The island's climate is mild and healthy. The summer is cool and pleasant and the winter is mild. It almost never snows and it often rains, thus the island is green and fertile for cultivation. The temperature never drops below 0^o C and never over 40^o C. The average temperature in January is 11.2^o C and in July is 26.1^o C. The island's humidity is low, lower than the humidity of the Cyclades, which are the same latitude. Most of the days are sunny; the island of Zakynthos is the second sunniest part of Greece, next to Dodecanese.

The island's primary trade is centered around its agriculture, which was developed during the Venetian Rule when the production of oil and raisins was firmly established. The majority of the island's products during this time were tended by Peloponese refugees. Today the largest part of the island is covered with grapevines, orchards, olive grows and pine forests. The frequent rains enhance the fertility of the earth, thus the locals are able to make a living through their agriculture. The island's products are: fruits, potatoes, onions, oil, raisins, wine and cereals. In the mountainous areas, people are primarily stock-breeders; few of the locals fish.

Zakynthos is the third island in the Ionian sea, as far as extension is concerned, after Kefalonia and Corfu. It is 8.5 nautical miles from Kefalonia and 10 nautical miles from Kilini. It has a surface area of 402 square km and a population of 32,800. The island's coasts, 123 km long, are steep in the west and sandy in the southeast. The capital which has the same name as the prefecture, is the town of Zakynthos. This includes the islets of Strofades and it is on the eastern part of the island.

Zakynthos is a fertile island with dense vegetation. Agricultural output includes cereals, olive-groves, grapevines and gardens with fruit-trees. The island's mountains are covered with forests. The sea turtle Caretta-Caretta seeks refuge on the southern sandy beaches of Zakynthos, in August, in order to bear her eggs. Caretta-Caretta is a protected species and the Zakynthian coasts are waterlands protected by strict laws regarding their existence. This area species of turtle is threatened by the uncontrolled touristic growth of the island. An example of this lies in the fact that the bright lights of Laganas have pushed the turtle away from the area, forcing it to seek refuge in surrounding quieter coasts. During the night, when everything is calm, the turtle emerges from the sea and digs a hole in the sand (50 cm. deep) to keep her 120 eggs for 55 days. When the time has come, the little turtles leave their nest and fall into the sea.

Like all the Ionian islands, Zakynthos is of great geological interest. Geotectonically, it belongs to the zone of Paxi. Scientists claim that the island exists because of an underwater plate, which emerged due to strong earthquakes. The islets surrounding the Zakynhian coasts and the crevice called "Pigali Inousson", situated in the southeastern part of the island, which is the deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea corroborate this theory. The newly formed petrifaction of the island includes deposits of plaster and mineral coal. In the area of Laganas, in the bay of Keri, oil drilling has been unsuccessful. The island has impressive geological activity, thus strong earthquakes cause severe damage to the buildings. In spite of this, Zakynthians, with determination and patience, have managed to restore their life after similar destructive earthquakes.

The island of Zakynthos is mountainous. Its highest peak is mount Vrahionas (756 m.) on the western part of the island. This mountain slopes into the sea, forming steep and inaccessible coasts, unlike the island's sandy beaches in the southeast. Other mountains of Zakynthos are: Atheras (583 m.), Kaki Rahi (680 m.) and Skopos (483 m.). The scenery is majestic, as the green slopes combine with the orchards and the picturesque coasts.

The Zakynthians are happy and friendly people. They have a great sense of humor, they move their hands intensely while speaking and their language, full of words with Italian roots, has melody and harmony. The Zakynthians love literature and art. They are very cultured, and their behaviour is cosmopolitan, due to the fact that they travel extensively through Europe, particularly Italy. The Zakynthians love their island, and throughout the years they have tried to preserve their traditions and their solid identity.