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Selected Islands : Corfu | Zakynthos Welcome to the Ionian Islands. This group of islands is made up of Corfu, Paxi, Kefallonia, Zakynthos, Ithaki, Lefkada and Kythiria. The only island group to lie to the west of Mainland Greece, it reflects a more Italian and Mediterranean heritage than do the others. With relatively high rainfall the islands are green and lush with plantlife and trees ranging from tropical to northern European on the mountain slopes. Although tombs dating back to Mycenean times have been found, and Homer indicated that the islands were importatnt at that time, no significant ruins have been unearthed. One reason for this might be that they lie buried beneath the surface as a result of the constant earthquake activity suffered in the islands. In the 8th century BC the islands were ruled by Corinth, which used them as staging posts to Sicily and Italy. In the 7th century Corfu rebelled against Corinth and its ally, Sparta, and alligned itself with Athens. This action triggered the Peloponnesian Wars ..........30 years in which Sparta and her allies fought against Athens and hers. The end of the conflict saw Corfu dimished in both importance and prosperity and for the next 2 millennia the island suffered much the same history of invasion and rule that Greece did. Corfu was never part of the Ottoman Empire and, after the fall of Constantinople,the island group came under Venetian rule until Napoleon took Venice in 1797 and the Ionian Islands were ceded to France in 1799. Only months later they were taken from France by Russian forces but, by 1807, Napoleon had grabbed them back again. After Naoleon's defeat in 1815 the island group came under the dominion of Great Britain and became a Protectorate with a Lord High Commissioner. Under British rule came some development, with the construction of roads, bridges, schools, hospitals etc. Industry and agriculture were developed and trade links put in place. 50 years later the islands had their wish and were re-united with Greece. |