Imathia ( ) is one of the

regional units of Greece The 74 regional units of Greece (, ; singular , ) are the country's third-level administrative units (counting decentralized administrations as first-level). They are subdivisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into munici ...

. It is part of the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

Central Macedonia Central Macedonia ( ; , ) is one of the thirteen Regions of Greece, administrative regions of Greece, consisting the central part of the Geographic regions of Greece, geographical and historical region of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia. With a ...

, within the

geographic region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

. The capital of Imathia is the city of Veroia.

Administration

The regional unit Imathia is subdivided into 3 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox): * Alexandreia (2) * Naousa (3) * Veroia (1)

Prefecture

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Imathia was created out of the former Imathia prefecture (). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.

Provinces

The former prefecture of Imathia was subdivided into the following

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

: Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece since 2006.

Geography

The northeastern part of Imathia, along the lower course of the river Aliakmonas, is a vast agricultural plain known as Kampania or Roumlouki. The area is known for the production of fruit crops, such as

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

es and

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...

. Much of the population lives in this plain, where the towns Alexandreia and Veroia are situated. Imathia has a short shoreline on the

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

, around the mouth of the Aliakmonas. The mountainous western part of Imathia is covered by the

Vermio Mountains The Vermio Mountains (), known in antiquity as the Bermion (), is a mountain range in northern Greece. It lies between the Imathia Regional Unit of the Central Macedonia Region and the Kozani Regional Unit of the Western Macedonia Region. The r ...

, reaching 2,052 metres near the city of Naousa. The

Pierian Mountains The Pierian Mountains (or commonly referred to as Piéria) are a mountain range between Imathia, Pieria (regional unit), Pieria and Kozani (regional unit), Kozani Region, south of the plain of Kampania in Central Macedonia, Greece. The village of ...

reach into the southern part of Imathia, south of the Aliakmonas. The regional unit borders on Pieria to the south,

Kozani Kozani (, ) is a town in northern Greece, capital of Kozani (regional unit), Kozani regional unit and of Western Macedonia. It is located in the western part of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas, Aliakmonas riv ...

to the west,

Pella Pella () is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It served as the capital of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. Currently, it is located 1 km outside the modern town of Pella ...

to the north and

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

to the east. Imathia has a mainly

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Transport

The railway from Thessaloniki to Florina and the important railway from Thessaloniki to Athens pass through Imathia, with main stations at Platy, Veroia and Alexandreia. The A1 and A2 (Egnatia Odos) motorways, and the EO1, EO4 and EO4a national roads pass through Imathia. The Alexandreia Airport is a military airport.

History

Imathia was named after the historic region Emathia, which was used by several classical authors as a synonym for

Bottiaea Bottiaea (Greek: ''Bottiaia'') was a geographical region of ancient Macedonia and an administrative district of the Macedonian Kingdom. It was previously inhabited by the Bottiaeans, a people of uncertain origin, later expelled by the Macedon ...

or even all of

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

. Important ancient towns in the area of present Imathia were Aegae and

Beroea Beroea (or Berea, ) was an ancient city of the Hellenistic period and Roman Empire now known as Veria (or Veroia) in Macedonia, Northern Greece. It is a small city on the eastern side of the Vermio Mountains north of Mount Olympus. The town is m ...

. As a part of the

region, it was ruled by the

kingdom of Macedonia Macedonia ( ; , ), also called Macedon ( ), was an Classical antiquity, ancient monarchy, kingdom on the periphery of Archaic Greece, Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The History of ...

, the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

and from early 15th century by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. In 1913, as a result of the

Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia and Kingdom of Greece, Greece, on 1 ...

, it became part of Greece. During and after the

Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) The Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 was fought between Greece and the Turkish National Movement during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, between 15 May 1919 and 14 October 1922. This conflict was a par ...

, several refugees from

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

settled in Imathia. Initially part of the

prefecture of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki ( ''Mitropolitiki enotita Thessaloníkis'', ''Metropolitan unit of Thessaloniki'') is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Modern regions of Greece, Region of Central Macedonia and its capital is the city of Thessalon ...

, Imathia became a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''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 inter ...

in 1946, and Veroia was selected as its capital.FEK 1946 nr. 35
/ref>

Media

Newspapers

* Agrotikoi Orizontes * Elefthero Vima * Epikaira Imathias * Epta Imathias * Imerisia * Kerkida *

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

* Pliroforisi * Macedonika Nea

Culture

Museums

* Wine and Vine Museum (Naoussa) *

Archaeological Museum of Veroia The Archaeological Museum of Veroia is one of the most important archaeological museums in Macedonia, Greece. The museum was established in 1965 in a building constructed especially for the purpose in Elia. Finds from the Palaeolithic to the Ottom ...

* Byzantine Museum of Veroia * Folklore Museum of the Lyceum of Hellenic Women (Naoussa)

Sports clubs

* Veria F.C. - Veroia * Pontioi Veria F.C. - Veroia * Naoussa F.C. - Naousa * Alexandria F.C. - Alexandria

References

External links

Asyrmato Mitropolitiko Dyktio Hmathias
The local wireless network
Official website

{{Authority control Prefectures of Greece Regional units of Central Macedonia