Pella (regional unit)

For other uses, see Pella (disambiguation).

Regional unit in Greece

Pella

Περιφερειακή ενότητα
Πέλλας

Regional unit

Municipalities of Pella

Pella

Pella within Greece

Coordinates: 40°55′N 22°05′E﻿ / ﻿40.917°N 22.083°E﻿ / 40.917; 22.083
Country| Greece
Administrative region| Central Macedonia
Seat| Edessa
Area

• Total

| 2,506 km2 (968 sq mi)
Population

(2021)[1]

• Total

| 126,740
• Density| 51/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code|

58x xx

Area code(s)| 238x0
Vehicle registration| ΕΕ
Website| www.pella.gr

Pella (Greek: Περιφερειακή ενότητα Πέλλας) is one of the regional units of Greece, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is part of the Region of Central Macedonia. It is named after the ancient city of Pella, the capital of ancient Macedonia and the birthplace of Alexander the Great.[2] The capital of Pella is Edessa with a population of 19,036 inhabitants according to the census of 2021, while the largest town is Giannitsa. Other towns include Aridaia, Skydra, Arnissa, Exaplatanos and Krya Vrysi.

## Administration

[edit]

According to the 2011 census the population of the regional unit of Pella was 139,680.[3] It is subdivided into 4 municipalities. These are:[3]

* Almopia (2)
* Edessa (1)
* Pella (3)
* Skydra (4)

### Prefecture

[edit]

Edessa Waterfall Statue of Alexander the Great in Pella (municipality). Clocktower of Giannitsa

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit of Pella was created out of the former prefecture Pella (Greek: Νομός Πέλλας). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.[3]

New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat

|
|

Almopia | Aridaia | Aridaia
Exaplatanos
Edessa | Edessa | Edessa
Vegoritida
Pella | Pella | Giannitsa
Giannitsa
Krya Vrysi
Kyrros
Megas Alexandros
Skydra | Skydra | Skydra
Meniida

### Provinces

[edit]

The former prefecture of Pella was subdivided into the following provinces:[4]

Provinces of Pella Prefecture | Seat (if different)

|

Province of Almopia | Aridaia
Province of Edessa |
Province of Giannitsa |

Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.

## Geography

[edit]

The regional unit covers an area of 2,505.8 square kilometres (967+1⁄2 sq mi), the majority of which is covered by arable land, forests and pastures. Mountainous areas surrounding Pella are the Voras Mountains (with Kaimaktsalan reaching a height of 2,524 m), Mount Vermion (2,027 m), Mount Paiko (1,458 m), Mount Tzenna (2,182 m) and Mount Pinovo (2,154 m). The main plains are Pozar in the north and the vast plain of Giannitsà in the southeastern part. Other natural features of the area include Lakes Vegoritida and Agra, and Rivers Loudias and Edessian. Pella's southernmost portion is flat and in ancient times, it was a gulf connected to the Aegean Sea. The elevation in the south does not exceed about 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft) above sea level. Pella has surface and groundwater resources. There are a number of archaeological sites in the area.

Pella borders the regional units of Kilkis to the northeast, Thessaloniki to the east, Imathia to the south, Kozani to the southwest, by Lake Vegoritida to the southwest, and by Florina to the west. To the north, it is bounded by the national border between Greece and North Macedonia.

## History

[edit]

Pozar Thermal Baths Kaimaktsalan Ski Area

In antiquity, the area around the modern Pella regional unit was part of the ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon. It later became part of the Roman Empire and later the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires. Following approximately 500 years of Ottoman rule, it rejoined Greece in 1913, following the Balkan Wars.

## Tourism

[edit]

* Ancient Pella and Archaeological Museum of Pella: The capital of ancient Macedonia and birthplace of Alexander the Great. A number of archaeological findings are housed in the Palace and the New Museum.[5]
* Loudias River
* Waterfalls in the city of Edessa [6]
* Pozar thermal baths: The hot springs are located in a mountainous area (altitude 360–390 m) and occupy an area of 30 hectares (75 acres). Five spa gush along the warm river, which continues to flow in the basin of Almopia.
* Kaimakchalan ski resort: Mount Kaimakchalan or Vorras is the third largest in height mount in Greece (altitude 2,524 m). There is a ski area with 16 ski slopes. At the foot of the mountain there is the village of Agios Athanasios.
* Giannitsa Ottoman monuments: At the city of Giannitsa there are a lot of buildings from the Ottoman period like the Clock Tower, Mausoleum and baths of Gazi Evrenos, House of Emin Bey, The Baths and the mausoleum of Ahmet Bey, Mosque of Sheikh Ilachi, Mosque of Iskender Bey.[7]

## Agriculture

[edit]

The southern part of the regional unit has a number of orchards. While agriculture once represented its main industry, today, manufacturing, services and other businesses dominate about 70% of its industry.

## Transport

[edit]

* GR-1 (old highway), SE
* GR-2/E90, W, SW, Cen., E, SE
* Edessa - Verroia road, S
* Thessaloniki-Giannitsa-Edessa

## See also

[edit]

* List of settlements in the Pella regional unit
* Former toponyms of places in Pella Prefecture

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
2. ^ Law, Gwillim (1999). Administrative subdivisions of countries: a comprehensive world reference, 1900 through 1998. McFarland. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-7864-0729-3.
3. ^ a b c "ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
4. ^ "Detailed census results 1991" (PDF). (39 MB) (in Greek and French)
5. ^ "Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Πέλλας | Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Πέλλας - Πέλλα" (in Greek). Pella-museum.gr. 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
6. ^ "Edessa waterfalls - European waterfalls".
7. ^ "Giannitsa Clock Tower".

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pella Regional Unit.

* Official website of the prefecture of Pella
* Tzena - Pinovo - East Voras terrain map by Geopsis

* v
* t
* e

Administrative division of the Central Macedonia Region

Area
18,811 km2 (7,263 sq mi)
Population
1,882,108 (as of 2011)
Municipalities
38 (since 2011)
Capital
Thessaloniki

Regional unit of Chalkidiki|

* Aristotelis
* Kassandra
* Nea Propontida
* Polygyros
* Sithonia

Regional unit of Imathia|

* Alexandreia
* Naousa
* Veria

Regional unit of Kilkis|

* Kilkis
* Paionia

Regional unit of Pella|

* Almopia
* Edessa
* Pella
* Skydra

Regional unit of Pieria|

* Dion-Olympos
* Katerini
* Pydna-Kolindros

Regional unit of Serres|

* Amfipoli
* Emmanouil Pappas
* Irakleia
* Nea Zichni
* Serres
* Sintiki
* Visaltia

Regional unit of Thessaloniki|

* Ampelokipoi-Menemeni
* Chalkidona
* Delta
* Kalamaria
* Kordelio-Evosmos
* Lagkadas
* Neapoli-Sykies
* Oraiokastro
* Pavlos Melas
* Pylaia-Chortiatis
* Thermaikos
* Thermi
* Thessaloniki
* Volvi

Regional governor
Apostolos Tzitzikostas (since 2013, elected 2014 & 2019)
Decentralized Administration
Macedonia and Thrace

* v
* t
* e

Prefectures of Greece

| By name|

* Achaea and Elis
* Achaea
* Adrianoplea
* Aetolia-Acarnania
* Arcadia
* Argolis and Corinthia
* Argolis
* Argyrokastronb
* Arta
* Attica and Boeotia
* Atticac
* Boeotia
* Cephalonia
* Chalkidiki
* Chania
* Chios
* Corfu
* Corinthia
* Cyclades
* Dodecanese
* Dramad
* Elis
* Euboea
* Evrosd
* Evrytania
* Florina
* Grevena
* Heraklion
* Imathia
* Ioannina
* Kallipolisa
* Karditsa
* Kastoria
* Kavalad
* Kilkis
* Korytsab
* Kozani
* Lacedaemon
* Laconia
* Lakoniki
* Larissa
* Lasithi
* Lefkada
* Lesbos
* Magnesia
* Messenia
* Pella
* Phocis and Locris
* Phocis
* Phthiotis and Phocis
* Phthiotis
* Pieria
* Piraeus
* Preveza
* Rethymno
* Rhaedestosa
* Rhodoped
* Samos
* Saranta Ekklisiesa
* Serres
* Sfakia
* Thesprotia
* Thessaloniki
* Trikala
* Trifylia
* Xanthid
* Zakynthos

|

By year established

| 1800s|

1833
Achaea and Elis
Aetolia-Acarnania
Arcadia
Argolis and Corinthia
Attica and Boeotia
Cyclades
Euboea
Laconia
Messenia
Phocis and Locris
1845
Phthiotis and Phocis
1864
Corfu
Kefallinia
Lefkada
Zakynthos
1882
Arta
Larissa
Trikala
1899
Achaea
Argolis
Atticac
Boeotia
Corinthia
Elis
Evrytania
Karditsa
Lacedaemon
Lakoniki
Magnesia
Phocis
Phthiotis
Trifylia

|

1900s|

1912
Chania
Heraklion
Lasithi
Rethymno
Sfakia
1914
Thessaloniki
1915
Argyrokastronb
Chalkidiki
Chios
Dramad
Florina
Ioannina
Kavalad
Korytsab
Kozani
Lesbos
Preveza
Samos
Serres
1920
Adrianoplea
Evrosd
Kallipolisa
Rhaedestosa
Rhodoped
Saranta Ekklisiesa
1930–1944
Pella
Kilkis
Thesprotia
Kastoria
Xanthid
1947
Dodecanese
Imathia
Pieria
1964
Grevena
Piraeus

* a In Eastern Thrace or b Northern Epirus, outside present-day Greece.
* c From 1971, Attica consisted of four prefecture-level units: Athens, East Attica, Piraeus and West Attica. From 1994, Athens and Piraeus were grouped into a single super-prefecture.
* d From 1994, Drama / Kavala / Xanthi and Evros / Rhodope prefectures were grouped into super-prefectures.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* Yale LUX

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