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07/08/06

B) The climate of the island is very healthy. This is because the blowing of the northern winds prevents the development of germs. It is reported that some people that were sick and visited the island were healed without medicine. Tinos is basically an island with religious and worshipping tourists. The finding of the icon, the erection of the temple, the improvement of the transportation had a great impact to the social and economic evolution of the island. The fact that it attracted tourism developed the city of Tinos, in contrast with the villages. Nevertheless it helped to reduce migration and kept the residents of the island on their land. From 1940 to 1981 approximately 32% of the population immigrated. In 1940 the town of Tinos concentrated 25% of the population. Today urbanism has taken over and 75% of the population in concentrated in the town of Tinos. Today approximately 40 villages are inhabited. Their establishing history goes back to the middle ages and the Byzantine years. There are also many settlements, which are basically younger and were developed near the sea. The fact that many tourist centers were developed at many locations, the creation of greenhouses, n location canning of various vegetables, the systematic and advanced utilization of marble, played a major role in the keeping of the population on the island and especially at the villages. These developments have increased the occupation in various parts of the island having as a result to fight back of immigration. The mixed religious population of Tinos, gives the island a special folklore character. A Tinian dialect is noticed, with the extraction of the vowels, the alteration of consonants and names of persons that have a western influence. At Tinos we come across two Christian dogmas that harmoniously coexist. The Temple of Evangelistria is a very important demotic worshipping area for the Orthodox and people from all over Greece assemble throughout the whole year to worship here. However at the same time Tinos is a very important center for the Catholics, basically for the Greek Catholics. All you need to do is to take a look around at all the churches in order to substantiate that you are at a religious center. When Panagia/ the Virgin Mary is celebrated, worshippers from all over the world swarm the island. Tinos belongs to the Cyclades and is the third in size island of this complex. Its area is 194 square kilometers. The total length of its coastline is estimated to approx 114 kilometers. It is situated south east of Andros and north west of Mykonos. It highest mountain is named Tsiknias and is 725 meters high. According to mythology Aelos, the god of the winds lived at the channel of Tsiknias. This explains the fact that the area is veAt Tinos irrespective of being Catholic or Orthodox, all the people have a deep love for the Virgin Mary. The Orthodox celebrates Panagia (Virgin Mary) on the 25th of March and on the 15th of August and the Catholics on the 1st Sunday of May and also on the 15th of August. The residents of Tinos are very hospitable and they open heartedly offer food and board to the worshippers during the festivities. The Tinians in order to sustain the ground from suffering intense deterioration, have created on the sides of the mountains the so called pezoules, which are small fields with a resistance made of rocks in order for the ground not to get corroded and are used to cultivate their products. The reduction of the agricultural population slowly left some of these areas uncultivated. Today cereals, citrus fruit, fruits and also oil, wine and raki are cultivated. The products are consumed basically within internal market but some are also exported. Another beneficial product of Tinos, is its honey. In the past they also had silk growing.