Katarrakti

Katarrakti, also Katarraktis, Katarakti or Kataraktis (Greek: Καταρράκτης) also with the second a accented is a Greek village built over two mountains in the southern Achaea prefecture. The village was known as Lopesi (Λόπεσι). Katarrakti is located 25 km south-southeast of Patras, 5 km from Chalandritsa and about 60 km west of Kalavryta. Katarrakti had a 2001 population of was 221 for the village. The village is built by the foot of the Panachaiko. Katarrakti is north of the road linking with the GR-33 (Patras - Tripoli) and Kalavryta. The village is situated by a large catarract that is 110 meters long and hence owes its name to the village. They are also filled with caves in which are beautiful and pristine.

Population

Geography

Its geography are mare up of farmlands that dominate the valley areas and are mainly consists of groves that are in the western part, the mountains covers the northern and the eastern parts. It offers a view of the nearby mountains.

History

Katarraktis was ruled by the Ottoman Turks until the Greek War of Independence of 1821.

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 declined until 1991, but it slowly recovered by 20% between 1991 and 2001.

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.

Around Katarrakti, archeologists founded and ancient city between Drakotrypa and Drakotrypa along with Aridrako. The settlemend founded during the Mycenean period in the area of Drakotrypa and the settlemend in the Mid-Hellenic and Mycenean periods in the area of Rodia.

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. The majority of the population are based in agriculture as well as some other businesses.

Other

Katarrakti has a school, a church, and a square ("plateia"). Its nearest lyceum (middle school), a nearest school gymnasium (secondary school) are in Stavrodromi, its nearest hospital is in Patras.

ee also

*List of settlements in the Achaea prefecture

External links

* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=3525 Katarraktis GTP Travel Pages]
*Map and aerial photos:
**Street map information from: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=38.0975&longitude=21.7325&zoom=6 Mapquest] , [http://local.live.com/map.aspx?&lats1=38.0975&longs=21.7325&alts1=35 LiveLocal] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=38.0975,21.7325 Google] or [http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?lat=38.0975&lon=21.7326&mag=2 Yahoo! Maps]
**Satellite
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.0975,21.7325&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] or [http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=38.0975|21.7325&5style=h&lvl=15&v=1 Microsoft Virtual Earth] - image now available
*Coordinates: coord|38|5|43|N|21|49|59|E|type:city(221)_region:GR