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 Location |
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Ikaria is one of the biggest islands of the Eastern Aegean. It is 10 nautical miles South West of Samos.
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 Population |
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It has an approximated population of 7000 inhabitants.
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 History |
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Ikaria is amongst one of the many islands with a great Historical background. During the Second World War and the German and Italian occupation, Ikaria suffered a great loss in property as well as a loss of lives due to starvation. The living standards of Ikaria, however, improved tremendously after 1960, when the Greek government began investing in the infrastructures of the islands assisting in the promotion of tourism.
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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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The main saints worshipped on this island are; St. Anargion, St. Marina, St. Paraskevi, St. Pantelomon. St. Fanourios, St. John, St. Sophia and St. Matrona.
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 Prayer |
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-that the island may re-cultivate its lands that had been destroyed in the fires of 1973
-that the people's eyes will be opened to the truth and love of the Lord Jesus
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 Miscellaneous |
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The island is mostly mountainous, and most of its villages are nestled in the plains near the coast, with only a minority of them on the mountains.
Ikaria has many vineyards, which are cultivated by the locals, and it has a tradition in the production of strong red wine.
Due to the fires of 1973, the island's main lungs were destroyed. Reforestation is still in process today as thousands of acres of land were burnt to the ground
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 Celebrations |
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Main celebrations include; Ikarian Independence Day on July 17th, the Ascension on August 15th, and the birth of Mary on September 8th.
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 Resources |
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www.greektravel.com
www.in2greece.com
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