Corinthia ( el, Κορινθία ''Korinthía'') is one of the
regional units of Greece
The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level Administrative divisions of Greece, administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 Modern reg ...
. It is part of the
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...
. It is situated around the city of
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
, in the north-eastern part of the
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...
peninsula.
Geography
Corinthia borders on
Achaea to the west and southwest, the
Gulf of Corinth and
Attica
Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean Se ...
to the north, the
Saronic Gulf
The Saronic Gulf (Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος, ''Saronikós kólpos'') or Gulf of Aegina in Greece is formed between the peninsulas of Attica and Argolis and forms part of the Aegean Sea. It defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Co ...
to the east,
Argolis
Argolis or Argolida ( el, Αργολίδα , ; , in ancient Greek and Katharevousa) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese, situated in the eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula and part of the tri ...
to the south and
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
to the southwest. The
Corinth Canal
The Corinth Canal ( el, Διώρυγα της Κορίνθου, translit=Dhioryga tis Korinthou) is an artificial canal in Greece, that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the ...
, carrying ship traffic between the
Ionian and the
Aegean seas, is about east of
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
, cutting through the
Isthmus of Corinth. Corinthia is increasingly seen as part of the wider metropolitan area of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, with municipalities, such as
Agioi Theodoroi
Agioi Theodoroi ( el, Άγιοι Θεόδωροι) is a town and a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora-Agioi Theodoroi, of which it is a ...
in the easternmost part of the regional unit, being considered suburbs of Athens. The area around Corinth and the western
Saronic
The Saronic Gulf (Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος, ''Saronikós kólpos'') or Gulf of Aegina in Greece is formed between the peninsulas of Attica and Argolis and forms part of the Aegean Sea. It defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Co ...
including the southeastern part are made up of fault lines including the
Corinth Fault
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
, the
Poseidon Fault and a fault running from Perahcora to Agioi Theodoroi. More faults are near
Kiras Vrysi and Sofiko. The eastern coastlands of Corinthia are made up of pastures and farmlands where olives, grapes, tomatoes and vegetables are cultivated. The rest of Corinthia is mountainous. Its tallest mountain is
Kyllini in its west and the largest lake is
Lake Stymphalos, (important in Greek mythology and a bird resort, protected by
Natura 2000) situated in the southwest. The reservoir will become one of the largest lakes after its completion. The climate of Corinthia consists of hot summers and mild winters in the coastal areas and somewhat colder winters with occasional snowfalls in the mountainous areas.
Administration
The regional unit Corinthia is subdivided into six municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
*
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
(''Korinthos'', 1)
*
Loutraki-Perachora-Agioi Theodoroi
Loutraki-Perachora-Agioi Theodoroi ( el, Λουτράκι-Περαχώρα-Άγιοι Θεόδωροι) is a municipality in the Corinthia regional unit, Peloponnese, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Loutraki. The municipality has ...
(3)
*
Nemea (4)
*
Sikyona
Sikyona ( el, Σικυώνα) is a municipality in Corinthia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is in Kiato. Sikyona takes its name from the ancient city Sicyon, which was located in the same territory.
Municipality
The municipality Sikyona wa ...
(6)
*
Velo-Vocha (2)
*
Xylokastro-Evrostina
Xylokastro–Evrostina ( el, Ξυλόκαστρο-Ευρωστίνα) is a municipality in the Corinthia regional unit, Peloponnese, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Xylokastro. The municipality has an area of 411.667 km2.
Munici ...
(5)
Prefecture
As a part of the 2011
Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Corinthia was created out of the former
prefecture Corinthia ( el, Νομός Κορινθίας). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
Population
Most of the modern inhabitants of the Corinthia are descendants of
Arvanites
Arvanites (; Arvanitika: , or , ; Greek: , ) are a bilingual population group in Greece of Albanian origin. They traditionally speak Arvanitika, an Albanian language variety, along with Greek. Their ancestors were first recorded as settl ...
. Large concentrations of those descendants live especially in mountainous regions, including Xylokeriza,
Examilia
Examilia ( el, Εξαμίλια) is a town in the municipality of Corinth, Greece. It is situated about 5 km south of Corinth, and 6 km west of Kechries (ancient Cenchreae).
History
The town was first attested in 1676 by French archaeologi ...
, Sophiko and Kyras Vryse.
Main towns and cities
The main cities and towns of Corinthia are (ranked by 2011 census population):
*
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
30,176
*
Loutraki
Loutraki ( el, Λουτράκι) is a seaside resort on the Gulf of Corinth, in Corinthia, Greece. It is located west of Athens and northeast of Corinth. Loutraki is the seat of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora-Agioi Theodoroi. The tow ...
13,353
*
Kiato
Kiato ( el, Κιάτο) is a town in the northern part of Corinthia in the Peloponnese, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of Sikyona. Kiato is situated on the Gulf of Corinth, near the mouth of the river Asopos. It has much tourist activ ...
9,812
*
Xylokastro
Xylokastro ( el, Ξυλόκαστρο) is a seaside town or village and a former municipality in Corinthia in the Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Xylokastro-Evrostina, of which it is a un ...
5,715
History
From 1833 to 1899, the Corinthia prefecture included
Argolis
Argolis or Argolida ( el, Αργολίδα , ; , in ancient Greek and Katharevousa) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese, situated in the eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula and part of the tri ...
and was known as
Argolidocorinthia
Argolis and Corinthia Prefecture ( el, ), commonly known as Argolidocorinthia (), was one of the prefectures of Greece. Its capital was Nafplio. It was one of the first prefectures established, first in 1833–1836 and again from 1845 until 1899, ...
. It included
Hydra,
Spetses
Spetses ( el, Σπέτσες, grc, Πιτυούσσα "Pityussa", Arvanitika: Πετσε̱) is an upscale affluent island in Attica, Greece. It is included as one of the Saronic Islands. Until 1948, it was part of the old prefecture of Argolis ...
and
Kythira
Kythira (, ; el, Κύθηρα, , also transliterated as Cythera, Kythera and Kithira) is an Greek islands, island in Greece lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Io ...
. Argolis joined Corinthia to reform Argolidocorinthia again in 1909. Forty years later, in 1949, the prefecture was finally separated from Argolis.
The highway was first paved at the turn of the 20th century. The mid to late-20th century saw the population shifting from agriculture to other jobs, as people migrated to larger towns and cities as well as other parts of the world. In the 1960s, the motorway
GR-8A was constructed to handle the increasing traffic between Corinth and Athens and allow higher speed limits (). The section from the old Corinth interchange eastward in Corinthia was opened in 1962 and the section west of Corinth was added in 1969. The new highway had a significant effect on the local industry, as it lowered the cost of transportation of goods between Corinthia and the Athens metropolitan area.
In late 2006, the prefect of Corinthia announced the construction of a new dam, to be located south of
Kiato
Kiato ( el, Κιάτο) is a town in the northern part of Corinthia in the Peloponnese, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of Sikyona. Kiato is situated on the Gulf of Corinth, near the mouth of the river Asopos. It has much tourist activ ...
and
Sicyon, near
Stimanika, over the
Elissos River. It will be the second largest body of water (lakes, reservoirs) in Corinthia. The dam will be designed to withstand earthquakes and natural disasters, including flooding. On July 17, 2007, a forest fire struck the area around the historic
Acrocorinth
Acrocorinth ( el, Ακροκόρινθος), "Upper Corinth", the acropolis of ancient Corinth, is a monolithic rock overseeing the ancient city of Corinth, Greece. In the estimation of George Forrest, "It is the most impressive of the acropolis ...
and its castle.
Economy
The main sources of income are goods and services, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.
Transport
Several major roadways are situated within Corinthia.
*Motorways:
**
Olympia Odos
Olympia Odos is a toll motorway system on the Peloponnese in Greece. Starting from Eleusis in the Athens metropolitan area, the Olympia Odos motorways follow the Gulf of Corinth to the Rio–Antirrio bridge and the city of Patras, and along ...
(which integrates
Greek National Road 8A
Greek National Road 8a ( el, Εθνική Οδός 8a, abbreviated as EO8a) was a toll road in the Attica, Peloponnese and West Greece regions. It connected Athens with the cities of Corinth and Patras. It was built in the 1960s as a replacemen ...
)
**
Moreas Motorway
The Moreas Motorway ( el, Αυτοκινητόδρομος Μωρέας, designated: A7) is a motorway in Peloponnese, Greece. The A7 begins just west of the Isthmus of Corinth, branching off from Greek National Road 8A (which is now integrate ...
*Highways – national roads:
**
Greek National Road 7
Greek National Road 7 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 7, abbreviated as EO7) is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the Peloponnese region in southern Greece. It connects the cities of Corinth and Kalamata, via Nemea
Nemea (; grc ...
**
Greek National Road 8
Greek National Road 8 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 8, abbreviated as EO8, common name: old Athens-Patras national road) is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the Attica, Peloponnese and West Greece regions. It connects Athens with ...
**
Greek National Road 66
Communications
*Top Channel – Corinth
Culture
Notable attractions include
Ancient Corinth with its acropolis,
Acrocorinth
Acrocorinth ( el, Ακροκόρινθος), "Upper Corinth", the acropolis of ancient Corinth, is a monolithic rock overseeing the ancient city of Corinth, Greece. In the estimation of George Forrest, "It is the most impressive of the acropolis ...
, the
Corinth Canal
The Corinth Canal ( el, Διώρυγα της Κορίνθου, translit=Dhioryga tis Korinthou) is an artificial canal in Greece, that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the ...
, the thermal springs of
Loutraki
Loutraki ( el, Λουτράκι) is a seaside resort on the Gulf of Corinth, in Corinthia, Greece. It is located west of Athens and northeast of Corinth. Loutraki is the seat of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora-Agioi Theodoroi. The tow ...
, the archaeological sites of
Nemea,
Sicyon and the
Heraion of Perachora
The Heraion of Perachora ( el, Ηραίο Περαχώρας) is a sanctuary of the goddess Hera situated in a small cove of the Corinthian gulf at the end of the Perachora peninsula. In addition to a temple of Hera of unusual construction and ant ...
.
See also
*
List of settlements in Corinthia
This is a list of settlements in Corinthia, Greece.
* Agioi Theodoroi
* Agionori
* Agios Ioannis
* Agios Vasileios
* Aidonia
* Ancient Corinth
* Angelokastro
* Ano Trikala
* Archaia Feneos
* Archaia Nemea
* Archaies Kleones
* Asprokampos
...
References
External links
korinthia.net The Ultimate guide for CorinthiaGTP – CorinthiaGeomorphological Survey of Eastern Korinthia KRRC GeomorphologyKiato
{{Authority control
Prefectures of Greece
1899 establishments in Greece
Regional units of Peloponnese (region)
States and territories established in 1899