Zákinthos or Zante,
Greek island of the Ionian group, in the Ionian Sea. Zákinthos (Zante) lies 19 km (12 mi) west of the Pelopónnisos peninsula. It has an area of 406 sq km (157 sq mi) and is 39 km (24 mi) long and 19 km (12 mi) wide. Zákinthos was colonized at an early period from the Arcadia region on the Pelopónnisos peninsula. The island was the birthplace in 1798 of Count Dionysios Solomos, whose “Hymn to Liberty” is the Greek national anthem. The town of Zákinthos (Zante) on the eastern coast is the chief port and residential center on the island. Town population (1991) 10,205. Island population (1991) 32,746.