Chalkidiki (; el, Χαλκιδική , also spelled Halkidiki, is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of

Central Macedonia Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...

, in the

geographic 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 Macedonia in

Northern Greece Northern Greece ( el, Βόρεια Ελλάδα, Voreia Ellada) is used to refer to the northern parts of Greece, and can have various definitions. Administrative regions of Greece Administrative term The term "Northern Greece" is widely used ...

. The autonomous

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...

region constitutes the easternmost part of the peninsula, but not of the regional unit. The capital of Chalkidiki is the town of

Polygyros Polygyros ( Greek: Πολύγυρος) is a town and municipality in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is the capital of Chalkidiki. Geography Polygyros town (pop. 6,121 at the 2011 census) is built in the shape of an amphitheatre on a plateau on ...

, located in the centre of the peninsula, while the largest town is

Nea Moudania Nea Moudania ( el, Νέα Μουδανιά, ''Néa Moudaniá''; often referred to as Moudania (Μουδανιά, ''Moudaniá''), the name of the municipal unit to which the town belongs, is the seat of the municipality of Nea Propontida, Chalkidi ...

. Chalkidiki is a popular summer tourist destination.

Name

''Chalkidiki'' also spelled ''Halkidiki'' () or ''Chalcidice'' () was the name given to this peninsula after

Chalkida Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...

. In ancient times, the area was a colony () of the ancient Ionian Greek city-state of

Chalcis Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...

Geography

The

Cholomontas Cholomon or Cholomondas ( el, Χολομών, Χολομώντας, sometimes transliterated as ''Holomontas'') is a mountain in Central Macedonia, Greece, that covers almost all of central and east Chalkidiki. The ancient Greeks called the mounta ...

mountains lie in the north-central part of Chalkidiki. Chalkidiki consists of a large peninsula in the northwestern

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...

, resembling a hand with three 'fingers' (though in Greek these peninsulas are often referred to as 'legs'). From west to east, these are Kassandra,

Sithonia Sithonia ( el, Σιθωνία), also known as Longos, is a peninsula of Chalkidiki, which itself is located on a larger peninsula within Greece. The Kassandra Peninsula lies to the west of Sithonia and the Mount Athos peninsula to the east. Sithon ...

, and

, a special polity within Greece known for its

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

. These "fingers" are separated by two gulfs, the

Toronean Gulf The Toronean Gulf or Toroneos Gulf () and Toronaic Gulf (), also known as the Kassandra Gulf (), is a gulf of the Thracian Sea, part of the northern Aegean Sea, in Chalkidiki, Greece. It lies between the Kassandra peninsula in the west, and Sit ...

and the

Singitic Gulf The Singitic Gulf (), also known as the Mount Athos Gulf or the Holy Mountain Gulf () is a gulf of the Thracian Sea, part of the northern Aegean Sea, in Chalkidiki, Greece. It is bounded by Sithonia in the west, and Mount Athos in the east. The is ...

. The Chalkidiki borders on the regional unit of Thessaloniki to the north, and is bounded by the

Thermaic Gulf The Thermaic Gulf (), also called the Gulf of Salonika and the Macedonian Gulf, is a gulf constituting the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea. The city of Thessaloniki is at its northeastern tip, and it is bounded by Pieria Imathia and Larissa ...

on the west and the

Strymonian Gulf The Strymonian or Strymonic Gulf (), also known as the Orfano Gulf (), is a branch of the Thracian Sea—itself part of the Aegean Sea—lying east of the Chalcidice peninsula and south of the Serres regional unit. It was formerly known as the Gulf ...

on the east. Its largest towns are

(), Nea Kallikrateia () and the capital town of

(). There are several summer resorts on the beaches of all three fingers where other minor towns and villages are located, such as at

Yerakini Yerakini or Gerakini ( el, Γερακινή , ) is a village in the Chalkidiki peninsula in Central Macedonia, Northern Greece. It has been the port of nearby Polygyros, the capital town of Chalkidiki, ever since its settlement. It has the lar ...

(Gerakina Beach) and

Psakoudia Psakoudia (Greek Ψακούδια \psaˈkoodya\), is a village of Chalkidiki (Greek Χαλκιδική]) peninsula (formerly prefecture), in Central Macedonia, of Northern Greece. This settlement belongs to the Municipality of Polygyros, a ...

in central Chalkidiki, Kallithea, Chalkidiki, Kallithea,

Chanioti Chaniotis ( el, Χανιώτης, ''Chaniótis'' or , ''Chanióti''), is a tourist town located in the eastern part of the peninsula of Kassandra, Chalkidiki, Kassandra, Chalkidiki, Greece. The population in 2011 was 893, the elevation is 10 m. Th ...

and

Pefkochori Pefkochori ( el, Πευκοχώρι, ''Pefkochóri'' , meaning "pine village"; before 1965: Kapsochora (Καψοχώρα, ''Kapsochóra'')) is a tourist town located in the southeast of the peninsula of Kassandra, Chalkidiki, Greece. Pefkoch ...

in the Kassandra peninsula,

Nikiti Nikiti ( el, Νικήτη) is a village located 100 kilometers south-east of Thessaloniki on the Chalkidiki peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. It is the seat of both the municipal unit and municipality of Sithonia. The town has a preserved old part ...

and

Neos Marmaras Neos Marmaras ( el, Νέος Μαρμαράς, ''Néos Marmarás'', , "New Marmara") is a town on the Sithonia peninsula, in the Chalkidiki peninsula, Greece. In 2011, Neos Marmaras had 3,352 permanent residents; however, the summer-time populat ...

(

Porto Carras Porto Carras (Greek: Πόρτο Καρράς), known as Porto Carras Grand Resort, is one of northern Greece's largest and most famous hotels and holiday resorts. It is located on Sithonia, Chalkidiki peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. It is about 120 ...

) in the

peninsula, and

Ouranoupolis Ouranoupoli ( el, Ουρανούπολη, lit=Sky City, formerly ''Ouranopolis'') is an ancient city and a modern village in Chalcidice. The village is today called Ouranoupoli. Location The village of Ouranoupoli is situated on the coastlin ...

at Mount Athos.

History

The first Greek settlers in this area came from

and

Eretria Eretria (; el, Ερέτρια, , grc, Ἐρέτρια, , literally 'city of the rowers') is a town in Euboea, Greece, facing the coast of Attica across the narrow South Euboean Gulf. It was an important Greek polis in the 6th and 5th centur ...

, ancient ionian cities in

Euboea Evia (, ; el, Εύβοια ; grc, Εὔβοια ) or Euboia (, ) is the second-largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. It is separated from Boeotia in mainland Greece by the narrow Euripus Strait (only at its narrowest poin ...

, around the 8th century BC who founded cities such as Mende,

Toroni Toroni ( grc, Τορώνη, ''Toróne'', modern pronunciation ''Toróni'') is an ancient Greek city and a former municipality in the southwest edge of Sithonia peninsula in Chalkidiki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of ...

and

Scione Scione or Skione ( grc, Σκιώνη) was an ancient Greek city in Pallene, the westernmost headland of Chalcidice, on the southern coast east of the modern town of Nea Skioni. Scione was founded by settlers from Achaea; the Scionaeans claimed ...

a second wave came from

Andros Andros ( el, Άνδρος, ) is the northernmost island of the Greek Cyclades archipelago, about southeast of Euboea, and about north of Tinos. It is nearly long, and its greatest breadth is . It is for the most part mountainous, with many fr ...

in the 6th century BC who founded cities such as Akanthos. The ancient city of

Stageira Stagira (), Stagirus (), or Stageira ( el, Στάγειρα or ) was an ancient Greek city located near the eastern coast of the peninsula of Chalkidice, which is now part of the Greek province of Central Macedonia. It is chiefly known for bei ...

was the birthplace of the great philosopher

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

. Chalkidiki was an important theatre of war during the

Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...

between

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 ...

and

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

. Later, the Greek colonies of the peninsula were conquered by

Philip II of Macedon Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...

and Chalkidiki became part of

Macedonia (ancient kingdom) Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...

. After the end of the

wars War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

between the Macedonians and the Romans, the region became part of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

, along with the rest of Greece. At the end of the Roman Republic (in 43 BC) a Roman colony was settled in Cassandreia, which was later (in 30 BC) resettled by Augustus. During the following centuries, Chalkidiki was part of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

(East Roman Empire). On a chrysobull of Emperor

Basil I Basil I, called the Macedonian ( el, Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, ''Basíleios ō Makedṓn'', 811 – 29 August 886), was a Byzantine Emperor who reigned from 867 to 886. Born a lowly peasant in the theme of Macedonia, he rose in the ...

, dated 885, the ''Holy Mountain'' (

) was proclaimed a place of monks, and no laymen or farmers or cattle-breeders were allowed to be settled there. With the support of

Nikephoros II Phokas Nikephoros II Phokas (; – 11 December 969), Latinized Nicephorus II Phocas, was Byzantine emperor from 963 to 969. His career, not uniformly successful in matters of statecraft or of war, nonetheless included brilliant military exploits whi ...

, the Great Lavra monastery was founded soon afterwards. Today, over 2,000 monks from Greece and many other Eastern Orthodox countries, such as Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Russia, live an ascetic life in Athos, isolated from the rest of the world. Athos with its monasteries has been self-governing ever since. After a short period of domination by the Latin

Kingdom of Thessalonica The Kingdom of Thessalonica () was a short-lived Crusader State founded after the Fourth Crusade over conquered Byzantine lands in Macedonia and Thessaly. History Background After the fall of Constantinople to the crusaders in 1204, Bonifac ...

, the area became again Byzantine until its conquest by the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

in 1430. During the Ottoman period, the peninsula was important for its

gold mining Gold mining is the extraction of gold resources by mining. Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. However, with the expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface ...

. In 1821, the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

started and the Greeks of Chalkidiki revolted under the command of

Emmanouel Pappas Emmanouel Pappas ( el, Εμμανουήλ Παππάς; 1772–1821) was a prominent member of Filiki Eteria and leader of the Greek War of Independence in Macedonia. Biography Pappas was born in Dovista (Δοβίστα), Serres regional uni ...

, a member of

Filiki Eteria Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends ( el, Φιλικὴ Ἑταιρεία ''or'' ) was a secret organization founded in 1814 in Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek ...

, and other local fighters. The revolt was progressing slowly and unsystematically. The insurrection was confined to the peninsulas of Mount Athos and Kassandra. One of the main goals was to restrain and detain the coming of the Ottoman army from

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, until the revolution in the south (mainly

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 ...

) became stable. Finally, the revolt resulted in a decisive Ottoman victory at Kassandra. The survivors, among them Papas, were rescued by the Psarian fleet, which took them mainly to

Skiathos Skiathos ( el, Σκιάθος, , ; grc, Σκίαθος, ; and ) is a small Greek island in the northwest Aegean Sea. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades group, east of the Pelion peninsula in Magnesia on the mainland, ...

Skopelos Skopelos ( el, Σκόπελος, ) is a Greek island in the western Aegean Sea. Skopelos is one of several islands which comprise the Northern Sporades island group, which lies east of the Pelion peninsula on the mainland and north of the island ...

and

Skyros Skyros ( el, Σκύρος, ), in some historical contexts Latinized Scyros ( grc, Σκῦρος, ), is an island in Greece, the southernmost of the Sporades, an archipelago in the Aegean Sea. Around the 2nd millennium BC and slightly later, the ...

. The Ottomans proceeded in retaliation and many villages were burnt. Finally, the peninsula was incorporated into the

Greek Kingdom The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label=Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, where ...

in 1912 after the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...

. Many Greek refugees from

East Thrace East Thrace or Eastern Thrace ( tr, Doğu Trakya or simply ''Trakya''; el, Ανατολική Θράκη, ''Anatoliki Thraki''; bg, Източна Тракия, ''Iztochna Trakiya''), also known as Turkish Thrace or European Turkey, is the pa ...

and

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

(modern Turkey) were settled in parts of Chalkidiki after the 1922 Greco-Turkish war, adding to the indigenous Greek population. In the 1980s, a tourism boom came to Chalkidiki and took over agriculture as the primary industry. In June 2003, at the holiday resort of

located in Neos Marmaras, Sithonia, leaders of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

presented the first draft of the European Constitution (see

History of the European Constitution The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE; commonly referred to as the European Constitution or as the Constitutional Treaty) was an unratified international treaty intended to create a consolidated constitution for the European U ...

for developments after this point).

Ancient sites

Cholomondas Mountain, Chalkidiki, Greece - Dense forest

Chalkidiki - Nikiti, Agios Ioannis - panoramio

* Acanthus (near

Ierissos Ierissos ( el, Ιερισσός) is a small town on the east coast of the Akti peninsula in Chalkidiki, Greece. It is located 160 km from Thessaloniki, and 10 km from the border of the Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain, or M ...

) * Acrothoi *

Aege Aege or Aige ( grc, Αἰγή) was a town of the Pallene peninsula in the Chalcidice in ancient Macedonia. It is mentioned by Herodotus as one of the cities of the peninsula of Pallene where at 480 BCE Xerxes recruited troops and ships in his ...

Alapta Alapta ( grc, Ἀλαπτα) was a town of Chalcidice, ancient Macedonia. It is mentioned in the ''Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax'' as one of the cities that were inhabited by Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) ar ...

Aphytis Aphytis ( grc, Ἄφυτις), also Aphyte (Ἀφύτη) and Aphytus or Aphytos (Ἄφυτος), was an ancient Greek city in Pallene, the westernmost headland of Chalcidice. Around the middle of the 8th century BC colonists from Euboea arrived. ...

(

Afytos Afytos (Greek, Modern: Άφυτος) is a village in Chalkidiki, northern Greece. It is part of the municipality Kassandra. It is situated on the northeastern coast of the Kassandra peninsula, 6 km northeast of Kassandreia, 31 km south of ...

) * Apollonia (near

) *

Cleonae (Chalcidice) Cleonae or Cleonæ or Kleonai ( grc, Κλεωναί) was an ancient city on the ''Acte'' or ''Akte'' (Ακτή) peninsula (now Mount Athos), the easternmost of the three peninsulas forming the ancient Chalcidice, on its western coast, south of Thys ...

* Galepsus *

Mekyberna Mecyberna or Mekyberna ( grc, Μηκύβερνα) was a town of Chalcidice, ancient Macedonia, which stood at the head of the Toronaic Gulf, which was also called ''Sinus Mecybernaeus''. Mecyberna was the port of Olynthus. and lay between that town ...

* Mende *

Neapolis, Chalcidice Neapolis ( grc, Νεάπολις) meaning "New City", was an ancient city on east coast of the isthmus the Pallene, Chalcidice, ancient Greece between Aphytis and Aege. It was a member of the Delian League. It is usually identified with the moder ...

Olophyxus Olophyxus or Olophyxos ( grc, Ὀλόφυξος) was a town on the peninsula of ''Acte'' or ''Akte'' (Ακτή) (now Mount Athos), the easternmost of the three peninsulas forming the ancient Chalcidice. Thucydides says that among the cities of th ...

Olynthus Olynthus ( grc, Ὄλυνθος ''Olynthos'', named for the ὄλυνθος ''olunthos'', "the fruit of the wild fig tree") was an ancient city of Chalcidice Chalkidiki (; el, Χαλκιδική , also spelled Halkidiki, is a peninsula and ...

* Palaiochori "Neposi" castle * Polichrono *

Potidaea __NOTOC__ Potidaea (; grc, Ποτίδαια, ''Potidaia'', also Ποτείδαια, ''Poteidaia'') was a colony founded by the Corinthians around 600 BC in the narrowest point of the peninsula of Pallene, the westernmost of three peninsulas at ...

* Scolus *

Sermylia Sermylia ( grc, Σερμυλία), or Sermyle (Σερμύλη), was a town of Chalcidice, between Galepsus and Mecyberna, which gave its name to the Toronaic Gulf, which was also called Sermylicus Sinus (κόλπος Σερμυλικός - ''kolpos ...

(

Ormylia Ormylia ( el, Ορμύλια) is a town and a former municipality in Chalkidiki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Polygyros Polygyros ( Greek: Πολύγυρος) is a town and municipality in Central ...

) *

Spartolus Spartolus or Spartolos ( grc, Σπάρτωλος) was the chief city of the Bottiaeans, perhaps in Bottike, in the northwest of the ancient Chalcidice, at no great distance from Olynthus. It was a member of the Delian League under the Thracian pho ...

* Thyssus *

Torone Toroni ( grc, Τορώνη, ''Toróne'', modern pronunciation ''Toróni'') is an ancient Greek city and a former municipality in the southwest edge of Sithonia peninsula in Chalkidiki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of ...

* Treasury of the Acanthians *

Xerxes Canal The Xerxes Canal ( el, Διώρυγα του Ξέρξη) was a navigable canal through the base of the Mount Athos peninsula in Chalkidiki, northern Greece, built by king Xerxes I of Persia in the 5th century BC. It is one of the few monuments lef ...

Archaeology

In June 2022, archaeologists announced the discovery of a poorly preserved single-edged

sabre A sabre ( French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...

among the ruins of a monastery on the coast of Chalcidice. Alongside the curved sword, excavators revealed evidence of a fire, a large cache of 14th-century glazed pottery vessels, as well as other weapons, including axes and arrowheads.

Economy

Agriculture

The peninsula is notable for its

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

and its green

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

s production. Also various types of

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

are produced.

Tourism

Chalkidiki has been a popular summer tourist destination since the late 1950s when people from

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...

started spending their summer holidays in the coastal villages. In the beginning tourists rented rooms in the houses of locals. By the 1960s, tourists from

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

started to visit Chalkidiki more frequently. Since the start of the big tourist boom in the 1970s, the whole region has been captured by tourism. In the region there is a

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

, with plans for four others in the future.

Mining

Gold was mined in the region during antiquity by

and the next rulers. Since 2013, a revival of

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

for

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

and other minerals has occurred, and a number of concessions have been granted to

Eldorado Gold Eldorado Gold Corporation is a Canadian company that owns and operates gold mines Gold mining is the extraction of gold resources by mining. Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold pann ...

of Canada. Critics claim that mining adversely affects tourism and the environment.

Administration

The Chalkidiki

regional unit The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into municipa ...

is subdivided into five

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

(numbered as in the infobox map): *

Aristotelis Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

(2) * Kassandra (4) *

Nea Propontida Nea Propontida ( el, Νέα Προποντίδα, "New Propontis") is a municipality in the Chalkidiki regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Nea Moudania. The municipality has an area of 372.317 km2. M ...

(3) *

(1) *

(5)

Prefecture

As a part of Greece's 2011 local government reform, the Chalkidiki regional unit (, ) was created out of the former Chalkidiki

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

(, ); the regional unit has the same territory as the former prefecture. As par of the reforms, Chalkidiki's five municipalities (, ) were created by combining former municipalities, which were in turn demoted to municipal units (, ), according to the table below.

Provinces

Before the abolishment of the

provinces of Greece The provinces of Greece ( el, επαρχία, "eparchy") were sub-divisions of some the country's prefectures of Greece, prefectures. From 1887, the provinces were abolished as actual administrative units, but were retained for some state servi ...

in 2006, the Chalkidiki prefecture was subdivided into the following provinces:

Population

As of the 2011 census, the regional unit had a population of 105,908 inhabitants, up from 96,849 inhabitants in the 2001 census. The autonomous monastic state of

which is often considered to be geographically part of Chalkidiki recorded an additional 1,811 people in the 2011 census. The population is mostly Eastern Orthodox monks.

Television

TV Halkidiki Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

– Nea Moudania * Super TV – Nea Moudania

Transport

*Motorways: **A25 ''(

, "Macedonia" Airport,

)'' *Chalkidiki has no

railroads Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...

airports An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

. *A bus system, KTEL, serves major municipalities. In September 2018 it was announced that Line 2 of the

Thessaloniki Metro The Thessaloniki Metro ( el, Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης, ', ) is an underground rapid-transit system under construction in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Estimates for the cost of the megaproject are €1.62 billion ...

could be extended in the future in order to serve commuters to and from some areas of Chalkidiki.

Notable inhabitants

Paeonius of Mende Paeonius ( grc-gre, Παιώνιος ''Paiṓnios'') of Mende, Chalkidiki was a Greek sculptor of the late 5th century BC. He most likely received his early training in Northern Greece and is thought to have later adapted Athenian stylistic ele ...

(late 5th century BC), sculptor *Philippus of Mende,

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

's student, astronomer *

Nicomachus Nicomachus of Gerasa ( grc-gre, Νικόμαχος; c. 60 – c. 120 AD) was an important ancient mathematician and music theorist, best known for his works ''Introduction to Arithmetic'' and ''Manual of Harmonics'' in Greek. He was born in ...

's father * Aristobulus of Cassandreia (375–301 BC), historian, architect *

(384 BC in

–322 BC), philosopher *

Andronicus of Olynthus Andronicus ( el, Ἀνδρόνικος) of Olynthus was a Macedonian nobleman and general in the 4th century BCE. This Andronicus is probably the same as the son of Agerrhus mentioned by Arrian and Diodorus Siculus:Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliothec ...

(c. 370 BC), Phrourarchus of Tyre, appointed by Antigonus *

Callisthenes Callisthenes of Olynthus (; grc-gre, Καλλισθένης; 360327 BCE) was a well-connected Greek historian in Macedon, who accompanied Alexander the Great during his Asiatic expedition. The philosopher Aristotle was Callisthenes's great ...

(360–328 BC), historian * Crates of Olynthus, Alexander's hydraulic engineer *Bubalus of Cassandreia (304 BC), ''keles'' (horse) competing in the flat race of the Lykaia *

Poseidippus of Cassandreia Posidippus of Cassandreia (Greek: Ποσείδιππος ὁ Κασσανδρεύς, ''Poseidippos ho Kassandreus''; 316 – c. 250 BC) was a Greek comic poet of the New Comedy. Life He was the son of Cyniscus, a Macedonian who lived in Athens. ...

(c. 310–240 BC), comic poet *Erginus (son of Simylus) from Cassandreia, citharede winner in Soteria c. 260 BC *

Stamatios Kapsas Stamatios (Stamos) Kapsas ( el, Σταμάτιος (Στάμος) Κάψας), known as Kapetan Chapsas (Καπετάν Χάψας), was a chieftain of the Greek Revolution of 1821 from Chalkidiki. Biography Stamatios Kapsas was born in the vi ...

, revolutionary of the

(1821–1830) *

Xenophon Paionidis Xenophon Paionidis ( el, Ξενοφών Παιονίδης; 1863–1933) was a Greek architect from Chalkidiki (Fourka), notable for his works in the city of Thessaloniki. Among his works are the "Villa Jeborga/Salem" (former Italian consulate, 1 ...

(1863–1933), architect * Manolis Mitsias, singer *

Sokratis Malamas Sokratis Malamas (Greek: Σωκράτης Μάλαμας) (born September 29, 1957) is a Greek singer and songwriter. Biography Sokratis Malamas was born on September 29, 1957, in Sykia in Chalkidiki, Greece. His family moved to Stuttgart, Ge ...

(1957 in Sykia), singer *

Paola Foka Paola (born Pagona Karamitsou on 25 June 1982) is a Greek singer. Early life and career Born on 25 June 1982 in Thessaloniki and raised in Sykia Halkidiki. Ηer Greek parents, Alexandros and Maria, were also musicians. She has an older brother ...

(1982 Sykia), singer

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Peninsulas of Greece Prefectures of Greece Regional units of Central Macedonia Geography of ancient Macedonia Wine regions of Greece