Chalkidiki

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GreeceChalkidiki Prefecture
Νομός Χαλκιδικής
Location of Chalkidiki Prefecture in Greece
Periphery Central Macedonia
Capital Polygyros
Population 109,587 (2005)Ranked 33rd
Area 2,917.877 km² Ranked 17th
Population density 37.6/km²Ranked 42nd
Number of municipalities 14
Postal codes 63x xx
Area codes 237x0, 23990
Licence plate code ΧΚ
ISO 3166-2 code GR-59
Website www.halkidiki.gov.gr

Chalkidiki, also Halkidiki or Chalcidice, less often Khalkidiki and rarely Chalkidice (Greek: Χαλκιδική, IPA[xalkʲiðiˈkʲi]), is one of the prefectures of Greece. It is located in the southeastern portion of Central Macedonia. The Cholomontas or the Cholomon mountains lie in the northcentral part. It consists of a large peninsula in the northwestern Aegean Sea, resembling a hand with three "fingers" (though in Greek, they are often referred to as "legs") – Pallene (now Kassandra), Sithonia, and Agion Oros (the ancient Acte), which contains Mount Athos and its monasteries.

In ancient times, Chalkidiki was part of Thrace. The first Greek settlers in this area came from Chalcis (Halkis) and Eretria, cities in Euboea, around the eighth century BC who founded cities such as Mende, Toroni and Scioni; a second wave came from Andros in the sixth century BC. The ancient city of Stageira was the birthplace of the great philosopher Aristotle (Αριστοτέλης).

The capital of Chalkidiki is the city of Polygyros (in Greek Πολύγυρος), located in the center of the peninsula. Its most populous municipalities are Moudania, Kallikrateia, Polygyros, and Kassandra. Its largest towns are Nea Moudania,(Νέα Μουδανιά) Nea Kallikrateia, (Νέα Καλλικράτεια) and the city of Polygyros.

There are a lot of summer resorts on the beaches of all three fingers where other minor towns and villages are located, such as at Yerakini (Gerakina Beach), Neos Marmaras (Porto Carras) Ouranoupolis, Nikiti, Psakoudia, Kallithea (Pallene/Pallini, Athos), Sani Resort and more.

In June 2003, at the holiday resort Porto Carras located in Neos Marmaras, Sithonia, European Union leaders presented the first draft of the European constitution. See History of the European Constitution for developments after this point.

The only prefectural boundary is with the Thessaloniki prefecture located to the north.

Contents

[edit] Television

  • Chalkidiki TV - Nea Moudania
  • Super TV - Nea Moudania

[edit] Transport

[edit] Ancient sites

[edit] Municipalities

Municipality YPES code Seat (if different) Postal code Area code
Anthemountas 5201 Galatista 630 73 2371
Arnaia 5202 630 47 2372
Kallikrateia 5204 Nea Kallikrateia 630 80 2399
Kassandra 5205 Kassandreia 630 77 2399
Moudania 5206 Nea Moudania 632 00 2373
Ormylia 5207 630 71 2371
Pallini 5208 Chaniotis 630 85 2374
Panagia 5209 Megali Panagia 620 76 2373
Polygyros 5210 631 00 2371
Sithonia 5211 Nikiti 630 88 2375
Stagira-Akanthos 5212 Ierissos 630 72 2377
Toroni 5213 Sykia 630 72 2375
Triglia 5214 Nea Triglia 630 79 2375
Zervochoria 5203 Palaiochora 630 73 2371

See also: list of settlements in the Chalkidiki prefecture

[edit] Notable Chalkidikians

  • Paeonius of Mende (late 5th c. BC) sculptor
  • Philippus of Mende, student of Plato, astronomer
  • Nicomachus, Aristotle's father
  • Aristobulus of Cassandreia (375 - 301 BC), historian, architect
  • Aristotle (384 BC in Stageira-322 BC), philosopher
  • Callisthenes (360-328 BC), historian
  • Crates of Olynthus, Alexander's hydraulic engineer
  • Andronicus the Olynthian (c.370 BC) Phrourarchus of Tyre,appointed by Antigonus
  • Bubalus of Cassandreia 304 BC keles(horse) flat race Lykaia[1]
  • Poseidippus of Cassandreia 3th c.BC comic poet
  • Erginus (son of Simylus) from Cassandreia, Kitharode winner in Soteria c.260 BC[2]
  • Athanasios Stageiritis, Professor of Greek language at the Royal Academy in Vienna. Publisher of the fortnightly literary journal "Kalliope" in Vienna from 1819 to 1821
  • Kyrkos Papageorgakis -Revolutionary of 1821
  • Sokratis Malamas (1957 in Sykia), singer
  • Manolis Mitsias (1944 in Doumpia), singer

[edit] References

Coordinates: 40°25′N, 23°30′E