Spaneika, Arcadia

Spaneika (Greek: Σπαναίικα), older form: Spanaiika is a Greek village in the Arcadia prefecture located 2 km south of Petrina around 15 to 18 km southeast of Megalopoli, 12 km east from the nearest interchange with the GR-7/E65 (Kalamata - Megalopoli - Tripoli) east of Leontari and 60 km from Kalamata, about 40 and 45 km west-southwest of Tripoli and northwest of Sparta. Petrina is connected with the road linking the Megalopoli-Anavryto Road and the Megalopoli-Sparta Road and a branch to the road of the same name. Petrina had a population of 50 in 2001 for the village. Petrina is also in the municipality of Falaisia. The Laconia prefecture is 4 km to the southeast.

ubdivision

*Spaneika

Nearest places

*Petrina
*Kyparissia, eas
*Kato Giannaioi., south
*Kamara, southwest
*Falaisia, west
*Soulari, northwest

Geography

Spaneika is situated on the foot of the mountain, the Alfeios Valley is to the north. The mountains cover the southern portions and are made up of rocks with grasslands and bushes along with a couple of forests and grasses and bushes around the areas. The branch of the Alfeios river lies to the north. Farmlands are also within the village. Its panorama includes the mountains around the area including the northern and the eastern parts, it cannot see the Lykaio mountains to the west. The mountaintop elevating 1,197 m is to the southeast.

Its residential houses and buildings are within the main road and it is about 200 m long. Much of the houses were stone built until the 1960s. Electricity arrived in the same year. Vehicles arrived in the 1970s, the pavement of the main road and television arrived in the 1980s and computer and internet are rarely known in the beginning of the 21st century and up to date technology are not seen.

Population

History

The village used to have a large population before the beginning of the 20th century. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, the population began to decline as residents moved to larger towns and cities and outside of Greece including North America. The population has been declining since 2001.

Other

Spaneika has a church, and a square ("plateia"), its nearest school and lyceum (middle school) and gymnasium (secondary school) are now in Megalopoli since 2005.

External links

* [http://arcadia.ceid.upatras.gr/arkadia/places/spaneika.htm History and Information about Spaneika]
* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=8945 Spaneika GTP Travel Pages]
*Map and aerial photos:
**Street map information from: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=37.273&longitude=22.2&zoom=6 Mapquest] , [http://local.live.com/map.aspx?&lats1=37.273&longs=22.2&alts1=35 LiveLocal] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=37.273,22.2 Google] or [http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?lat=37.273&lon=22.2&mag=2 Yahoo! Maps]
**Satellite
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.273,22.2&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] or [http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=37.273|22.2&style=h&lvl=15&v=1 Microsoft Virtual Earth] - image now available
*Coordinates: coord|37|16|24|N|22|12|0|E|type:city(38)_region:GR

ee also

*List of settlements in the Arcadia prefecture