Gefyra, Arcadia

Gefyra or Gefira (Greek: Γέφυρα meaning bridge) is a Greek settlement located around 5 km (old: 6 km) south-southeast of Megalopoli, northeast from the nearest interchange with the GR-7/E65 (Kalamata - Megalopoli - Tripoli), about 48 km (old: 49 km) northeast of Kalamata, north-north of Leontari and about 33 km (old: 40 km) west-southwest of Tripoli. Gefira has a population of 49 in 2001 and is one of the municipalities in Greece that shares the same population with another municipal district Thoknia. Gefira is also in the municipality of Megalopoli. The municipality of Falaisia is bounded to the south. Gefira is connected with a road linking with the GR-7, the GR-76, Gefyra, the Megalopoli-Sparta Road and the road to Vrysoules.

Nearest places

*Vrysoules, northeast
*Kamaritsa, siuth
*Anthochori, northwest

Geography

Gefyra is situated in a valley area, the Alpheus is 1 km to the southwest and less to the south. The geography consists of village area, mixed farming are sporadically fouded, the forests covers the rest of the area and covers about 50% of the area. The mountains which include the Lykaio can be seen to the west, Tsiberou to the east and Taygetos to the south.

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 between 1981 and 1991 saw a small population growth but it returned to a declining level. Its median age is around in the 50s range.

In the late-1970s and the 1980s, the lignite mine extended to Anthochori as well as the 1990s and is now 1 km to the northwest

Flames hurt the village of Gefyra as it arrived from Leontari on Saturday August 25, 2007 and consumed forests and farmlands that totaled around 60 to 70% of the area. Firefighters, residents, choppers and airplanes battled the flame for several hours. The flame did not stopped and spread into nearby Vrysoules and Kamaritsa. Most of the crops were not damaged from those intensive flames. The village is expected to be rebuilt.

Population

Other

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

External links

*Coordinates: coord|37|21|33|N|22|8|30|E|type:city(49)_region:GR

ee also

*List of settlements in the Arcadia prefecture