Aigio

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Aigio (Αίγιο)
Coordinates	38°25′ N 22°8′ E
Country	Greece
Periphery	West Greece
Prefecture	Achaea
Population	27,812 source (2001)
Area	151.10 km²
Population density	184 /km²
Elevation	40 m
Postal code	251 00
Area code	26910
Licence plate code	ΑΧ

Aigio (Greek: Modern: Αίγιο, Ancient/Katharevousa: -on, Latin: Aegium) also, Egio or Egion is a town in northeast Achaea, Greece, that has a population of around 30,000, with quite a few squares, a bus terminal and a fountain downtown. Aigion is surrounded by trees in the north and cliffs in the northwest. The city can be accessed by GR-8A from the south and west with one full and one partial interchange, and has a rest area and is also bounded. The location is around 38.25° N 22.08° E. Mountains neighbor the southern part. The town sits on arable land which covers over a quarter of the community. The mountains of the Panachaicus and Erymanthus are rarely seen. The commune was known as Vostitsa or Vostitza in the Middle Ages to the late 20th century.

Aigio has schools, lyceums, gymnasia, banks, post offices, squares (plateies), and dead trees. There are beautiful beaches only 5 to 10 minutes drive from the city centre.

The sites of interest includes a Mycenean House dating back to ancient times. The location is near the cliffs.

The Port of Aigion serves ferry service to Agios Nikolaos in the northeast. Ferry service is very small and only has a few boats. It is on a road off the old highway. The port is crossed by rail. East of the port is a railway station and some buildings. The city is bounded by a river in the east and west. It can be accessed by another highway for Temeni, Pteri and Kalavryta on GR-31.

There are squares, one closer to the hospital and a circle shaped-square slightly from the city hall are in the SW with some bushes and a fountain and is located on the old highway. One of the squares (near to the bus station) is actually in the shape of a triangle, a source of some embarassment to those residents who consider the square something of a misnomer. The city has a hospital founded slightly west of the city and a rest area situated south of the city at GR-8A/E65. Residential houses are within and in the western part of Aigio.

Windmills are located in farmlands and groved SW of the community boundary. Hills are southwest of the city.

In 1995, an earthquake shattered Aigio. It devastated the southwestern subdivision destroying houses.

On February 4, 2004, riots over demanding wage hikes for farmers took place in the 172nd km interchange or the Aigio interchange, a sign, a 172nd km post facing the westbound lanes, some bushes were damaged as they clashed with the police. Another one a day later took place near the olive grove and trapped some people. Supertrucks were blocking the superhighway.

On January 28, 2005, tractors from the rural areas near Aigio were blocking streets so the farmers can demand better wages. It happened between noon and afternoon hours.

In July 2006 Albanian singer Hoxha, grandson of the notoriously paranoid communist dictator, played a concert at the "Stafidalonon Sports Cafe." It happened between 7pm and 11pm.

1 Nearest places
2 Communities
3 Historical population
4 History
5 Newspaper
6 External links
7 See also

[edit] Nearest places

Myrtia (west)
Temeni (east)

[edit] Communities

Aigio
Chantzi
Dafnes
Digeliotika
Kouloura
Koumari
Kounina
Mavriki
Melissia
Paraskevi
Pteri or Fteri
Pirgaki
Selinountas
Temeni
Valimitika

[edit] Historical population

Year	Communal population	Change	Municipal population	Change
1981	20,955	-	-	-
1991	22,178	1,223/5.84%	28,903	-
2001	-	-	27,741	1,869/16.3%

[edit] History

It was founded during Homeric times.

It was the capital of the Achaean League from 276 BC.

Aegium took the territory of Helike.

In the Byzantine Age, it was renamed Vostitsa.

It was renamed after the Greek Independence. It was the first city to be liberated on March 26 during the revolution of 1821.

A mid-1995 earthquake rumbled and damaged buildings in downtown core with a few casualties.

Agricultural protests in February, 2004. It had blocked GR-8A. The protests lasted several days, and blockades were created and closed main highways for two days. It was followed by rioting in the groves and rioting at a building in the night.

[edit] Newspaper

Filodimos Newspaper

[edit] External links

	North: Gulf of Corinth
West: Sympolitia	Aigio	East: Diakopto
	South: Kalavryta, Leontio (independent commune)

[edit] See also

Communities of Achaia
Gabriel Aghion

*Municipalities and communities* of the Achaea Prefecture**
Aigeira • Aigio • Akrata • Aroania • Diakopto • Dymi • Erineos • Farres • Kalavryta • Larissos • Lefkasio • Messatida • Movri • Olenia • Paion • Paralia • Patras • Rio • Sympoliteia • Tritaia • Vrachnaiika
Kalentzi • Leontio