Akrata

Infobox Greek Dimos
name = Akrata
name_local = Ακράτα


periph = West Greece
prefec = Achaea
province =
population = 7056
population_ref = [http://www.statistics.gr/gr_tables/S1101_SAP_1_TB_DC_01_03_Y.pdf source]
population_as_of = 2001
pop_dens = 39
area = 180.17
elevation = 140
lat_deg = 38
lat_min = 10
lat_hem = N
lon_deg = 22
lon_min = 19
lon_hem = E
postal_code = 250 06
area_code = 26960
licence = ΑΧ
mayor =
website =


caption_skyline =
city_

city_

districts =
party =
since =
elevation_min =
elevation_max =

Akrata, ( _el. Ακράτα), also Akráta, is a town and a municipality in the northeastern part of the prefecture of Achaia in the Peloponnese, Greece. The location is in a valley with two mountaintops. The river named Krathi flows near the center of Akrata. The river empties east of Cape Akrata.

The urban area is on both mountains. Akrata Beach, where the hotels are located, is about 4 km northeast and Cape Akrata is also to the northeast. The nearby interchange for Gr-8A/E65 is in Aigeira 4 km southwest and the old highway is to the northeast with two entrances. It is linked by a road linking Kranidi and Galatas along with Poros. It is located 70 km southeast of Patras, southeast of Aigio, west-northwest of Corinth, north of Tripoli and northeast of Kalavryta.

The origin of the name is derived from the side of the Krathi. Next to the city is the rubble of the ancient city of Aigai and its ancient theatre.

The municipality was founded in 1879 but was dissolved in 1914. The municipality was refounded in 1986 along with Sylivainiotika, Porovitsa and Krathio. In 1998 under the Capodistrian Plan, the municipality was enlarged to include every village and town in the municipality.

Nearest places

*Krathio, but it belongs to the town of Akrata and is known as "Paralia Akrata" or Akrata Beach.

ubdivisions

*Fourni
*Palaiostafidia (Παλαιοσταφίδα) [2001 pop: 2]
*Pyrgos (Πύργος) [2001 pop: 8]

Municipal districts

*Agia Varvara
**Vounaki
*Akrata
*Ampelos
*Kalamia
**Kato Potamia
**Potamitikos Gialos
*Krathio
**Goumeika
*Messorougi
**Ano Messorougi
**Solos
*Paralia Platanou
*Peristera
**Agridi
**Chalkianika
*Platanos
**Ano Potamia
**Korinthiako Balkoni
**Tsivlos
*Porovitsa
**Paralia Porovitsa
*Sylivena or Sylivainiotika
*Valimi
*Voutsimos
*Zarouchla

Ancient city

*Nonakrida

Historical population

Historic mayors

*Angelos Deloukas, first mayor of the municipality

Geography

Much of the area is grassy and forests are found to the north. Farmlands dominate the northeast near the Krathio area, while the buildings are to the northeast near the boundary with Aigeira. The municipality is also famous for its beaches, which lie near the Gulf of Corinth, and overlooks the gulf.

The mountains lie to the south and are mainly grassy and bushy. The forests are within the Gulf of Corinth to the north.

Lake Tsivlos is by the road linking Akrata and Zarouchla. In Peristera, it has the spring of Golfos which was filmed in "Gkolfo".

History

In the mid-20th century, the roads were paved and the villages first received electricity.

Until the 1970s it was mostly a destination for the local population that had moved to Athens or Patra. Its took off as a tourist destination in the 1980s, especially for Greeks. Construction took off in the 1990s and the coast soon turned into a tightly built, concrete zone.

A wildfire that began in the midday hours of August 6, 2007 sparked a fire in the town's landfill, it extended to its beautiful pine, Greek Fir, and spruce trees and spread into the town and burnt a couple of houses. It spread into the forests northwest of town and northward enough to spread by the GR-8A/E65 northwest of its nearest interchange that caused traffic delays and slowdowns for several kilometres. Firefighters battled the blaze from its curvy roads and helicopters and planes sprayed to stop the fire. The fire lasted for several hours.

Media and books

*"Styx - Greek local and monthly newspaper

Other

Akrata has three schools, a lyceum, a gymnasium, churches, banks, a police station, a post office, a health center and a square ("plateia").

References

*"Idrysi kai Exelixi tis Akratas" ("Ίδρυση και Εξέλιξη της Ακράτας") Anastasios Mich. Georgantopoulou
*"I Akrata stin teleftaia 10etia tou 20ou aiona" ("Η Ακράτα στην τελευταία 10ετία του 20ου αιώνα" = "Akrata In The Last Ten Decades Of The Twentieth Century") Anast. Mich. Georgantopoulou
*"Istoria Kai Laografika tis Anatolikis Periochis Aigialeias kai Kalavryton" ("Ιστορικά και Λαογραφικά της Ανατολικής Περιοχής Αιγιάλειας και Καλαβρύτων" = "Historic And Demographics Of The Eastern Area of Aigialeia And Kalavryta") Athanasios Th. Fotopoulos

External links

*el icon [http://www.akrata.gr Official website]
*el icon [http://kpe-akrat.ach.sch.gr/ Environmental Education Center of Akrata]
*el icon [http://1dim-akrat.ach.sch.gr/ Akrata 1st Public School]
*el icon [http://bekiris.gr/dimos_akratas.htm Data about the municipality and a map of Akrata]
*el icon [http://3dim-akrat.ach.sch.gr/newpage1.htm The City of Akrata]