Flag of the city of Zakynthos, Greece

Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; Greek: Ζάκυνθος, romanised: Zákynthos [ˈzacinθos] ; Italian: Zacinto [dzaˈtʃinto]) or Zante (/ˈzænti/, US also /ˈzɑːnteɪ/, Italian: [ˈdzante]; Greek: Τζάντε, romanised: Tzánte [ˈdza(n)de]; from the Venetian form, traditionally Latinised as Zacynthus) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands, with an area of 405.55 km2 (156.6 sq mi), and a coastline 123 km (76 mi) in length. The name, like all similar names ending in -nthos, is pre-Mycenaean or Pelasgian in origin. In Greek mythology, the island was said to be named after Zacynthus, the son of the legendary Arcadian chief Dardanus. Zakynthos is a tourist destination, especially amongst British tourists, with an international airport served by charter flights from northern Europe. The island's nickname is "the Flower of the Levant", bestowed upon it by the Venetians, who ruled Zakynthos from 1484 to 1797.