Arta Prefecture
Encyclopedia
Arta is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus
region. Its capital is the town of Arta
.
. The main mountain ranges are the Athamanika
in the northeast, the Pindus
in the east, and Valtou in the southeast. Only one mountain road links Arta with the Pineios valley and Thessaly
. There are low-lying agricultural plains in the west. Arta borders on the regional units of Preveza in the west, Ioannina to the north, Trikala in the east, Karditsa to the east and Aetolia-Acarnania
to the south.
The main rivers are the Acheloos in the east, the Arachthos in the centre, and the Louros
in the west. Most of the population lives in the west, in the Arachthos valley, south and east of Arta. The Athamanika and Valtou mountains are the least populated.
in 1882 . As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Arta was created out of the former prefecture Arta. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
to Greece
in 1881 by the Ottoman Empire
, along with Thessaly
. A famous landmark of Arta is the Old Bridge over the Arachthos river.
linking Ioannina
with Patras
and Kalamata
, the motorway bypass of the GR-5
around Arta
was opened in 1997. The main highways are:
Epirus (region)
Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
region. Its capital is the town of Arta
Arta, Greece
Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
.
Geography
The regional unit of Arta is located north of the Ambracian GulfAmbracian Gulf
The Ambracian Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Arta or the Gulf of Actium, and in some official documents as the Amvrakikos Gulf , is a gulf of the Ionian Sea in northwestern Greece. About long and wide, it is one of the largest enclosed gulfs in Greece...
. The main mountain ranges are the Athamanika
Athamanika
Athamanika or Tzoumerka is a mountain in the northeastern Arta Prefecture, the southeastern Ioannina Prefecture and the southwestern Trikala Prefecture. The mountain is a part of the Pindus mountain range. Its maximum elevation is 2,393 m. The GR-30 passes to the north difficultly...
in the northeast, the Pindus
Pindus
The Pindus mountain range is located in northern Greece and southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km long, with a maximum elevation of 2637 m . Because it runs along the border of Thessaly and Epirus, the Pindus range is often called the "spine of Greece"...
in the east, and Valtou in the southeast. Only one mountain road links Arta with the Pineios valley and Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
. There are low-lying agricultural plains in the west. Arta borders on the regional units of Preveza in the west, Ioannina to the north, Trikala in the east, Karditsa to the east and Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is located in the western part of Greece; the regional unit is a combination of the geographic regions Aetolia and Acarnania. Its capital is Missolonghi for historical reasons, with its biggest...
to the south.
The main rivers are the Acheloos in the east, the Arachthos in the centre, and the Louros
Louros (river)
The Louros is a river in the Periphery of Epirus, in northwestern Greece. It emerges from the ground in a large spring located immediately north of the village of Vouliasta, in Ioannina prefecture at 39°55'55 N and 20°50'28 E, at approximately 300 m in altitude. It flows south through a canyon,...
in the west. Most of the population lives in the west, in the Arachthos valley, south and east of Arta. The Athamanika and Valtou mountains are the least populated.
Administration
The regional unit Arta is subdivided into 4 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):- ArtaArta, GreeceArta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
(1) - Central TzoumerkaCentral TzoumerkaCentral Tzoumerka is a municipality in the Arta regional unit, Epirus, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Vourgareli. The municipality is named after the Tzoumerka mountains.-Municipality:...
(Kentrika Tzoumerka, 3) - Georgios KaraiskakisGeorgios Karaiskakis (municipality)Georgios Karaiskakis is a municipality in the regional unit of Arta, Greece, named after Georgios Karaiskakis, a leader of the Greek War of Independence...
(2) - Nikolaos SkoufasNikolaos Skoufas (municipality)Nikolaos Skoufas is a municipality in the regional unit of Arta, Greece, named after Nikolaos Skoufas, a leader of the Greek independence movement...
(4)
Prefecture
Arta 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 1882 . As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Arta was created out of the former prefecture Arta. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Arta Arta, Greece Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown... |
Arta Arta, Greece Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown... |
Arta |
| Amvrakikos Amvrakikos Amvrakikos is a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Arta, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,742 . The seat of the municipality was in Aneza.... |
||
| Vlacherna Vlacherna Vlacherna is a village and a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Arta, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,326 . The seat of the municipality was in Grammenitsa.... |
||
| Xirovouni Xirovouni Xirovouni is a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Arta, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 4,083 . The seat of the municipality was in Ammotopos.... |
||
| Filothei Filothei, Arta Filothei is a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Arta, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 5,800 . The seat of the municipality was in Chalkiades.... |
||
| Central Tzoumerka Central Tzoumerka Central Tzoumerka is a municipality in the Arta regional unit, Epirus, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Vourgareli. The municipality is named after the Tzoumerka mountains.-Municipality:... (Kentrika Tzoumerka) |
Athamania | Vourgareli |
| Agnanta Agnanta Agnanta is a village and a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Central Tzoumerka, of which it is a municipal unit. Agnanta is one of the largest villages of the Tzoumerka region. The population of... |
||
| Theodoriana Theodoriana Theodoriana is a former community in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Central Tzoumerka, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 936 for the village and 994 for the community . Northeast is the Trikala... |
||
| Melissourgoi Melissourgoi Melissourgoi is a former community in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Central Tzoumerka, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 671 .- Notable people :... |
||
| Georgios Karaiskakis Georgios Karaiskakis (municipality) Georgios Karaiskakis is a municipality in the regional unit of Arta, Greece, named after Georgios Karaiskakis, a leader of the Greek War of Independence... |
Georgios Karaiskakis Georgios Karaiskakis (municipality) Georgios Karaiskakis is a municipality in the regional unit of Arta, Greece, named after Georgios Karaiskakis, a leader of the Greek War of Independence... |
Ano Kalentini |
| Irakleia Irakleia, Arta Irakleia is a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Georgios Karaiskakis, of which it is a municipal unit. It had a population of 1,979 in 2001. The seat of the municipality was in Ano Kalentini.... |
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| Tetrafylia Tetrafylia Tetrafylia is a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Georgios Karaiskakis, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,792 . The seat of the municipality was in Astrochori.... |
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| Nikolaos Skoufas Nikolaos Skoufas (municipality) Nikolaos Skoufas is a municipality in the regional unit of Arta, Greece, named after Nikolaos Skoufas, a leader of the Greek independence movement... |
Peta Peta, Greece Peta is a town and a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nikolaos Skoufas, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Population 4,904 . Its 2001 population was 1,916 for the town, 3,896 for the... |
Peta |
| Arachthos Arachthos Arachthos is a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nikolaos Skoufas, of which it is a municipal unit. It is situated along the lower course of the river Arachthos, south of Arta.Population 6,011... |
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| Kommeno Kommeno Kommeno is a village and a former community in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nikolaos Skoufas, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 835 . During the Axis Occupation of Greece in World War II, the village was... |
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| Kompoti Kompoti Kompoti is a village and a former municipality in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nikolaos Skoufas, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 2,128 for the town, 2,385 for the community and 3,485 for the... |
History
The area around Arta was ceded at the Congress of BerlinCongress of Berlin
The Congress of Berlin was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the meeting's aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans...
to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in 1881 by 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...
, along with Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
. A famous landmark of Arta is the Old Bridge over the Arachthos river.
Transport
As one of the first completed sections of the future Ionia OdosIonia Odos
The Ionia Odos , sometimes called Ionian Highway in English, is a motorway, currently under construction, running through the western part of Greece. The total length will be 196 km from Rio to Ioannina. It is part of the E55 on its full length, along with the non-motorway part of Kakavia -...
linking Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
with Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
and Kalamata
Kalamata
Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
, the motorway bypass of the GR-5
Greek National Road 5
Greek National Road 5 is a highway in Western Greece. It runs from 2 km south of Rio at GR-8/GR-9 , or at the beginning of the Patras By-Pass in the south up to the city centre of Ioannina. It is now connected with a new bridge, the Rio-Antirio bridge and for 5 km is a joint with GR-48...
around Arta
Arta, Greece
Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
was opened in 1997. The main highways are:
- Greek National Road 5Greek National Road 5Greek National Road 5 is a highway in Western Greece. It runs from 2 km south of Rio at GR-8/GR-9 , or at the beginning of the Patras By-Pass in the south up to the city centre of Ioannina. It is now connected with a new bridge, the Rio-Antirio bridge and for 5 km is a joint with GR-48...
/E55European route E55European route E 55 is a E-route. It passes through the following cities:Helsingborg … Helsingør – Copenhagen – Køge – Vordingborg – Nykøbing Falster – Gedser … Rostock – Berlin – Lübbenau – Dresden – Teplice – Prague – Tábor – Linz – Salzburg – Villach – Tarvisio – Udine – Palmanova – Mestre...
, S, Cen., W - Greek National Road 21Greek National Road 21Greek National Road 21 is a national highway of Greece. It connects Preveza with Greek National Road 5....
, W - Greek National Road 30Greek National Road 30The Greek National Road 30 is a highway or route that links the cities of Volos, Karditsa, Trikala and Arta.-Information:...
, Cen., E
People
- Pyrrhus (318 BC-272 BC) general and king of Epirus
- Epicrates of Ambracia, 4th BC comic poet
- Silanus of Ambracia
- Epigonus of Ambracia 6th-5th BC musician
- Georgios Karaiskakis Years of service 1796 - 1827 Rank - General, Battles/wars Greek War of Independence
- Maximus the Greek (c. 1475-1556) publicist, writer, scholar, humanist and translator
- Napoleon Zervas (1891–1957)
- Theodoros Tzinis
- Nikolaos Skoufas
- Yannis Makriyannis
- Kostas Kristallis poet
- Yiannis Moralis (1916) painter
- Antonios Nikopolidis (1971) footballer
- Yannis Anastasiou (1973) footballer
- Nikos Rizos (1924 - April 20, 1999), actor
External links
- http://www.nomarxia-artas.gr/index_en.php
- http://www.culture.gr/maps/ipiros/arta/arta.html
- http://www.bicepirus.gr/ris/prefectures/arta.html
- http://hellas.teipir.gr/prefectures/english/Artas/Artas.htm