Drama ( el, Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Δράμας, ''Perifereiakí Enótita Drámas'') 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
East Macedonia and Thrace
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace ( el, Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη, translit=Anatolikí Makedonía ke Thráki, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It consists of the northeastern parts of the cou ...
. Its capital is the town of
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
. The regional unit is the northernmost within the
geographical region of Macedonia and the westernmost in the administrative region of East Macedonia and Thrace. The northern border with
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
is formed by the
Rhodope Mountains.
Geography
The northern part of the regional unit, bordering Bulgaria, is very mountainous. The main mountain ranges are
Orvilos ( bg, Славянка - Slavyanka) in the northwest,
Falakro in the north (at 2232m the highest point of the regional unit), the western
Rhodope Mountains in the northeast (including mounts
Frakto,
Elatia,
Koula etc.) and
Menoikio
Menoikio ( gr, Μενοίκιο, also known to the local populations as "Bozdakas" and "Bozdas", Greek corruptions of the Turkish name "Boz Dag", which was applied to the mountain by the Turks in Ottoman time, bg, Змийница, ''Zmiynitsa' ...
in the southwest. The
Nestos is the longest river, flowing in the northeast. The northern portion holds a unique treasure known as
Karantere (or Forest of
Elatia).
Drama is surrounded by the regional units of
Xanthi
Xanthi ( el, Ξάνθη, ''Xánthi'', ) is a city in the region of Western Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi regional unit of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace.
Amphitheatrically built on the foot of Rhodope m ...
to the east,
Kavala
Kavala ( el, Καβάλα, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia and the capital of Kavala (regional unit), Kavala regional unit.
It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across ...
to the south,
Serres
Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...
to the southwest and to the west, and the
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
n provinces of
Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad ( bg, Благоевград ) is а town in Southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Municipality and of Blagoevgrad Province. With a population of almost inhabitants, it is the economic and cultural centre ...
and
Smolyan to the north. Arable lands are located in the southern and the westcentral portion of Drama.
The southern part mainly has a
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
climate. The climate is more continental with cold winters in higher elevations and in the northern part.
Administration
The Drama regional unit is subdivided into 5 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
*
Doxato
Doxato ( el, Δοξάτο, formerly Δοξάτον) is a town and municipality in the Drama regional unit, in East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Kalampaki.
Municipality
The municipality Doxato was formed ...
(2)
*
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
(1)
*
Kato Nevrokopi
Kato Nevrokopi ( el, Κάτω Νευροκόπι "Lower Nevrokopi") is a municipality and town within that municipality in the northwest section of the Drama regional unit, Greece. Before the 2011 local government reform, it was the largest mun ...
(3)
*
Paranesti
Paranesti ( el, Παρανέστι) is a municipality in the Rhodope Mountains of northeastern Drama regional unit, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on ...
(4)
*
Prosotsani
Prosotsani ( el, Προσοτσάνη, until 1925: el, Προσωτσάνη - ''Prosotsani'', from 1925 until 1940: el, Πυρσόπολις - ''Pyrsopolis'') is a municipality and town within the municipality located in the western part of the ...
(5)
Prefecture
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the former Drama Prefecture ( el, Νομός Δράμας) was transformed into a regional unit within the East Macedonia and Thrace region. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
[
According to the 2011 census, the Drama regional unit had a population of 98,287, 11,666 more inhabitants than in the 2021 census.
]
Transport
The main roads of Drama regional unit are Greek National Road 12
National Road 12 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 12, abbreviated as EO12) is a single carriageway road in northern Greece. It connects Thessaloniki with Kavala, passing through Serres and Drama. It also serves traffic heading towards the north, to t ...
(Thessaloniki - Serres - Drama - Kavala), Greek National Road 14
Greek National Road 14 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 14, abbreviated as EO14) is a single carriageway road in northeastern Greece. It connects Drama with Xanthi, passing through Paranesti and Stavroupoli
Stavroupoli ( el, Σταυρούπολ ...
(Drama - Xanthi) and Greek National Road 57 (Drama - Kato Nevrokopi - Bulgaria). The Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli railway
The Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli railway is an about 440 km long railway in northern Greece connecting the Central Macedonian city of Thessaloniki with Alexandroupoli in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, via Serres. There is a connection towards ...
passes through Drama and Paranesti.
See also
* List of settlements in the Drama regional unit
* Former toponyms of places in Drama Prefecture
References
{{Authority control
Regional units of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Prefectures of Greece