Grekas

Graika or Greka, also ending with -s (Greek: Γραίκας) is a small village in the municipality of Skillounta, Ilia Prefecture, Greece. Its 2001 population was 406 for the village.

Nearest places

*Grylos, west

Population

Location and transportation

Graika is located south of Patras, west-southwest of the capital city of Athens, south-southeast of Pyrgos, southeast of Krestena, north of Zacharo, northwest of Kalamata and north of Kyparissia. The GR-76 (Megalopoli - Andritsaina - Krestena) is around 3 to 4 km to the north and the GR-9 (E55, Patras - Pyrgos - Kyparissia) is 2 to 3 km to the northwest.

The village has about 4 to 5 km of paved road and about 6 km of gravel road. It has about 6 to 8 km of hydro lines, all of them have been repaired from the tremendous fire, phone lines ad to 4 to 5 km.

Geography

Its geography consists of forests that dominate the area with a few bushes and grasslands around the area, much of the area are mountainous, farmlands dominate the area.

History

Graika twas ruled by the Ottoman Turks, it became a part of Greece after the Greek War of Independence. It adopted its current name in the early 20th century. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, its buildings were rebuilt. Vrina became connected with asphalt in the 1960s. More pavement was accessed in the late 20th century. Electricity, radio and automobiles were introduced in the mid-20th century, television in the late-20th century and computer and internet at the turn of the millennium.

Graika was devastated and hampered by a tremendous fire that happened in the afternoon and evening hours on Saturday August 25, 2007, it dramatically spread quickly and burnt about 10 km² of land in hours. The fire reached the olive groves and some forests in the early evening hours, then into the farmlands during the evening newscasts, it hit the national highway an hour and two later and hours later, the village. Electricity and phone lines were disrupted and then cut off, the rest occurred in Graika. Firefighters, choppers and planes battled the blaze well into several days, several were on rural roads. The weather reported high winds and dry weather conditions which made the flames difficult to stop and ease. Some homes were burnt, most of them were safe, forests will be replanted and recently, vegetable farming has been restored.

Economy

Its main economy is agriculture, its main production includes olives, cattle, fruits, vegetables and other crops, the village has about 100 to 200 farms in the area.

Other

Graika has a school for the entire municipal district (the former community), a church, a post office, and a square ("plateia"). Its nearest gymnasium (middle school), lyceum (secondary school) are in Makrissi?.

ee also

*List of places in the Ilia prefecture

References

External links

* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=4659 Graika at the GTP Travel Pages]