Sporades
The Sporades are groups of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, traditionally divided into northern and southern groups.
Skiathos: A Greek island in the northern Sporades, known for its beaches and wooded interior. It is one of the best-known northern Sporades islands.
Aegean Sea: An arm of the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Anatolia, dotted with islands. The Sporades lie within this larger sea.
Strabo: A Greek geographer and historian of the late first century BCE and early first century CE. His geographical account preserves an influential ancient use of the name Sporades.
Alonnisos Marine Park: A protected marine area around Alonnisos and nearby northern Sporades islands. It safeguards habitats and species in waters belonging to the northern group.
Skopelos: A mountainous Greek island in the northern Sporades, east of Skiathos. Its steep terrain and pine forests distinguish it within the northern group.
Northern Sporades: An island group in the northwestern Aegean, including Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnisos, and Skyros. This is the principal northern grouping meant by the traditional division.
Ancient Greek geography: The study and description of places and regions in the ancient Greek world. Ancient classifications shaped the changing boundaries of the Sporades.
Mediterranean monk seal: An endangered seal species found in parts of the Mediterranean and adjacent Atlantic. The protected waters around Alonnisos provide important habitat for the species.
Alonnisos: A Greek island in the northern Sporades, surrounded by a marine protected area. Its surrounding waters form the core of a major marine park.
Southern Sporades: A historical and geographical grouping of islands in the southeastern Aegean, including Samos and nearby islands. It names the southern counterpart, whose boundaries vary by usage.