Phthiotis

Phthiotis
Περιφερειακή ενότητα
Φθιώτιδας
—  Regional unit  —
Municipalities of Phthiotis
Phthiotis within Greece
Coordinates:
Country Greece
Region Central Greece
Capital Lamia
Area
 • Total 4,440 km2 (1,714.3 sq mi)
Population (2005)
 • Total 181,383
 • Density 40.9/km2 (105.8/sq mi)
Postal codes 35x xx
Area codes 223x0
ISO 3166 code GR-06
Car plates ΜΙ
Website www.fthiotida.gr

Phthiotis (Greek: Φθιώτιδα, Fthiótida, [fθiˈotiða]; ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Φθιώτις) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. The capital is the city of Lamia. It is bordered by the Malian Gulf to the east, Boeotia in the south, Phocis in the south, Aetolia-Acarnania in the southwest, Evrytania in the west, Karditsa in the north, Larissa in the north, and Magnesia in the northeast. The name dates back to ancient times. It is best known as the home of Achilles.

Contents

Geography

Much of the areas within the shorelines are mountainous from the southern part with a few low-lying areas but the lowlands are in the central part and a length of 200 to 500 m in average in the north and in the Cephissus and the Spercheios valleys. GR-1 used to encircle the western part of the shoreline of Phthiotis until a tunnel opened up. Mountains dominate the south, the southwest, the further west and the north.

History

The prefecture in the 1950s began construction of the GR-1 (Athens - Lamia - Thessaloniki). The highway bypassed Lamia. In the 1980s and 1990s, most of the road was upgraded to the limited access Motorway 1. The section around the gulf of Malia, between Kamena Vourla and Stylida has not been upgraded yet.

In the Spercheios, flooding which began on March 6, 2005 flooded several places and caused mudslides in the western part wrecking homes and properties. In the mountain areas the snowstorm which arrived by the evening hours of February 7, 2005 brought heavy snowfalls to the area that accumulated as high as one to two metres and stranded roads, inhabitants and caused minor bread shortages, one of the villages including Kampia were hit hard and one which has only one inhabitant which saw the road blanketed with heavy snowfall.

Transport

Administration

The regional unit Phthiotis is subdivided into 7 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):[1]

Prefecture

The prefecture Phthiotis and Phocis was created in 1845. In 1947 this prefecture was split into the southern part Phocis and the northern part Phthiotis. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Phthiotis was created out of the former prefecture Phthiotis (Greek: Νομός Φθιώτιδας). 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
Amfikleia-Elateia Amfikleia Kato Tithorea
Elateia
Tithorea
Domokos Domokos Domokos
Thessaliotida
Xyniada
Lamia Lamia Lamia
Gorgopotamos
Leianokladi
Pavliani
Ypati
Lokroi Atalanti Atalanti
Dafnousia
Malesina
Opountia
Makrakomi Makrakomi Spercheiada
Agios Georgios Tymfristou
Spercheiada
Tymfristos
Molos-Agios Konstantinos Agios Konstantinos Kamena Vourla
Kamena Vourla
Molos
Stylida Stylida Stylida
Echinaioi
Pelasgia

Provinces

Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.

Persons

Sporting teams

See also

References