Veria
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| Veria Βέροια |
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 Nightview of Veria from the Villa Vikela Hill in May 2008. |
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| Location | |
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| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Time zone: | EET/EEST (UTC+2/3) |
| Elevation (center): | 128 m (420 ft) |
| Government | |
| Country: | Greece |
| Periphery: | Central Macedonia |
| Prefecture: | Imathia |
| Mayor: | Charoula Ousoultzoglou-Georgiadi |
| Population statistics (as of 2001[1]) | |
| City Proper | |
| - Population: | 47,411 |
| - Area:[2] | 359.146 km² (139 sq mi) |
| - Density: | 132 /km² (342 /sq mi) |
| Codes | |
| Postal: | 591 00 |
| Area: | 23310 |
| Auto: | ΗΜ |
| Website | |
| www.veria.gr | |
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Veria (officially transliterated as Veroia, Greek Βέροια or Βέρροια - Véria) is a city in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church. Veria is on the site of the ancient city of Beroea (called Berea in some translations of the Bible), which was prominent from the 4th century BC and part of the Kingdom of Macedon. Part of Rome from 168 BC, both Paul and Silas preached there in AD 54 or 55 (see Bereans). Diocletian made the large and populous city one of two capitals of the Roman Province of Macedonia, and it was one of the earliest cities to become the seat of a bishop. Invaded by Bulgars, it was conquered by the Ottomans in 1361, who named it Kara Ferye. It was incorporated into the Greek state in 1912.
Veria since the 1980s is bypassed and is linked by the superhighway linking to GR-1. GR-4/Via Egnatia runs through Veria and also the road to Edessa. It is located NE of Kozani, S of Edessa, SW of Thessaloniki, NW of Katerini, WNW of Athens and N of Larissa.
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[edit] History
The city of Veria is first mentioned in the writings of Thucydides in 432 BC[3], although there is evidence that the city was populated as early as 1000 BC. The city got its name from its mythical creator Ferona or Verona OR from the daughter of the king of Veria (Verita) who is the thought to be the son of Macedon. The first inhabitants are known as the Vriges, who where uprooted by the Macedonians. The Macedonians made it there second most important city after Pella. During the Roman empire Veria became a place of worship for the Romans. Within the city there was a Jewish settlement to which the Apostle Paul[3] preached upon his arrival in the city in 50-51 AD. Under the control of the Byzantine Empire the city continued to grow and prosper until it was pillaged in the 9th century by the Bulgarians. During the Crusades it was conquered by the Normans (1185) and the Franks (1204) and in the middle of the 13th century by the Serbs. In Slavic it is called Бер Ber. In 1436 it was besieged and captured by the Ottoman Empire and remained in their control until 1912.
[edit] Culture
Veria hosts one of the largest and most complete public libraries in Greece. Originally a small single-room library with limited funds and material, it expanded into a four-story building offering multimedia, as well as special and rare editions. Veria's public library collaborates with many international organizations and hosts several cultural events. Every summer (August 15th to September 15th) the "Imathiotika" festivities take place with a rich cultural program deriving mainly from Veria's tradition. The site of Elia offers great natural beauty and with an amazing view of the Imathia plain. Neighboring Seli is a well-known ski resort and a few kilometers outside the city is the Aliakmonas river dam.
[edit] Historical population
| Year | Population | Change | Municipal population | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 37,966 | - | - | - |
| 1991 | 37,858 | -108/0.29% | 42,910 | - |
| 2001 | - | - | 42,794 | -116/-0.27% |
[edit] Sports
Veria is home to many sports clubs.The most famous is Veria FC which competes in Beta Ethniki. Veria also has two basketball teams. AOK Veria and Filippos Veria which compete in a local and third national division respectively.
[edit] Climate
Typically, Veria experiences cold wet winters and hot dry summers.In summer 2007 the highest temperature ever in Veria was recorded, 44 [°C].
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Maximum. [°C] | 7 | 9 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 29 | 29 | 24 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 5 |
| Minimum temperature [°C] | 3 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Record temperatures [°C] | 20 | 22 | 25 | 31 | 36 | 44 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 32 | 27 | 26 |
[edit] Famous People
- Ioannis Kottounios, writer and humanist
- Pantelis Kafes, Footballer
- Alexandros Alexandris, Footballer
- Yiannis Arabatzis, Footballer
- Kostas Tsartsaris, Basketball Player
- Dimitris Mavropoulos, Actor
- Giorgos Karamichos, Actor
- Pavlos Kontogiannidis, Actor, Singer
- Christos Zampounis, Writer
- Sedat Alp, Archaeologist
[edit] Gallery
 Panoramic view of Veria in May 2008. |
 Roloi square,downtown Veria. |
 The preserved old section of Veria. |
 Snow in Veria in December 2007. |
 Snow in the streets. |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ PDF (875 KB) 2001 Census (Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ). www.statistics.gr. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ (Greek) Basic Characteristics. Ministry of the Interior. www.ypes.gr. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
- ^ a b veria.gr, Veria:Its history (greek), accessed June 1, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Mapquest - Veria, street map not yet available
- Coordinates:
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