Marathia (Vlachorrapti), Arcadia

Marathia, formerly Vlachorrapti (also Vlachorraptis, Vlahorrapti, Vlahorraptis or with a double r, Greek: Βλαχορράπτης) (Greek, Modern: Μαραθιά) is a Greek settlement in the west-southwest of the Arcadia prefecture Marathia is connected with gravel road linking with Kato Rizospilia and Karytaina as well as the Karytaina-Dimitsana Road and the GR-76 (Krestena - Andritsaina - Megalopoli), several earthened roads and trails are nearby. The Elis prefecture is 4 km to the southwest. Marathia had a 2001 population of 110 for the settlement. Marathia is located about 16 km northwest of Karytaina about 4 to 5 km west of Atsicholos, 32 km northwest of Megalopoli, 45 km southeast of Andritsaina about 87 km (old: 85 km) north of Kalamata and about 66 km west-southwest of Tripoli. The GR-7, the older and the new route is 37 km to the southeast as well as the superhighway.

Nearest places

*Atsicholos, east
*Kotyli, south
*Theisoa, west-southwest
*Sarakini, north-northwest

Geography

Marathia is situated in a mountainous slope of the Lykaio mountains and is in a valley that overlooks the valley and theAlfieos valley as well as its nearby mountains to the south including Lykaio, the west and the southeast as far as the Taygetos mountains. The mountains cover the area and are made up of rocks with grasslands and bushes along with a couple of forests and grasses and bushes around the areas, the forest are between 300 to 450 m, the cliffs and the Lousios river and gorge is to the southeast. Farmlands are within the village area.

Information

Its main production are olives, citrus, fruits, vegetables and other crops, several common crops are rarely common. The village can be seen as far as to the north and east.

Marathia has several rural roads and approximately 10 km of hydro lines and 3 km of paved roads.

Its residential houses and buildings are within the main road and it is about 200 to 300 m long wide at the centre. 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. One exception was that the population lost by nearly one-third 1981 and 1991 but it regained over two-thirds between 1991 and 2001.

Other

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

ee also

*List of settlements in the Arcadia prefecture

External links

* [http://arcadia.ceid.upatras.gr/arkadia/places/vlachorapti.htm History and Information about Vlachorrapti]
* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=*529 Marathia (Vlachorrapti) on the GTP Travel Pages]
*Map and Aerial Photos:
**Street Map Information: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=37.45883&longitude=22.0017&zoom=6 Mapquest] , [http://local.live.com/map.aspx?&lats1=37.45883&longs=22.0017&alts1=35 LiveLocal] , [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=37.45883,221.0017 Google] or [http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?lat=37.45883&lon=22.0017&mag=2 Yahoo! Maps]
**Satellite
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.45883,22.0017&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] or [http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=37.45883|22.0017&style=h&lvl=15&v=1 Microsoft Virtual Earth]
*Coordinates: coord|37|21|30|N|21|20|9|E|type:city(110)_region:GR