Egadi Islands

Egadi Islands (e'gädē) [key]or Aegadian Isles (ēgā'dēun) [key], Lat. Aegates, archipelago (1987 est. pop. 5,000), c.15 sq mi (40 sq km), W Sicily, Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea. The chief islands are Favignana, Maretti-mo, and Levanzo. Fishing is the main occupation, and the most important tuna fisheries of Sicily are there. A Roman naval victory over the Carthaginians in the battle of the Aegates, fought near the islands in 241 B.C., ended the first of the Punic Wars.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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