Greek Regions

The Country of Greece has 10 Traditional Subnational Divisions, 54 Prefectures, 13 Peripheries, and 3 Super-Prefectures (Athens-Piraeus, Drama-Kavala-Xanthi, and Rhodope-Evros). Prefectures are a second-degree organization of local self-government below the ruling Communities and Municipalities of Greece ruled by the Greek Constitution.

The 10 Divisions of Greece are the Aegean Islands, Attica, Central Greece, Crete, Epirus, the Ionian Islands, Macadonia, Peloponnese, Thessaly, and Thrace.

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The Aegean Islands are divided into seven groups with mainland Greece to the west and north, and Turkey to the east. Crete is to the south. Archipalego was the Ancient name of the Aegean Sea and now refers to any island group.

The Northeastern Aegean Islands include Somos, Ikaria, Chios, Lesbos, Lenmos, Imbros, Samothrace, and Thasos. Of the 24 islands found there, five islands in the Sporodes chain, northeast of the Island of Euboea, along the east coast of Greece, are inhabited. They include Alonnisos, Skiathos, Skepelos, Peristera, and Skynos.

Euboea Island is the second largest of the Greek Aegean islands and Greece's second largest island in terms of overall area and population, after Crete. Euboea is a long, narrow, horseshoe-shaped island separated from the mainland of Greece by the Euripus Strait. Ancient Euboea colonized Magna Graecia and Sicily with the settlements of Crumae and Rhegium, opening trade routes for Greece.

The Argo-Saronic Islands are Hydra and Dokos. Ancient Hydra was known as Hydrea because of the many Springs on the island. Hydra is dependent on tourism, many of them from Athens and Piraeus, with daily catamaran boat tours. Popular tourist locations on Hydra include the Tsamadou Mansion, the Tombazi Mansion, and the Lazarus, George Koundouriotis, Boudouri, Kriezi, Voulgais, and Miaouli mansions that all contain 18th Century island furniture museums. Sites on Dokos include the ruins of an Ancient Byzantine Venetian castle.

The Cyclades Island group is southeast of the mainland of Greece and is one of the island groups that make up the Aegean Archipelago. The Cyclades are where the native breed of Greek cat originated from. There are 220 islands that comprise the Cyclades, most of which are uninhabited, and are part of a submerged mountainous terrain. Two are volcanic islands, they are Milos and Santorini. Other major Cyclade islands include Amorgos, Anafe, Andros, Antiparos, Delos, Eschate, Los, Kea, Kimolos, Kythnos, Melos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Folegandros, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Syros, and Tenos.

Wine, fruit, wheat, and olive oil are major crops of the Cyclade Islands. Cycladic culture is best known for its flat idols carved out of the island's pure white marble.

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Located in south Greece the Periphery of Attica contains the Greek capital city of Athens. The Attica Peninsula juts into the Aegean Sea and is divided to the north by the Kithairon mountain range separating Attica into three Plains. They are Pedia, Mesageria, and Thriasia. The Kithairon mountains include the Hymettus, Geraneia, Pamitha (the tallest mountain in Attica), Aigeleo, and Pentili to the east, the Boeotian Plain to the north, Corinth to the west, and the Sargonic Gulf to the south. Lake Marathon, Athens only large reservoir, is known as Marathon Dam, and is Attica's largest lake. The Ephisus River is the longest river in Attica.

Ancient Attica was ruled by the Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman Empires, and the most important remains of Ancient Attica are found in Eleusis.

Ancient Athens was first settled by the Ionians, an early Indo-European tribe. Athens was refounded in 1834 as the new capital of Greece, which was moved from Nauplia in Argolis. About 95 percent of Attica's population resides in Athens, which was originally the capital of Central Greece.

The Sarconic Islands, Traezen, and the Ionian Island of Cythera are part of the Attica Periphery. Other islands in the Attica Periphery include Salamis, Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Kythera, and Antikythera. The four Prefectures of Attica include Athens, Pieraeus, East Attica, and West Attica, an area of about 1470 square miles. Attica's climate is Mediterranean with little rainfall and forest fires and flash floods are common in Attica.

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Central Greece is also known as Continental Greece, or Roumeli. It is a geographical region of Greece divided between the Peripheries of Central Greece, Attica, and one Prefecture of West Greece.

Roumeli is traditionally known as "The Land of the Rum, (the Romans and Byzantine Greeks). The official name of Central Greece is Sterea Ellada (Mainland Greece). Central Greece was the first region to form modern Greece.

With a temperate climate, Central Greece is located West of the Ionian Sea, and North of the Peloponnese. Central Greece is the second largest region in Greece and lies South of Thessaly and Epirus while bordering the Aegean Sea on the east.

Five of the highest mountain elevations in Greece are found in the Central Greece region including Mount Giona, Mount Vardousia, Mount Parnassus, Mount Tymfristos, and Mount Oeta.

The Central Greece region also has five of the largest lakes in Greece. They are Trichonika, Yliki, Amvrakia, Lysinachia, and Ozeros.

Acheloos, in Aetelia-Acarnania, is the second longest river in Greece, and is located in the Central Greece region. Other major rivers in the region are Sperekeious, in Phthiotis, Evenus, in Aetolia-Acarnania, and Mornos, in Phoris.

Major cities in Central Greece include Athens, Lamia, Chalkida, Agrinio, Thebes, and Livadeia.

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Crete:

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Epirus:

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Ionian Islands:

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Macadonia:

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Pelopennese:

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Thessaly:

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Thrace is located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in northeast Greece. Thrace is divided into three Prefectures. They consist of Xanthi, which dates back to 879BC, and is now a modern capital city with a rich history, traditions, and customs, and many Attractions for visitors to enjoy, as well as the Carnival Season held in February or March, depending on the year, the Old Town Festival in September, and the Bazaars every Saturday. Xanthi is known as "The City of The Thousand Colors," and encompasses an area of 59 square miles.

Rodhopi, in central Thrace, was named after the Rodope Mountains and also contains farmlands, forests, and grasslands. The city of Komotini is the capital of the Prefecture and Sapes is the second largest city in Rodhopi. There are approximately 982 square miles in the Prefecture that borders Bulgaria to the north.

Evros has 1638 square miles and is the northernmost Greek Prefecture, bordering Turkey to the East and Bulgaria to the north. Alexandroupoli is the capital city of the Evros Prefecture. In Ancient Greece Macedonia ruled the Evros Prefecture until 310BC and many structures have been rebuilt since the end of the Greek Civil War in 1852.

Together with Drama and Kavala of the Macadonian Prefecture, Thrace forms the East Macadonia Periphery of Greece. Thrace has been ruled by the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, Bulgaria, the Mongols, and the Ottoman Turks before Greece gained its independence in 1852.

Ancient Thracians were wellknown fierce fighters and not too loyal, switching sides frequently in the middle of battles.