Kounina (Greek: Κουνινά) is a Greek village located about 10 to 15 km south of Aigio, west of Corinth and about 185 km west Athens, north-northwest of Kalavryta and about 45 km east of Patras. The GR-9 (Patras - Pyrgos - Kyparissia is to the north and the GR-31 (Aigio - Pteri - Kalavryta) runs near the village. Kounina had a 2001 population of 481 for the village and 504 for the municipal district. The population is ranked fourth in the prefecture and is before Mavriki and after Valmitika. Kounina is part of the municipality of Aigio.


Subdivisions

* Agia Anna
* Pelekistra
* Petrovouni


Nearest places

* Mavriki, southwest
* Melissia, east
* Pteri of Fteri, south
* Dafnes, northwest
* Agia Anna
* Petrovouni


Population
Year Village population Municipal district population
1981 655 -
1991 523 -
2001 481 687

Geography

Its geography is made up of farmland that covers about 80% of the area and are mainly of fruits, vegetables, pastures and others; there are not as many olive groves to the east. The surrounding mountains are mainly made up of forests, grasslands and bushes especially to the west. A river flows to the east and another one 1 km west of the village centre that has a forested ravine. Its streets runs north to south with only about 8 streets in the village.

History

The village was ruled by the Ottoman Turks with some interruption by the Venetians in the mid to late-15th century and the mid to late-16th century. Kounina finally became part of an independent Greece after the Greek War of Independence of 1821, right after the signing of the declaration of independence.

After World War II and the Greek Civil War, much of the population left for larger towns and cities especially nearby Patras. The population has declined since 1981.

Houses were stone-built until the 1950s and modern-style homes were not built until the 1980s. A paved access road was built in the 1980s. Most of the homes are abandoned today.

In 2007, Kounina was shattered by a forest fire that began on Wednesday July 25 and ended on July 28 and brought catastrophic fire to the area, flames were bursting as high as 30 m and smoke as high as 600 to 700 m. About 20 to 30% of the village was affected with many properties burnt. One fire was on a mountain slope that created smoke enough to cover the area and darken the area tan-brown. Tens of fire trucks, helicopters and planes along with firefighters battled the fire. Several farms and crops were ruined. Some roads were shut down. The fire started in the afternoon hours and expanded to almost 80 to 90% of the area of Kounina. Hundreds to thousands of cattle were lost and about ten thousand trees were burnt down, creating an economic and agricultural disaster that may take a couple of years to rebuild.

Economy

Its main production is olives along with fruits including watermelon, melon, figs and vegetables including corn, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cucumbers and others as well as dairy, livestock and others in small numbers, much of the farmland is mainly groves and vines. The majority of the population is based in agriculture as well as some other businesses.

Municipalities and communities of the Achaea Prefecture

Aigio | Aigira/Aegira | Akrata | Aroania | Diakopto | Dymi | Erinaios | Farres | Kalavryta | Larissos | Lefkasio | Messatida | Movri | Olenia | Paion | Paralia | Patras | Rio | Sympoliteia | Tritea | Vrachneika

Kalentzi | Leontio

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