Aitoliko or Etoliko (Greek, Modern: Αιτωλικό, Ancient/Katharevousa: -n fr. Greek, Aetolian) older forms Aitolikon, Etolikon, Aetoliko or Aetolikon is a town of about 4,800 and the seat of the municipality of this name in the southern part of Aitolia-Acarnania. It is located north of the Achelous delta. It is accessed by a road connecting Astakos, Preveza and Lefkada and Messolonghi along with GR-5/E55 and is bypassed to the north. It is located SW of Agrinio and GR-38, about 20 km NW of Messolonghi, W of Nafpaktos and the Rio-Antirio bridge and SE of Astakos. Until it became a part of Greece, it was known as Anatoliko (Ανατολικό), meaning east.

Historical population

Aitoliko has a school, a lyceum, a gymnasium, a church, a small post office and a square (plateia).

The geography has rocky bushy hills to the north and farms along with some grasslands and swamps within the Achelous to the south.

Aitoliko also has an agricultural and commercian enterprise named Amalthia S.A. , which is named after Amalthea.

The Aitoliko Lagoon is a lagoon located east of Aitoliko surrounding one commune and is 14 km².

Aitoliko was conveniently located with the ancient towns of Pleuron (the names of the son of the mythological father Aetolus comef from alonf with Kalydon which carries the name of another son) and Oiniadai . The name of a town in the middle of the lagoon dates back to ancient times.

The old part of the town lies quite romantically on an island between two lagoons whose the Aitoliko Lagoon which extends up to Stamna and a river lies to the north and the Messolonghi Lagoon which was Kynia Lake in antiquity lies to the south and broadly southward to where it connects with Gulf of Patras and into the Ionian Sea where on October 7, 1571, the Battle of Lepanto took place. The island is connected by two bridges which are narrow over the water connections with the two lagoons. The easternm bridge are extraordinarily elongated with numerous columns with the mainland to the east and towards the west. That community has some trees and residential houses and the direct road isn't passed. Tidal forces lets strong currents develop in regularly in changing connection. The taverns of Aitoliko offered specialities of smoked Avgotaracho which was wrapped with a kind of fish.

The delta and the lagoons

The Achelous delta is designated west of Messolonghi which is in the south because of the lagoon and the delta. The most expanded delta in Greece. The Messolonghi lagoon is one of the largest lagoons of the entire Mediterranean sea with its depth of 1.5 m. It is separate and from there the fresh sea water suppliued from the Gulf of Patras and the sandbanks while the Aitoliko lagoon is a little deeper and is 30 m deep.

The economy is the saltworks located in the east next to the old GR-5 (Agrinio - Mesolonghi) about 100 m from the sea with the area of about 500 m² and the width of about 1 km between Aitoliko and Messolinghi. It has been producing salt for years. Farmlands are to the east with hills and rocky landscape. Fishing is common in the lagoon. The lagoons are the fish-richest water in Greece. Here, the boats are used. In different places, the wooden huts on stakes are founded. Land development and waste management are endangerment ot the entire delta range. A large tract of land are under nature protection and hunting are banned. In this area, 170 species of birds are founded.

It is also home to some parasites including isopods and sand smelts including Atherina boyeri

History

Around 900 A.D, the Byzantine fleet from Nafpaktos (Lepanto) at the Gulf of Corinth became and capital and became Nikopolis. The new capital became secured by the fortress. One of these fortress were favorably for defense on the island and the lagoons in Aitoliko. Since the 12th century, the island fortress of Anatoliko developed to the city. In 1406, it was sold to Carlo I Tocco of Kefallinia. The Venetian forces divided their incomes from the salt gardens and fish watern of Anatoliko which lasted until 1430.

During the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, in the beginning of the 19th century, Aitoliko experienced three Turkish sieges before it became a part of Greece. There were 500 Greeks defenders and 15,000 Turks in the first siege, The second siege was repelled, only in the third siege, Aitoliko was taken at the same time with Messolonghi on April 11, 1826 by the Turks again. Generals from Greece that participated included Georgios Liatakas .

Persons

• I.M. Panagiotopoulos (born Ioannis Mihail Panagiotiopoulos), 1901 - 1982, website: http://www.aitoloakarnania.gr/litterateurs/panagiotopoulos.htm (in Greek)

External links

• http://www.aitoloakarnania.gr/municipal/aitolikoy/aitoliko.htm (in Greek)
• Aitoliko (in Greek)
• Aitoliko (University of Patras) (in Greek)
• Aitoliko - National Geographic Ellas (in Greek)
• The Aitoliko and Messolonghi lagoons

See also

• Communities of Ilia