UNITED STATES OF THE IONIAN iSLANDS

 The formation of the United States of the Ionian Islands is a little known period of the country's history.

What is widely known about the history of these islands is that they never had to endure direct Ottoman rule during those dark years bitween the 15th and 19h centuries when the rest of Greece was under brutal Turkish occupation.

However, whar is lesser known is that these islands have a rich and turbulent history due to the fact that Europe's most powerful nations were constantly struggling to gain control over them.

This was mainly because of their geographical position right at the edge of the once powerful Ottoman Empire.  

Among the powers who fought to gain control were the British at a time when the British Empire ruled over the entire world so  ot was normal for them to eye these beautiful islands in the Ionian Sea whichwere stratigically placed in the Mediterraenean.

However others were also eying the exact same islands making it dificult for  the British to occupy them.

The islands of Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Cephalonia, Ithaka, Zakynthos and Kythera were for many centuries part of the powerful Republic of Venice which never left Turkey set foot on the islands.  

However following the disintegration of Venice in 1798 the French became the owners of these idyllic islands.

Finally in 1964 they gained independence and became part of Greece.