Pella (regional unit)

Pella regional unit Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Πέλλας (Πέλλα)
Basic data
State :	Greece
Region :	Central Macedonia
Area :	2,506 km²
Residents :	139,680 (2011)
Population density :	55.7 inhabitants / km²
NUTS 3 code no. :	EL524
Structure:	4 municipalities
Website:	www.pella.gr

The regional district Pella ( Greek Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Πέλλας Periferiakí Enótita Péllas ) is one of the seven regional districts in the Greek region of Central Macedonia around the capital Edessa . Until the administrative reform of 2010 , the area had the status of a prefecture , whose competencies were transferred to the Central Macedonia region and the municipalities, which were greatly reduced by amalgamation. The regional district sends six members to the Central Macedonian regional council, but has no political significance beyond that. Pella includes the municipalities of Almopia , Edessa , Pella and Skydra .

history

The "Holy Land of Pella" is at the center of ancient Macedonian culture. The area was already settled in prehistoric times. It flourished during the rule of Macedonia . In Pella one encounters the traces of a culture whose presence ranges from antiquity through Byzantium to the Christian era. Pella was from 410 BC Chr. The capital of the kingdom of Macedonia , ie at the time of Philip II. And Alexander the Great .

geography

The Pellas Prefecture is located in the west of Central Macedonia, to the west it borders on the West Macedonia region . In the north is the border with the Republic of North Macedonia .

The landscape is divided into a northern part, a western part and an eastern part. The northern part of the prefecture, which roughly corresponds to the ancient region of Almopia, is formed by the plain of Almopia, which, with the exception of the Moglenitsa Valley, is surrounded by mountains all around to the south. The Almopia Plain is formed by the Moglenitsa River and its tributaries. The western part of the prefecture is mountainous in its northern section and is dominated by the highest point of the prefecture, the Voras (Kaimaktsalan) with an altitude of 2524 m and its foothills. South of the Voras massif, the Edesseos River runs from west to east and flows towards the city of Edessa. Due to the damming of the Edesseos near the village of Agras , a biologically valuable wetland biotope has formed to the west. To the west of the Edesseos river valley there is a mountain sill (pass summit) that separates the Edesseos valley from the plain north of Lake Vegoritida . The area of ​​the lake is divided between the prefectures of Pella and Florina, with the former having the slightly larger share. The west and east shores of Lake Vegoritida are mountainous. The eastern part of the prefecture of Pella is determined by the western foothills of the Central Macedonian Plain, which was created by the alluvial land of the rivers Axios, Aliakmonas, Gallikos and Loudias. The transition between the western and northern parts to the eastern part of the Pella prefecture is sometimes abrupt: this is particularly recognizable by the prefectural capital Edessa, which lies on a rocky promontory at the eastern end of the Edesseos valley. The Edesseos runs through Edessa and enters the eastern part of the prefecture through the Edessa waterfall. With the exception of individual elevations, the eastern part of the Pella prefecture is flat to slightly hilly. South of Giannitsa, the Loudias River, which arises from the confluence of the Edesseos and Moglenitsa, flowed in ancient Macedonian times into a northeastern bay of the Thermaic Gulf . The ancient Macedonian capital Pella was at that time directly on the sea. The forward bay was separated from the sea in the further course of time and formed a lake with surrounding extensive marshland (Loudias Lake or Giannitsa Lake). This was drained in the 1920s.

Important cities

Mosaic of Pella , the capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia .

• Edessa , main town
• Giannitsa , the largest town in the district and the administrative center of the municipality of Pella.
• Aridea , seat of the municipality of Almopia.

Important small towns

• Exaplatanos
• Pella

Important villages

• Archangelus
• Arseni
• Loutrochori
• Rizari

Web links

• Pella (prefecture). ( Memento of June 3, 2004 in the Internet Archive ) Greek Ministry of Culture (English)
• Prefecture of Pella ( Memento of April 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive )

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)