Laconia


 * For the Laconian dialect, see Doric Greek
 * For the Ancient Kingdom, see Sparta
 * Lakonia redirects here. For the vessel, see TSMS Lakonia.

Laconia ('), also known as Lacedaemonia''', is a prefecture in Greece. Laconia has the legal status of a prefecture, with Sparti (Sparta) its administrative capital. Its main towns and cities are Amyclae, Areopolis, Gytheion, Molaoi, Monemvasia, Mystras, Neapoli and Sellasia. It encompasses Cape Malea and Cape Tainaron and a large part of the Mani Peninsula.

Geography
It is bounded by the Taygetus mountains to the west with Messenia, Arcadia to the north and with the Parnon mountains to the northeast, the Myrtoan Sea to the east and the Gulf of Laconia and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The islands of Cythera and Antikythera lie to the south, but they administratively belong to the prefecture of Piraeus.

The Evrotas is the longest river in the prefecture. The valley of the Evrotas is predominantly an agricultural region that contains many citrus groves, olive groves and pasture lands and most of all, oranges. It is the location of the largest orange production in the Peloponnese and probably all of Greece. The brand of orange juice named after this prefecture Lakonia is based in Amyclae and sells fresh orange juice entirely from this region.

Taygetus (2,407 m), known as Pentadaktylos (five-fingers) throughout the Middle Ages, is west of Sparta and the Evrotas valley. It is the highest mountain in Laconia and the Peloponnese, and mostly covered with pine trees. Two roads connect the adjoining prefectures of Messinia and Laconia: one is a tortuous mountain pass through Taygetus and the other bypasses the mountain via the Mani district to the south. The other major mountain is Parnon (1,961 m) to the east.

A stalactite cave in the southwest of the prefecture is located south of Areopolis. This famous cave is called Dirou and is a major tourist attraction.

The word "laconic" is derived from the name of the region by analogy - to speak in a concise way, as the Spartans were reputed by the Athenians to do.

Climate
The area has hot summers and mild winters in most of the prefecture while in the mountains, especially Taygetus, snow is very common throughout the winter.

Provinces
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.
 * Province of Epidavros Limira - Molai
 * Province of Gytheio - Gytheio
 * Province of Lacedaemonia - Sparti
 * Province of Oitylo - Areopoli

Population

 * 1907: 87,106
 * 1991: 95,696 (+8,590 or +9.862% from 1907)
 * 2001: 94,918 (-778 or -0.81%)

History
In ancient Greece this was the principal region of the Spartan state. Throughout classical antiquity the Spartan sphere of influence expanded to Messenia, whose inhabitants (the helots) were permanently enslaved. Significant archaeological recovery exists at the Vaphio tomb site in Laconia. Advanced Bronze Age art is found here, and evidence of cultural associations with the co-temperaneous Minoan culture on Crete. Laconia was at war with the Kingdom of Macedonia and saw several battles; at the end of the Mycenean period population of Laconia declined sharply. From the early-2nd century BC until 395 it became a part of the Roman Empire. In the medieval period it formed part of the Byzantine Empire, and following the Crusades it was the home of the Byzantine Despotate of Morea, held by the penultimate Greek ruling dynasty, the Palaiologoi. Laconia fell into the hands of the Ottomans but the Mani peninsula was mainly autonomous. Laconia was finally liberated after the Greek War of Independence of 1821, and  after  victory in  battle, Sparta was selected capital of the modern prefecture; its economy and agriculture expanded. The country and the prefecture extended beyond the Laconia of ancient times, to Elafonissos in 1864,  separating it  from the British Empire and dissolving United States of the Ionian Islands. The island never had full Turkish rule; it was part of the Venetian Empire from the 15th century until the Napoleonic Wars. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, its population began to decline somewhat, as people moved from the villages toward the larger cities of Greece and abroad.

Modern times
In 1992, a devastating fire ruined the finest olive crops in the northern part of the prefecture, and affected the area of Sellasia along with Oinountas and its surrounding areas. Firefighters, helicopters and planes battled for days to put out the horrific fire.

The Mani portion along with Gytheio became famous in Greece for filming episodes of Vendetta, broadcast on Mega Channel throughout Greece and abroad on Mega Cosmos.

Flooding ruined olive and citrus crops along the Evrotas river, as well as properties and villages there in early 2006. In the summer of 2006, a terrible fire devastated a part of the Mani Peninsula, ruining tens of its villages and crops, along with its forests. In recent memory, the fire lasted for several days, turning stone-built houses into a rubble-like area, and occurred again a year later,  devastating some properties but was smaller than last year's fire. Another one in the last days of July 2007, in the vicinity of Skourta, once more, in the same peninsula, ruined some groves and forest; it was a minor fire and lasted for a day only.

Transport

 * Greece Interstate 37, N, Cen., S
 * Greece Interstate 82, W
 * Greece Interstate 86, S, E, SE, Gytheio - Monemvasia
 * Molaoi to Leonidi Road, E, NE

Radio

 * FLY FM 89,7 (Sparta). This is a popular radio station of Lakonia. Its website is www.flyradio.gr
 * Lakonia FM - 91.1 FM (Sparta)
 * Politeia FM - 90.7 FM & 91.5 FM
 * Radio Sparti - 92.7 FM (Sparta)
 * Radiofonias Notias Lakonias (Southern Laconia Radio) - 93.5 (Gytheio)
 * Star FM - 94.7

Television

 * Ellada TV - UHF 43, Sparta
 * TV Notias Lakonias - Molaoi

Newspapers

 * Λακωνικός Τύπος
 * Ελεύθερη Άποψη
 * Νέα Σπάρτη
 * Παρατηρητής της Λακωνίας