Andravida
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| Andravida Ανδραβίδα |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
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| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Time zone: | EET/EEST (UTC+2/3) |
| Elevation (center): | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Government | |
| Country: | Greece |
| Periphery: | West Greece |
| Prefecture: | Elis |
| Population statistics (as of 2001[1]) | |
| City Proper | |
| - Population: | 4,309 |
| Codes | |
| Postal: | 270 51 |
| Area: | 26230 |
| Auto: | ΗΑ |
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Andravída (Ανδραβίδα) is a city in the Prefecture of Elis in Greece. It has a military base on the east side and a forest on the north side. It was the capital of the Principality of Achaea from 1295 until 1460; after this it was conquered and ruled by the Ottoman Empire until Greek independence. It had a court[clarify] which is no longer used, and a Frankish-built church, Aghia Sophia, in the heart of town. A plain extends to the south of the city. Its population is about 3,000. Its main street is named Aghíou Konstantínou (Αγίου Κωνσταντίνου). The area code is 11 then, 031 then, 26230 with 5 digits. Distance from Patras is around 65 to 66 km SW and 35 km NW of Pyrgos.
The population growth has been steadily growing. The population grew between 1% and 2% in the 20th century, and today is growing at the 1% mark. Houses are still being built in town.
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[edit] Geography and features
The location is around ; the elevation is 5 m in town, 4 m to 6 m in other areas.
A market (λαϊκή laiki) brings in shoppers every Saturday for mostly unbeatable prices on grocery, textiles, games, clothing, and so much more. The location is in Andravida's west side.
Near the road that connects the National Highway (Road) 9, also E55, a tomato factory "Asteris" produces a lot of tomato sauce, sold throughout Greece. Tractors filled with tomatoes are being carried into the factory to produce fine tomato sauce. Annual cost of production over the years were about 15,000,000 drachmas ($250,000) in the 1980s and about 150,000,000 drachmas ($500,000) in the present per year.
A town square with trees is in the northern part of town. There is a building east of the heart of the square. It has a nearby park filled with swings, slides, and a sandbox in its public area. Restaurants are available, and also in Strousi, and smaller ones at Tragano. Kiosks are scattered on sidewalks of two main streets.
Tall thin forests lie next to the train tracks. Its length of forest is about 1 km.
Half of the land is forested, especially on hills east of Tragano. There is pine forest in the north and mixed forest in the east and onto Stafidokambos.
There are no coastlines in the municipality. Its closest beach is Aghios Panteleimonas NW of Lechaina 7 km S. There are no campsites, motels, or hotels.
A boulevard named Iroon Polytechneiou or Eroon Polytechneiou was repaired with amazing technological lights that run almost on the entire strecth of boulevard, Andravida's west side main artery. Another street links with Tragano, Olga, Peneus Dam, Borsi and the main highway that connects traffic for Patras and Pyrgos. Next to that boulevard, is another square next to the Hagia Sophia Frankish church. Repairs were being done in (late-1990s). The cost of the renovation project is in the $500,000 to $1,000,000 range (125,000,000 to 250,000,000 drachmas).
The northernmost part of the community features a gas station, marble stores, and window store located 200m from the old federal road bordering Lechaina, near the railway crossings.
There are about two (2) electric railway crossings with about five (5) other non-electric railway crossings on that track.
Laiké / Laikí is the third largest town north of Pyrgos. Its total lengh is nearly 400 to 450 m. They sell fruits and vegetables to the south, merchandise to the north, and clothing and mixed items in the middle. Its length almost takes up the entire section, almost blocking access from west Andravída and Stroúsi, and east Anrdávida. The market starts west of town's main street, passing into the town square, and up into the school and residential property of northwest Andravída.
Andravida's west side contains a lot of trees west of the town, dominating the land west of the train tracks. The forest extends west to Strousi near a valley where there is a creek forming a boundary between Andravida, Vartholomio, and Kastro-Kyllínis. The forest size has been around the same, due to housing. The size is around 1 to 2 km². There are other types of willow and other kinds of trees, and sticks found near a dirt road NE of Andravida and W of GR-9. Trees also dominate as far north as the Kyllini Junction. Total size of this ranges at 1 km².
NW of town is Andravidaíko, a flat plain that is home to 10% of agricultural production. 70% is deforested, used for farming, bushes, grasses, and rivers, and irrigation canals. The remainder is forested. The total length of roads over there is 6 km. The plain starts only 500 m N and NW of Andravida, and the Old Anrdavida-Kyllini Road.
[edit] Population
| Year | Communal population | Change | Municipal population | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 3,460 | - | - | - |
| 1991 | 3,167 | -293/8.47-% | 3,915 | - |
| 2001 | 3,579 | +412/+13.01% | 4,309 | 394/10.06% |
83.06% of the municipal population live in Andravida.
[edit] Agriculture
Tomatoes, potatoes, pasture, watermelon, corn, melon and some other types of fruits and veggies dominate the municipality. Citrus and olives dominate the hills east of Tragano, and some near Staphidólkambos.
Agriculture remained the leading source of business until urban employment took over the agriculture industry. Now more than 80% or almost 100% of its inhabitants work in urban industry. Now there may be 20% only working in agriculture throughout the Municipality of Andravida.
[edit] Transportation
There are about 10 km of federally operated highways. 4 is the old national road, and 6 is the new national road (runs into the intersection of Andravida-Tragano Road). 25 to 30 kilometres of local, residential, and rural roads are calculated throughout Andravida, and environs.
The speed limit is 30 km/h on most roads, and 40 km/h on other half. This does not include national or state-operated roads.
The first train tracks opened in the 1860s along with a train station. The track is about 3 km long, with tens of kilometres of telephone poles scattered throughout the municipality.
[edit] History
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (October 2007) |
On Wednesday August 10, 2005, hundreds or thousands of farmers rallied near the Asteris tomato factories with tractors lining up on the New Kyllini - Andravida Road, as far west as near the junction with Dimokratias Street between the centres of Strousi and Myrsini. Farmers were protesting cheaper tomato prices and tomatoes coming from China which were cheaper. The protests were in the afternoon hours and continued throughout the day.
[edit] Municipality of Andravída
Andravida is also a municipality that has a population of nearly 4,500 people. About 80% live in Andravida, 10% in Strousi, and the remainder live elsewhere. Much of the municipality is flat and rarely forested with willows and pine trees. The municipality has about 1,000 buildings. The towns in the municipality are:
On this chart, the seat of the municipality is listed first. The other towns are listed last.
| Village or Town | Population | Elevation | Lat. and Long. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andravída (Ανδραβίδα) | 3,579 | 5 m. (17 ft.) | 37.85 or 37' 45' N and 21.2 or 21' 12' E |
| Agios Georgios (Vrachneika) | around 100 | 15 m (50 ft) | 37.9 or 37' 47 N and 21.2 or 21' 12 E |
| Strousi (Στρούσι) | 365 | 4 to 5 m. (13 to 17 ft.) | 37.87 or 37' 46 N and W of 21. 2 or 21' 12' E |
[edit] Andravida military airport and base
A military airport to the east which is 2.5 km by road from the city center. Construction began in the 1950s to expand the Greek military and military aviation services throughout the state. The cost of building the airport and some facilities was about $1,000,000 (10,000,000 drachmas) to $5,000,000. The lengh of the runway is 2 km and the size is exactly 1². It is the longest airport in Ilia. The airport is bordered and almost surrounded with 80% or 4 km of green leafy and pined trees, except at runway points. The setting is located in a forested area. There is more forest lying east of the military airport. Cultivated plains lie to the west. Military exercises have occurred since its opening.
[edit] External links
| North: Lechaina | ||
| West: Kastro-Kyllinis |
Andravida | East: Tragano |
| South: Gastouni |
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