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Where in the world is Santorini?

Learning about Santorini geography and the natural history of the island is really exciting.

The reason of course being that the landscape is not constant. Even over the last few centuries islands have been formed and reshaped through a sequence of geological events.

The Santorini geography is bound to change again. Keep checking back for updates...!

Ok, fact of today is that Santorini is the southernmost of the Cycladic islands in the Greek archipelago of the Aegean Sea. It's situated about 200 km away from the Greek mainland and about 110 km north of Crete.

The name Santorini actually refers to not just one but to a small group of volcanic islands. The official name of the main island is Thira, although everybody now calls it Santorini.

Immediately west of Thira lies the smaller island of Thirassia (meaning little Thira), which has a small permanent population. The two neighbor islands were once one single island but the great Minoan eruption around 1650 B.C. caused them to separate.

Three much smaller and uninhabited islands lie within the caldera. They are, in order of size, Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni, and Aspronisi.

Nea Kameni is the latest addition to the Santorini geography. It first appeared in the late 16th century, and underwent its most recent change in the eruption of 1950.

Finally, south-west of the caldera lie three uninhabited small islands that also belong to the Santorini group. They are, in order of size, Christiani, Askania and Eschati.

Geographical facts for Santorini and Thirassia

Santorini (Thira)

Coordinates: 36°25.2'N 25°25.9'E.
Area: 73 sq.km. or 28 sq.mi.
Population: 13,402 (2001 consensus).
Population density: 184/sq.km or 475/sq.mi.
Highest peak: 564 m or 1,850 ft.

Thirassia

Coordinates: 36°25.2'N 25°25.9'E.
Area: 9.3 sq.km or 4 sq.mi.
Population: 268 (2001 consensus).
Population density: 29/sq.km or 75 sq.mi.

The Cyclades

The Santorini group of islands is part of a much larger group of about 220 islands known as the Cyclades.

The name Cyclades comes from the Greek word 'Kyklas' meaning around. It refers to how the islands are grouped around the sacred island of Dilos.

Click on the map on the right to take a closer look at the Cycladic islands.

The Cyclades are known for their archaeological value as they played a very prominent role in ancient Greece.

Further reading

Here at Santorini-Dreams.com we have another page related to Santorini geography and natural history.

Explore Santorini geography further with Geohack!

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