Serres (regional unit)

Regional unit in Greece

Serres

Περιφερειακή ενότητα
Σερρών

Regional unit

Municipalities of Serres

Serres

Serres within Greece

Coordinates: 41°05′N 23°35′E﻿ / ﻿41.083°N 23.583°E﻿ / 41.083; 23.583
Country| Greece
Administrative region| Central Macedonia
Seat| Serres
Area

• Total

| 3,968 km2 (1,532 sq mi)
Population

(2021)[1]

• Total

| 151,317
• Density| 38/km2 (99/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code|

62x xx

Area code(s)| 232x0
Vehicle registration| EP
Website| www.naserron.gr

Serres (Greek: Περιφερειακή ενότητα Σερρών) is one of the regional units of Greece, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is part of the Region of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the city of Serres. The total population reaches just over 150,000.

## Geography

[edit]

The mountains are Orvelos to the north, Menoikio to the east, Pangaio to the southeast, Kerdylio to the southwest, Vertiskos to the west, parts of Krousi to the west and portions of the Kerkini lies to the northwest. The regional unit borders on Thessaloniki to the southwest, Kilkis to the west, North Macedonia with the Novo Selo Municipality to the northwest, the Blagoevgrad Province of Bulgaria to the north, Drama to the northeast and Kavala to the east. The Strymonian Gulf lies to the south along with the Strymonas delta. Lake Kerkini was a lake located in the southern portion which is now drained. 41% of the regional unit are arable and most of the lands are near the Strymonas river which flows from Bulgaria and empties into the Strymonian Gulf. Another river is the Angitis in the eastern part of the regional unit, with the ravine and caves near Alistrati.

The regional unit has many archaeological and historical features including Serres, Amphipolis, several monasteries, and Metaxa near the border with Bulgaria. The regional unit is also a tourist attraction including Lailia, rich in forests, a skiing resort in the central portion, lake Kerkini which is a reservoir supplying water to the farmlands. Fishing is common within Ano Poroia especially during the summer months and famous Alistrati's caves and the nearby Aggitis ravine.

The southern part around the Strymonas valley has a Mediterranean climate, the rest is predominantly continental with cold winters in higher elevations.

## History

[edit]

In modern times, Serres, like the rest of Macedonia was contested territory between Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and the Ottoman Empire. After its liberation from the Turks by the Bulgarians in the First Balkan War, Serres became a part of Greece at the end of the Second Balkan War. During the National Schism, it was occupied by Bulgaria again only to form part of Greece at the end of the war. During the Second World War Bulgaria occupied Serres and launched a campaign of Bulgarisation. It was liberated in 1944.

A substantial portion of the population of the regional unit are descendants of refugees which came from Eastern Thrace which is now Northwestern Turkey, Asia Minor and from Pontus during the Greco-Turkish War.

Lake Kerkini

## Administration

[edit]

The regional unit Serres is subdivided into 7 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):[2]

* Amfipoli (2)
* Emmanouil Pappas (4)
* Irakleia (5)
* Nea Zichni (6)
* Serres (1)
* Sintiki (7)
* Visaltia (3)

### Prefecture

[edit]

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the Serres regional unit was created out of the former Serres Prefecture (Greek: Νομός Σερρών). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.[2]

New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat

|
|

Amfipoli | Amfipoli | Rodolivos
Kormista
Proti
Rodolivos
Emmanouil Pappas | Emmanouil Pappas | Chryso
Strymonas
Irakleia | Irakleia | Irakleia
Skotoussa
Strymoniko
Nea Zichni | Nea Zichni | Nea Zichni
Alistrati
Serres | Serres | Serres
Ano Vrontou
Kapetan Mitrousi
Lefkonas
Oreini
Skoutari
Sintiki | Sidirokastro | Sidirokastro
Agkistro
Achladochori
Kerkini
Petritsi
Promachonas
Visaltia | Visaltia | Nigrita
Achinos
Nigrita
Tragilos

### Provinces

[edit]

Before the abolishment of the provinces of Greece in 2006, the Serres prefecture was subdivided into the following provinces:[3]

Province | Seat

|

Fyllida Province | Nea Zichni
Serres Province | Serres
Sintiki Province | Sidirokastro
Visaltia Province | Nigrita

## Transport

[edit]

The main roads of Serres regional unit are:

* A2 motorway (Egnatia Odos, Igoumenitsa - Thessaloniki - Amfipoli - Alexandroupoli)
* A25 motorway (Thessaloniki - Serres - Sidirokastro - Bulgaria)
* Greek National Road 2 (Florina - Thessaloniki - Amfipoli - Alexandroupoli)
* Greek National Road 12 (Thessaloniki - Serres - Drama - Kavala)
* Greek National Road 59 (Amfipoli - Nea Zichni)
* Greek National Road 63 (Serres - Sidirokastro - Bulgaria)
* Greek National Road 65 (Thessaloniki - Kilkis - Sidirokastro)

The Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli railway passes through Serres and Sidirokastro.

## Persons

[edit]

* Constantine Karamanlis (8 March 1907 in Proti - 23 April 1998), a former Greek prime minister and president
* Emmanouel Pappas, hero of the Greek Independence Struggle
* Glykeria, famous Greek singer (of Asia Minor Hellenic ancestry)
* Ioannis Melissanidis, a Greek gymnast athlete
* Nansy Stergiopoulou, of the all girl band Hi-5, family originally from Serres.

## Sporting teams

[edit]

The Panserraikos F.C. association football club, based in Serres, plays in the Football League 2.

## See also

[edit]

* List of settlements in the Serres regional unit

## 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. ^ a b "ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
3. ^ "Detailed census results 1991" (PDF). (39 MB) (in Greek and French)

## External links

[edit]

* Serres Prefecture Official Website
* Serres General Hospital Official Website
* Alistrati's cave
* An up-to-date portal with information regarding the Serres Prefecture

* 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|

* United States
* Czech Republic
* Israel

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

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