According to the last census in 2011, there is an approximate population of 102,071 people living as registered permanent inhabitants of the island of Corfu. Corfu is a Greek island found in the Ionian Sea and is one of the Ionian islands which forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The main city of the island is also named Corfu, and houses about one-third of the population of the Island of Corfu. It is an important island that houses Ionian University, which is a crucial educational institution that teaches both domestic and international students.
The island of Corfu is bound with the entire history of Greece since the beginnings of Greek mythology, which has marked the area by conquests and numerous battles. The Ancient Krokyra took part in the Battle of Sybota, which was the initial catalyst of the Peloponnesian war and also is considered the largest naval battle between many Greek city-states that existed until that time. Korkyra was one of the great naval powers of the fifth century BC, which was one of the three main powers in the maritime region - the other two being Corinth and Athens. Ruins of archaeological sites and Greek temples found within the ancient city of Korkyra are housed within Palaiopolis. The castles during medieval times punctuated the strategic location on Corfu island, which demonstrates the entire legacy of struggles in the medieval era which told tales of repelling invasions from the Ottomans and pirates.
Two of these famous castles enclose the capital city, which is the only Greek city that is surrounded in such a way by the castle's fortifications. The capital of the island of Corfu was declared a Kastropolis, which translates to the castle city by the Greek government. The island has been successfully defended against Ottoman sieges and raids for hundreds of years, significantly ending in the 17th century. This made Cofrfu a bulwark of the European States against the aggressive expansion of the Ottomans and was the most fortified place in Europe in a concentrated area. The Corfu fortifications were also used at the time by the Venetians to defend against the invasion of the Adriatic sea. After the end of the Napoleanic wars, Corfu fell to the British empire. Eventually, The UK ceded Corfu back to the Greek Government during the treaty of London.
The Greek name for Corfu is Korkyra, which is related to Poseidon and Asopos. Poseidon was considered one of the deities of the Greek pantheon which ruled over the sea. The Asopos is an important Greek mainland river. The legend stipulates that Poseidon had fallen in love with a beautiful nymph, who was named Korkyra, who was the daughter of the Asopos. Poseidon brought Korkyra to the unarmed island and offered her to name the place, which took on the same name as his new wife. They had a child named Phaiax, which is the name for the inhabitants of Corfu (Phaiakes).