 Location |
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Alonissos is long and thin and surrounded by scattered islets. These islets and the area around them are the Marine Park which is the last refuge of the Mediterranean seal Monachus-monachus. The ruins of an ancient city can be found on Psathoura and a cave decorated with multi-hued stalactites and stalagmites is the famous cave of the Cyclops
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 Population |
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Approximately 3000 inhabitants.
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 History |
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A disastrous earthquake left the island in ruins in 1965. This event prompted the Junta then ruling Greece to dictate that the remaining islanders live in the rebuilt port. But now the Chora at the top of the island is seeing it’s houses renovated, thanks to a large number of people wanting holiday homes.
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 Religion |
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This topic is not island-specific. It applies to the nation of Greece.
Orthodox Christianity is the recognized dominant religion of Greece and it is legally protected by the state. This has caused legal discrimination against non-Orthodox Churches, and although the constitution of 1975 removed the power of most of the old laws against Protestants, problems still exist today. There is a lot of fear towards anything outside of the Orthodox Church, especially on the islands. However, repeated rulings of the European Court of Justice in favour of religious minorities in cases of discrimination have led to a relative increase of the freedoms that these religious minorities now enjoy.
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 Saints |
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Most of the saints are honored on this island and the Orthodox Church is highly respected.
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 Prayer |
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That the outreach will enable the gospel of salvation to be shared
-That the people on the island will realize their need for God and their eyes will be opened to the truth and love of God through reading the Bible for themselves.
-That God will work in the lives of all the God-fearing religious people already living on this island, and bring healing & refreshment to their lives.
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 Miscellaneous |
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Alonissos once had a wine industry, but in 1950 the vines were struck with the disease phylloxera and robbed the islanders of their livelihood.
The water around Alonissos has been declared a marine park, and is the cleanest water in the Aegean.
The Monk seal can be found swimming near this island.
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 Celebrations |
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The celebrations on the islands usually revolve around the Saints, and there is a big celebration at Easter in the Orthodox Church.
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 Resources |
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www.greektravel.com
www.in2greece.com
http://www.dilos.com/location/812
http://www.alonisos.gr/
www.harrys-60-greek-islands-guide.com
www.worldtravelgate.org
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