TheMesogeia orMesogaia (Greek:τα Μεσόγεια, η Μεσόγαια/Μεσογαία, "Midlands") is a geographical region ofAttica inGreece.
The term designates since antiquity the inland portion of the Attic peninsula.[1] The term acquired a technical meaning with the reforms ofCleisthenes inc. 508 BC, when each of the tenAttic tribes was in territory composed of three zones (trittyes), urban (asty, the main city of Athens), interior (mesogeia) and coastal (paralia).[1] In theClassical period, themesogeia comprised about 47 settlements (demoi).[1]
In modern usage, the term refers to the central portion ofEast Attica, separated from the Athens basin byMount Hymettus, and delineated to the north byMount Penteli and to the south by the mountains of south Attica (Merenta,Panio [el],Laureotic Olympus). To the east the Mesogeia reaches theAegean Sea at thePetalioi Gulf, but is separated from the actual coastline by a line of low hills.[2] In the lateMiddle Ages, the area was the site ofAlbanian (Arvanite) settlement, as can be seen from toponyms such asSpata orLiopesi.[3]
Before the 2011Kallikratis reform, the area comprised the municipalities ofGerakas,Glyka Nera,Anthousa,Pallini,Paiania,Pikermi, Spata,Artemida, Rafina,Markopoulo Mesogaias,Keratea,Koropi,Kalyvia Thorikou,Vari,Kouvaras, andVoula. Its main settlement is Spata, and its main harbour is Rafina. TheAthens International Airport is also located near Spata.
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