Imathia Περιφερειακή ενότητα Ημαθίας | |
|---|---|
 Municipalities of Imathia | |
 Imathia within Greece | |
  Imathia | |
| Coordinates:40°35′N22°15′E / 40.583°N 22.250°E /40.583; 22.250 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Central Macedonia |
| Seat | Veroia |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,701 km2 (657 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 131,001 |
| • Density | 77.01/km2 (199.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 59x xx |
| Area code | 233x0 |
| Vehicle registration | HM |
| Website | imathia |
Imathia (Greek:Ημαθία[imaˈθia]) is one of theregional units of Greece. It is part of theregion ofCentral Macedonia, within thegeographic region ofMacedonia. The capital of Imathia is the city ofVeroia.
The regional unit Imathia is subdivided into 3 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):[2]
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Imathia was created out of the former Imathia prefecture (Greek:Νομός Ημαθίας). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandreia | Alexandreia | Alexandreia |
| Antigonides | ||
| Meliki | ||
| Platy | ||
| Naousa | Naousa | Naousa |
| Anthemia | ||
| Eirinoupoli | ||
| Veroia | Veroia | Veroia |
| Apostolos Pavlos | ||
| Vergina | ||
| Dovras | ||
| Makedonida |
The former prefecture of Imathia was subdivided into the followingprovinces:[3]
| Provinces of Imathia Prefecture | Seat |
|---|---|
| Imathia Province | Veroia |
| Naousa Province | Naousa |
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece since 2006.
The northeastern part of Imathia, along the lower course of the riverAliakmonas, is a vast agricultural plain known asKampania orRoumlouki. The area is known for the production of fruit crops, such aspeaches andstrawberries. Much of the population lives in this plain, where the townsAlexandreia andVeroia are situated. Imathia has a short shoreline on theThermaic Gulf, around the mouth of the Aliakmonas. The mountainous western part of Imathia is covered by theVermio Mountains, reaching 2,052 metres near the city ofNaousa. ThePierian Mountains reach into the southern part of Imathia, south of the Aliakmonas. The regional unit borders onPieria to the south,Kozani to the west,Pella to the north andThessaloniki to the east. Imathia has a mainlyMediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
Therailway from Thessaloniki to Florina and the importantrailway from Thessaloniki to Athens pass through Imathia, with main stations atPlaty,Veroia andAlexandreia. TheA1 andA2 (Egnatia Odos) motorways, and theEO1,EO4 and EO4a national roads pass through Imathia. TheAlexandreia Airport is a military airport.
Imathia was named after the historic regionEmathia, which was used by several classical authors as a synonym forBottiaea or even all ofMacedon. Important ancient towns in the area of present Imathia wereAigai, the original capital of the kingdom of theMakedones, andBeroea. As a part of theMacedonia region, it was ruled by thekingdom of Macedonia, theRoman Empire, theByzantine Empire and from early 15th century by theOttoman Empire. In 1913, as a result of theSecond Balkan War, it became part of Greece. During and after theGreco-Turkish War (1919–1922), several refugees fromTurkey settled in Imathia. Initially part of theprefecture of Thessaloniki, Imathia became aprefecture in 1946, and Veroia was selected as its capital.[4]
Administrative division of theCentral Macedonia Region | ||
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| Regional unit ofChalkidiki |  | |
| Regional unit ofImathia | ||
| Regional unit ofKilkis | ||
| Regional unit ofPella | ||
| Regional unit ofPieria | ||
| Regional unit ofSerres | ||
| Regional unit ofThessaloniki | ||
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Authority control databases: Geographic |
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