Larissa Prefecture

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GreeceLarissa Prefecture
Νομός Λαρίσας
Location of Larissa Prefecture in Greece
Periphery Thessaly
Capital Larissa
Population 282,447 (2005)Ranked 7th
Area 5,381 km² Ranked 2nd
Population density 52.5/km²Ranked 26th
Number of provinces 5
Number of municipalities 28
Number of communities 3
Postal codes 40x xx - 41x xx
Area codes 2410, 249x0
Licence plate code ΡΙ
ISO 3166-2 code GR-42

Larissa (Greek: Λάρισα, Lárisa) is a prefecture of Greece, in the periphery of Thessaly. Its capital is the city of Larissa. The prefecture was created in 1881 after the war when most of Thessaly became a part of Greece and the entire region in 1913 after the Balkan Wars. The prefecture until after the war in 1947 included Magnesia.

Contents

[edit] Municipalities and communities

Municipality YPES code Seat (if different) Postal code Area code
Agia 3301 400 03 24940-2
Ampelonas 3303 404 00 24920-31
Antichasia 3304 Kranea 400 01 24930-51
Armenio 3305 415 00 2410-7
Elassona 3309 402 00 24930-2
Enippeas 3310 Megalo Evydrio 403 00 24910-71
Evrymenes 3311 Stomio 400 07 24950-91
Farsala 3331 403 00 24910-2
Giannouli 3307 415 00 2410-59
Gonnoi 3308 400 04 24950-31
Kato Olympos 3313 Pyrgetos 400 07 24950-4
Kileler 3314 415 00 2410-73
Koilada 3315 415 00 2410-81
Krannonas 3316 Agioi Anargyroi 415 00 2410-75
Lakereia 3317 Dimitra 400 03 24940-71
Larissa 3318 410 through 414 2410 - 2 through 6
Livadi 3319 400 02 24930-41
Makrychori 3320 400 06 24950-2
Melivoia 3321 Sotiritsa 400 03 24940-51
Narthaki 3322 403 00 24910-93
Nessonas 3323 Sykourio 400 06 24950-51
Nikaia 3324 415 00 2410-9
Olympos 3325 Kallithea 402 00 24930-61
Platykampos 3326 400 09 2410-54 and 97
Polydamantas 3327 Vamvakou 403 00 24910-9
Potamia 3328 Vlachogiannio 401 00 24920-91
Sarantaporo 3329 402 00 24930-93
Tyrnavos 3330 401 00 24920-2
Community YPES code Seat (if different) Postal code Area code
Ampelakia 3302 400 04 24950-93
Karya 3312 402 00 24920-91
Tsaritsani
Verdikousa 3306 400 05 24920-81

[edit] See also

[edit] Geography

It is the second largest prefecture in area in Greece, exceeded only by Aetolia-Acarnania. Larissa prefecture features the Tempe Valley, and the NE part of the Pineios River. It is the largest prefecture in Thessaly covering about one-third of the region. It also contains the tallest mountain in Greece, Mount Olympus with an elevation of 2,917 m. The climate is more continental than any other part of Greece. It has a Mediterranean climate with dry hot summers and mild to cool winters, except in the mountain areas which get warm summers and cold winters. The highest temperature ever recorded was 45.2 °C and the coldest was -21.6 °C. In the summer, Larissa is often the warmest area in Greece and often the coldest in winter.

It is bounded by the prefectures of Kozani to the northwest, Pieria to the northeast (both in Macedonia), the Aegean Sea to the east, Magnesia to the southeast, Phthiotis to the south (in Central Greece periphery), Karditsa to the southwest and Trikala to the west. Larissa and Kozani are the prefectures that border the most other prefectures. The southern part, the northern part, and the northwestern part are heavily covered with forests while the central, the southwestern, the western and the southeastern part are covered with fertile land that is called the Thessalian Plain. The barren rocks are to the east and the northeast within the Aegean Sea and in the Olympus area. Lake Voivi is situated in the southeast and is a lagoon dividing the Thessalian Plain and the Pelion ranges, and with the prefecture of Magnesia.

[edit] History

The area of Larissa were home to the Pelasgians until it merged to form into a Greek culture. The area was invaded and was ruled by the Kingdom of Macedonia, a few hundreds of years later, it was later ruled by the Roman Empire after the Third Macedonian War, centuries later, it was incorporated to the Byzantine Empire, later the area was invaded and ruled for the next five centuries by the Ottoman Empire. The Greeks wanted to end oppression during the Greek War of Independence of 1821, their chance was lost and remained under Ottoman Turkish rule. It was not Greek until 1881 when the Greeks liberated much of the Thessaly and Larissa and finally ended oppresive Ottoman rule in the prefecture. The area suffered some damages during the Greco-Turkish War of 1898. The northern portions including Tyrnavos, Elassona, Sarantaporo, the Tempe Valley and Mount Olympus were not invaded until the Balkan Wars in 1913. One of most famous battles included was the Battle of Sarantaporo in which the Greeks won against the Turks ending five centuries of oppresive Ottoman rule. The whole of Thessaly and the prefecture was finally Greek and later made it the second largest prefecture in Greece until 1947.

The ecomomy increased since the annexation in 1881 and later after 1913 for the north. During the Greco-Turkish War or the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1920-1922, some refugees were relocated to the Prefecture and created several villages across the prefecture, some went to towns and cities. The economy were improved until 1940. Electricity arrived in the 1930s as well as pavement of roads and the arrival of automobiles and radio. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, the economy improvisation was restored and buildings were repaired. More roads were being paved until the 1980s along with electricity and radio, a hospital was opened later on. The GR-1 was opened in 1957 and extended in the 1960s even by the Tempi Valley. Television were arrived in the 1970s and the 1980s for the villages, also the University of Thessaly opened its doors to students along with professors. Internet and computers arrived in the late-1990s.

The prefecture was battered by blizzards and floods during the 1990s and the 2000s.

The eastern portion of the prefecture suffered forest fires (See also Summer 2007 Wildfires in Greece) that began on June 27, 2007 and lasted until June 29 and spread for kilometres reaching Agia and Melivoia destroying several trees and houses leaving tens homeless, several others were mainly from larger towns and cities of Greece. It consumed approximately 150 square kilometres on Mavrovouni, one view included the ashes seen as far as the mountain slope and the other unburnt. It saw views of burnt parts.

Another natural disaster not related with fires was a tornado in a form of water spout that happened over the Aegean on June 30 in the prefecture, it collided with cooler air with a system that arrived from Southern and Eastern Europe, the phenomenon lasted for several minutes before it tapered off.

[edit] Climate

Its climate is mainly of Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cold winters in the low lying areas. Temperate climates are in area that are elevations that do not exceed 1,500 m. Winter is mainly dominant in the mountains areas as well as the northernmost portion and Mount Olympus.

[edit] Economy

Its main economy since the 1970s are manufacturing, businesses, communications and services. Agriculture is the second leading industry.

[edit] Agriculture

The Thessalian Plain is famous for its crops including fruits (watermelon and melon), vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, etc.), cotton, dairy, cattle and other crops.

[edit] Media

[edit] Television

  • TRT
  • Thessaly

[edit] Newspapers

  • Agrotikoi Ekfasi - Larissa
  • I Alitheia - Farsala
  • Eleftheria - Larissa
  • I Foni - Farsala
  • Imerisia Kyrikas - Larissa
  • I Nea tis Farsalou - Farsala

[edit] Transport

There are a number of highways E75 and the main railway from Athens to Thessaloniki (Salonika) crosses Thessaly. The region is directly linked to the rest of Europe through International Airport of Central Greece located in Nea Anchialos in a small distance from Larisa (26 kilometers).

[edit] Sporting clubs

v • d • e
Municipalities and Communities of the Larissa Prefecture
Municipalities
Communities
Europe | Greece | Thessaly
Karditsa | Larissa | Magnesia | Trikala