Western Greece Region (Greek:Περιφέρεια Δυτικής Ελλάδας,romanized: Periféria Dhitikís Elládhas,[periˈferiaðitiˈciseˈlaðas])[3] is one of the thirteenadministrative regions of Greece. It comprises the western part ofcontinental Greece and the northwestern part of thePeloponnese peninsula. It occupies an area of 11,336 km2 (4,377 sq mi) and its population is, according to the 2011 census, at 679,796 inhabitants.[4][5] The capital of the Western Greece isPatras, the third-largest-city in the country, with a population of about 280,000 inhabitants. TheNUTS 2 code for the region of Western Greece is EL63.[6]
The region of Western Greece was established in the 1987 administrative reform.[7] With the 2010Kallikratis plan, its powers and authority were redefined and extended. Along withPeloponnese and theIonian Islands regions, it is supervised by the Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian Islands based atPatras. The region is based atPatras and is divided into threeregional units (pre-Kallikratisprefectures),Aetolia-Acarnania in Central Greece andAchaea andElis in Peloponnese, which are further subdivided into 19municipalities.
The region has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, typical of aMediterranean climate (Köppen:Csa). Sunny days dominate during the summer months in areas within the beaches and partially cloudy and rainy in the mountains. Snow is very common during the winter in the mountains ofErymanthus,Panachaiko andAroania. Winter average temperatures are around the 10 °C (50 °F) mark throughout the low-lying areas.
TheGross domestic product (GDP) of the region was €8.3 billion in 2018, accounting for 4.5% of Greek economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €15,200 or 50% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 65% of the EU average.[8]
^Π.Δ. 51/87«Καθορισμός των Περιφερειών της Χώρας για το σχεδιασμό, προγραμματισμό και συντονισμό της Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης», (Official Government Gazette of Greece, no. 26A'/06-03-1987)
