Rhodope Prefecture
Encyclopedia
Rhodope 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 Rhodope Mountains
, which cover the northern part of its territory. Together with the regional units Evros and Xanthi, it forms the geographical region of Western Thrace
. The capital of the prefecture is the city of Komotini
. The second largest town is Sapes
. Most of the Muslims of Thrace
, the only officially recognized minority in Greece, are settled in this area, where they form around half of the population.
's Kardzhali Province
to the north. The Aegean Sea
lies to the south. The eastern Rhodope Mountains
cover the northern part of the regional unit. Apart from the mountainous areas, the territory consists mainly of farmland, forests and grasslands.
The southern and the central part have a mainly Mediterranean climate, and the northern part a mainly continental climate with cold winters.
in 1930 , when the former Thrace Prefecture
was divided into the Rhodope and Evros prefectures. In 1944 Xanthi Prefecture
was created from the western part of Rhodope Prefecture. Since the 1990s Rhodope cooperated with Evros in the Rhodope-Evros Super-prefecture
.
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
.
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 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...
, which cover the northern part of its territory. Together with the regional units Evros 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...
. The capital of the prefecture is the city of Komotini
Komotini
Komotini is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace and of the Rhodope regional unit. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973...
. The second largest town is Sapes
Sapes
Sapes is a town and a former municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Maroneia-Sapes, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The population is 9,542 ....
. Most of the Muslims of Thrace
Muslim minority of Greece
The Muslim minority of Greece is the only explicitly recognized minority in Greece. It numbers 97,604 people or 0.91% of the total population, according to the 1991 census , and 140,000 people or 1.24% of the total population, according to the United States Department of State.The Muslim minority...
, the only officially recognized minority in Greece, are settled in this area, where they form around half of the population.
Geography
Rhodope borders on the regional unit Xanthi to the west and Evros to the east, and on BulgariaBulgaria
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...
's Kardzhali Province
Kardzhali Province
Kardzhali Province is a province of southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece with the Greek prefectures of Xanthi, Rhodope and Evros to the south and east. Kardzhali Province area is 3209.1 km². Its main city is Kardzhali.-History:...
to the north. 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 eastern 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...
cover the northern part of the regional unit. Apart from the mountainous areas, the territory consists mainly of farmland, forests and grasslands.
The southern and the central part have a mainly Mediterranean climate, and the northern part a mainly continental climate with cold winters.
Administration
The regional unit Rhodope is subdivided into 4 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):- ArrianaArrianaArriana is a municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, Greece. The seat of the municipality is in Fillyra.-Municipality:The municipality Arriana was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal...
(2) - IasmosIasmosIasmos is a town and a municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is built on the side of the Rhodope Mountains. Although references about the village date back to the 16th Century, it is likely that those references are about the old location of the village, a few...
(3) - KomotiniKomotiniKomotini is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace and of the Rhodope regional unit. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973...
(1) - Maroneia-SapesMaroneia-SapesMaroneia-Sapes is a municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Sapes.-Municipality:...
(4)
Prefecture
Rhodope 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. In 1944 Xanthi Prefecture
Xanthi Prefecture
Xanthi is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Region of East Macedonia and Thrace. The capital is Xanthi. Together with the regional units Rhodope and Evros, it forms the geographical region of Western Thrace.-Geography:...
was created from the western part of Rhodope Prefecture. Since the 1990s Rhodope cooperated with Evros in the Rhodope-Evros Super-prefecture
Rhodope-Evros Super-prefecture
Rhodope-Evros Super-prefecture was one of three super-prefectures of Greece.It consisted of Rhodope Prefecture in the west and Evros Prefecture in the east.-See also:* Western Thrace* Thrace Prefecture...
.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Arriana Arriana Arriana is a municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, Greece. The seat of the municipality is in Fillyra.-Municipality:The municipality Arriana was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal... |
Arriana Arriana Arriana is a municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, Greece. The seat of the municipality is in Fillyra.-Municipality:The municipality Arriana was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal... |
Fillyra |
| Kechros Kechros Kechros is a village and a former community in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Arriana, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,558 .... |
||
| Organi Organi Organi is a village and a former community in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Arriana, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,825 .... |
||
| Fillyra Fillyra Fillyra is a village and a former municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Arriana, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Population 8,014 . The Turkish name of Fillyra is Sirkeli,... |
||
| Iasmos Iasmos Iasmos is a town and a municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is built on the side of the Rhodope Mountains. Although references about the village date back to the 16th Century, it is likely that those references are about the old location of the village, a few... |
Iasmos Iasmos Iasmos is a town and a municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is built on the side of the Rhodope Mountains. Although references about the village date back to the 16th Century, it is likely that those references are about the old location of the village, a few... |
Iasmos |
| Amaxades Amaxades Amaxades is a village and a former community in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Iasmos, of which it is a municipal unit. The population is 1,591 .... |
||
| Sostis Sostis Sostis is a village and a former municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Iasmos, of which it is a municipal unit. The population is 6,685 .... |
||
| Komotini Komotini Komotini is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace and of the Rhodope regional unit. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973... |
Komotini Komotini Komotini is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace and of the Rhodope regional unit. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973... |
Komotini |
| Aigeiros Aigeiros Aigeiros is a village and a former municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Komotini, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,418 .... |
||
| Neo Sidirochori Neo Sidirochori Neo Sidirochori is a village and a former municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Komotini, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,497 .... |
||
| Maroneia-Sapes Maroneia-Sapes Maroneia-Sapes is a municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Sapes.-Municipality:... |
Maroneia Maroneia Maroneia is a village and a former municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Maroneia-Sapes, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 7,644... |
Sapes |
| Sapes Sapes Sapes is a town and a former municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Maroneia-Sapes, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The population is 9,542 .... |
Provinces
- Province of KomotiniKomotiniKomotini is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace and of the Rhodope regional unit. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973...
- Komotini - Province of SapesSapesSapes is a town and a former municipality in the Rhodope peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Maroneia-Sapes, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The population is 9,542 ....
- Sapes
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....
.
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:...
, Egnatia HighwayVia 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, W, Cen., E, SE - GR-53Greek National Road 53Greek National Road 53 is a national highway of Greece. It connects Mega Dereio with Metaxades and Didymoteicho....