From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The
Peloponnese
is a large
peninsula
in
Greece
. It is the part of Greece which is south of the
Isthmus of Corinth
.
The Peloponnese has many mountains and a long jagged
coastline
. The highest part is Mount
Taygetus
in the south.
There are four south-pointing peninsulas within the Peloponnese. They are called
Messenia
, the
Mani Peninsula
,
Epidaurus
, and the
Argolid
.
There are also two groups of islands near the Peloponnese. In the east there are the
Argo-Saronic Islands
and in the west there are the
Ionian Islands
. There is also the island of
Kythira
, which is near to the Epidaurus peninsula. Kythira is often thought of as part of the Ionian Islands.
The Peloponnese has had people living on it since
prehistoric
times. Its name means
Island of
Pelops
. Pelops was a person from
Greek mythology
, who took over the island. During the
Middle Ages
and the
Ottoman Empire
, the peninsula was known as the Morea.