| Chalkidiki Περιφερειακή ενότητα Χαλκιδικής |
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|---|---|
| — Regional unit — | |
| Municipalities of Chalkidiki | |
| Chalkidiki within Greece | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Greece |
| Region | Central Macedonia |
| Capital | Polygyros |
| Government | |
| • Vice Governor | Ioannis Giorgos |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,918 km2 (1,126.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 109,587 |
| • Density | 37.6/km2 (97.3/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 63x xx |
| Area codes | 237x0, 239x0 |
| ISO 3166 code | GR-64 |
| Car plates | ΧΚ |
| Website | www.halkidiki.gov.gr |
Chalkidiki, also Halkidiki, Chalcidice or Chalkidike (Greek: Χαλκιδική, [xalciðiˈci]), is a peninsula in northern Greece, and one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Macedonia. The autonomous Mount Athos region is part of the peninsula, but not of the regional unit. The capital of Chalkidiki is the main town of Polygyros, located in the centre of the peninsula.
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The Cholomontas mountains lie in the northcentral part of Chalkidiki. Chalkidiki consists of a large peninsula in the northwestern Aegean Sea, resembling a hand with three "fingers" (though in Greek these peninsulas are often referred to as "legs") – Pallene (now Kassandra), Sithonia, and Agion Oros (the ancient Acte), which contains Mount Athos and its monasteries. Chalkidiki borders on the regional unit of Thessaloniki to the north.
Its largest towns are Nea Moudania (Νέα Μουδανιά), Nea Kallikrateia (Νέα Καλλικράτεια) and the main town of Polygyros (Πολύγυρος).
There are many 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.
The first Greek settlers in this area came from Chalcis and Eretria, cities in Euboea, around the 8th century BC who founded cities such as Mende, Toroni and Scioni; a second wave came from Andros in the 6th century BC. The ancient city of Stageira was the birthplace of the great philosopher Aristotle.
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 regional unit Chalkidiki is subdivided into five municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):[1]
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Chalkidiki was created out of the former prefecture Chalkidiki (Greek: Νομός Χαλκιδικής). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.[1]
| New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat |
|---|---|---|
| Aristotelis | Arnaia | Ierissos |
| Panagia | ||
| Stagira-Akanthos | ||
| Kassandra | Kassandra | Kassandreia |
| Pallini | ||
| Nea Propontida | Kallikrateia | Nea Moudania |
| Moudania | ||
| Triglia | ||
| Polygyros | Polygyros | Polygyros |
| Anthemountas | ||
| Zervochoria | ||
| Ormylia | ||
| Sithonia | Sithonia | Nikiti |
| Toroni |
Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.
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