Jump to content

Zacharo

Coordinates:37°29′N21°39′E/ 37.483°N 21.650°E/37.483; 21.650
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zacharo
Ζαχάρω
Municipality
Zacharo is located in Greece
Zacharo
Zacharo
Location within the region
Coordinates:37°29′N21°39′E/ 37.483°N 21.650°E/37.483; 21.650
CountryGreece
Administrative regionWest Greece
Regional unitElis
Government
• MayorKonstantinos Mitropoulos[1](since 2023)
Area
• Municipality276.2 km2(106.6 sq mi)
• Municipal unit187.0 km2(72.2 sq mi)
Elevation
33 m (108 ft)
Highest elevation
1,345 m (4,413 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
(2021)[2]
• Municipality8,654
• Density31/km2(81/sq mi)
• Municipal unit
7,404
• Municipal unit density40/km2(100/sq mi)
• Community
3,172
Time zoneUTC+2(EET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+3(EEST)
Postal code
270 54
Area code(s)26250
Vehicle registrationΗΑ
Websitewww.zacharo.gr

Zacharo(Greek:Ζαχάρω) is a town and municipality in westernPeloponnese,Greece.Administratively, it belongs to the regional unit ofElisinWest Greece.Zacharo is situated on the coast of theGulf of Kyparissia,a part of theIonian Sea.The mountainLapithasis to the north, and theMinthiis to the east. Northwest of the town, between mount Lapithas and the sea, is theKaiafas Lake.Zacharo is 18 km south ofOlympia,28 km southeast ofPyrgos,65 km northwest ofKalamataand 65 km west ofTripoli.The town is crossed by theGreek National Road 9/E55,that linksPatraswith Kalamata.

Municipality[edit]

The municipality Zacharo was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[3]

The municipality has an area of 276.222 km2,the municipal unit 187.047 km2.[4]

Subdivisions[edit]

The municipal unit of Zacharo is divided into the following communities:[3]

Zacharo town[edit]

Zacharo municipality map.
An old street of Zacharo.
The beach of Zacharo is one of the longest in Greece.

Zacharo has a school, a kindergarten, a lyceum, a gymnasium, churches, a post office, a police station, acourt,a health center, banks and a railway station. Athletic facilities include a football stadium, a basketball court and a community gym which is open to the public free of charge. The town is also the home of a football team,Olympiakos Zacharos,established in 1928. In the town center, there is a square withPlatanustrees. ThePatron saintof Zacharo isSaint Spyridon,and the central church of the city bears his name. The Saint'sfeast dayis on December 12 and it is a holiday for the town.

Population[edit]

Year Town Municipal unit Municipality
1981 2,812 - -
1991 4,318 11,041 -
2001 6,739 12,910 -
2011 3,145 7,582 8,953
2021 3,172 7,404 8,654

History[edit]

The history of Zacharo begins in the middle of the 19th century. At the time of theGreek War of Independence,the area of Zacharo was sparsely populated. However, in the decades that followed, populations from the villages of the surrounding mountains started to migrate to the area. The town allegedly took its name from aninn,that belonged to a woman named Zacharoula. In 1881 Zacharo was officially proclaimed a community. In late August 2007,forest firescaused over 40 deaths, as well as extensive property damage. Zacharo was one of the worst-hit areas in Greece.

Economy[edit]

The economy of Zacharo relies on tourism as well as on agriculture. The pleasantMediterranean climate,longZacharo beach,theKaiafas Lake,theThermal Springs of Kaiafasand the adjacentLapithasmountain draw many tourists, especially in summer. The agricultural sector is also a major source of income for the local economy. It is based on the cultivation ofolive trees,for the production ofolive oil.The variety of olive tree which prevails in the area is theKoroneiki,which is one of the most distinguished in Greece. The olive oil produced is of extra-virgin quality and is mostly exported to the international market. The Zacharo tomato is famed for its sweetness. When ripe, it is loaded with sugars (mainlyfructoseandinulin) to the extent that the sugar crystals are visible to the naked eye. Cultivation of the Zacharo tomato is all but extinct, as the cultivar does not grow well ingreenhouses,has a short season, and its extreme fleshiness makes the fruit heavy and liable to squeezing and decay when packed.

People[edit]

Gallery[edit]

  • View of Zacharo from Lapithas mountain.
    View of Zacharo fromLapithasmountain.
  • A monument.
    A monument.
  • Zacharo's beach.
    Zacharo's beach.
  • View of the old town.
    View of the old town.
  • Zacharo's school.
    Zacharo's school.
  • Kaiafas lake.
    Kaiafas lake.
  • View of the Orthodox church of the city.
    View of the Orthodox church of the city.
  • St.Paraskevi's chapel.
    St.Paraskevi's chapel.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Municipality of Zacharo, Municipal elections – October 2023,Ministry of Interior
  2. ^"Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό"[Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
  3. ^ab"ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities"(in Greek).Government Gazette.
  4. ^"Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)"(PDF)(in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zacharo&oldid=1222877474"