Akrata
# Akrata

Akrata, (Greek: Ακράτα) is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aigialeia, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 180.169 $km^2.$ Akrata is located on the right bank of the river Krathis, 3 km from its outflow into the Gulf of Corinth. The Greek National Road 8A/E65 (Patras - Corinth) and the railway from Patras to Corinth pass through the municipal unit, northeast of the town. The nearest town is Aigeira, 4 km to the east. It is 23 km southeast of Aigio, 52 km east of Patras and 23 km northeast of Kalavryta.

## Subdivisions

The municipal unit Akrata is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):

* Agia Varvara (Agia Varvara, Vounaki)
* Akrata (Akrata, Palaiostafida, Pyrgos, Fournoi)
* Ampelos
* Kalamias (Kalamias, Kato Potamia, Potamitikos Gialos)
* Krathio (Krathio, Goumaiika)
* Mesorrougi (Mesorrougi, Ano Mesorrougi, Solos)
* Paralia Platanou
* Peristera (Peristera, Agridi, Chalkianika)
* Platanos (Platanos, Ano Potamia, Korinthiako Balkoni, Tsivlos)
* Porovitsa (Porovitsa, Paralia Porovitsis)
* Sylivainiotika
* Valimi
* Voutsimos
* Zarouchla

## Historical population

| Year | Village population | Community Population | Municipality population |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1991 | 1,508 | - | 5,492 |
| 2001 | 1,737 | 1,778 | 6,871 |
| 2011 | 1,393 | 1,429 | 4,747 |

## Geography

Most of the municipal unit is mountainous, with only some flat areas near the Gulf of Corinth coast. Akrata is known for its beaches. The river Krathis flows from the Aroania mountain to sea through Akrata. Lake Tsivlos, formed by a landslide in 1912, is by the road linking Akrata and Zarouchla, 11 km southwest of Akrata.

## History

The ruins of the ancient city of Aegae and its ancient theatre are found near Akrata. The municipality Akrata was founded in 1879 but was dissolved in 1914. The municipality was refounded in 1986 along with Sylivainiotika, Porovitsa and Krathio. In 1998 under the Capodistrian Plan, the municipality was enlarged to include every village and town in the municipality. Angelos Deloukas was the first mayor of the municipality. The countryside near Akrata was damaged by the 2007 Greek forest fires.

## Media and books

* Styx - Greek local and monthly newspaper
