Gavalou
{{Infobox Greek Dimos
|name = Gavalou
|name_local = Γαβαλού
|type = community
|periph = West Greece
|periphunit = Aetolia-Acarnania
|municipality = Agrinio
|municunit = Makryneia
|pop_community = 944
|population_as_of = 2021
|area =
|elevation =
|coordinates = {{coord|38|31|N|21|31|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code =
|area_code =
|licence =
|website =
|image_skyline =
|caption_skyline =
|elevation_min =
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}}
Gavalou ({{langx|el|Γαβαλού}}) is a town and a community in the municipal unit of Makryneia, Aetolia-Acarnania, Greece. The community includes the small village Kourtelaiika. The town is located south of Lake Trichonida, the largest natural lake of Greece. It is 7 km east of Papadates, 10 km northwest of Kato Makrinou and 15 km southeast of Agrinio.
Population
| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Town population !! Community population | ||
| 1981 | 1,407 | - |
| 1991 | 1,383 | - |
| 2001 | 1,386 | 1,484 |
| 2011 | 1,018 | 1,051 |
| 2021 | 922 | 944 |
History
Gavalou may be built at or near the site of the ancient Aetolian town Trichonium, from which the Lake Trichonida derived its name. Its position is uncertain. Leake places it S. of the lake at a place called Gavala, and Kiepert, in his map E. of the lake. But since Strabo mentions it along with Stratus as situated in a fertile plain, it ought probably to be placed N. of the lake (Strab. x. p. 450; Pol. v. 7; Steph. B. s. v.). It was evidently a place of importance, and several natives of this town are mentioned in history. (Pol. iv. 3, v. 13, xvii. 10; Paus. ii. 37. § 3; Leake, Northern Greece, vol. i. p. 155.)
The Old Aetolia was the seacoast extending from the Achelous to Calydon, reaching for a considerable distance into the interior, which is fertile and level; here in the interior lie Stratus and Trichonium, the latter having excellent soil. A prominent figure was Alexander of Trichonium in Aetolia and he was commander of the Aetolians in 218 and 219 BC. He attacked the rear of the army of Philip on his return from Thermus, but the attempt was unsuccessful, and many Aetolians fell. (Polyb. v. 13)
Climate
Gavalou has a Mediterranean climate with relatively mild winters and particularly hot summers. Gavalou is after Sparta the area with the highest average summer maximum temperatures in the country. Like most of Western Greece it receives a lot of rainfall during the winter and autumn with an average annual precipitation of more than 1.100 mm.
In July 2024 Gavalou recorded 14 consecutive days with temperatures over 40 °C (104 °F). {{cite web | url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721142633/https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/gavalou/NOAAMO.TXT | title=Gavalou NOA record temperatures | accessdate=21 July 2024}}
{{Weather box
|location= Gavalou (2008–2024)
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|Jan high C=13.6
|Feb high C=15.4
|Mar high C=18.1
|Apr high C=22.7
|May high C=27.2
|Jun high C=32.3
|Jul high C=35.9
|Aug high C=36.0
|Sep high C=30.4
|Oct high C=24.2
|Nov high C=19.3
|Dec high C=14.9
|Jan mean C= 9.5
|Feb mean C=10.8
|Mar mean C=12.7
|Apr mean C=16.5
|May mean C=20.6
|Jun mean C=25.3
|Jul mean C=28.5
|Aug mean C=28.4
|Sep mean C=24.2
|Oct mean C=19.1
|Nov mean C=14.9
|Dec mean C=11.0
|Jan low C= 5.5
|Feb low C= 6.3
|Mar low C= 7.3
|Apr low C=10.2
|May low C=14.0
|Jun low C=18.2
|Jul low C=21.1
|Aug low C=21.0
|Sep low C=18.0
|Oct low C=13.9
|Nov low C=10.6
|Dec low C= 7.0
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm=191.1
|Feb rain mm=125.0
|Mar rain mm=111.1
|Apr rain mm=56.0
|May rain mm=44.1
|Jun rain mm=46.1
|Jul rain mm= 9.2
|Aug rain mm= 29.5
|Sep rain mm=67.8
|Oct rain mm=125.5
|Nov rain mm=159.6
|Dec rain mm=158.6
| Jan record high C = 23.2
| Feb record high C = 24.8
| Mar record high C = 28.2
| Apr record high C = 33.2
| May record high C = 38.5
| Jun record high C = 41.6
| Jul record high C = 43.4
| Aug record high C = 43.2
| Sep record high C = 38.7
| Oct record high C = 36.2
| Nov record high C = 30.0
| Dec record high C = 23.9
| Jan record low C = -3.6
| Feb record low C = -1.9
| Mar record low C = -1.0
| Apr record low C = 3.4
| May record low C = 8.5
| Jun record low C = 12.0
| Jul record low C = 15.7
| Aug record low C = 16.8
| Sep record low C = 11.8
| Oct record low C = 5.4
| Nov record low C = 3.1
| Dec record low C = -1.7
|source = National Observatory of Athens (Sep 2008 - Aug 2024),{{cite web|url =https://www.meteo.gr/climate/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927081043/https://meteo.gr/climate/|archive-date=27 September 2022|title= Climate |publisher = National Observatory of Athens|language = el}}{{cite web | url=https://www.meteo.gr/Monthly_Bulletins.cfm | title=N.O.A Monthly Bulletins }}
Gavalou N.O.A station,{{cite web | url=https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/gavalou/ | title=Latest Conditions in Gavalou }}
}}