Gavdos

Gavdos is the most southerly Greek island, located to the south of its much bigger neighbour, Crete, of which it is administratively a part. It is also the most southerly point of Europe.

The island is 26 nautical miles south of Hora Sfakion and is 27 sq km in area. There is only a small number of year-round residents and services for tourists are basic. The harbour for irregular ferries is Karave, the island's capital is Kastri


History


Gavdos has supported a permanent population since Neolithic times; nowadays, however, the island has very few people. The place has seen many uses in the different times it has inspired interest. In Ancient Greece Gavdos was the site of the mythical Ogygia where Kalypso held Odysseus prisoner. Archaeological evidence showed that the Roman empire was active on the island. During this time the flora of the island was overexploited, this started a process of erosion which continued to this very day.

Later, at the time of the Byzantine Empire, the island had some 8,000 inhabitants (900-1000 AD) and supported 3 bishops and an archbishop. During the Turkish Empire's reign on the island, which lasted from 1665 up until 1895, Gavdos was known as Gondzo. During this period the population decreased considerably to only 500 inhabitants by 1882. Gavdos was also known to Saracens; one of the beaches is named Sarakiniko (of the Saracens), as it is believed that Saracens had a hideout there.

In the 30's the island was used as a place of exile of communists; more than 250 people were exiled including leading figures of the greek movement, such as Markos Vafiadis. Later on, the general phase of urbanization that started in other parts of Greece in the 60's, took place in the 50's on Gavdos. During that period the islanders exchanged their land on Gavdos with ex-Turkish land on Crete, which had now become exchangeable via the state. Upon settling in Crete they created a community known as Gavdiotika.

Politics

Following years of isolation, in 1996 the island came to media prominence. In a NATO exercise Gavdos was the focal point of a contestation between Greece and Turkey. Following that, the prime minister Mr. Simitis, visited Gavdos and announced a five-year, €1.5 million plan for Gavdos's development.

In 2001, Costis Stephanopoulos, the Greek President of Democracy, inaugurated a telemedicine centre on Gavdos, an island which has never had a doctor. This exercise, however, was marred as the island's infrastructure could not provide the necessary power required by the centre. For the purposes of the inauguration, generators were brought in, which were then removed.

Ouvea island

Ouvea island, is a coral atoll and one of the most beautiful in the Pacific, with a fine white sand beach that stretches on the western coast for nearly 20 kilometers. On the other side a chain of coral cliffs stops the waves of the Pacific ocean, these cliffs are particularly beautiful in Lekine Bay (on the South of the island) where is possible to explore it at low tide, the view towards Mouly (Mouli) Bridge is wonderful.

Rutland Island

Rutland Island is an island located across the Macpherson Strait from South Andaman Island. As one of the Andaman Islands, Rutland I forms the southernmost main island of the closely-situated Great Andaman archipelago. It is separated from Little Andaman by the Duncan Passage. The island spans an area of approximately 109.3 km², and has a coastline measuring some 60. km [1]
It is rich in marine life with the shallow waters near the island having a good representation of smaller fish and coral. The island also offers an ideal base for training open water divers. The vegetation of Rutland Island is similar to that of North Sentinel Island with dry sandy soils. Although hilly, the island is overgrown with fairly open jungle and brush.
The island was formerly home to the Jangil, one of the indigenous Andamanese groups. The Jangil (also called "Rutland Jarawa" since they were thought to have been related to the Jarawa of South Andaman) occupied much of the interior of the island according to mid-1800s British accounts, however their interactions with outsiders were few and far between. Up to the early 20th century there are only a handful of documented encounters with Jangil individuals. The last documented encounter was in 1907, and when in the 1920s a more extensive expedition to the island's interior was conducted, no traces of their active habitation were found; the Jangil had become extinct.[2]
From time to time other indigenous Andamanese, such as the Onge from Little Andaman Island to the south and Great Andamanese tribes to the north had also set up fishing communities on Rutland. However, with the great reduction in numbers of these peoples, and their (enforced) relocations to more restricted areas, the island is presently without any permanent indigenous settlement.