Sifnos

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géo histoire de nos jours

Situation Géographique.

L'ile de Sifnos mesure 15 kilométres de long sur 7 km dans sa plus grande largeur. Sifnos est située dans la mer Egée et s'étend entre 36.54° et 37 ° de latitude Nord et entre 24.39° et 24.46° de longitude Est. Elle est entourée des iles de Sérifos, Paros et Kimolos / Milo.

Sifnos, the fourth largest island of the Western Cyclades, is 74 sq km in area. It is triangularly shaped and lies between Serifos, Kimolos and Antiparos. It is 76 nautical miles from Piraeus. It is a rather low island with small valleys and even fewer plains. Its highest peak is Profitis Ilias (681 metres) at its centre. Other peaks are Platia Rahi (650 metres), Agios Simeon (476 metres) and Agios Andreas (425 metres). The island's subsoil consists mainly of transformed rocks, marble and slate. They were formed by other rock structures which sank into the earth, melted, solidified, and then rose up again. The island's geological structure has deprived it of lush vegetation and running water, but it has given it an enormous mineral wealth of gold, silver, iron, manganese, and zinc deposits. The climate of Sifnos is mediterranean with sunshine all the year round. Its northern, periodic winds blow almost daily from the middle of July to the middle of August, cooling the island. They are the well known Cycladic etesians.

Histoire

According to mythology, Sifnos took its name from Sifnos, son of the Attican hero Sounios. Carians, Phoenicians, and Asians are believed to have first settled the island. However, due to the lack of proof on the subject, the prevailing theory is that the island was first inhabited by the Aegeans, who belonged to the Mediterranean race and the Cretans who joined them. During the Peloponnesian Wars, the island took the part of the Athenians and, after its end, joined the Athenian League. Later, it passed to the Macedonians, Ptolemies, and Romans. The latter used it as an exile. Pirate raids ravaged the island during Byzantine times when it was subject to the Theme of the Aegean. In 1207, it was captured by the Turks, who kept it until the early 19th century, with an interval of four years of Russian occupation. During the Greek War of Independence of 1821, Sifnians took an active part and were liberated in 1830, together with the rest of the Cycladians. The island's history continued its bloody course up until the Balkan wars and the two world wars.

Sifnos de nos jours

Although the island's agricultural production is not great, olive groves, vineyards, circus trees, garden produce, wheat and barley are cultivated and fine thyme honey is produced. The 2,000 inhabitants of Sifnos are employed in agriculture, stock-breeding, fishing and, to a lesser degree, mining, since the once rich mines today are out of use. Sifnians have not been corrupted by tourism, which has grown considerably in recent years. They are hospitable, honest and quiet people who are always eager to satisfy the needs of visitors.

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