Editing Hydra (island) (section)

=== Modern history ===
With the end of the revolution and the creation of the Greek state, the island gradually lost its maritime position in the Eastern Mediterranean, igniting an economic crisis that led to a period of hardship and unemployment. The main reason was that with the creation of the Greek state, Hydra's fleet lost the privileges that the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca and the use of the Russian flag had given it. Another reason was that the traditional families who owned the majority of the fleet failed to foresee the benefits of participating in the [[steam ship]] revolution, which significantly cut shipping operational costs through reduced crew and independence of the winds, putting them at a disadvantage vis-á-vis the new shipping companies of [[Piraeus]], [[Patras]], and [[Syros]]. A third reason was that the new conditions made illegal activities such as piracy impossible. Once again, many inhabitants abandoned Hydra, leaving behind their large mansions and beautiful residences, which fell into ruin. The mainstay of the island's economy became fishing for [[sponge]]. This brought prosperity again until 1932, when Egypt forbade fishing along its coast.

Between 1941 and 1943, during the [[Axis occupation of Greece during World War II]], there was famine on Hydra. It is estimated that some eight per cent of the population died of starvation. By the end of the [[World War II]], the Hydriots were again leaving the island; many of them went abroad.

On 21 June 2024, the only pine forest on the island was burned. The fire was caused by fireworks launched from a yacht. The Greek authorities arrested thirteen people in relation to the incident, all of whom were crew members of the yacht.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=22 June 2024 |title=Thirteen arrested after fireworks from yacht spark forest fire on Greek island |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/22/thirteen-arrested-after-fireworks-spark-forest-fire-on-greek-island |access-date=23 June 2024 |work=[[The Observer]] | language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Wertheimer |first1=Tiffany |last2=Aeberhard |first2=Danny |date=23 June 2024 |title=Crew arrested after yacht fireworks spark Greece blaze |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c722p1ljlk9o |work=[[BBC News]] | language=en-GB}}</ref>