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Ampelakia

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Ampelakia (Greek: Αμπελάκια, meaning vineyards), also Ambelakia or Abelakia is the capital city of the second municipality of Salamis Island, Greece, and is located in northern Piraeus Prefecture in Central Greece. It lies on the central east coast of the island and has a land area of 15.169 km², comprising about one-sixth of the island's area (with the balance belonging to the Municipality of Salamina). It has a population of 7,060 inhabitants (2001 census). Its largest town is also named Ampelakia, and has a population of 4,537. The other significant town is Selínia (pop. 2,346). The only other settlements are Kynosoúra (pop. 137) and Spithári (40).

History

The city of Ampelakia has a long history. It was at Ampelakia Bay where the famous Battle of Salamis occurred in 480 BC, during which the Greek ships defeated the Persian fleet of Xerxes. Moreover, there are many remnants of the ancient town of Salamina which was a significant economic power between 350 and 318 BC when the town minted coins bearing the shield of the legendary hero Ajax. There are also churches which date back to the 16th century, for example the churches of St. John and St. Peter. Today Ambelakia is a nice city for a walk. The majority of the citizens are sailors. However, excavations are taking place at the ancient port, which is full of shipwrecks of old ships from the last 20 years. There are also a couple of large ship repair yards at Ambelakia. There is an effort by the Greek government to clean up the port and continue the excavations but the shipyard owners are against it because they would have to move. The biggest supermarket in the area is Kanakis.

Geography

Much of the area is made up of rocky landscapes with a few bushes, while some farmlands lie within the sea. The rest of the area is made up of residential areas. The panorama of the small portion of the Attica peninsula including the Piraeus part of Athens and the southern half of the peninsula can be seen during clear days.

Historical population

Year Town population Change (town) Municipal population Density
1981 4,180 - 5,187 341.9/km²
1991 4,174 -6/-0.14% 6,760 445.6/km²
2001 4,537 +363/+8.70% 7,060 465.4/km²

Towns

See also

Nearest areas

  • Selinia , south
  • Paloukia , northeast
  • Salamis , west

References

External links



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Last updated on Tuesday March 04, 2008 at 19:06:21 PST (GMT -0800)
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