Soulos

Soulos (Greek: Σούλος) is a Greek settlement located around 8 km north-northwest of Megalopoli, 15 km northwest from the nearest interchange with the GR-7/E65 (Kalamata - Megalopoli - Tripoli) and the old road and less than 13 km southeast of Karytaina. Soulos is also in the municipality of Megalopoli. Soulos is connected with a road linking The GR-76 linking Megalopoli with Krestena and Andritsaina.

Nearest places

*Zoni, north
*Trilofo, east-northeast
*Nea Ekklisoula, east
*Plaka, south
*Thoknia, west-northwest
*Katsimbalis, west-northwest

Geography

Soulos is situated in a valley area, the Alpheus is 4 km to the west. The geography consists of farmlands covering the central and the western parts, and the eastern part are hilly with some farmlands, the remainder of the area are forested. The Megalopoli Power Plant is to the southwest. The mountains which include the Lykaio can be seen to the west and east.

History

The highest recorded population were in the early to mid-20th century, the population has been falling since the mid-20th century, particularly after the two conflicts, the World War II and the Greek Civil War as people went for a better lifestyle and jobs elsewhere in Greece and the other parts of the world (mainly North America), its decline has rarely slowed in the late-20th century. The census between 1981 and 1991 saw the population grew by nearly half for a brief time, the population lost nearly half of its residents between 1991 and 2001, its median age will rise above 50 and 60, the younger generation only visit Apiditsa making it a summer area along with Choremi and the area.

Soulos was strucked by a forest fire on Thursday August 16, 2007 by a weird arsonist which set up gasoline and oil bottle with an unknown cause. The fire spread to burn many trees along the hillside. It was the first spot where the fire tha became the worst in the country began. The fire later burnt a couple of farmlands mainly pastures and groves and damaged a few houses during the afternoon hours and cut off communications including roads and electricity. By the evening hours, the fire was weakened and grew with high winds and temperatures it escaped into Makryssi and the outskirts of Megalopoli. Residents, firefighters along with several choppers and planes battled the blaze and rarely controlled the fire.

Population

Other

Soulos has a church, and a square ("plateia"), its nearest school and lyceum (middle school) and gymnasium (secondary school) are in Megalopoli.

External links

* [http://arcadia.ceid.upatras.gr/arkadia/places/soulos.htm History and Information about Plaka]
* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=8917 Soulos on GTP Travel Pages]
*Map and aerial photos:
**Street map information from: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=37.438&longitude=22.099&zoom=6 Mapquest] , [http://local.live.com/map.aspx?&lats1=37.438&lons1=22.099&alts1=35 LiveLocal] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=37.438,22.099 Google] or [http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?lat=37.438&lon=22.099&mag=2 Yahoo! Maps]
**Satellite
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.4383,22.099&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] or [http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=37.438|22.099&style=h&lvl=15&v=1 Microsoft Virtual Earth] - image now available
*Coordinates: coord|37|27|22|N|22|5|59|E|type:city(35)_region:GR

ee also

*List of settlements in the Arcadia prefecture