Corfu
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Corfu Κέρκυρα |
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Pontikonisi (background) and Vlacherna Monastery (foreground) seen from the hilltops of Kanoni
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 Corfu
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Location within the region
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| Coordinates: 39°35′N 19°52′E / 39.583°N 19.867°ECoordinates: 39°35′N 19°52′E / 39.583°N 19.867°E | ||
| Country | Greece | |
| Administrative region | Ionian Islands | |
| Regional unit | Corfu | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Konstantinos Nikolouzos | |
| Area | ||
| • Municipality | 610.9 km2 (235.9 sq mi) | |
| Highest elevation | 906 m (2,972 ft) | |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Municipality | 102,071 | |
| • Municipality density | 170/km2 (430/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | |
| Postal code | 490 82, 490 83, 490 84, 491 00 | |
| Area code(s) | 26610, 26620, 26630 | |
| Vehicle registration | KY | |
| Website | www.corfu.gr | |
Corfu (/kɔːrˈfuː, -fjuː/; Greek: Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra [ˈcercira]; Ancient Greek: Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα; Latin: Corcyra; Italian: Corfù) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the northwesternmost part of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality, which also includes the smaller islands of Ereikoussa, Mathraki and Othonoi. The municipality has an area of 610.936 km2, the island proper 592.877 km2. The principal city of the island and seat of the municipality (pop. 32,095) is also named Corfu. Corfu is home to the Ionian University.
The island is bound up with the history of Greece from the beginnings of Greek mythology. Its history is full of battles and conquests. Castles punctuating strategic locations across the island are a legacy of these struggles. Two of these castles enclose its capital, which is the only city in Greece to be surrounded in such a way. As a result, Corfu's capital has been officially declared a Kastropolis ("castle city") by the Greek government. From medieval times and into the 17th century, the island was recognised as a bulwark of the European States against the Ottoman Empire and became one of the most fortified places in Europe. The fortifications of the island were used by the Venetians to defend against Ottoman intrusion into the Adriatic. Corfu repulsed several Ottoman sieges, before falling under British rule following the Napoleonic Wars. Corfu was eventually ceded by the British Empire along with the remaining islands of the United States of the Ionian Islands, and unification with modern Greece was concluded in 1864 under the Treaty of London.
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Wikipedia