Evros Prefecture
Encyclopedia
Evros is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace
. Its name is derived from the river Evros
, which appears to have been a Thracian
hydronym
. Evros is the northernmost regional unit. It borders Turkey
to the east, across the river Evros, and it borders Bulgaria
to the north and the northwest. Its capital is Alexandroupoli
. Together with the regional units Rhodope and Xanthi, it forms the geographical region of Western Thrace
.
, and includes the island Samothrace
in the northern Aegean Sea
. Its length is about 150 km from north to south (excluding Samothrace). Its width ranges from 70 to 100 km from east to west. The most important rivers are the Evros
and its tributary Arda.
The Rhodope Mountains
lie in the west and the southwest. The Aegean Sea
lies to the south. The Evros valley is flat. Samothrace is mountainous.
The coastal area has a predominantly Mediterranean climate, whereas the northern part and the mountains have a colder continental climate.
in 1930 , when the former Thrace Prefecture
was divided into the Rhodope and Evros prefectures. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the prefecture was transformed into a regional unit within the East Macedonia and Thrace region, with no change in its boundaries. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece
.
. Macedonian rule lasted until the revolution of the 310s BC, when it became a part of the Seleucid Dynasty
that ruled until 90 and 80 BC. It joined the Roman Empire
and the province of Thrace and was under its rule until 395 AD, at which time Rome split into the Western
and the Eastern Roman Empire. Thrace was to be ruled with the Eastern Roman Empire, ending in the 15th century. The Goths
invaded the area and shortly afterwards it was invaded by the Slavs. It became a part of the Ottoman Empire
. The modern prefecture was invaded by Bulgaria
during the Balkan Wars
and affiliated to that country. The area did not became fully Greek until the war of 1920 ended non-Greek rule over the area. It became a part of the prefecture of Thrace
which was not subdivided until 1947, one of these new areas being the modern Evros prefecture. During the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
, many Greek refugees relocated to the sporadic parts of the modern prefecture including towns and villages some areas formerly inhabited by the Turks and others , and with the new city of Orestiada, its economy slowly improved. After World War II
and the Greek Civil War
, one of the few areas of which to be spared Alexandroupoli, many structures were rebuilt. Its economy was reconstructed, but some of its inhabitants left for larger towns and cities in Greece, and abroad in the mid to late 20th century.
The river area was devastated by floods in the 1950s and the 1960s, devastating villages around Orestiada
; it was affected again with flooding of Lavara
and Didymoteicho
in late-1997, with a recurrence between February 17 to February 22, 2005, and again from March 1 to March 4, 2005.
East Macedonia and Thrace
East Macedonia and Thrace is one of the thirteen regions of Greece. It consists of the northeastern parts of the country, comprising the eastern part of the region of Macedonia along with the region of Thrace, and the islands of Thasos and Samothrace....
. Its name is derived from the river Evros
Maritsa
The Maritsa or Evros , ) is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...
, which appears to have been a Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
hydronym
Hydronym
A hydronym is a proper name of a body of water. Hydronymy is the study of hydronyms and of how bodies of water receive their names and how they are transmitted through history...
. Evros is the northernmost regional unit. It borders Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to the east, across the river Evros, and it borders Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
to the north and the northwest. Its capital is Alexandroupoli
Alexandroupoli
Alexandroupoli , is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.-Name:...
. Together with the regional units Rhodope and Xanthi, it forms the geographical region of Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
.
Geography
Evros is one of the largest regional units of Greece. It forms the eastern part of the geographical region Western ThraceWestern Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
, and includes the island Samothrace
Samothrace
Samothrace is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. It is a self-governing municipality within the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The island is long and is in size and has a population of 2,723 . Its main industries are fishing and tourism. Resources on the island includes granite and...
in the northern Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. Its length is about 150 km from north to south (excluding Samothrace). Its width ranges from 70 to 100 km from east to west. The most important rivers are the Evros
Maritsa
The Maritsa or Evros , ) is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...
and its tributary Arda.
The Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
lie in the west and the southwest. The Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
lies to the south. The Evros valley is flat. Samothrace is mountainous.
The coastal area has a predominantly Mediterranean climate, whereas the northern part and the mountains have a colder continental climate.
Administration
The Evros regional unit is subdivided into 5 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):- AlexandroupoliAlexandroupoliAlexandroupoli , is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.-Name:...
(1) - DidymoteichoDidymoteichoDidymóteicho is a town located in the eastern part of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town sits on a plain and located south east of Svilengrad, south of Edirne, Turkey and Orestiada, west of Uzunköprü, about 20 km north...
(2) - OrestiadaOrestiadaOrestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey...
(3) - SamothraceSamothraceSamothrace is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. It is a self-governing municipality within the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The island is long and is in size and has a population of 2,723 . Its main industries are fishing and tourism. Resources on the island includes granite and...
(Samothraki, 4) - SoufliSoufliSoufli is a city in the Evros peripheral unit, Greece, notable for the silk industry that flourished there in the 19th century. The town stands on the eastern slope of the twin hill of Prophet Elias, one of the easternmost spurs on the Rhodope Mountains...
(5)
Prefecture
Evros was established as a prefecturePrefectures of Greece
During the first administrative division of independent Greece in 1833–1836 and then again from 1845 until their abolition with the Kallikratis reform in 2010, the prefectures were the country's main administrative unit...
in 1930 , when the former Thrace Prefecture
Thrace Prefecture
Thrace Prefecture was disestablished in 1930, when it was split into the Rhodope Prefecture and Evros Prefecture.In 1944 Xanthi Prefecture was created from parts of Rhodope Prefecture. The remaining part of Rhodope was later joined with Evros to form the Rhodope-Evros Super-prefecture.The area is...
was divided into the Rhodope and Evros prefectures. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the prefecture was transformed into a regional unit within the East Macedonia and Thrace region, with no change in its boundaries. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
| New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandroupoli Alexandroupoli Alexandroupoli , is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.-Name:... |
Alexandroupoli Alexandroupoli Alexandroupoli , is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.-Name:... |
Alexandroupoli |
| Traianoupoli Traianoupoli Traianoupoli is a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Alexandroupoli, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,335... |
||
| Feres Feres, Evros Feres is a town and a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Alexandroupoli, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 9,839... |
||
| Didymoteicho Didymoteicho Didymóteicho is a town located in the eastern part of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town sits on a plain and located south east of Svilengrad, south of Edirne, Turkey and Orestiada, west of Uzunköprü, about 20 km north... |
Didymoteicho Didymoteicho Didymóteicho is a town located in the eastern part of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town sits on a plain and located south east of Svilengrad, south of Edirne, Turkey and Orestiada, west of Uzunköprü, about 20 km north... |
Didymoteicho |
| Metaxades Metaxades Metaxades is a town and a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Didymoteicho, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 874 for the village, 914 for the community and... |
||
| Orestiada Orestiada Orestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey... |
Orestiada Orestiada Orestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey... |
Orestiada |
| Vyssa Vyssa Vyssa is a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Orestiada, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 8,184 . The seat of the municipality was in Nea Vyssa. It is named after a... |
||
| Kyprinos Kyprinos Kyprinos is a town and a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Orestiada, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 1,157 for the village and 2,915 for the municipal... |
||
| Trigono Trigono Trígono is a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Orestiada, of which it is a municipal unit. Its population is 6,656 . The seat of the municipality was in Dikaia. Its area is... |
||
| Samothrace Samothrace Samothrace is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. It is a self-governing municipality within the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The island is long and is in size and has a population of 2,723 . Its main industries are fishing and tourism. Resources on the island includes granite and... (Samothraki) |
Samothrace Samothrace Samothrace is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. It is a self-governing municipality within the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The island is long and is in size and has a population of 2,723 . Its main industries are fishing and tourism. Resources on the island includes granite and... |
Samothrace |
| Soufli Soufli Soufli is a city in the Evros peripheral unit, Greece, notable for the silk industry that flourished there in the 19th century. The town stands on the eastern slope of the twin hill of Prophet Elias, one of the easternmost spurs on the Rhodope Mountains... |
Soufli Soufli Soufli is a city in the Evros peripheral unit, Greece, notable for the silk industry that flourished there in the 19th century. The town stands on the eastern slope of the twin hill of Prophet Elias, one of the easternmost spurs on the Rhodope Mountains... |
Soufli |
| Orfeas Orfeas Orfeas , named after the mythical musician Orpheus, is a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Soufli, of which it is a municipal unit. Its land area is 643.266 km² and its... |
||
| Tychero Tychero Tycheró is a town and a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Soufli, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,103 . Tychero is connected and bypassed with the GR-51/E85... |
Provinces
- Province of OrestiadaOrestiadaOrestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey...
- Orestiada - Province of DidymoteichoDidymoteichoDidymóteicho is a town located in the eastern part of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town sits on a plain and located south east of Svilengrad, south of Edirne, Turkey and Orestiada, west of Uzunköprü, about 20 km north...
- Didymoteicho - Province of SoufliSoufliSoufli is a city in the Evros peripheral unit, Greece, notable for the silk industry that flourished there in the 19th century. The town stands on the eastern slope of the twin hill of Prophet Elias, one of the easternmost spurs on the Rhodope Mountains...
- Soufli - Province of AlexandroupoliAlexandroupoliAlexandroupoli , is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.-Name:...
- Alexandroupolis - Province of SamothraceSamothraceSamothrace is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. It is a self-governing municipality within the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The island is long and is in size and has a population of 2,723 . Its main industries are fishing and tourism. Resources on the island includes granite and...
- Samothrace
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
History
Before it was annexed to the Kingdom of Macedonia, the area was ruled by the ThraciansThracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
. Macedonian rule lasted until the revolution of the 310s BC, when it became a part of the Seleucid Dynasty
Seleucid dynasty
The Seleucid dynasty or the Seleucidae was a Greek Macedonian royal family, founded by Seleucus I Nicator , which ruled the Seleucid Kingdom centered in the Near East and regions of the Asian part of the earlier Achaemenid Persian Empire during the Hellenistic period.-History:Seleucus was an...
that ruled until 90 and 80 BC. It joined the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and the province of Thrace and was under its rule until 395 AD, at which time Rome split into the Western
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
and the Eastern Roman Empire. Thrace was to be ruled with the Eastern Roman Empire, ending in the 15th century. The Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
invaded the area and shortly afterwards it was invaded by the Slavs. It became a part of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. The modern prefecture was invaded by Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
during the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
and affiliated to that country. The area did not became fully Greek until the war of 1920 ended non-Greek rule over the area. It became a part of the prefecture of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
which was not subdivided until 1947, one of these new areas being the modern Evros prefecture. During the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
The Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, known as the Western Front of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey and the Asia Minor Campaign or the Asia Minor Catastrophe in Greece, was a series of military events occurring during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May...
, many Greek refugees relocated to the sporadic parts of the modern prefecture including towns and villages some areas formerly inhabited by the Turks and others , and with the new city of Orestiada, its economy slowly improved. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
, one of the few areas of which to be spared Alexandroupoli, many structures were rebuilt. Its economy was reconstructed, but some of its inhabitants left for larger towns and cities in Greece, and abroad in the mid to late 20th century.
The river area was devastated by floods in the 1950s and the 1960s, devastating villages around Orestiada
Orestiada
Orestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey...
; it was affected again with flooding of Lavara
Lavara
Lavara is a town located in the eastern part of Evros. It was the seat of the municipality of Orfeas . It is located only 2 km from Turkey and the western banks of the Evros....
and Didymoteicho
Didymoteicho
Didymóteicho is a town located in the eastern part of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town sits on a plain and located south east of Svilengrad, south of Edirne, Turkey and Orestiada, west of Uzunköprü, about 20 km north...
in late-1997, with a recurrence between February 17 to February 22, 2005, and again from March 1 to March 4, 2005.
Transport
- GR-2Greek National Road 2The National Road 2 in Greece is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the regions of Macedonia and Thrace. It is often confused with the A2 Egnatia Odos, which is a motorway/freeway and is similarly numbered as .Parts of the road belong to european route E86....
/E90European route E90European route E 90 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from Lisbon in Portugal in the west to the Turkish-Iraqi border in the east.-Itinerary:...
, Via EgnatiaVia EgnatiaThe Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed the Roman provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey.Starting at Dyrrachium on the...
, old and new, SW, S, SE - GR-51/E85European route E85European route E 85 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 85 starts from Klaipėda runs south through Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria to Greece, ending at Alexandroupolis....
, SE, E, NE - GR-53Greek National Road 53Greek National Road 53 is a national highway of Greece. It connects Mega Dereio with Metaxades and Didymoteicho....
, SW, W, NW
Notable people
- Duke Ter Hachatrjan AleksandrTer HachatrjanTer Hachatrjan is the name of a Russian noble family, from 18 century. Duke Aleksandr Ter Hachatrjan . Duke Aleksandr was born as an Armenian aristocrat, who belonged to the Russian nobility. He was married to Greek duchess Sofia...
- Todor DinovTodor DinovTodor Dinov is informally known as the Father of Bulgarian Animation. During his lifetime he wrote and directed more than 40 short animated films and several live-action feature films, and was also a popular illustrator, painter, graphic artist and caricaturist.Dinov was born to a Bulgarian...
(1919–2004), Bulgarian graphic artist and animator - Hrysopiyi DevetziHrysopiyí DevetzíHrysopiyi "Pigi" Devetzi in Alexandroupoli is a former Greek athlete competing in the triple jump and long jump.She won the triple jump silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with 15.25 and the triple jump bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics with 15.23. At the 2004 Summer Olympics...
(1976), Greek athlete - Demis NikolaidisDemis NikolaidisThemistoklis "Demis" Nikolaidis was the forty second president of AEK Athens F.C., and is considered one of the finest footballers Greece has ever produced. In his early childhood and teenage years he lived in the city of Alexandroupoli, in the north-east part of Greece...
(1973), Greek footballer - Athanasios TsigasAthanasios TsigasThanasis Tsigas is a Greek footballer who plays for Kerkyra FC.He is a professional since 2001 and he played for Paniliakos, Kallithea, PAOK, Panathinaikos and Atromitos. He was the first striker that Larissa signed in for 2008-2009 season...
(1982), Greek footballer - Lefteris HapsiadisLefteris HapsiadisLefteris Hapsiadis is a distinguished contemporary Greek lyrics author, a poet and a writer of novels. In the last thirty years he has written various poems, three novels and also lyrics for 525 songs in the contemporary Greek rebetika, laïka and elafra genres...
(1953), Greek Lyrics Creator and Writer