Orestiada

For the eponymous lake, see Lake Orestiada.
Orestiada
Ορεστιάδα
Orestiada

Coordinates: 41°30′N 26°32′E / 41.500°N 26.533°ECoordinates: 41°30′N 26°32′E / 41.500°N 26.533°E
Country Greece
Administrative region East Macedonia and Thrace
Regional unit Evros
Area
 • Municipality 967.5 km2 (373.6 sq mi)
Elevation 35 m (115 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Municipality 37,695
 • Municipality density 39/km2 (100/sq mi)
 • Municipal unit 23,584
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 682 00
Area code(s) 25520
Vehicle registration OP
Website www.orestiada.gr

Orestiada (Greek: Ορεστιάδα, formerly Νέα Ὀρεστιάς, Nea Orestiás) is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest town of the Evros regional unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000.

Geography

Orestiada lies in the plain of the river Evros, at 40 metres above sea level. Orestiada is only 6 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey. Orestiada is located 17 km north of Didymoteicho, 19 km south of Edirne, 28 km southeast of the Greek-Turkish-Bulgarian tripoint, 40 km southeast of Svilengrad, 91 km northeast of Alexandroupoli, and 212 km west of Istanbul. The Greek National Road 51/E85 passes 1 km to the west of Orestiada. Orestiada also has a railway station on the Thessaloniki–Svilengrad railway.

History

Orestiada is relatively recent town by Greek standards, less than 100 years old. In ancient times, there was a small settlement on this site which legends claim was founded by Orestes, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Ancient Orestiada was located in present day Turkey, across the river from the town of Kastanies, and the site remains undeveloped. Nea Orestias or New Orestiada was founded in 1922 when the population exchange occurred between Turkey and Greece, in which the Evros River became the new border between the two countries. Because it is a relatively recent city, it is laid out on a grid plan, unlike most Greek cities.

Economy

Orestiada has a Medical Center, a Philharmonic and a Choir as well as a sugar factory, outside the city which processes locally grown sugar beets. Asparagus, potatoes, tobacco, watermelons and corn are also grown. As well, a cattle breeding fund gives commercial impetus to the city and the whole area which is in such an economically strategic location in Europe.

It is also the site of the Fylakio detention center for illegal immigrants. In November 2010, the European Union sent Frontex forces to Orestiada to help Greek police patrol the local section of the border with Turkey. Some 31,400 people crossed just that portion of the border in the first nine months of 2010.[2]

Education

In 1999, Orestiada became the fourth town to host university departments (faculties) of the Democritus University of Thrace. The faculties based in Orestiada are the Department of Agricultural Development and the Department of Forestry, Environmental Management and Natural Resources. Both faculties have a five-year curriculum. More than 800 students live in the city.

Climate

Climate data for Orestiada
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 20.0
(68)		 22.0
(71.6)		 25.9
(78.6)		 35.6
(96.1)		 37.0
(98.6)		 42.0
(107.6)		 43.5
(110.3)		 41.5
(106.7)		 38.6
(101.5)		 37.5
(99.5)		 28.5
(83.3)		 22.0
(71.6)		 43.5
(110.3)
Average high °C (°F) 5.7
(42.3)		 8.1
(46.6)		 12.0
(53.6)		 18.3
(64.9)		 24.7
(76.5)		 29.6
(85.3)		 32.1
(89.8)		 31.9
(89.4)		 27.0
(80.6)		 20.4
(68.7)		 12.5
(54.5)		 7.0
(44.6)		 19.11
(66.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.0
(35.6)		 3.6
(38.5)		 7.1
(44.8)		 12.4
(54.3)		 17.7
(63.9)		 22.5
(72.5)		 24.9
(76.8)		 24.4
(75.9)		 19.8
(67.6)		 14.2
(57.6)		 8.0
(46.4)		 3.6
(38.5)		 13.35
(56.03)
Average low °C (°F) −1.3
(29.7)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 2.3
(36.1)		 6.7
(44.1)		 11.0
(51.8)		 15.2
(59.4)		 17.2
(63)		 17.1
(62.8)		 13.0
(55.4)		 9.0
(48.2)		 4.0
(39.2)		 0.5
(32.9)		 7.83
(46.1)
Record low °C (°F) −16.9
(1.6)		 −20.2
(−4.4)		 −15.3
(4.5)		 −8.0
(17.6)		 1.1
(34)		 6.0
(42.8)		 9.7
(49.5)		 8.9
(48)		 4.5
(40.1)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −7.0
(19.4)		 −17.3
(0.9)		 −20.2
(−4.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 47.9
(1.886)		 52.1
(2.051)		 58.5
(2.303)		 43.4
(1.709)		 41.3
(1.626)		 47.8
(1.882)		 24.9
(0.98)		 17.9
(0.705)		 36.5
(1.437)		 52.0
(2.047)		 79.2
(3.118)		 65.7
(2.587)		 567.2
(22.331)
Avg. precipitation days 11.8 10.1 10.9 10.4 10.5 8.9 6.2 4.0 4.7 7.9 9.3 11.8 106.5
Avg. snowy days 3.5 3.0 1.6 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.4 2.0 10.6
Average relative humidity (%) 82.0 78.0 72.0 66.0 65.0 60.0 56.0 55.0 61.0 72.0 80.0 82.0 69.1
Source: Orestiada Weather [3]

Municipality

Orestiada municipality.

The municipality Orestiada was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[4]

Communities

The municipal unit Orestiada is subdivided into the following communities (constituent settlements in brackets):

Province

The province of Orestiada (Greek: Επαρχία Ορεστιάδας) was one of the provinces of the Evros Prefecture. It had the same territory as the present municipality.[5] It was abolished in 2006.

Population

Year town municipal community municipal unit (Kapodistrias) municipality (Kallikratis)
1951 7,719 12,832 17,825 43,929
1961 10,281 12,908 19,441 48,821
1971 10,727 12,513 17,637 40,869
1981 12,685 14,727 20,297 43,141
1991 12,691 14,783 19,669 40,821
2001 15,246 17,194 21,730 39,485
2011 18,426 20,211 23,584 37,695

The population of the settlements within the municipal community of Orestiada at the 2011 census was:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Detailed census results 2011" (in Greek).
  2. ↑ "Ailing Greece Struggles with a Flood of Illegal Immigrants". Yahoo News. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Mean Orestiada Climatic Averages". Orestiada Weather. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
  5. ↑ Detailed census results 1991 PDF (39 MB) (Greek) (French)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Orestiada.
 Vyssa
Kyprinos Edirne (Turkey)
   Orestiada (municipal unit)  
Metaxades Didymoteicho