| Markopoulo Mesogaias Μαρκόπουλο Μεσογαίας |
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| Location | |
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Markopoulo Mesogaias
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| Coordinates | |
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Location within the region
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| Government | |
| Country: | Greece |
| Region: | Attica |
| Regional unit: | East Attica |
| Mayor: | Sotiris Methenitis (since: 2011) |
| Population statistics (as of 2001) | |
| Municipality | |
| - Population: | 15,608 |
| - Area: | 81.84 km2 (32 sq mi) |
| - Density: | 191 /km2 (494 /sq mi) |
| Other | |
| Time zone: | EET/EEST (UTC+2/3) |
| Elevation (center): | 54 m (177 ft) |
| Postal: | 190 03 |
| Telephone: | 22990 |
| Auto: | Z |
| Website | |
| www.markopoulo.gr | |
Markopoulo, municipally Markopoulo Mesogaias (Greek: Μαρκόπουλο Μεσογαίας) to avoid confusion with Markopoulo Oropou in Oropos is a suburban town in southeastern Attica in the Mesogaian plain north of the mountains, approximately 30 km SE of Athens, S of Rafina, S of the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, SW of the Attiki Odos (numbers 6 and 62) and N of Lavrio. Markopoulo is linked with GR-91 (Glyka Nera - Sounio) and there are two lanes stretching down to Lavrio. Since the late-20th century, Markopoulo has been bypassed to the southwest. Markopoulo once had a railway station and was linked with rail linking near Kifissia and Lavrio. Markopoulo also has the only road linking north to Artemis. Today, the nearest Proastiakos rail lies to the north. A part of Markopoulo includes Porto Rafti.
During the 2004 Summer Olympics, Markopoulo was world famous for its equestrian centre (Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre) to the southeast and about 3 km from the main route into the mountains, and the shooting centre (Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre) located in the hills southwest of town and about 2.5 km west of the highway. Since the Olympics, the sporting centres have been shut down for future uses. The mountains lie to the south and the southeast. The northwestern portion of a taller mountain to the southeast is used for a huge mining area, which is about 70 ha of land. Farmlands surround the northern part while a valley area lies to the south. More mountains are further southwest. The panorama of other mountains includes the Hymettus to the northwest and the Penteli to the north.
The population was rural until the 1970s and the 1980s. The population became urban as suburban housing popped up in the 1980s and the 1990s, but the population dwindled and later slowed. Housing developments slowly continues to this day, and some are interspersed with farmlands or empty land.
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| Northwest: Paiania | North: Artemis (Loutsa) and Spata | |
| West: Kropia | Markopoulo Mesogeias | East: Petalies Gulf, Aegean Sea |
| South: Kalyvia Thorikou, Keratea and Kouvaras (community) |
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