Fostena

Fostaina or Fostena (Greek: Φώσταινα) is a Greek village located about approximately 15 km southeast of Kato Achaia, 10 km south of Alissos, 31 km south of Patras and about 90 km northeast of Pyrgos. The GR-9 (Patras - Pyrgos - Kyparissia is 10 km to the north and 11 km with the older one. Fostaina had a 2001 population of was 306 for the village and the majority are of Albanian descent. Fostaina is connected with the road linking the GR-9 and Santomeri along with Portes Fostaina is also in the municipal district of of Oleni. The Tytheos river flows through the village.

Nearest places

*Lousika, north
*Arla, south (distane: approx. 6 to 7 km)
*Elaiochori, west (distance: approx. 2 km)

Geography

Fostaina is situated in a plateau, hilly and a valley area, it also contains several valleys. The farmlands covers sporadically and the valley along with forests, hills and mountains, mostly in the western and the eastern parts. The small mountain range extending south of Kareika to near Ovrya is to the north and another to the south. Its main production are fruits including watermelon, melon, figs and vegetables including corn, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cucumbers and others as well as dairy, livestock, olives and others. The majority of the population are based in other businesses as well as agriculture.

Information

Fostaina has approximately 10 km of paved road and 10 to 15 km of gravel roads. Lousika also has approximately 10 km of hydro lines as well as phone lines.

Houses were stone-built until the 1950s and did not surpass modern-style homes until the 1980s. It was linked with pavement in the 1980s. Most of the homes are abandoned today.

After World War II and the Greek Civil War, much of the population left for larger towns and cities especially the nearby Patras. The population decline between the 1981 and the 1991 census, but it recovered the 1991 and the 2001 censuses.

Fostena was tremored by a 6.7 earthquake that shook the area on Sunday June 7, 2008 at 15:21 (3:21) PM EET or local time and caused tens of old and poorly built houses to collapse, even roofs fell down. Residents fled their houses, some of them were injured. The mayor, the authorities and its rescue team came to the scene and searched for people stranded in the rubble

ee also

*List of places in the Achaia prefecture