Zachloritika

Zachloritika or Zahloritika (Greek: Ζαχλωρίτικα) also with the first i accented is a Greek village located about southwest of Diakopto, west of Corinth, about 3 km west of Diakopto and Athens, north-northwest of Kalavryta and about 45 east of Patras and southeast of Aigio. The name is a combination of nearby Zachlorou and -itika. The GR-9 (Patras - Pyrgos - Kyparissia is passed by with the old road and is north of the new highway . Zachloritika had a 2001 population of was 434 for the village. The population is ranked third in the prefecture and is before Rodia and after Eliki. Zachloritika is also in the southwestern part of the municipality of Diakopto.

Nearest places

*Diakopto, east
*Ano Diakopto, southeast
*Mamoussia, south

Population

Geography

Its geography are mare up of farmlands that dominate the plateau and are mainly consists of groves, the Marathia mountains that are mainly made up of forests and grasslands especially bushes are to the south of the superhighway. The shoreline are mainy rocky and has a nearby beach. The forest is 2 km west, its urban area are 200 m north of the superhighway. Its length is 400 m by 80 by 200 m and its main street is 200 m north of the old highway. The Selinountas River is 2 km west of Zachloritika.

History

The village was ruled by the Ottoman Turks with some interruption by the Venetians in the mid to late-15th century and the mid to late-16th century. Zachloritika was finally Greek after the Greek War of Independence of 1821, right after the signing of the declaration of independence.

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 grew between 1981 and 1991 but it lost between 1991 and 2001 and fell below the 1981 census.

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.

Zachloritika was shattered by a forest fire that began on Wednesday July 25 and ended on July 28 and brought catastrophic fire to the area, flames were bursting as high as 30 m and smoke as high as 600 to 700 m. About 20 to 30% of the village were burnt with some of their properties burnt. Tens of fire trucks, helicopters and planes along with firefighters battled the fire in order to end. Several farms and crops were ruined. Some roads were shut down. The fire started in the afternoon hours and expanded to almost to burn about 80% of the area of Zachloritika. Residents were panicked on this wildfire. Hundreds to thousands of cattle were lost and about ten thousands trees were burnt down that created an economic and agricultural disaster that may take a couple of years to rebuilt. The flames were stopped by firefighters and headed for other villages in central and southern Aigialeia.

Information

Zachloritika has approximately 6 to 8 km of paved road and 15 km of gravel roads. Kounina also has approximately 6 to 8 km of hydro lines as well as phone lines.

Economy

Its main production are olives alond with fruits including watermelon, melon, figs and vegetables including corn, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cucumbers and others as well as dairy, livestock and others in small numbers, much of the farlmands are mainly groves and vines and surround the area. There are more farmlands north of the village than to the south. The majority of the population are based in agriculture as well as some other businesses.

Other

Zachloritika has a school, a church, and a square ("plateia"). Its nearest lyceum (middle school), a nearest school gymnasium (secondary school) are in Aigio, its nearest hospital is the Agios Andreas Hospital in eastcentral Patras.

External links

* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=3284 Kounina GTP Travel Pages]
*Map and aerial photos:
**Street map information from: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=38.187667&longitude=22.18&zoom=6 Mapquest] , [http://local.live.com/map.aspx?&lats1=38.187666&longs=22.0123&alts1=35 LiveLocal] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=38.1876667,21.18 Google] or [http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?lat=38.187667&lon=22.18&mag=2 Yahoo! Maps]
**Satellite
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.187667,22.18&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] or [http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=38.187667|22.18&5style=h&lvl=15&v=1 Microsoft Virtual Earth] - image now available
*Coordinates: coord|38|12|16|N|22|3|42|E|type:city(434)_region:GR

ee also

*List of settlements in the Achaea prefecture