Heraklion (regional unit)

Heraklion Regional Unit Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Ηρακλείου (Ηράκλειο)
Basic data
State :	Greece
Region :	Crete
Area :	2,641 km²
Residents :	305,490 (2011)
Population density :	115.7 inhabitants / km²
NUTS 3 code no. :	EL431
Structure:	8 municipalities

The regional district of Iraklio ( Greek Periferiaki Enotita Irakliou ) is the most populous regional district of the Greek island and region of Crete . It was established as a prefecture in 1915 and lost this status with the administrative reform in 2010 . The competences of the prefecture were divided between the region and the greatly reduced municipalities. With 25 seats, the regional district sends almost half of the 51 members of the Cretan regional council, but has no political significance beyond that.

Regional unit of Crete and its administrative headquarters

Topographically , the regional district covers the area between the Psiloritis massif in the west and the Dikti Mountains in the east. A large part of the Messara plain , located off the south coast , is the largest contiguous agricultural landscape in Crete.

The Heraklion Regional Unit includes the municipalities of Archanes-Asterousia , Chersonisos , Festos , Gortyna , Heraklion , Malevizi , Minoa Pediada and Viannos .

Heraklion is home to the largest seaport and the most important international airport in the region. Both are located in the eponymous city of Heraklion on the north coast.

Election results

Since 1974, the socialist PASOK has received the largest share of votes in all elections to the Greek national parliament (Vouli) in the prefecture of Heraklion - as in all of Crete . This also applies to the elections, in which she lagged behind the conservative Nea Dimokratia at the national level in some cases . This changed radically with the Greek sovereign debt crisis from 2010  .

Parliamentary elections 1996–2012
	year	1996	2000	2004	2007	2009	5/2012	6/2012
PASOK	Seats share of the vote	6 58.0%	6 58.4%	5 55.3%	4 54.6%	5 62.7%	1 19.23%	1 18.61%
Nea Dimokratia	Seats share of the vote	1 28.7%	2 30.6%	3 36.2%	3 33.5%	2 23.7%	3 9.12%	3 20.05%
Synaspismos / SYRIZA	Seats share of the vote	1 4.3%	- 3.0%	- 2.8%	1 4.3%	1 3.71%	1 15.90%	2 33.61%
KKE	Seats share of the vote	- 3.4%	- 3.4%	- 3.5%	- 4.4%	- 4.4%	1 6.47%	- 2.98%
LAOS	Seats share of the vote			- 0.5%	- 1.3%	- 2.1%	- 1.71%	- 0.85%
DIKKI	Seats share of the vote	- 3.3%	- 3.6%	- 1.3%	- -	- -	- -	- -
ANES	Seats share of the vote						1 12.82%	1 8.01%
DIMAR	Seats share of the vote						1 9.31%	1 7.86%
Chrysi Avgi	Seats share of the vote						- 2.63%	- 3.45%
Dimokratiki Symmachia Dora Bakogianni	Seats share of the vote						- 8.11%	- -
Ikologi Prasini	Seats share of the vote						- 4.25%	- 1.29%

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Results of the 2011 census at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
2. ^ Law of April 1, 1915 on the administrative organization of the new countries of Greece. (PDF; 661 kB; Greek)
3. ↑ Information from the Greek Ministry of the Interior
4. ↑ Information from the Greek Ministry of the Interior
5. ↑ Information from the Greek Ministry of the Interior
6. ↑ Information from the Greek Ministry of the Interior
7. ↑ Information from the Greek Ministry of the Interior. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved July 23, 2014 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  
8. ↑ Information from the Greek Ministry of the Interior
9. ↑ Information from the Greek Ministry of the Interior ( Memento from July 11, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )