Santorini and its Geography

Santorini is not very large; it covers an area of 96 km2 and has a total coastline of 69 kilometres.
However, it is one of the best-known islands of the Cyclades, due to its geological morphology, the result of action by a -now dormant- volcano.
The relation between volcanism and human life is the keyfactor on Santorini:
the fertile soile produces unique products and the scenery attracts tourisme. She is positioned between Ios and Anafi, 130 nautical miles from Piraeus
and 70 nautical miles from Crete .

The landscape on the western side of the island,where towering cliffs, crowned by tiny white houses, plunge straight into the dazzling depths of the sea.
The steep coastline of the west is countered by the vast beaches of the east side, some of them sandy- red, others with tiny black volcano pebbles.
Its population, distributed among fourteen villages, just exceeds fourteen thousand inhabitants. In the winter due to the season, when most shops and restaurants are closed, the ethnical population drops to just a few thousands inhabitants.

The actual form of Santorini is a consequence of the activity of the volcano in prehistoric times.
The Caldera could be seen as the craterwall surrounding the volcano in the middle of the Caldera-sea.
Opposite to the main island, lies Thirassia.
A smaller island and not so touristic, but very beautifull and quiet.
The thirth island is Aspronissi, an uninhabited island, but famous for its pumestone.

By taking a good look at the shape of those three islands, we can easily distinguish a virtual round coastline of what used to be there, before the Caldera was formed. Between those islands we see a big basin, covering approximately 32 square miles, the depth going from 300 to 600 meters; with the volcano in the middle.
We will call this the Caldera-sea.

The height of the Santorini caldera is 150 to 350 meters. The length of the island from cape Exomitis to cape Mavropetra is 18 kilometres. Her width varies from 2 to 6 kilometres.
The highest peak on Meso Vouno ,Profitis Ilias, is 550 meters high. To the south lies Gavrilos and to the north Megalo Vouno, 350 meters high and Mikros Profitis Ilias, 340 meters high.

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Mantha & Stephanos Chalaris