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104-530: Butrint is strategically located in the eastern part of the Strait of Corfu in the extreme south of the country. It sprawls across a peninsula that is surrounded by Lake Butrint and Vivari Channel . The channel connects the lake to the Ionian Sea through a narrow sandy bar. Located in the direct proximity to the sea, the park experiences mild Mediterranean climate . This means that the winters are mild and

208-528: A wetland of international importance by designation under the Ramsar Convention . Nevertheless, Lake Butrint is an Important Bird and Plant Area , because it abundant to significant bird and plant species of international importance. The Butrint National Park was established with ordinance number 82 on 2 March 2000 in order to preserve the natural ecosystems and landscapes along with their plant and animal communities and habitats and

312-560: A 300-by-300-pixel sphere, so illustrations usually exaggerate the flattening. The graticule on the ellipsoid is constructed in exactly the same way as on the sphere. The normal at a point on the surface of an ellipsoid does not pass through the centre, except for points on the equator or at the poles, but the definition of latitude remains unchanged as the angle between the normal and the equatorial plane. The terminology for latitude must be made more precise by distinguishing: Geographic latitude must be used with care, as some authors use it as

416-642: A Roman protectorate alongside Corfu. In the middle of the second century BC Buthrotum was the centre of an independent state, possibly the "Koinon of the Prasaiboi", as listed in the list of the theorodokoi at the Oracle of Delphi . In the next century, it became a part of a province of Macedonia . In 44 BC, Caesar designated Buthrotum as a colony to reward soldiers who had fought for him against Pompey . Local landholder Titus Pomponius Atticus objected to his correspondent Cicero who lobbied against

520-479: A diverse assemblage of fauna with over 400 species distributed across the park's habitats and ecosystems. At least 39 species of mammals , 246 species of birds , 25 species of reptiles , 10 species of amphibia and 105 species of fish are known to occur within the park's boundaries. The park's forests and shrublands provide an important refuge for 39 species of mammals of which 14 species are classified as globally endangered . The beech marten thrives in

624-430: A point is the angle formed between the vector perpendicular (or normal ) to the ellipsoidal surface from the point, and the plane of the equator . Two levels of abstraction are employed in the definitions of latitude and longitude. In the first step the physical surface is modeled by the geoid , a surface which approximates the mean sea level over the oceans and its continuation under the land masses. The second step

728-496: A point on the actual surface is that of the corresponding point on the reference surface, the correspondence being along the normal to the reference surface, which passes through the point on the physical surface. Latitude and longitude together with some specification of height constitute a geographic coordinate system as defined in the specification of the ISO 19111 standard. Since there are many different reference ellipsoids ,

832-609: A regular public bus service runs between Sarandë port and Butrint. Others arrive from the Qafe Bote border crossing with Greece near Konispol and cross the Vivari Channel by the cable ferry at Butrint. Latitude In geography , latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north – south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at

936-730: A settlement of the Greek tribe of the Chaonians , it later became part of the state of Epirus and later a Roman colonia and a Byzantine bishopric . It entered into decline in Late Antiquity , before being abandoned during the Middle Ages after a major earthquake flooded most of the city. In modern times it is an archeological site in Vlorë County , Albania , some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of Sarandë , close to

1040-443: A survey but, with the advent of GPS , it has become natural to use reference ellipsoids (such as WGS84 ) with centre at the centre of mass of the Earth and minor axis aligned to the rotation axis of the Earth. These geocentric ellipsoids are usually within 100 m (330 ft) of the geoid. Since latitude is defined with respect to an ellipsoid, the position of a given point is different on each ellipsoid: one cannot exactly specify

1144-555: A synonym for geodetic latitude whilst others use it as an alternative to the astronomical latitude . "Latitude" (unqualified) should normally refer to the geodetic latitude. The importance of specifying the reference datum may be illustrated by a simple example. On the reference ellipsoid for WGS84, the centre of the Eiffel Tower has a geodetic latitude of 48° 51′ 29″ N, or 48.8583° N and longitude of 2° 17′ 40″ E or 2.2944°E. The same coordinates on

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1248-411: Is also used in the current literature. The parametric latitude is related to the geodetic latitude by: The alternative name arises from the parameterization of the equation of the ellipse describing a meridian section. In terms of Cartesian coordinates p , the distance from the minor axis, and z , the distance above the equatorial plane, the equation of the ellipse is: The Cartesian coordinates of

1352-504: Is at 50°39.734′ N 001°35.500′ W. This article relates to coordinate systems for the Earth: it may be adapted to cover the Moon, planets and other celestial objects ( planetographic latitude ). For a brief history, see History of latitude . In celestial navigation , latitude is determined with the meridian altitude method. More precise measurement of latitude requires an understanding of

1456-439: Is covered by holly oak and bay laurel , which prevail over the other plants including field elm , narrow-leafed ash and valonia oak . The scrubby level is represented with elmleaf blackberry , common hawthorn , evergreen rose , common ivy and italian leather flower . Moreover, the herbal level is dominated among other by wild asparagus , hedge bedstraw , lesser celandine and purple loosestrife . Posidonia oceanica

1560-484: Is determined by the shape of the ellipse which is rotated about its minor (shorter) axis. Two parameters are required. One is invariably the equatorial radius, which is the semi-major axis , a . The other parameter is usually (1) the polar radius or semi-minor axis , b ; or (2) the (first) flattening , f ; or (3) the eccentricity , e . These parameters are not independent: they are related by Many other parameters (see ellipse , ellipsoid ) appear in

1664-468: Is mostly distributed along the littoral sea bottom, from the Stillo Cap to Cuka Channel, while cymodocea nodosa and zostera noltei are widely found along the mouth of Pavllo River. Along the cliffs, the salinity and rocky terrain have caused the decreased or poor the floristic composition. They are composed of species such as crithmum , elymus pycnanthus and golden samphire . The park contains

1768-409: Is not required, the reference ellipsoid is not usually stated. In English texts, the latitude angle, defined below, is usually denoted by the Greek lower-case letter phi ( ϕ or φ ). It is measured in degrees , minutes and seconds or decimal degrees , north or south of the equator. For navigational purposes positions are given in degrees and decimal minutes. For instance, The Needles lighthouse

1872-412: Is part of a diverse hydrographical network, composed by the courses of several rivers , lagoons and lakes . The rivers are short, steep and characterised by high water volume. The park comprises Lake Butrint in the northwest, Lake Bufi in the southeast, Bistrica River in the north, Mile Mountain in the west and Pavllo River in the south. Lake Butrint is the largest lake and its water regime

1976-616: Is rich in bird life with over 246 species living in different habitats throughout the territory. Many of these birds are residents and others are travellers passing through the Adriatic flyway. Most important bird inhabiting the park include the golden eagle , peregrine falcon , rock partridge , golden oriole and common buzzard . The bays and estuaries along the Ionian Sea Coast are a wintering destination for important birds. The wetlands serve as feeding and resting-places for

2080-517: Is situated within a natural woodland with a complex ecosystems which depends on the nearby lake and channel. Nevertheless, it is this combination of cultural monuments and natural environment which makes Butrint such a unique place. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the park as Category II. In 1992, the archaeological site joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites . The lagoon has been further recognized as

2184-513: Is the Lion Gate and one of the six entrances to the city from the 4th century BC. The inscriptions shows a lion, that is about to eat a bull. The lion symbolises the inhabitants of the city and the bull as their enemies. The gate has a very narrow passage to allow as few people as possible to enter at the same time. In the west of the park, there sprawls the rocky Islands of Ksamil that are remote and can only be accessed by boat. Although, two of

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2288-421: Is the meridional radius of curvature . The quarter meridian distance from the equator to the pole is For WGS84 this distance is 10 001 .965 729  km . The evaluation of the meridian distance integral is central to many studies in geodesy and map projection. It can be evaluated by expanding the integral by the binomial series and integrating term by term: see Meridian arc for details. The length of

2392-435: Is to approximate the geoid by a mathematically simpler reference surface. The simplest choice for the reference surface is a sphere , but the geoid is more accurately modeled by an ellipsoid of revolution . The definitions of latitude and longitude on such reference surfaces are detailed in the following sections. Lines of constant latitude and longitude together constitute a graticule on the reference surface. The latitude of

2496-537: Is today listed by the Catholic Church as a Latin titular see since the diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as titular bishopric of Buthrotum (Latin) / Butrinto (Curiate Italian) / Butrint (Albanian). Following titular bishops have been nominated: The first modern archaeological excavations began in 1928 when the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini 's Italy sent an expedition to Butrint. The aim

2600-415: Is typical of a coastal lagoon. It has a length of 7.1 km (4.4 mi) and a width of 3.3 km (2.1 mi), with a surface area of 16.3 km (6.29 sq mi). Having mesotrophic waters with eutrophic tendencies, the limnology of the lake is divided into two distinct layers. The Vivari Channel connects the lake with the Ionian Sea . Lake Bufi lies about 2 m (0.0012 mi) above

2704-522: The Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica , in which he proved that a rotating self-gravitating fluid body in equilibrium takes the form of an oblate ellipsoid. (This article uses the term ellipsoid in preference to the older term spheroid .) Newton's result was confirmed by geodetic measurements in the 18th century. (See Meridian arc .) An oblate ellipsoid is the three-dimensional surface generated by

2808-653: The Byzantine Empire fragmented, Buthrotum falling to the breakaway Despotate of Epirus . In the following centuries, the area was a site of conflict between the Byzantines, the Angevins of southern Italy, and the Venetians . The fortifications were probably strengthened by Byzantine Emperor Michael I. In 1267, Charles of Anjou took control of both Butrint and Corfu, leading to further restorations of

2912-779: The Greek border. It is located on a hill overlooking the Vivari Channel and is part of the Butrint National Park . Today Bouthrotum is a Latin Catholic titular see and also features the Ali Pasha Castle . The city is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania. On the strength of the immense wealth of cultural, historical and natural value with a considerable history, Butrint

3016-638: The Illyrian deciduous forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub . The availability of water in forms of rivers, lakes and wetlands, influenced by the configuration of the terrain, has a great impact on the biodiversity of this area. The vertebrate flora of the park consists of more than 800 up to 900 species, which constitute 27% of the total number of species in Albania. The shallow coastal lagoons are rocky with extensive mussel beds and

3120-533: The common bottlenose dolphin , short-beaked common dolphin and occasionally by the striped dolphin . The park provides one of the last remaining nesting habitat for the endangered mediterranean monk seal that is present in the rocks and caverns of the park. Sea turtles are not really that uncommon in the shallow coastal waters of the park. There are two species of sea turtles, such as the loggerhead sea turtle and leatherback sea turtle , that are listed as endangered or threatened by state authorities. The park

3224-404: The common pochard , great cormorant , great crested grebe , eurasian coot and black-headed gull . The reed beds are used by common moorhen , water rail , hen harrier , western marsh harrier , moustached warbler and remiz pendulinus . The marshes offer feeding sites for the little egret , grey plover , european golden plover and dunlin . Most of the waterbirds are concentrated in

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3328-580: The metropolitan bishopric of Nafpaktos , the ecclesiastical province that took the name of the old provincial capital of Nicopolis . Arab traveller Muhammad al-Idrisi noted in the 12th century that Buthrotum is a densely populated city with a number of markets. It remained an outpost of the Byzantine empire fending off assaults from the Normans until 1204 when following the Fourth Crusade ,

3432-482: The poles where the axis of rotation of the Earth intersects the reference surface. Planes which contain the rotation axis intersect the surface at the meridians ; and the angle between any one meridian plane and that through Greenwich (the Prime Meridian ) defines the longitude: meridians are lines of constant longitude. The plane through the centre of the Earth and perpendicular to the rotation axis intersects

3536-580: The zenith ). On map projections there is no universal rule as to how meridians and parallels should appear. The examples below show the named parallels (as red lines) on the commonly used Mercator projection and the Transverse Mercator projection . On the former the parallels are horizontal and the meridians are vertical, whereas on the latter there is no exact relationship of parallels and meridians with horizontal and vertical: both are complicated curves. \ In 1687 Isaac Newton published

3640-544: The "Scaean Gate" (named by Ugolini for the famous gate at Troy mentioned in the Homeric Iliad ). After the communist government of Enver Hoxha took Albania over in 1944, foreign archaeological missions were banned. Albanian archaeologists including Hasan Ceka continued the work. Nikita Khrushchev visited the ruins in 1959 and suggested that Hoxha should turn the area into a submarine base. The Albanian Institute of Archaeology began larger scale excavations in

3744-523: The 14th century, it was under the jurisdiction of the Metropolis of Ioannina . Two of its Byzantine (pre-Eastern Schism) bishops are mentioned in extant documents: A Latin see was established circa 1250 under the Italian name Butrinto , functioning under Angevin and Venetian rule, but suppressed circa 1400. The 6th-century basilica was rebuilt by king Charles I of Naples in 1267. Buthrotum

3848-569: The 1970s. Since 1993 further major excavations have taken place led by the Butrint Foundation in collaboration with the Albanian Institute of Archaeology. Recent excavations in the western defences of the city have revealed evidence of the continued use of the walls, implying the continuation of life in the town. The walls themselves certainly seem to have burnt down in the 9th century, but were subsequently repaired. After

3952-470: The 7th century and then Corinthian and Attic pottery of the 6th century, however there are no indications of a prehistoric settlement. Bouthroton was in a strategically important position due its access to the Straits of Corfu , and its location at the crossroads of mainland Greece and Magna Graecia , the Greek and the "barbarian" worlds. Thus, it became one of the two ancient ports in lower Chaonia ,

4056-471: The Adriatic in the southeast of Lake Butrint, with a total surface area of 83 hectares (0.83 km). Its excessives waters are then discharged into the southern Lake Butrint through a former channel. Due to its diverse geological and hydrological conditions and the mosaic distribution of various types of habitats, the location of the park is also one of the main reasons for the great variety of animals and plants . The park falls phytogeographically within

4160-416: The Byzantine authorities seems to coincide during the reign of Leo VI (886–912). Imperial administrators of that time possibly governed the region from the "oikos" ( Greek : οίκος , residence ) from Vrina plain rather than from the citadel. Archaeological records become stronger in the 10th century. The inventories of bishoprics from the 10th to 12th centuries identify the bishop of Butrint as subject to

4264-401: The Byzantines from the area in 1278. Then, pressed by Charles, Nikephoros ultimately ended up recognizing Charles' rights to all the town that Michael II had awarded to Manfred of Hohenstaufen as part of his wife Helen 's dowry, as Charles was his successor, thus ceding to him Butrint as well as the entire Acroceraunian Coast from Vlora to Butrint. From 1284 Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II

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4368-450: The Earth's orbit about the Sun is called the ecliptic , and the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the Earth is the equatorial plane. The angle between the ecliptic and the equatorial plane is called variously the axial tilt, the obliquity, or the inclination of the ecliptic, and it is conventionally denoted by i . The latitude of the tropical circles is equal to i and the latitude of

4472-541: The Ionian coast in 550 and may have attacked Buthrotum. In the end of 6th century groups of Slavs possibly arrived at Buthrotum. Evidence from the excavations shows that importation of commodities, wine and oil from the Eastern Mediterranean continued into the early years of the 7th century when the early Byzantine Empire lost these provinces . During the period of Slavic invasions and population movements in

4576-691: The Sun is overhead at some point of the Tropic of Capricorn . The south polar latitudes below the Antarctic Circle are in daylight, whilst the north polar latitudes above the Arctic Circle are in night. The situation is reversed at the June solstice, when the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. Only at latitudes in between the two tropics is it possible for the Sun to be directly overhead (at

4680-652: The Venetians. Its fisheries were a vital contributor to the supply of Corfu, and olive growing together with cattle and timber were the principal economic activities. The Treaty of Campo Formio of 1797 split between France and Austria the territory of the Republic of Venice, which France had just occupied and abolished , and under article 5 of the treaty, Butrinto and the other former Venetian enclaves in Albania came under French sovereignty . However, in October 1798

4784-571: The WGS84 spheroid is The variation of this distance with latitude (on WGS84 ) is shown in the table along with the length of a degree of longitude (east–west distance): A calculator for any latitude is provided by the U.S. Government's National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The following graph illustrates the variation of both a degree of latitude and a degree of longitude with latitude. There are six auxiliary latitudes that have applications to special problems in geodesy, geophysics and

4888-425: The angle subtended at the centre by the meridian arc from the equator to the point concerned. If the meridian distance is denoted by m ( ϕ ) then where R denotes the mean radius of the Earth. R is equal to 6,371 km or 3,959 miles. No higher accuracy is appropriate for R since higher-precision results necessitate an ellipsoid model. With this value for R the meridian length of 1 degree of latitude on

4992-580: The city was conquered by the local Ottoman Albanian ruler Ali Pasha Tepelena , and after his death, it officially became a part of the Ottoman Empire until Albania gained its independence in 1912. By that time, the site of the original city had been unoccupied for centuries and was surrounded by malarial marshes. During Ottoman rule in Epirus, the inhabitants of Butrint displayed continuous support for Greek revolutionary activities. In 1913, after

5096-447: The coastal marshes such as the eurasian curlew , common redshank and sandwich tern . 10 species of amphibians are documented, although those species exist in large numbers, mostly inhabiting the forests and bushes. The most common species of amphibians include the fire salamander , northern crested newt , common toad and greek stream frog . The reptile diversity at Butrint is also rich, higher than any other protected area in

5200-770: The collapse of the communist regime in 1992, the new democratic government planned various major developments at the site. The same year remains of Butrint were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites . A major political and economic crisis in 1997 and lobbying stopped the airport plan and UNESCO placed it on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of looting , lack of protection, management and conservation. Archaeological missions during 1994–9 uncovered further Roman villas and an early Christian church. In 2004, archaeological excavations continued under principal investigator, David R. Hernandez. Climate change means that

5304-700: The country. Nowadays, it is now a major centre for archaeology and conservation training schools organised by the Butrint Foundation in partnership with the Albanian Institutes of Archaeology and Monuments, foreign universities and international specialists and consultants. There is an active program of events in the theatre, concerts and performances, and outreach programmes for local schools and colleges. In 2010, national authorities demolished over 200 illegal structures in Ksamil that violated

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5408-544: The cultural heritage as well. The park's territory was expanded several times until it reached its current area, recently in 2005. It is managed by a directorate subordinated to the Ministry of Environment of Albania based in Sarandë . The park became an important centre of cultural management and a great example how to manage this heritage. With the support of Albanian institutions, Butrint Foundation, World Bank and UNESCO ,

5512-408: The datum ED50 define a point on the ground which is 140 metres (460 feet) distant from the tower. A web search may produce several different values for the latitude of the tower; the reference ellipsoid is rarely specified. The length of a degree of latitude depends on the figure of the Earth assumed. On the sphere the normal passes through the centre and the latitude ( ϕ ) is therefore equal to

5616-434: The edges of the woodlands, and open hillsides of the park. The golden jackal and red fox are typically to be found in the grasslands feeding primarily on small rodents, while the grey wolf occurs only during winter in the park. Outstanding is the presence of the otter , found in the streams and lakes, that is protected by international conventions. The coastal waters around the park are frequented by dolphins such as

5720-402: The ellipsoid to that point Q on the surrounding sphere (of radius a ) which is the projection parallel to the Earth's axis of a point P on the ellipsoid at latitude ϕ . It was introduced by Legendre and Bessel who solved problems for geodesics on the ellipsoid by transforming them to an equivalent problem for spherical geodesics by using this smaller latitude. Bessel's notation, u ( ϕ ) ,

5824-570: The end of the First Balkan War , Butrint was ceded to Greece but Italy challenged the decision and in the Treaty of London the region was given to the newly created Principality of Albania . As such Butrint was located near the southern border of the newly established Albanian state in a largely Greek-speaking territory. The local Greek population was enraged and created an Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus , for six months, before it

5928-430: The equatorial plane and the normal to the surface at that point: the normal to the surface of the sphere is along the radial vector. The latitude, as defined in this way for the sphere, is often termed the spherical latitude, to avoid ambiguity with the geodetic latitude and the auxiliary latitudes defined in subsequent sections of this article. Besides the equator, four other parallels are of significance: The plane of

6032-415: The fall of Troy with Neoptolemus and his concubine Andromache . Both Virgil and the Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus recorded that Aeneas visited Bouthroton after his own escape from the destruction of Troy. The acropolis was erected on a hill on the bank of a lake Butrint (or lake Bouthrotum). The first extension of the 7th century BC acropolis occurred during the 5th century BC. During

6136-497: The first years of the second Peloponnesian War (413-404 BC) the Corkyreans built fortifications stretching from Ksamil to Buthrotum. Buthrotum being previously an independent city, became subject to nearby Corfu. By the 4th century BC it had grown in importance and included a theatre , a sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius and an agora . The acropolis of Bouthrotum was protected by three circuit walls. The last and outer wall

6240-399: The geocentric latitude ( θ ) and the geodetic latitude ( ϕ ) is: For points not on the surface of the ellipsoid, the relationship involves additionally the ellipsoidal height h : where N is the prime vertical radius of curvature. The geodetic and geocentric latitudes are equal at the equator and at the poles but at other latitudes they differ by a few minutes of arc. Taking the value of

6344-401: The gravitational field of the Earth, either to set up theodolites or to determine GPS satellite orbits. The study of the figure of the Earth together with its gravitational field is the science of geodesy . The graticule is formed by the lines of constant latitude and constant longitude, which are constructed with reference to the rotation axis of the Earth. The primary reference points are

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6448-501: The islands are connected by a narrow strip of sand. Dolphins such as the short-beaked common dolphin and common bottlenose dolphin are often seen in the waters. Butrint Butrint ( Greek : Βουθρωτόν and Βουθρωτός , romanized :  Bouthrōtón , Latin : Buthrōtum , Albanian : Butrint ) was an ancient Greek polis and later Roman city and the seat of an early Christian bishopric in Epirus . Originally

6552-451: The latitude and longitude of a geographical feature without specifying the ellipsoid used. Many maps maintained by national agencies are based on older ellipsoids, so one must know how the latitude and longitude values are transformed from one ellipsoid to another. GPS handsets include software to carry out datum transformations which link WGS84 to the local reference ellipsoid with its associated grid. The shape of an ellipsoid of revolution

6656-655: The marine wealth of the town. The Grand Basilica of Buthrotum was built during the first half of the 6th century on the northeast side of the settlement. Other monuments include the Acropolic Basilica (4th century), the Triconch Palace (6th century), the Baptistery with a large, complex mosaic (6th century), the Lake Gate church (9th century) and the Baptistery church (9th century). Colonization by

6760-538: The meridian arc between two given latitudes is given by replacing the limits of the integral by the latitudes concerned. The length of a small meridian arc is given by When the latitude difference is 1 degree, corresponding to ⁠ π / 180 ⁠ radians, the arc distance is about The distance in metres (correct to 0.01 metre) between latitudes ϕ {\displaystyle \phi }  − 0.5 degrees and ϕ {\displaystyle \phi }  + 0.5 degrees on

6864-577: The northern citadel. The Orthodox Bishopric was transferred to nearby Glyki in 1337 or 1338. The town was reduced in size during the end of the 14th century, due to the tumultuous unrest in the region. The dogal Republic of Venice purchased the area including Corfu from the Angevins in 1386; however, the Venetian merchants were principally interested in Corfu and Butrinto once again declined. By 1572

6968-513: The oldest known analog computer , the so-called Antikythera Mechanism (c. 150 to 100 BC). The theatre is known for the impressive number of inscriptions carved on its stones. Most of them deal with manumissions and give a great amount of details on the city during the Hellenistic era. The names of those slaves were almost exclusively Greek with a few exception of Latin ones which bore Greek family names. In 228 BC Buthrotum became

7072-604: The other being Onchesmos (modern Sarandë). Bouthroton (modern day Butrint) was originally one of the major centres of the Epirote tribe of the Chaonians , part of the northwestern Greek group of tribes. They had close contacts to the Corinthian colony of Corcyra (modern Corfu ). According to the Roman writer Virgil , its legendary founder was the seer Helenus , a son of king Priam of Troy , who had moved West after

7176-470: The plan in the Senate. As a result, only small numbers of colonists were settled. In 31 BC, Roman Emperor Augustus fresh from his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium renewed the plan to make Buthrotum a veterans' colony. New residents expanded the city and the construction included an aqueduct , a Roman bath , houses, a forum complex and a nymphaeum . During that era

7280-463: The polar circles is its complement (90° - i ). The axis of rotation varies slowly over time and the values given here are those for the current epoch . The time variation is discussed more fully in the article on axial tilt . The figure shows the geometry of a cross-section of the plane perpendicular to the ecliptic and through the centres of the Earth and the Sun at the December solstice when

7384-420: The precise latitude of a feature on the surface is not unique: this is stressed in the ISO standard which states that "without the full specification of the coordinate reference system, coordinates (that is latitude and longitude) are ambiguous at best and meaningless at worst". This is of great importance in accurate applications, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS), but in common usage, where high accuracy

7488-509: The reference ellipsoid to the plane or in calculations of geodesics on the ellipsoid. Their numerical values are not of interest. For example, no one would need to calculate the authalic latitude of the Eiffel Tower. The expressions below give the auxiliary latitudes in terms of the geodetic latitude, the semi-major axis, a , and the eccentricity, e . (For inverses see below .) The forms given are, apart from notational variants, those in

7592-458: The region. A total of 25 species have been inventoried. They are represented by balkan green lizard , slowworm and aesculapian snake . In regard to the sea , the park's bodies of water are frequented by 105 species of fish . The most abundant species include the flathead grey mullet , thinlip mullet , thicklip grey mullet , european eel , european hake and crucian carp . The rich history of Butrint has left important vestiges across

7696-607: The remains of Butrint are some 18 kilometres (11 mi) south of the city of Sarandë and few kilometres north of the terrestrial border between Albania and Greece . According to the Köppen climate classification , the park experiences Mediterranean climate ( Csa and Csb ) with rainy winters and dry, warm to hot summers. Located in the south of the Albanian Ionian Sea Coast , the park receives 1,500 millimetres (59 in) of precipitation annually. Butrint

7800-417: The rotation of an ellipse about its shorter axis (minor axis). "Oblate ellipsoid of revolution" is abbreviated to 'ellipsoid' in the remainder of this article. (Ellipsoids which do not have an axis of symmetry are termed triaxial .) Many different reference ellipsoids have been used in the history of geodesy . In pre-satellite days they were devised to give a good fit to the geoid over the limited area of

7904-519: The semi-major axis and the inverse flattening, ⁠ 1 / f ⁠ . For example, the defining values for the WGS84 ellipsoid, used by all GPS devices, are from which are derived The difference between the semi-major and semi-minor axes is about 21 km (13 miles) and as fraction of the semi-major axis it equals the flattening; on a computer monitor the ellipsoid could be sized as 300 by 299 pixels. This would barely be distinguishable from

8008-409: The settlement survived into the late antique era, becoming a major port in the province of Old Epirus. The town of late antiquity included the grand Triconch Palace , the house of a major local notable that was built around 425. The walls of the city were extensively rebuilt, most probably at the end of the 5th century, perhaps by Byzantine Emperor Anastasius . The Ostrogoths under Indulf raided

8112-456: The site, especially the area of the ancient theatre and Roman forum, can sometimes be covered with water, and a new management plan for both the cultural and natural assets has been implemented. The site of Butrint is accessible from Sarandë , along a road first built in 1959 for a visit by the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev . This road was upgraded during the summer of 2010. The construction

8216-472: The situation was improved to the point, that UNESCO removed the site from the World Heritage Sites in Danger list in 2005. The park was founded by the Ministry of Culture in partnership with UNESCO, ICCROM and ICOMOS. The underlying intention was to create a sustainable cultural heritage resource involving local communities and national institutions to serve as a model for other parks around

8320-461: The size of the town was doubled. A number of new structures were built next to the existing ones especially around the theatre and the temple of Asklepeios. In the 3rd century AD, an earthquake destroyed a large part of the town, levelling buildings in the suburbs on the Vrina Plain and in the forum of the city centre. Excavations have revealed that city had already been in decline. However,

8424-460: The south pole to 90° at the north pole, with 0° at the Equator . Lines of constant latitude , or parallels , run east–west as circles parallel to the equator. Latitude and longitude are used together as a coordinate pair to specify a location on the surface of the Earth. On its own, the term "latitude" normally refers to the geodetic latitude as defined below. Briefly, the geodetic latitude of

8528-420: The sphere is 111.2 km (69.1 statute miles) (60.0 nautical miles). The length of one minute of latitude is 1.853 km (1.151 statute miles) (1.00 nautical miles), while the length of 1 second of latitude is 30.8 m or 101 feet (see nautical mile ). In Meridian arc and standard texts it is shown that the distance along a meridian from latitude ϕ to the equator is given by ( ϕ in radians) where M ( ϕ )

8632-403: The squared eccentricity as 0.0067 (it depends on the choice of ellipsoid) the maximum difference of ϕ − θ {\displaystyle \phi {-}\theta } may be shown to be about 11.5 minutes of arc at a geodetic latitude of approximately 45° 6′. The parametric latitude or reduced latitude , β , is defined by the radius drawn from the centre of

8736-458: The standard reference for map projections, namely "Map projections: a working manual" by J. P. Snyder. Derivations of these expressions may be found in Adams and online publications by Osborne and Rapp. The geocentric latitude is the angle between the equatorial plane and the radius from the centre to a point of interest. When the point is on the surface of the ellipsoid, the relation between

8840-472: The study of geodesy, geophysics and map projections but they can all be expressed in terms of one or two members of the set a , b , f and e . Both f and e are small and often appear in series expansions in calculations; they are of the order ⁠ 1 / 298 ⁠ and 0.0818 respectively. Values for a number of ellipsoids are given in Figure of the Earth . Reference ellipsoids are usually defined by

8944-520: The summers are hot and dry. The archaeological heritage of Butrint is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country, containing different artefacts and structures, dating from the Iron Age up until the Middle Ages . Numerous monuments are still extant including the city walls, a late- antique baptistery , a great basilica , Roman theatre and two castles . The ancient city

9048-531: The surface at a great circle called the Equator . Planes parallel to the equatorial plane intersect the surface in circles of constant latitude; these are the parallels. The Equator has a latitude of 0°, the North Pole has a latitude of 90° North (written 90° N or +90°), and the South Pole has a latitude of 90° South (written 90° S or −90°). The latitude of an arbitrary point is the angle between

9152-478: The territory of the park. The principal architectural monuments in the park includes a Roman theatre, Dionysus altar , Nymphaeum , Thermae , Gymnasium , Forum , Aqueduct , the temples of Minerva and Asclepius , the Lion Gate and a Baptistery situated in Southern Albania and declared a UNESCO 's World Heritage Site in 1992. The Roman theatre of Butrint is among the best preserved buildings of

9256-407: The theory of map projections: The definitions given in this section all relate to locations on the reference ellipsoid but the first two auxiliary latitudes, like the geodetic latitude, can be extended to define a three-dimensional geographic coordinate system as discussed below . The remaining latitudes are not used in this way; they are used only as intermediate constructs in map projections of

9360-718: The town at that time. The Castle of Ali Pasha Tepelena lies within a small island along the mouth of the Vivari Channel and is named after the Albanian ruler Ali Pasha of Ioannina , who ruled over the Pashalik of Yanina and even attempted to rival the Dey of Algiers in the seas. The castle is a small rectangular structure with battered walls. Along the corners, there are two battered round towers with cannons on its seaward side and two irregularly sized battered square towers equipped with firing loops or windows. Another major attraction

9464-502: The town's master plan and the integrity of Butrint National Park. The remains of the demolished buildings have yet to be removed by authorities. The Butrint National Park comprises 9,424.4 ha (94.244 km) in Vlorë County located in the southwestern corner of Albania alongside the Ionian Sea within the Mediterranean Basin . It lies mostly between latitudes 39° and 44° N and longitudes 20° and 1° E. By road,

9568-525: The town. It is located just below the Acropolis and facing out over the Vivari Channel . The theatre was built in the 3rd century BC, possibly on the walls of an older and smaller theatre. During the Roman period , it underwent many renovations and extensions. They built boxes for the upper-class above the two entrances of the theatre. The auditorium was also enlarged to accommodate the growing population of

9672-597: The walls and the Grand Basilica. In 1274, Byzantine forces re-entered Butrint, an act which caused conflict between the Byzantines and the Despotate of Epirus , because Despot Nikephoros considered the site to be his domain. Despite deep religious differences between the Catholic Charles of Anjou and the staunchly Orthodox Nikephoros, the two allied against Byzantine Emperor Michael, and together drove

9776-575: The wars between Venice and the Ottoman Empire had left Butrinto ruinous and the acropolis was abandoned, while at the order of Domenico Foscarini, the Venetian commander of Corfu, the administration of Butrinto and its environs was shifted to a small triangular fortress associated with the extensive fish weirs. The area was lightly settled afterwards, occasionally being seized by the Ottoman Turks, in 1655 and 1718, before being recaptured by

9880-425: The water depth is higher than in other areas. They are covered with dense grasses of phragmites and typha latifolia . There are also underwater meadows dominated by zostera noltei and ruppia cirrhosa . Within the archaeological site and southern and eastern slopes of Sotira, Evergreen forests occupy's most of the area. Moreover, it is vertically divided into three distinct vegetation zones. The upper tree level

9984-516: The wider region Butrotum was one of the few cities in Epirus that survived and retained its status as a seat of a bishopric without interruption. Because of the scarcity of sources, it is difficult to assess whether Buthrotos was controlled by Slavs or Byzantines between the 7th to 10th centuries. Byzantine written sources of that time mention that Saint Elias of Enna was detained as a spy in Bouthrotos, while Arsenios of Corfu (876–953) noted

10088-456: Was conquered by the Angevins, and remained so throughout the fourteenth century. Hodges argues that the "episodic" defensive investment in Butrint as a town during this period demonstrates that it still possessed an active urban population, although not one urban dwelling had been identified at the time of writing. Hodges argues this indicates that dwellings were concentrated on the slopes of

10192-425: Was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and further a National Park in 2000 under the leadership of Auron Tare , its first director. The earliest archaeological evidence of settled occupation dates to between 10th and 8th centuries BC, although some claim that there is earlier evidence of habitation dating from the 12th century BC. Excavation at Bouthroton has yielded Proto-Corinthian pottery of

10296-667: Was erected around 380 BC enclosing and area of 4ha. This 870m-long wall included bastions and five gates. Two of the most important gates were known as Scean and Lion gate. Moreover, the agora, the stoas , the residential zone and the theatre were located in a separate walled area. Several inscriptions in Buthrotum describe the organization of the Chaonians in the beginning of the 3rd cent. BC. which show that they too had an annual leader called Prostates ( Greek : Προστάτης Protector). The Greek calendar of Bouthroton appears in

10400-530: Was geopolitical rather than scientific, aiming to extend Italian hegemony in the area. The leader was an Italian archaeologist, Luigi Maria Ugolini who despite the political aims of his mission was a good archaeologist. Ugolini died in 1936, but the excavations continued until 1943 and the Second World War . They uncovered the Hellenistic and Roman part of the city including the "Lion Gate" and

10504-583: Was in control of most of today's Albania and Angevin control on the Balkan mainland was limited to Butrinto, the later formed a single administrative unit together with nearby Corfu. In the 14th century the site shared a similar fate with Corfu. Butrint remained under Angevin rule until 1386, with only two other interruptions: in 1306, and in 1313–1331. In 1305-1306 it was controlled by the Despot of Epirus, Thomas I Komnenos Doukas . Butrint became Catholic after it

10608-482: Was initially a suffragan of the Metropolis of Nicopolis , the metropolitan capital of Epirus Vetus and in the papal sway, but in the 9th and 10th centuries it is listed with the suffragans of Naupaktos , which succeeded ruined Nicopolis as provincial capital and metropolis of the new Byzantine theme of Nicopolis , bringing it in the sway of the Byzantine Patriarchate of Constantinople . After

10712-491: Was reluctantly ceded to Albania, with peace assured by Italian peacekeeping force until 1919. Italy rejected the decision because it didn't want Greece to control both sides of the Straits of Corfu . In the early 6th century, Buthrotum became the seat of a bishopric and new construction included the Buthrotum baptistery , one of the largest such paleochristian buildings of its type, and a basilica . The diocese of Buthrotum

10816-567: Was somewhat of an environmental disaster and may yet threaten Butrint's World Heritage Site status. The ancient city is becoming a popular tourist destination, attracting day-trippers from the nearby Greek holiday island of Corfu. Hydrofoils (30 minutes) and ferries (90 minutes) run daily between the New Port in Corfu Town and Saranda. Many visitors from Corfu use chartered coach services to visit Butrint from Sarandë, and additionally,

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