Linked with the northern part of the Greek mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth, what is the name for the peninsula which forms the southern part of Greece?

This vast, hand-shaped landmass forms the southernmost region of mainland Greece. For millennia, it was joined to the rest of the country by the slender Isthmus of Corinth, a narrow strip of land that separated the Gulf of Corinth from the Saronic Gulf. In 1893, however, the Corinth Canal was completed, slicing through the isthmus and technically turning the peninsula into an island. This historic and geographically distinct region is the Peloponnisos.

The name itself is steeped in mythology, translating to "Island of Pelops" after a legendary king who was said to have conquered the territory. The peninsula was a true heartland of ancient Greece, home to some of its most significant Bronze Age and Classical sites. It was here that the powerful city-state of Sparta rose to prominence, challenging Athens in the famous Peloponnesian War. The region also hosted the original Olympic Games at Olympia and contains the legendary Bronze Age citadels of Mycenae and Tiryns.