Elassona

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Elassona
Ελασσόνα
Location
Elassona (Greece)
Elassona
Coordinates 39°53′N 22°11′E / 39.883, 22.183Coordinates: 39°53′N 22°11′E / 39.883, 22.183
Time zone: EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (min-max): 300 - 311 m (984 - 1020 ft)
Government
Country: Greece
Periphery: Thessaly
Prefecture: Larissa
Population statistics (as of 2001[1])
City Proper
 - Population: 7,233
Metropolitan
 - Population: 14,563
 - Area: 348.888 km² (135 sq mi)
 - Density: 42 /km² (108 /sq mi)
Codes
Postal: 402 00
Area: 2410
Auto: ΡΙ
Website
www.elassona.com.gr

Elassona or Elasona (Greek: Ελασσώνα), older form: Elassonas is a town and a municipality in the Larissa Prefecture in Greece. Its 2001 population was 7,233 for the town and 14,563 for the municipality. The municipality had a land area of 348.888 km² at that time. The town is ranked fourth in population in the prefecture when it is up to towns and cities. It is situated at the foot of Mount Olympus, the mythic place of the twelve Olympian gods. Elassona is bypassed since the 1980s by the GR-3 (Larissa - Kozani - Florina).

Elassona is also a province in which it has six municipalities and three communes. The province has 52 settlements, village and towns.

In 2006 the municipal district of Tsaritsani chose to leave the municipality and become a separate community. The loss of its population and land leaves the remaining municipality with an adjusted 2001 census population of 12,056 and a land area of 291.097 km².

Contents

[edit] History

Unlike the rest of Thessaly which was annexed, Elassona and the northern half of Thessaly did not join Greece in 1881 as its battle for Greek annexation was unvictorious, only in the Balkan Wars saw the area liberated from the Ottoman Turks on October 6, 1912 by the Greeks and finally annexed the municipality and the region as well as the northern part of the prefecture to Greece.

[edit] Subdivisions

  • Aetorrachi
  • Agionerio
  • Mikro Eleftherochori

[edit] Municipal districts

  • Drymo
  • Evangelismos
  • Galanovryssi
  • Kefalovrysi
  • Palaiokasro
  • Stefanovouni
    • Lefki
  • Valanida
    • Kleisoura

[edit] Population

(Statistics, 1981-2001)

Year Town
Population		 Change Municipal district
population		 Municipal
population		 Change Percent of the
municipality		 Percent of the
prefecture		 Density
1981 7,146 - - - - - - -
1991 7,225 +79 or +1.11% - 15,637 - - - 45/km²
2001 7,233 +8 or +0.11% 7,762 14,563 -1,074 or 6.87% 49.67% 5.21% 42/km²

[edit] Geography

Its geography includes farmlands in the valley areas, the mountains to the west and east and forests in the west and east as well as grasslands, ledges are to be founded in some areas and barren area in the higher elevations.

Elassona is flowed by a river called the Elassonitis or the Elassonitikos and the Titarisio, both empties into the Pineios River, Thessaly's longest river. The river divides the town into two parts, the older city which is built on the Olympiotissa hill and is also Varosi or Varossi (Βαρόσι), and in the new sity which is in the right side of the bank of the river. These two parts of the city is connected with three bridges and one historic bridge. Last, the other part is near the Kefalovrysi Lake.

[edit] Transportation

Elassona is linked with the old GR-3 and is bypassed to the east. Elassona is located 70 km southwest of Katerini, 38 km NNW of Larissa (old: about 50 km), 22 km NW of Tyrnavos (old: 30 km), east of Deskati and Grevena and 78 km ESE of Kozani.

[edit] Municipal changes

Until March 15, 2006, Tsaritsani was part of the municipality of Elassonas and functioned as a municipal district. Under the law 3448/15-3-2006, Tsaritsani separated from the municipality and declared a commune.

[edit] Other

Elassonas has schools, lyceums (middle school) gymnasia (high school), banks, churches, a post office, a few supermarkets, a police station, a health centre and pharmacies and a square (plateia).

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ PDF (875 KB) 2001 Census (Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ). www.statistics.gr. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.

[edit] External links

Municipal districts of the municipality of Elassona
Drymo (Larissa), Greece | Elassona (Aetorrachi | Agionerio | Mikro Eleftherochori) Evangelismos | Galanovryssi | Kefalovrysso | Palaiokastro | Stefanovouni (Lefki | Valanida (Kleisoura)
Greece | Thessaly | Larissa Prefecture | Elassona | Olympos
v • d • e
Municipalities and Communities of the Larissa Prefecture
Municipalities
Communities