The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.

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This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Monday, February 3, 2014

Strong quake hits isle of Kefalonia...[ 3520 ]

Strong quake hits western Greek isle of Kefalonia

5:45 PM Monday Feb 3, 2014

A section of a balcony roof is collapsed after an earthquake in Lixouri town on the island of Kefalonia, western Greece. Photo / AP

A section of a balcony roof is collapsed after an earthquake in Lixouri town on the island of Kefalonia, western Greece. Photo / AP

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of between 5.7 and 6.1 hit the western Greek island of Kefalonia on Monday, just over a week after a similar quake damaged dozens of buildings across the island.
Kefalonia Mayor Alexandros Parisis told Greek radio that the port at the town of Lixouri, the closest to the epicenter, had been seriously damaged and that minor injuries had been reported. He did not immediately have any further details.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute registered the pre-dawn quake, which struck just after 5 a.m. local time with a magnitude of 5.7 and an epicenter 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northwest of the island's capital of Argostoli. The Athens institute had initially registered 5.9. The U.S. Geological Survey registered a 6.1-magnitude. It is common for institutes to register different figures and to revise their initial measurements.

The village of Assos on the coastline of Kefalonia. Photo / Thinkstock

Earthquakes have been rattling the island constantly for the past week, after a 5.9-magnitude temblor struck the area on Jan.
26. Since then, thousands of residents have been spending nights with relatives or in ships sent for that reason.
Monday's quake was felt on the nearby island of Zakinthos and parts of the western Greek mainland as well as in the Greek capital, Athens.
Kefalonia's mayor and seismologists urged people on the island to leave their houses temporarily. Parisis said he was trying to arrange a boat to head to Lixouri, but was being hampered by high winds in the area. Lixouri, which has been closest to the epicenter of the quakes over the last week, is far from the main town of Argostoli by road but close by sea.
Kefalonia and neighboring Zakinthos were devastated in 1953, when a 7.2-magnitude temblor struck three days after a 6.4 one, killing hundreds, injuring thousands and destroying nearly all the buildings on the islands.
- AP

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