What remains today of Santorini is a large cresent-shaped island enclosing a vast bay, the largest caldera on earth (7X14 miles). Imagine in the center a hill, surrounded by a ring of water; the ring of water surrounded by a circle of land, then another ring of water and one of land, until there were nine rings of water and nine of land. (1980). Some scholars believe that the island is part of the legendary lost continent of Atlantis which supposedly slipped underwater during the disaster.What remains today of Santorini is a large cresent-shaped island enclosing a vast bay, the largest caldera on earth (7X14 miles). Volcanism on Santorini is due to the Hellenic Trench subduction zone southwest of Crete. [28] These dates, however, conflict with radiocarbon dating which indicates that the eruption occurred at about 1645–1600 BC. The expansion of tourism has resulted in the growth of the economy and population. It has been filled several times by ignimbrite since then, and the process repeated itself, most recently 21,000 years ago. Santorini retained its privileged position in the 17th century, but suffered in turn from Venetian raids during the frequent Ottoman–Venetian wars of the period, even though there were no Muslims on the island. vs. Golden Guardians. Data tables, maps, charts, and live population clock. Santorini's primary industry is tourism. An alternate view takes qe-ra-si-ja and qe-ra-si-jo as proof of androgyny, and applies this name by similar arguments to the legendary seer, Tiresias, but these views are not mutually exclusive. The volcanic arc is approximately 500 km (310 mi) long and 20 to 40 km (12 to 25 mi) wide. Pipes with running water and water closets found at Akrotiri are the oldest such utilities discovered. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100. [22][non-primary source needed]. [37] After the Fourth Crusade, it was occupied by the Duchy of Naxos which held it up to ca. [16][17] In a 2013 book on this connection, Thera and the Exodus, a dissident from the consensus Riaan Booysen, tries to support Jacobovici's theory and claims the pharaoh of the Exodus to be Amenhotep III and the biblical Moses as Crown Prince Thutmose, Amenhotep's first-born son and heir to his throne. Its streets, squares, and walls were preserved in the layers of ejecta, sometimes as tall as eight metres, indicating this was a major town. The island became part of the fledgling Greek state, rebelled against Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias in 1831, and became definitively part of the independent Kingdom of Greece in 1832, with the Treaty of Constantinople.[37]. In recent years a desalination plant has provided running, yet non-potable, water to most houses. These are premium storage space for produce, especially for wine cellaring: the Kánava wineries of Santorini. Santorini has no rivers, and water is scarce. The contrast between these two faces of Santorini is dramatic and extraordinary. In the 5th century BC, Dorian Thera did not join the Delian League with Athens; and during the Peloponnesian War, Thera sided with Dorian Sparta, against Athens. 2019. Bus services link Fira to most parts of the island. The population of Santorini numbers some 11,400 people yet every year 500,000 tourists visit the island. The violent eruption was centred on a small island just north of the existing island of Nea Kameni in the centre of the caldera; the caldera itself was formed several hundred thousand years ago by the collapse of the centre of a circular island, caused by the emptying of the magma chamber during an eruption. A 2006 documentary film by Simcha Jacobovici, The Exodus Decoded,[15] postulates that the eruption of the Santorini Island volcano (referred to as c. 1500 BC) caused all the biblical plagues described against Egypt. The population of 26 countries, nearly all in Africa, will at least double. The northern part of the caldera was refilled by the volcano, then collapsed once more during the Minoan eruption. This Bronze Age civilization thrived between 3000 and 2000 BC, reaching its peak in the period between 2000 and 1630 BC.[27]. This should only be attempted by the untiring while the traditional way up the zigzag path is by renting pack mules or donkeys. These non-volcanic rocks are exposed at Mikro Profititis Ilias, Mesa Vouno, the Gavrillos ridge, Pyrgos, Monolithos, and the inner side of the caldera wall between Cape Plaka and Athinios. [11] The inner coast around the caldera is a sheer precipice of more than 300 metres (980 ft) drop at its highest, and exhibits the various layers of solidified lava on top of each other, and the main towns perched on the crest. Population density is a key aspect of analyzing data on cities, and it plays an important part in issues such as transport, infrastructure and living standards for residents. The traditional architecture of Santorini is similar to that of the other Cyclades, with low-lying cubical houses, made of local stone and whitewashed or limewashed with various volcanic ashes used as colours. The yield per hectare is only 10 to 20% of the yields that are common in France or California. Five locals were later shot in reprisal, including the mayor. In their adaptation to their habitat, such vines are planted far apart, as their principal source of moisture is dew, and they often are trained in the shape of low-spiralling baskets, with the grapes hanging inside to protect them from the winds. 2020. [33] According to George Cedrenus, the volcano erupted again in the summer of 727, the tenth year of the reign of Leo III the Isaurian. [10] This allows the formation of large magma chambers, in which the magma can evolve to more silicic compositions. Some people prefer smaller, less crowded cities with open spaces, while others would rather have the hustle and bustle of big city life. The municipality of Santorini includes the inhabited islands of Santorini and Therasia, as well as the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi and Christiana. Santorini is not just an island that has developed as its island neighbors have. [citation needed]. Akrotiri is a major archaeological site, with ruins from the Minoan era. The town also had a highly developed drainage system and, judging from the fine artwork, its citizens were clearly sophisticated and relatively wealthy people. Santorini is one of the best known Greek landmarks. It boasts ruins from Minoans, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Venetians. When winter comes, everything goes to a standstill; the locals shut themselves up in their houses and catch up on lost sleep. Santorini boasts several nice beaches and two major archaeological sites. [37] It became part of the semi-autonomous domain of the Sultan's Jewish favourite, Joseph Nasi. Reports claim there were days when up to 18,000 visitors on cruise ships alone were seen disembarking at the island’s port, which is a high number considering that only about 15,000 people actually live on the island. [37] From the 15th century on, the suzerainty of the Republic of Venice over the island was recognized in a series of treaties by the Ottoman Empire, but this did not stop Ottoman raids, until it was captured by the Ottoman admiral Piyale Pasha in 1576, as part of a process of annexation of most remaining Latin possessions in the Aegean. The vines are extremely old and resistant to phylloxera (attributed by local winemakers to the well-drained volcanic soil and its chemistry), so the vines needed no replacement during the great phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century. Santorini is unlike any other island. The woman then told him that she was a daughter of Triton named Kalliste, and that when he threw the dirt into the sea it would grow into an island for his descendants to live on. Many of the houses in Akrotiri are major structures, some of them three stories high. The current population of Italy in 2020 is 60,461,826, a 0.15% decline from 2019.; The population of Italy in 2019 was 60,550,075, a 0.13% decline from 2018.; The population of Italy in 2018 was … Certainly not from any contemporary Egyptian sources, which were good record keepers, being one of the only known sources of what the Minoans who inhabited Santorini for thousands of years called themselves. The number of Italians moving abroad rose 1.9% year-on-year, in 2018, while new residents from abroad decreased by 3.2%. Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis.[5]. World Population Prospects: 2019 Revision. The possibility has been more recently popularized by television documentaries such as The History Channel programme Lost Worlds (episode "Atlantis"), the Discovery Channel's Solving History with Olly Steeds, and the BBC's Atlantis, The Evidence, which suggests that Thera is Plato's Atlantis. After carrying the dirt next to his heart for several days, Euphemus dreamt that he nursed the dirt with milk from his breast, and that the dirt turned into a beautiful woman with whom he had sex. [29] For those, and other, reasons, the date of the eruption is disputed. Take a virtual tour to Santorini while watching our 4K Documentary Film. The island remains the home of a small, but flourishing, wine industry, based on the indigenous grape variety, Assyrtiko, with auxiliary cultivations of two other Aegean varietals, Athiri and Aidani. Only the Mount Tambora volcanic eruption of 1815, the 181 AD eruption of Lake Taupo, and possibly Baekdu Mountain's 946 AD eruption have released more material into the atmosphere during the past 5,000 years. These inscriptions, found by Friedrich Hiller von Gaertringen, have been thought by some archaeologists to be of a ritual, celebratory nature, because of their large size, careful construction and – in some cases – execution by craftsmen other than the authors. Santorini is one of the few Cyclades Islands with a major airport, which lies about 6 km (4 mi) southeast of downtown Thera. The name Thera was revived in the nineteenth century as the official name of the island and its main city, but the colloquial name Santorini is still in popular use. In the southeast are the limestone masses of Mesa Vouno, with the highest summit being that of Prophitis Ilias (550 meters or 1,800 feet). It is the most active volcanic centre in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, though what remains today is chiefly a water-filled caldera. The 2.1% decrease in the correctional population . In de eilandengroep liggen de eilanden Thira, Thirasia, … White wines from the island are extremely dry with a strong, citrus scent and mineral and iodide salt aromas contributed by the ashy volcanic soil, whereas barrel aging gives to some of the white wines a slight frankincense aroma, much like Vinsanto. Following the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence on the Greek mainland in March 1821, in May Santorini followed suit, although the local Catholic population had its reservations. This terrifying explosion was interpreted as a divine omen against the worship of religious icons[35][36] and gave the Emperor Leo III the Isaurian the justification he needed to begin implementing his Iconoclasm policy. ", "Santorini's popularity soars but locals say it has hit saturation point", "The Bride, the Groom and the Greek Sunset: A Perfect Wedding Picture", "Greece's Handcrafted Beers Hit the Spot | GreekReporter.com", "Restoration, Reconstruction and Simulacra", "Greek island accused of abusing its star attraction: donkeys", URI.edu: Santorini Eruption much larger than previously thought, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Bang Bang: Santorini In Pop Culture, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Santorini&oldid=994969309, Populated places in Thira (regional unit), Articles with Greek-language sources (el), Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2018, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from September 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2012, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from June 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020, Articles containing Italian-language text, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, History Channel's "Lost Worlds: Atlantis" archeology series.