquoise waters, beaches, and sea caves. [[Bochali]] hill above Zakynthos town contains a small Venetian castle.

==Administration==
Zakynthos is a separate [[regional units of Greece|regional unit]] of the [[Ionian Islands (region)|Ionian Islands]] region, and the only [[Communities and Municipalities of Greece|municipality]] of the regional unit. The seat of administration is [[Zakynthos (city)|Zakynthos]], the main town of the island.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

===Regional unit===
As a part of the 2011 [[Kallikratis Programme|Kallikratis government reform]], the regional unit Zakynthos was created out of the former [[prefectures of Greece|prefecture]] Zakynthos ({{langx|el|Νομός Ζακύνθου}}). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. In the same reform, the current municipality Zakynthos was created out of the six former municipalities:<ref name=Kallikratis>{{Cite web|url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL8-SrPzKAEPjjtIl9LGdkF53UIxsx942CdyqxSQYNuqAGCF0IfB9HI6hq6ZkZV96FIukI0UzcPsWCK0LpLhpa7rhiWB4R5ntTnoWw7U8E1Amg.|title=ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text|language=el|publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]]}}</ref>
*[[Zakynthos (city)]]
*[[Alykes]]
*[[Arkadioi]]
*[[Artemisia, Zakynthos|Artemisia]]
*[[Elatia, Zakynthos|Elatia]]
*[[Laganas]]

==Population and demographics==
[[File:Church and monastery ruins Panagía Skopiótissa – Mount Skopós - Zakynthos - Greece – 01.jpg|thumb|Church and monastery ruins of Panagía Skopiótissa on Mount Skopós]]
*1889: 44,070 (island), 18,906 (city)
*1896: 45,032 (island), 17,478 (city)
*1900: 42,000
*1907: 42,502
*1920: 37.482
*1940: 42,148
*1981: 30,011
*1991: 32,556 (island), 13,000 (city)
*2001: 38,596
*2011: 40,759
*2021: 40,508

In 2006, there were 507 births and 407 deaths.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} Zakynthos is one of the regions with the highest population growth in Greece. It is also one of the only three prefectures (out of 54) in which the rural population has a positive growth rate. In fact, the rural population's growth rate is higher than that of the urban population in Zakynthos. Out of the 507 births, 141 were in urban areas and 366 were in rural areas. Out of the 407 deaths, 124 were in urban areas and 283 were in rural areas.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

==Culture==
[[File:Koutouzis-selfportrait.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Nikolaos Koutouzis]], self-portrait]]
{{See also|Cuisine of the Ionian islands|Music of the Heptanese|Ionian School (music)}}

===Literature===
[[File:Zakynthos-faneromeni-church01.jpg|thumb|Faneromeni church, Zakynthos town]]
Since Zakynthos was under the rule of the Venetian Republic, it had closer contact with Western literary trends than other areas inhabited by Greek people.

An early literary work from the island is the ''Rimada'', a 16th-century romance in verse about [[Alexander the Great]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moennig|first1=Ulrich|chapter=A Hero without Borders: 1. Alexander the Great in Ancient, Byzantine and Modern Greek Tradition|pages=159–89|editor1-first=Carolina |editor1-last=Cupane|editor2-first=Bettina|editor2-last=Krönung |title=Fictional Storytelling in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond|date=2016|publisher=Brill |location=Leiden|isbn=9789004307728|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-N8zDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA180}}</ref> Notable early writers include Tzanes Koroneos, author of ''Andragathemata of Bouas'', a work of historical fiction;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.early-modern-greek.org/archives/580 |title=Νέα έκδοση: Roberta Angiolillo: Tzane Koroneos. Le gesta di Mercurio Bua, Edizioni dell'Orso Alessandria 2013 (book review) |publisher=early-modern-greek.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|editor-first=Roberta |editor-last=Angiolillo |title=Tzane Koroneos. Le gesta di Mercurio Bua |publisher=Edizioni dell'Orso |location=Alessandria |year=2013 |isbn=978-88-6274-458-4}}</ref> [[Nikolaos Loukanis]], a 16th-century Renaissance humanist;<ref name="Merry2004">{{cite book |author=Bruce Merry |title=Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-lr20SuvfIC&pg=PA192 |year=2004 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-30813-0 |page=192}}</ref> Markos Defaranas (1503–1575), possibly the author of the ''Rimada'';<ref name="Greene2010">{{cite book |author=Molly Greene |title=Catholic Pirates and Greek Merchants: A Maritime History of the Early Modern Mediterranean |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7syb4WH8NYAC&pg=PA37 |date= 2010 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-14197-8 |pages=37–}}</ref> Pachomios Roussanos (1508–1553), a scholar and theologian;<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Benisis |first1=Marios |title=Ο ΠΑΧΩΜΙΟΣ ΡΟΥΣΑΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΦΙΚΟ ΤΟΥ ΕΡΓΟ |year=2006}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=August 2025}} and Antonio Catiforo (1685–1763), a grammarian and satirist.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.idref.fr/137746016 |title=Catiforo, Antonio (1685–1763)}}</ref><ref name="Losacco2003">{{cite book |author=Margherita Losacco |title=Antonio Catiforo e Giovanni Veludo: interpreti di Fozio |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x6Ku3zMICf4C&pg=PA121 |year=2003 |publisher=EDIZIONI DEDALO |isbn=978-88-220-5807-2 |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.fupress.net/index.php/cromohs/article/view/15468/14664 |title=Diaspora ortodossa e rinnovamento culturale: il caso dell'abate greco-veneto Antonio Catiforo (1685–1763) |first=Angela |last=Falcetta |journal=Cromohs |doi=10.13128/Cromohs-15468 |issue=15 |year=2010 |pages=1–24 |archive-date=3 February 2017 |access-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203080513/http://www.fupress.net/index.php/cromohs/article/view/15468/14664 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Towards the end of the 18th century, the so-called [[Heptanese School (literature)|Heptanese School of Literature]] developed, consisting mainly of lyrical and satirical poetry in the vein of Romanticism prevalent throughout Europe at the time. It also contributed to the development of modern Greek theatre. An important poet of this school was Zakynthian [[Dionysios Solomos]]; another was [[Nikolaos Koutouzis]], who also figures prominently in the Heptanese School of Painting. Others include [[Georgios Tertsetis]] (1800–1873), a politician, poet, and historian.

The 1998 novel 'Fugitive Pieces' by Canadian author Anne Michaels includes a section set on Zakynthos during the Nazi occupation. The young Jewish narrator, Jakob Beer, is hidden in a rural home. He notes that while he enjoyed the luxury of a room, 'thousands were stuffed into baking stoves, sewers, garbage bins. In the crawlspaces of double ceilings, in stables, pigsties, chicken coops'. The narrative refers to Mayor Karrer and Archbishop Chrysostomos's refusal to collaborate with the Germans.<ref name="Michaels1998">{{cite book |author=Anne Michaels |title=Fugitive Pieces |year=1998 |publisher=Vintage |isbn=978-0-679-77659-8 |page=194}}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Zakynthos Airport, New Terminal, Greece 02.jpg|thumb|[[Zakynthos International Airport]] (ZTH)]]

The island is covered by a network of roads, particularly the flat eastern part, with main routes linking the capital with [[Volimes]] in the north, Keri in the south, and the Vassiliki peninsula in the west. The road between Volimes and [[Lithakia]] connects the western half of the island.

The island has one airport, [[Zakynthos International Airport]], on the former GR-35, offering connecting flights with other Greek and foreign airports. Opened in 1972, it is located {{convert|4.3|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} from [[Zakynthos (city)|Zakynthos]].

Zakynthos also features two ports, the main port located in the capital, and another in the village of [[Agios Nikolaos, Zakynthos|Agios Nikolaos]]. From the main port, there is a connection to the [[port of Kyllini]], which is the usual place of arrival on the island by sea from the mainland. From the port of Agios Nikolaos, there is a connection to the island of [[Kefalonia]].

==Science==
[[Ionian University]]'s Department of Environment has been located on Zakynthos since 2003. It has developed laboratory and field station infrastructures in Zakynthos and the [[Strofades|Strofades islets]].<ref>[http://culture.teiion.gr culture.teiion.gr Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629070038/http://culture.teiion.gr/ |date=29 June 2009 }}, teiion.gr. Retrieved 18 June 2015.{{in lang|el}}</ref>

Freshwater resources on Zakynthos are limited, and as a result, a Greek-Norwegian educational collaboration is being established on the island. [[Science Park Zakynthos]] is a collaboration between the Technological Educational Institute of the Ionian Islands (TEI), the [[Norwegian University of Life Sciences]] (UMB), and the [[Therianos Villas]] and Therianos Family Farm on Zakynthos.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

==Notable people==
[[File:Pavlos Karreris (Paul Carrer) statue, Zakynthos City, Greece 01.jpg|thumb|upright|Bust of [[Pavlos Carrer]]]]
Among the most famous Zakynthians is the 19th-century poet [[Dionysios Solomos]], whose statue adorns the main town square. The Italian poet [[Ugo Foscolo]] was born in Zakynthos: he wrote the [[sonnet]] "[[A Zacinto]]" dedicated to the island.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/ugo-foscolo/|title=Fóscolo, Ugo|language=it|publisher=[[Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana]]|access-date=2 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930231231/https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/ugo-foscolo|archive-date=30 September 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Antonios Komoutos]], the second head of state "Prince" of the [[Septinsular Republic]], originated from Zakynthos. Early 19th-century poet and playwright [[Elizabeth Moutzan-Martinegou]], the first prominent [[Modern Greek literature|modern Greek female writer]], was born on the island. [[Andreas Vesalius]], famous Renaissance surgeon and anatomist, died on Zakynthos after being shipwrecked while making a pilgrimage to the [[Holy Land]]. His body is thought to have been buried on the island, but the site has been lost.

==Tourism==
The [[Solomos Museum|Museum of Solomos and Eminent Zakynthians]], located on St Mark's plaza, includes local art from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as sculptures, musical instruments contemporary to the eminent Zakynthians, and ceramics. In particular, it features Dionysios Solomos and [[Andreas Kalvos]].<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Μουσείο Σολωμού & Επιφανών Ζακυνθίων |trans-title=Museum of Solomon and Epiphany Zakynthos |url=http://zakynthos-museumsolomos.gr/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124142905/http://zakynthos-museumsolomos.gr/ |archive-date=2020-11-24 |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=zakynthos-museumsolomos.gr}}</ref>

Since the mid-1980s, Zakynthos has become a hub for 18-to-30-year-old tourists, leading particularly to [[Laganas]] (formerly a quiet village) becoming a hotbed of clubbing, nightclubs, bars, and restaurants.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Usborne |first=Simon |date=2019-10-11 |title=On Zakynthos, a bohemian British beach club grows up |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ae6a970e-e8fe-11e9-aefb-a946d2463e4b |access-date=2025-01-24 |work=Financial Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.travtasy.com/2018/04/zakynthos-greece-travel-insurance-best.html|title=Trip to Zakynthos and Navagio - The Shipwreck Beach of Greece|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-20}}</ref>

==International relations==
Zakynthos is [[town twinning|twinned]] with:
* {{flagicon|San Marino}} [[Serravalle (San Marino)|Serravalle]], San Marino (2014) <ref>{{cite web |title = Serravalle si gemellerà con l'isola di Zante|date=28 September 2014 |url=https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/news/attualita-c4/serravalle-si-gemellera-isola-zante-a61649|language=it|access-date=2024-01-14}}</ref>

==See also==
* "[[A Zacinto]]"
* [[List of settlements in Zakynthos]]
* [[Flag of Zakynthos]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== Citations ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== General sources ==
{{refbegin|2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Fine|first=John Van Antwerp Jr.|author-link=John Van Antwerp Fine Jr.|title=The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest|year=1994|orig-year=1987|location=Ann Arbor, Michigan|publisher=University of Michigan Press|isbn=0472082604|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LvVbRrH1QBgC}}
* {{Cite book|last=Zečević|first=Nada|title=The Tocco of the Greek Realm: Nobility, Power and Migration in Latin Greece (14th–15th centuries)|year=2014|location=Belgrade|publisher=Makart|isbn=9788691944100|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LcqfAQAACAAJ}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Zakynthos}}
{{wikivoyage|Zakynthos}}
*[http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/education/artifacts/circumcision.asp The rescue of the Jews of Zakyntos during World War II]

{{Kallikratis-Ionian Islands}}
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{{Ionian Islands}}
{{Prefectures of Greece}}
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[[Category:Zakynthos| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Ionian Islands]]
[[Category:Islands of Greece]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Ionian Islands (region)]]
[[Category:Pelasgian words]]
[[Category:Prefectures of Greece]]
[[Category:Regional units of the Ionian Islands (region)]]
[[Category:Septinsular Republic]]
[[Category:Territories of the Republic of Venice]]