PELOPONNISOS - Geography and history
The Peloponnese is the southernmost peninsula both in Greece and in Europe. The narrow isthmus, some 6 km wide, that linked it to mainland Greece was cut through by a man-made canal in 1893, turning the Peloponnese into an island washed to the north by the Gulf of Corinth, to the west by the Ionian Sea and to the east by the Aegean.
As a result of the new administrative demarcation, the Peloponnese consists of the nomi of Argolida Arkadia, Korinthia, Lakonia and Messinia. Two of the Peloponnese's nomi, Ilia and Achaia, have been incorporated into the region of Western Greece.
The regional capital is Tripolis and the other urban centres are Korinthos (Corinth), Argos, Navplion, Sparti and Kalamata. The Peloponnese is a mountainous region, with two-thirds of its total area covered by great mountain ranges that run from north to south as a continuation of the Pindos. The region's lowlands are in the coastal areas, the most extensive plains being those of Argolida, Korinthia, Messinia and Lakonia. Seismic activity is a characteristic feature of the region. The areas that are most prone to earthquakes are the coasts around the Isthmus of Corinth and the Messinia area.
Mild climate and fertile soil
The region has a strong agricultural emphasis and is the country's leading producer of oranges, olive oil and mushrooms. However, with the exception of intensive crops such as apricots, productivity is low owing to problems of irrigation, fragmentation of agricultural land, transport facilities and the poor social conditions of the rural population.
The region has rich deposits of lignite and one of the largest power stations in the country. However, the quality of life suffers as a result of environmental pollution from lignite extraction and the operation of power stations.
The industrial and agricultural north
The northern part of the region in particular - Korinthia, Argolida - ranks as one of the leading agricultural regions in the country due to the high productivity of the land under cultivation and the development of intensive crops.
The secondary sector is also well developed in the north, with a heavy concentration of industry along the Isthmia-Korinthos-Examilia and Argos-Navplion axes. As a result, these areas ? unlike those in the south of the region ? have no particular problem with depopulation.
Coastal summer resorts have also been developed, particularly in the nomos of Korinthia, and there is considerable tourist activity in the nomos of Argolida (ancient Mycenae and Epidavros).
The interior contains the region's largest nomos, Arkadia, which is mainly mountainous. The large amount of semi-mountainous terrain suitable for grazing has allowed stock rearing to develop. Arkadia also contains the Megalopoli area, which is rich in lignite deposits and has one of the largest power stations in the country.
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