ARGOLS

noms (department), northeastern Peloponnese, southern Greece. It is a narrow, mountainous peninsula projecting eastward into the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf, (to the northeast) and the Gulf of Argolis (to the southwest). Bordered on the north by Krinthos (Corinth) and on the west by the mountains of Arcadia, it has been inhabited since Neolithic times. A limestone plateau comprises the highland areas of Argols, while its lowland plain is alluvial and fertile, though too dry to cultivate without irrigation. The main natural vegetation is macchie, but with cultivation the land supports vegetables, olives, citrus, and grapes. On the coast trees are cultivated for resin. Goats and sheep are raised, especially for milk, which is used in the production of cheese. The Argolid is an archaeological treasure house and thus a tourist trade centre: Mycenae was the home of Agamemnon, Tiryns the birthplace of Heracles, Epidaurus the home of an ancient healing cult. In ancient times the Gulf of Argolis gave Greece access to trade and exchange of ideas from Crete and Egypt. The city of Argos gave its name to the plain; Nauplia, the chief town of the noms, is a seaport and seaside resort. It was also the first capital of an independent Greece in the 19th century. Area 855 square miles (2,214 square km). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 97,250.