Imathia Prefecture
Encyclopedia
Imathia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Macedonia
. The capital of Imathia is the city of Veroia.
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece since 2006.
to the southeast and the Vermion Mountains
to the west. Much of the population is in the valley areas. The longest river is the Aliákmon river which flows to the south and east. Its reservoir is partially bounded with Kozani. Imathia's lowest point is the Thermaic Gulf and the highest point is Vermio to the west
The regional unit borders on Pieria to the south, Kozani to the west, Pella to the north and Thessaloniki to the east. Imathia has a short shoreline on the Thermaic Gulf
to the east.
, during the Macedonian Empire, when the name connoted the district between the Haliacmon and Loudias. The ancient and classical Imathia included Edessa
and Aigai
, the ancient capital of Beroea
, Kitio (Κίτιον, now Naousa
), etc.
Later, Imathia was annexed to the Roman rule
and later the Byzantine rule
. The Ottoman Empire
ruled the area from the 15th century until the Balkan Wars
of 1913. Unlike southern central and central Greece, it only joined Greece during the Balkan Wars and the treaties
of Bucharest
and London. The population exploded and farmlands expanded and its streets plans were modernized, and Veria received electricity, and its major roads became paved. During the Greco-Turkish War, several refugees from Asia Minor
(now in Turkey
) arriving in Imathia built refugee camps and houses, as well as several villages modeled after their former villages. Imathia experienced World War II
and saw damages to most of the homes and properties. The area suffered again during Greek Civil War
, which saw the last fighting in the area. For the first 34 years of being Greek, Imathia belonged to the prefecture of Thessaloniki. In 1947 Imathia became a prefecture, and Veroia was selected the its capital.
Imathia yet again saw a small growth in the 1950s but the growth slowed due to emigration. The villages saw their roads paved, their homes receive electricity, more automobiles, radios and appliances. Television arrived in the 1960s and the 1970s for the rural portion, and the GR-1 was completed in 1972. The 1980s saw the first construction of the Egnatia Odos
superhighway, and it became the second superhighway in the prefecture with two undivided lanes. Between 1998 and 2005, the superhighway added two more lanes and became divided. It also extended to the prefectural boundary with Kozani along with some tunnels.
crops and some strawberries
, and the production is large. The jam Naoussa is the most famous production of the native area.
Αχιλλέας Νεοκάστρου.
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the region of Macedonia. With a population of over 1.8 million, it is the second most populous in Greece after Attica.- Administration :...
. The capital of Imathia is the city of Veroia.
Administration
The regional unit Imathia is subdivided into 3 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):- AlexandreiaAlexandreiaAlexandreia is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit, Greece.-Municipality:The municipality Alexandreia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:* Alexandreia...
(2) - NaousaNaousa, ImathiaNaousa or Naoussa is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. Population 34,441.It is famous for its parks and for its ski resorts...
(3) - Veroia (1)
Prefecture
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Imathia was created out of the former prefecture Imathia . The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.| New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandreia Alexandreia Alexandreia is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit, Greece.-Municipality:The municipality Alexandreia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:* Alexandreia... |
Alexandreia Alexandreia Alexandreia is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit, Greece.-Municipality:The municipality Alexandreia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:* Alexandreia... |
Alexandreia |
| Antigonides Antigonides Antigonides is a former municipality in Imathia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Alexandreia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 5,360 . The seat of the municipality was in Kavasila.... |
||
| Meliki Meliki Meliki is a village and a former municipality in the Imathia Prefecture of Greece Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Alexandreia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 7,438 . Meliki is near Vergina, the place where the tomb of Phillip II of Macedon was... |
||
| Platy | ||
| Naousa Naousa, Imathia Naousa or Naoussa is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. Population 34,441.It is famous for its parks and for its ski resorts... |
Naousa Naousa, Imathia Naousa or Naoussa is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. Population 34,441.It is famous for its parks and for its ski resorts... |
Naousa |
| Anthemia Anthemia Anthemia is a former municipality in Imathia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Naousa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 8,147 . The seat of the municipality was in Kopanos.... |
||
| Eirinoupoli Eirinoupoli Eirinoupoli is a former municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Naousa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,006 . It has 5 villages . Its elevation is 25 meters .... |
||
| Veroia Veria Veria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church... |
Veroia Veria Veria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church... |
Veroia |
| Apostolos Pavlos Apostolos Pavlos Apostolos Pavlos is a former municipality in Imathia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Veroia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 8,579 . The seat of the municipality was in Makrochori.... |
||
| Vergina Vergina Vergina is a small town in northern Greece, located in the peripheral unit of Imathia, Central Macedonia. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Veroia, of which it is a municipal unit... |
||
| Dovras Dovras Dovras is a former municipality in the Imathia Prefecture, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Veroia, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 5,154 for the municipality. Its area is 104.1 km2 and its density is 49.5/km2. The seat of the... |
||
| Makedonida Makedonida Makedonida is a former municipality in Imathia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Veroia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,346 . The seat of the municipality was in Rizomata.... |
Provinces
- VeroiaVeriaVeria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church...
Province - Naousa Province
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece since 2006.
Geography
Its geography include mountains are parts of Pierian MountainsPierian Mountains
The Pierian Mountains are a mountain range between Imathia, Pieria and Kozani Prefecture, south of the plain of Kambania in Central Macedonia. The village of Vergina, where the archaeological site of ancient Aigai lies, is built at the foot of these mountains...
to the southeast and the Vermion Mountains
Vermion Mountains
The Vermio Mountains is a mountain range between Imathia and Kozani Prefecture in west-central Macedonia. The range is west of the plain of Kambania. The town of Veria, which is the capital of Imathia prefecture, is built οn the foot of these mountains...
to the west. Much of the population is in the valley areas. The longest river is the Aliákmon river which flows to the south and east. Its reservoir is partially bounded with Kozani. Imathia's lowest point is the Thermaic Gulf and the highest point is Vermio to the west
The regional unit borders on Pieria to the south, Kozani to the west, Pella to the north and Thessaloniki to the east. Imathia has a short shoreline on the Thermaic Gulf
Thermaic Gulf
The Thermaic Gulf is a gulf of the Aegean Sea located immediately south of Thessaloniki, east of Pieria and Imathia, and west of Chalkidiki . It was named after the ancient town of Therma, which was situated on the northeast coast of the gulf...
to the east.
History
The area around Imathia was first under Macedonian rule. Imathia was named from the area of the Thermaic GulfThermaic Gulf
The Thermaic Gulf is a gulf of the Aegean Sea located immediately south of Thessaloniki, east of Pieria and Imathia, and west of Chalkidiki . It was named after the ancient town of Therma, which was situated on the northeast coast of the gulf...
, during the Macedonian Empire, when the name connoted the district between the Haliacmon and Loudias. The ancient and classical Imathia included Edessa
Edessa, Greece
Edessa , is a city in northern Greece and the capital of the Pella regional unit, in the Central Macedonia region of Greece. It was also the capital of the defunct province of the same name.-Name:...
and Aigai
Vergina
Vergina is a small town in northern Greece, located in the peripheral unit of Imathia, Central Macedonia. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Veroia, of which it is a municipal unit...
, the ancient capital of Beroea
Veria
Veria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church...
, Kitio (Κίτιον, now Naousa
Naousa, Imathia
Naousa or Naoussa is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. Population 34,441.It is famous for its parks and for its ski resorts...
), etc.
Later, Imathia was annexed to the Roman rule
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 later the Byzantine rule
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. 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...
ruled the area from the 15th century until 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...
of 1913. Unlike southern central and central Greece, it only joined Greece during the Balkan Wars and the treaties
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
of Bucharest
Treaty of Bucharest
Five peace treaties were signed in Bucharest:# Treaty of Bucharest - May 28, 1812, at the end of the Russo-Turkish war, Turkey cedes Bessarabia to Russia# Treaty of Bucharest - March 3, 1886, at the end of the Serbo-Bulgarian War...
and London. The population exploded and farmlands expanded and its streets plans were modernized, and Veria received electricity, and its major roads became paved. During the Greco-Turkish War, several refugees from Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
(now in 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...
) arriving in Imathia built refugee camps and houses, as well as several villages modeled after their former villages. Imathia experienced 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 saw damages to most of the homes and properties. The area suffered again during 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...
, which saw the last fighting in the area. For the first 34 years of being Greek, Imathia belonged to the prefecture of Thessaloniki. In 1947 Imathia became a prefecture, and Veroia was selected the its capital.
Imathia yet again saw a small growth in the 1950s but the growth slowed due to emigration. The villages saw their roads paved, their homes receive electricity, more automobiles, radios and appliances. Television arrived in the 1960s and the 1970s for the rural portion, and the GR-1 was completed in 1972. The 1980s saw the first construction of the Egnatia Odos
Egnatia Odos (modern road)
Egnatia Odos is the Greek part of the European route. It is a motorway in Greece that extends from the western port of Igoumenitsa to the eastern Greek–Turkish border at Kipoi. It runs a total of...
superhighway, and it became the second superhighway in the prefecture with two undivided lanes. Between 1998 and 2005, the superhighway added two more lanes and became divided. It also extended to the prefectural boundary with Kozani along with some tunnels.
Agriculture
Farming in the area is rich in peachPeach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
crops and some strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
, and the production is large. The jam Naoussa is the most famous production of the native area.
Climate
Imathia's climate is mainly of Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cold winters. In most of the central part and the western part receives winter weather especially in the hills and the Vermio mountains.Transport
- GR-1Greek National Road 1The Greek Motorway 1 is a motorway, partly under construction, and the 2nd longest in Greece. It is the principal north-south road connection in Greece, connecting the country's capital Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second largest city,...
, E, SE (length: 1 to 2 km) - GR-4Greek National Road 4Greek National Road 4 is a national highway of Greece. It passes through Kozani, Veria and Edessa....
, SW, Cen., NE - 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...
/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:...
, SW, S Cen., SE
Newspapers
- Agrotikoi Orizontes
- Elefthero Vima
- Epikaira Imathias
- Epta Imathias
- Imerisia
- Kerkida
- Laos
- Pliroforisi
Sporting clubs
- AE Alexandreia - Alexandreia
- Apostolos Pavlos Enosis - Veria
Αχιλλέας Νεοκάστρου.
See also
- EmathusEmathusEmathus , Emathius or Amathus , was son of Makednos, from whom Emathia was believed to have derived its name. The daughters of Pierus, the Pierides, are sometimes called Emathides. The Emathian or Emathius in Latin is a frequently used name by Latin poets for Alexander the Great...
- List of settlements in the Imathia prefecture
- Former toponyms in Imathia Prefecture
External links
- Asyrmato Mitropolitiko Dyktio Hmathias, The local wireless network
- Official website
- Veroia 11th Public School