The Prefecture of Ilia is located in Western Peloponnese and is one
of the 51 prefectures of Greece, while since 2011 it has been the
Regional Unit of Ilia, one of the 74 regional units of the country
and administratively under the Region of Western Greece.
It
is geographically located in the Peloponnese, and according to the
2011 national census it has a population of 149,350 inhabitants. The
capital of the prefecture is Pyrgos (settlement: 24,359 inhabitants,
municipal community: 25,180 inhabitants, municipal unit (former
municipality): 35,572 inhabitants).
The prefecture has an
area of 2,619 sq km and is located in the northwest of the
Peloponnese. The former administrative division of the prefecture
consisted of the provinces of Ilia and Olympia.
Historically,
the prefecture of Elis includes the territory of the ancient
city-states of Pissa, Triphylia, Akroria and Elis. The territory of
the prefecture is flat and 80% semi-mountainous, with a few
mountains in the east and south, such as Foloi, which is an
extension of Erymanthos, part of whose main volume extends within
the prefecture, Mount Lapithas and Minthi.
The main rivers
are the Alpheus and the Pineus, which have created lagoons and
important wetlands on the coastlines, such as Strofilia and Kaiafas.
Elis is divided into the seven municipal districts of Andravida-Kyllini, Andritsena-Krestena, Ilida, Olympia, Pineos, Pyrgos and Zacharo
Andritsena
Kyllini is a popular area because of its sandy beaches
Olympia
Pyrgos
Zacharo has been known since ancient times for its thermal springs
By boat: cruise ships regularly dock at the port of Katakolo (municipality of Pyrgos), from here trips to Olympia start
Elis extends in the northwest of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its
profile is predominantly flat and consists of the alluvial land of the
Pinios and Alfios rivers, which drain into the Ionian Sea, where the
island of Zakynthos rises from the sea around 20 kilometers west of the
mouth of the Pinios. The coastal plain continues north behind Cape
Araxos in the prefecture of Achaia and forms the most extensive plain in
the Peloponnese. To the east, the terrain rises to the central
Peloponnese mountains, the highest elevation is in the Erymanthos massif
at just over 2000 m, to the southwest of which rise the Lambia and Foloi
mountains. On the southern border with Messinia, the Minthi massif
reaches a height of 1345 m. The Elis region is at high risk of
earthquakes and has numerous hot springs, which are also used
therapeutically.
The coast of Elis is not very indented, with
only the rocky Cape Kyllini and Cape Katakolo jutting out into the sea.
South of Cape Katakolo, one of the longest sandy beaches in Greece
stretches along the bay of Kyparissia, which is around 70 km long.
The region's relative abundance of rain allows for extensive
agriculture in the coastal region, and the mountains are partly covered
by forests, which have repeatedly fallen victim to forest fires, most
recently in 2007 in the municipality of Zacharo.
The population of Ilia had a very large increase between 1856 and 1940. It then stabilized until 1961 and decreased significantly until 1991. The population increased in the next two censuses but has decreased in the last two decades. The largest population was recorded in 1961 (188,861) and the smallest in 1856 (62,247). The largest population increase was recorded in 1879 (23.5%) and the smallest in 1961 (0.3%). The largest population decrease was recorded in 2011 (13.2%) and the smallest in 1981 (2.9%).