Ionian Islands

Current Context: A historic archaeological discovery in Lefkada, Greece, has revealed the first-ever ancient Greek theater in the Ionian Islands.

About

• Group of islands off the western coast of Greece, in the Ionian Sea.
• Known collectively as Heptanese (meaning “Seven Islands”).

Key Features:

• Major islands: Kerkyra (Corfu), Paxi, Lefkada, Ithaki, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Kythira.
• Largest island: Kefalonia/Cephalonia.
• Highest point: Mount Ainos (1,628 m).

Historical Significance

• Venetian control: 15th–16th centuries.
• Captured by Russian-Turkish forces in 1799.
• Under British control via the Treaty of Paris (1815).
• Ceded to Greece in 1864.