Cephallonia

Cephalonia Κεφαλονιά Kefaloniá
regional unit
View of Asos, Cephalonia
Cephalonia within the Ionian Islands
Coordinates: 38°15′N 20°30′E / 38.250°N 20.500°E / 38.250; 20.500Coordinates: 38°15′N 20°30′E / 38.250°N 20.500°E / 38.250; 20.500
Country	Greece
Region	Ionian Islands
Capital	Argostoli
Government
• Vice-Governor	Sotiris Kouris
• Mayor	Alexandros Parisis
Area
• Total	786.58 km2 (303.70 sq mi)
• Land	773 km2 (298 sq mi)
	Total area includes other islands which form part of the Cephalonia regional unit
Population (2011)
• Total	35,801
• Density	46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal codes	280 xx
Area codes	267x0
Car plates	ΚΕ
Website	www.kefallonia.gov.gr

Cephalonia or Kefalonia (Greek: Κεφαλονιά or Κεφαλλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (Κεφαλληνία), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It was also a former Latin Catholic diocese Kefalonia–Zakynthos (Cefalonia–Zante) and short-lived titular see as just Kefalonia.

The capital of Cephalonia is Argostoli.

The main island of the regional unit is Cephalonia and has a size of 773 km² (300 mi²), with a population density of 55 people per km² (140/mi²). The town of Argostoli has one-third of the island's inhabitants. Lixouri is the second major settlement, and the two towns together account for almost two-thirds of the prefecture's population.

The other major islands are: Petalas Island, Asteris Island, but they are uninhabited.

Cephalonia lies in the heart of an earthquake zone, and dozens of minor, unrecorded tremors occur each year. In 1953, a massive earthquake destroyed almost all of the settlements on the island, leaving only Fiskardo in the north untouched.

Important natural features include Melissani Lake, the Drogarati caves, and the Koutavos Lagoon in Argostoli.

The island has a rich biodiversity, with a substantial number of endemic and rare species. Some areas have been declared a site in the European Union’s Natura 2000 network.