Elassona

Elassona
Ελασσόνα
Location
Elassona
Coordinates
Government
Country: Greece
Region: Thessaly
Regional unit: Larissa
Population statistics (as of 2001)
Municipality
 - Population: 37,264
 - Area: 1,568.1 km2 (605 sq mi)
 - Density: 24 /km2 (62 /sq mi)
Municipal unit
 - Population: 12,056
 - Area: 291.1 km2 (112 sq mi)
 - Density: 41 /km2 (107 /sq mi)
Community
 - Population: 7,762
Other
Time zone: EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (min-max): 300 - 311 m ­(984 - 1020 ft)
Postal: 402 00
Telephone: 2410
Auto: ΡΙ
Website
www.elassona.com.gr

Elassona (Greek: Ελασσόνα; older form: Elasson Ἐλασσών) is a town and a municipality in the Larissa regional unit in Greece. During antiquity Elassona was called Oloosson - Ὀλοοσσών and was a town of the ancient "Perrhaebi", known today as Thessaly. It is situated at the foot of Mount Olympus. Elassona is bypassed by the GR-3 (Larissa - Kozani - Florina).

Contents

History

Unlike the rest of Thessaly, 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.

Municipality

The municipality Elassona was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 9 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[1]

Subdivisions

The municipal unit of Elassona is divided into the following communities:

Municipal changes

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

Population

(Statistics, 1981-2001)

Year Town population Municipal district population Municipality population
1981 7,146 - -
1991 7,225 - 15,637
2001 7,233 7,762 14,563

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.

The river Elassonitis (or Elassonitikos) and the Titarisio flow through Elassona and they both pour 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 into the new sity which is in the right side of the bank of the river. These two parts of the city are connected by four bridges. The other part is near the Kefalovrysi Lake.

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.

References

  1. ^ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)

External links