Phocis
Encyclopedia
Phocis is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. It stretches from the western mountainsides of Parnassus
on the east to the mountain range of Vardousia
on the west, upon the Gulf of Corinth
. It is named after the ancient region of Phocis
, but the modern regional unit also includes parts of ancient Locris
and Doris
.
to the west, Phthiotis
to the north and Boeotia to the east. Much of the south and east are deforested and rocky and mountainous while the valley runs from Itea up to Amfissa. Forests and greenspaces are to the west, the central part and the north.
Its reservoir is the Mornos Dam on the Mornos
river. It covers nearly 1 km to 3 km². It was completed in the 1960s, and GR-48 was extended to pass through the dam.
in 1947 out of the Phthiotis and Phocis Prefecture
. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Phocis was created out of the former prefecture Phocis . The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece
.
of less than 23 persons per km² (59/mi²). In the summer months, the population nearly doubles due to the influx of tourists.
Most of the villages are in the south, the southwest and the west, especially in the areas between Amfissa and Itea. The north and the east are the least populated.
tribes since antiquity, mainly by Phocians, Locrians
and Dorians, which were intermingled and formed the present-day Phocian population, with a unique linguistic and cultural heritage, frequently mentioned as Roumeliotes.
in which it existed since 1985 after the separation and dissolution of the Phocis-Phtiotis Football Guild Union.
Mount Parnassus
Mount Parnassus, also Parnassos , is a mountain of limestone in central Greece that towers above Delphi, north of the Gulf of Corinth, and offers scenic views of the surrounding olive groves and countryside. According to Greek mythology, this mountain was sacred to Apollo and the Corycian nymphs,...
on the east to the mountain range of Vardousia
Vardousia
Vardousia is a former municipality in Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dorida, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,216 . The seat of the municipality was in Krokyleio...
on the west, upon the Gulf of Corinth
Gulf of Corinth
The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece...
. It is named after the ancient region of Phocis
Phocis (ancient region)
Phocis was an ancient region in the central part of Ancient Greece, which included Delphi. A modern prefecture, also called Phocis is named after the ancient region, although the modern region is substantially larger than the ancient one.-Geography:...
, but the modern regional unit also includes parts of ancient Locris
Locris
Locris was a region of ancient Greece, the homeland of the Locrians, made up of three distinct districts.-Locrian tribe:...
and Doris
Doris (Greece)
Doris , is a small mountainous district in ancient Greece, bounded by Aetolia, southern Thessaly, the Ozolian Locrians, and Phocis; the original homeland of the Dorian Greeks...
.
Geography
Modern Phocis has an area of 2120 km² (819 mi²), of which 560 km² (216 mi²) are forested, 36 km² (14 mi²) are plains, and the remainder is mountainous. The massive ridge of Parnassus (2,459 m/8,068 ft), which traverses the heart of the country, divides it into two distinct portions. The neighboring prefectures are Aetolia-AcarnaniaAetolia-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 west, Phthiotis
Phthiotis
Phthiotis is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. The capital is the city of Lamia. It is bordered by the Malian Gulf to the east, Boeotia in the south, Phocis in the south, Aetolia-Acarnania in the southwest, Evrytania in the west,...
to the north and Boeotia to the east. Much of the south and east are deforested and rocky and mountainous while the valley runs from Itea up to Amfissa. Forests and greenspaces are to the west, the central part and the north.
Its reservoir is the Mornos Dam on the Mornos
Mornos
The Mornos is a river that flows in the Fokida and Aitoloakarnania prefectures in Greece. Its source is in the Oiti mountains-Geography:The river begins in the Oiti mountains near the Fthiotida prefecture to the north, it flows through the village of Marmarolithi and into several villages in a...
river. It covers nearly 1 km to 3 km². It was completed in the 1960s, and GR-48 was extended to pass through the dam.
Administration
The regional unit Phocis is subdivided into 2 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):- DelphiDelphiDelphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
(Delfoi, 1) - DoridaDoridaDorida is a municipality in the Phocis regional unit, Central Greece, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Lidoriki.-Municipality:...
(2)
Prefecture
Phocis was created 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 1947 out of the Phthiotis and Phocis Prefecture
Phthiotis and Phocis Prefecture
Phthiotis and Phocis Prefecture was a prefecture of Greece. It was first established in 1833 as the Phocis and Locris Prefecture but abolished in 1836 and reconstituted in 1845 under its later name. At the time, it lay on the Greek-Ottoman border...
. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Phocis was created out of the former prefecture Phocis . 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Delphi Delphi Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god... (Delfoi) |
Delphi Delphi Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god... |
Amfissa |
| Amfissa Amfissa Amfissa is a town and a former municipality in Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Delphi, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is also the capital of the regional unit of Phocis... |
||
| Desfina Desfina Desfina is a town and a former municipality in the southern part of Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Delphi, of which it is a municipal unit. At the 2001 census, its population was 2,431. It is found in foot of mountain Kirfis in altitude 680m.... |
||
| Galaxidi Galaxidi Galaxidi , is a town and a former municipality in the southern part of Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Delphi, of which it is a municipal unit. It has a small harbor on the Gulf of Corinth. The Greek National Road 48/E65 connects Galaxidi with... |
||
| Gravia Gravia Gravia is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern part of Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Delphi, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 897 for the village and 2,975 for the municipality. The municipal unit... |
||
| Itea | ||
| Kallieis Kallieis Kallieis is a municipality in the northern part of Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Delphi, of which it is a municipal unit. Its registered population in 2001 amounted to 2,328. The seat of the municipality was Mavrolithari, which is home to... |
||
| Parnassos Parnassos (municipality) Parnassos is a former municipality in Phocis, Greece, named after Mount Parnassus. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Delphi, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,668 . The seat of the municipality was in Polydrosos.... |
||
| Dorida Dorida Dorida is a municipality in the Phocis regional unit, Central Greece, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Lidoriki.-Municipality:... |
Efpalio Efpalio Efpalio is a village and a former municipality in Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dorida, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 6,507 .... |
Lidoriki |
| Lidoriki Lidoriki Lidoriki is a village and a former municipality in Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dorida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. In 2001 the population was 4,225. Its area is 409.5 km² covering nearly one-fifth of Phocis. Lidoriki... |
||
| Tolofon | ||
| Vardousia |
Provinces
- Province of Dorida - Lidoriki
- Province of Parnassida - Amfissa
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....
.
Population
With a population of 48,284 (2001), it is one of Greece's least populous regional units, and has a population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of less than 23 persons per km² (59/mi²). In the summer months, the population nearly doubles due to the influx of tourists.
Most of the villages are in the south, the southwest and the west, especially in the areas between Amfissa and Itea. The north and the east are the least populated.
Transport
- Greek National Road 3Greek National Road 3Greek National Road 3 begins from Eleusis and heads north, passing Larissa, Florina and terminates at the border with the Republic of Macedonia in Niki, which from there links with the M3. The road is part of the E65. In the late 1980s, motorway bypasses have been constructed for the towns...
, NE - Greek National Road 27Greek National Road 27Greek National Road 27 is a highway linking Itea, Amfissa and Lamia. The south to north highway is divided into two sections, the Itea and Amfissa Highway and the Amfissa - Lamia Highway. It is now the only highway linking Patras and the western Peloponnese and Central, Northcentral and Northern...
, Cen., N - Greek National Road 48Greek National Road 48Greek National Road 48 is a highway in Western and Central 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 near Levadia. It is now connected with a new bridge, the Rio-Antirio bridge and for 5 km is a joint with GR-5...
, SW, Cen., SE - E65European route E65European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...
, SW, S, SE
People
Modern Phocis was inhabited by several GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
tribes since antiquity, mainly by Phocians, Locrians
Locrians
The Locrians were an ancient Greek tribe in Greece. The Locrians spoke the Locrian dialect, a Doric-Northwest dialect, which indicates that they may have been relatives of the Dorians. They inhabited the ancient region of Locris in Central Greece....
and Dorians, which were intermingled and formed the present-day Phocian population, with a unique linguistic and cultural heritage, frequently mentioned as Roumeliotes.
Persons
- Giannis SkarimpasGiannis SkarimpasGiannis Skarimpas, Giannis Skarimbas or Yiannis Skarimbas was a Greek writer, dramatist, and poet.-Biography:...
(September 28, 1893 in Agia Efthymia ParnassidosAgia EfthymiaAgia Efthymia is a village in the regional unit of Phocis, Greece, located on the foothill of Mount Giona, in the district of Parnassida in Central Greece...
- January 21, 1984)
Sporting teams
Here are the most popular sporting teams in the prefecture. All of the teams are under the Phocis Football Clubs AssociationPhocis Football Clubs Association
Phocis Football Clubs Association is one of the newest Greek amateur football clubs associations, representing teams from the Greek prefecture of Phocis...
in which it existed since 1985 after the separation and dissolution of the Phocis-Phtiotis Football Guild Union.
- Androutsos Gravia - Gravia
- Asteras Iteas - Itea
- Doxa Desfina - Desfina
- Isaia DesfinaIsaia DesfinaA.S. Isaia Desfina is an athletic club based in the town of Desfina in the Fokida prefecture in Greece. The club was founded in 1973 and plays in the same field with Doxa...
- Desfina - Diagoras Polydrosos - Polydrosos
- Dorikos Nea Dorida - Nea Dorida
- FokikosFokikos F.C.Fokikos F.C. is a Greek football club based in Amfissa, Greece. The club was founded in 1964 and currently plays in Football League 2 North, the third level of the Greek football league system....
- Amfissa - A.O. Malesina - Malesina
External links
- Fanaticus website: Phokians, 668–450BC
- http://www.grecian.net/GREECE/centralgreece/fokida/fokida.htm
- http://hellas.teipir.gr/prefecturesenglish/Fokidas/Delfoi.htm
- In French:
- Phocide
- Mythorama on Phocis
- http://fr.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761570707/Phocide.html - MSNMSNMSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
EncartaEncartaMicrosoft Encarta was a digital multimedia encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation from 1993 to 2009. , the complete English version, Encarta Premium, consisted of more than 62,000 articles, numerous photos and illustrations, music clips, videos, interactive contents, timelines, maps and... - Fortifications of Phocide
- http://www.ac-versailles.fr/pedagogi/anti/demosth/demo2t2.htm
- http://hellas.teipir.gr/prefectures/greek/Fokidas.htm (in Greek)