Thessaloniki historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia

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 :...

 as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace

Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace

The Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace is one of the seven decentralized administrations of Greece, consisting of the peripheries of Central Macedonia and East Macedonia and Thrace. With a population of almost 2.5 million, it is the second most populous in Greece after the...

. Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital", a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Byzantine Empire

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...

, alongside Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

.

According to the 2011 census the municipality of Thessaloniki today has a population of 322,240, while the Thessaloniki Urban Area

Thessaloniki Urban Area

The Thessaloniki Urban Area is the contiguous densely built-up urban area around the municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece, which is the second largest municipality by population in the country behind Athens. The contiguous built-up area consists of 13 municipalities and forms the urban core of the...

 (the contiguous built up area forming the "City of Thessaloniki") has a population of 790,824; making it the fifth largest and most populated city in the Balkans and the second most populated city that is not a capital.