Departments of Greece

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Updates: 

I found a Statistical Summary  of Greece at the website of the national statistical agency. It contained population figures for the departments according to the 2001 census. Both the de facto population and the number of "usual residents" were given; I have reported the latter figures. The report also contained areas of the departments which in some cases were at variance with the ones I had; I've used those figures too in the tables below.

The statistical summary translates "nomos" as "department", so I will be using that term as well.

The NUTS code scheme was revised in 2003. The code for Attica region changed from GR3 to GR30, and for Attica department, from GR3 to GR300.

International standard ISO 3166-2 was published on December 15, 1998. It superseded ISO/DIS 3166-2 (draft international standard). The draft standard included listings of the following two departments:

GR-A1 Attiki
GR-02 Attiki (ypoloipo - rest of)(ELOT)

ELOT is the Greek national standards organization, and was the source for some of the information incorporated into the draft standard. The second listing, GR-02, was omitted from the final standard. My interpretation is that GR-A1 originally referred to Greater Athens, and GR-02 meant the rest of Attica, excluding Greater Athens. The board of experts apparently decided that Attica was really only one department, so they combined the two listings into one, using the code GR-A1 for it.

Country overview: 

Greece in 1900 occupied only a fraction of its present extent. Crete was independent until 1913, when it was annexed to Greece. The Dodecanese Islands, after a number of changes, became part of Greece in 1947. The Northern Aegean Islands and most of Epirus and Macedonia were transferred from the waning Ottoman Empire to Greece in 1913 at the conclusion of the Balkan Wars. At the same time, most of Thrace was annexed by Bulgaria. The parts of Thrace which now belong to Greece were acquired from Bulgaria in the Treaties of Sèvres and Lausanne. Greece was occupied by the Axis during World War II.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: Grækenland
2. Dutch: Griekenland, Griekse Republiek (formal)
3. English: Hellenic Republic (formal)
4. Finnish: Kreikka
5. French: Grèce f
6. German: Griechenland n
7. Greek: Elliniki Dimokratia (formal)
8. Icelandic: Grikkland
9. Italian: Grecia f
10. Norwegian: Hellas, Republikken Hellas (formal)
11. Portuguese: Grécia f, República f Grega (formal), República f Helénica (formal)
12. Spanish: Grecia f, República f Helénica (formal)
13. Swedish: Grekland

Origin of name: 

through Latin, originally from Greek Graikos: inhabitant in a section of Epirus

Primary subdivisions: 

Greece is divided into 51 nomoi (sing. nomos; usually translated departments, but also prefectures) and one autonomous monastic community.

Postal codes: 

Greece uses five-digit postal codes, with a space after the third digit. The first three digits indicate the department or city. Postal codes for Greek addresses can be identified by prefixing them with "GR-".

Further subdivisions:

The departments are further subdivided into 147 eparchia (provinces), which are further subdivided into 272 demoi (municipalities), which are further subdivided into localities.

Greece has also defined larger units called diamerismata (regions). The regions have few or no administrative functions. Their purposes include education, tourism, and historic pride.

The current division into regions according to ISO 3166-2 is shown in the following table. The statistical summary (cited above under Updates) has a more compressed list of geographic regions. Aegean Islands contains XI and XII; Thrace contains only the departments of Evros, Rodopi, and Xanthi; Macedonia contains II, III, and I except for Thrace; Peloponnese contains X and Achaea and Ilia from VII; and Central Greece and Euboea contains the rest of VII along with VIII and IX. The other regions are unchanged. The summary also says that Attica department (or the coextensive region) is divided into four nomarchia (prefectures): Athens, East Attica, Piraeus, and West Attica.

In the draft standard ISO/DIS 3166-2, each region had an ISO code which was a Roman numeral. The final standard shows the same 13 regions, but their ISO codes had been switched around. The codes are shown here as in the final standard.

NUTS level-1 divisions of Greece

Territorial extent: 

The departments all include tiny islets adjacent to their shores, too numerous to mention.

1. Attica includes a string of islands down the Peloponnese coast, as well as a fragment of the coast itself around the Methana Peninsula, along the coast of Argolis. The islands are Salamis, Aegina, Idra (Hydra), Spetses, Kythera (Cythera, Cerigo), Antikythera, Dokos, Poros, and Angistri.
2. Corfu consists of the islands of Corfu (Kerkyra), Paxi, Othoni, Erikoussa, Antipaxi, and Mathraki.
3. Cyclades consists of the islands of Naxos, Andros, Amorgos, Tinos, Paros, Mykonos, Siros, Kea, Thira (Santorini), Kithnos, Ios, Serifos, Sifnos, Folegandros, Anafi, Makronissi, Reneia, Kimolos, Polyaigos, Antiparos, Donousa, Herakleia, Thirasia, and Skhinousa.
4. Dodecanese consists of the islands of Rhodes, Karpathos, Kos, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Nisyros, Telos, Symi, Kassos, Khalke, and Saria (the "twelve islands"), as well as small islands as far west as Kinaros and Ofidoussa, as far east as Megiste, and as far north as Agathonesi and Farmakonesi.
5. Euboea consists of the islands of Euboea, Skyros, Megalonisos Petalion, and Stira.
6. Evros includes the island of Samothraki (Samothrace)
7. Heraklion occupies an east-of-center part of the island of Crete, and includes the island of Dia.
8. Imathia includes an exclave surrounded by Pieria, containing the village of Elafos.
9. Kavala includes the island of Thasos.
10. Kefallinia consists of the islands of Kefallinia, Ithaki (Ithaca), Kalamos, Kastos, Atokos, Petalas, and Oxia.
11. Khalkidiki includes the island of Amoliani.
12. Khania is at the west end of Crete.
13. Khios consists of the islands of Khios, Psara, Oinousses, and Antipsara.
14. Laconia includes the island of Elafonesi.
15. Lasithi is at the east end of Crete, and includes the islands of Koufonesi, Elasa, and Dragonada.
16. Lesvos consists of the islands of Lesvos (Lesbos), Limnos, and Agios Eustratios.
17. Levkas consists of the islands of Levkas, Meganissi, and Arkoudi.
18. Magnesia includes most of the islands of the Northern Sporades: Skopelos, Alonnisos, Skiathos, Pelagos, Gioura, Skantzoura, and Piperi.
19. Messinia includes the islands of Sapientza, Shiza, Prote, and Venetiko.
20. Mount Athos occupies the easternmost of three rocky peninsulas off Khalkidiki.
21. Rethymnon occupies a west-of-center part of the island of Crete, and includes the island of Gaudos.
22. Samos consists of the islands of Samos, Ikaria, Fourni, and Thimena.
23. Zakynthos consists of the island of Zakynthos and the Strofades islands.

Origins of names: 

1. Achaea: new application of the name of Agamemnon's kingdom in Homeric epics
2. Agion Oros (Mount Athos): Greek: Holy Mountain
3. Aitolia and Akarnania: from legendary patriarch Aitolos; pre-Indo-European akarna: rocky, -anes: dwellers
4. Arcadia: from Arkas, legendary king, changed into a bear (arktos)
5. Argolis: probably from Ancient Greek argos: white, brilliant, or Pelagic for high fortress
6. Attica: ancient Greek Attike: Athenian (region)
7. Boeotia: from ethnic name Boiwtoi: battler
8. Corfu: Greek stous Koruphous: with peaks, for two peaks on the island. Kerkyra: European root kerk: bend
9. Corinth: Greek Korinthos, from Pelagic kar: peak, or Ancient Greek koruthos: of the helmet
10. Cyclades: Ancient Greek kyklos: circle (islands supposedly arranged in a circle around Delos)
11. Dodecanese: Greek dodeka: twelve, nesos: island (twelve main islands in nomos)
12. Euboea: Greek eu: good, bous: bull (i.e. rich in cattle)
13. Heraklion: Modern Greek for sanctuary of Hercules
14. Ilia: possibly from Greek elos: swamp
15. Kefallinia: Ancient Greek kefale: head (i.e. mountain)
16. Khalkidike: Colonized from Khalkis, in Euboea. Ancient Greek khalkos: bronze, for local industry
17. Khania: Arabic khniyah: wine-seller's cabaret
18. Laconia: from ethnic name Lakones, from a word for lowlands or basin
19. Levkas: Ancient Greek leukos: white, for a white cliff near the city
20. Messinia: related to Greek mesos: middle (between Pylos and Sparta)
21. Samos: pre-Hellenic for upland
22. Thessalonika: after Thessalonike, wife of Kassandros, a general under Alexander the Great. The name means victorious over Thessaly, and commemorates a conquest by her father, Philip II

Regions:

1. Aegean: after Aegeus, legendary king of Athens, father of Theseus. In the legend, Aegeus drowned himself in this sea.
2. Epirus: new application of Ancient Doric Apeiros: shore, originally meaning all of continental Greece
3. Macedonia: probably from ethnic name
4. Peloponnese: Greek nesos: island: island of Pelops, a mythical king, son of Tantalus
5. Thessaly: from ethnic name Thessalos
6. Thrace: from ethnic name Thrax

Change history: 

At the turn of the century, there were several departments with compound names: Achaea and Ilia, Aitolia and Acarnania, Argolis and Corinth, Attica and Boeotia, Fthiotis and Fokis. They appear to have been composed of two divisions each, on a lower level than the department. When they were split into two departments, in effect the lower-level divisions were simply promoted to department status. In the same way, Messinia seems to have been composed of two lower-level divisions named Messinia and Triphylia, and Laconia composed of Laconia and Lacedæmonia, but these lower-level divisions never became departments.

1. 1913: Crete, the Northern Aegean Islands, and most of Epirus and Macedonia annexed to Greece. This added the departments of Heraklion, Rethymnon, Khania, Lasithi, Lesbos, Khios, Samos, Yannina, Florina, Kozani, Salonica, Serres, and Drama, and the autonomous community of Mount Athos. Under the Ottoman Empire, Epirus had been the vilayet of Yannina (Ioannina); Macedonia, the vilayet of Salonica and part of Monastir; and the Northern Aegean Islands, part of the vilayet of Archipelago.
2. 1920: Bulgarian territory annexed to Greece, becoming the department of Thrace (about equivalent to the modern departments of Xanthi and Rodopi).
3. 1923: More Bulgarian territory annexed to Thrace department (modern Evros). Greece lost a section of Epirus to Albania.
4. 1926-09-10: Greece officially recognized the status of Mount Athos as an autonomous community.
5. ~1930: Pella department split from Thessaloniki. Thrace department divided into Evros and Rodopi.
6. ~1937: Thesprotia department formed from parts of Ioannina and Preveza (?).
7. ~1939: Kilkis department split from Thessaloniki. Achaea and Ilia department split into Achaea department and Ilia department.
8. ~1947: Attica and Boeotia department split into Attica department and Boeotia department. Fthiotis and Fokis department split into Fthiotis department and Fokis department. Imathia and Pieria departments split from Thessaloniki. Kastoria department split from Florina (?). Argolis and Corinth department split into Argolis department and Corinth department. Xanthi department split from Rodopi. Magnesia department split from Larissa. Karditsa department split from Trikala. Evritania department split from Aitolia and Acarnania.
9. 1947: Dodecanese department annexed to Greece. This area was the southern part of Archipelago vilayet under the Ottoman Empire. It was occupied by Italy in 1912, and granted to Italy by the Treaty of Sèvres in 1922. It became the colony of Isole Italiane dell'Egeo in 1930.
10. ~1955: Levkas department split from Preveza, and transferred from Epirus region to Ionian Islands.
11. ~1968: Attica department divided into Attica and Piraeus. At the same time, Greater Athens region split from Central Greece and Euboea. Greater Athens consisted of the urban parts of Attica and Piraeus departments.
12. ~1969: Grevena department split from Kozani.
13. ~1987: Ten regions reorganized to make 13 regions. At the same time, Attica and Piraeus departments merged once again to form Attica. Regions before the reorganization were:

Other names of subdivisions: 

These names are officially spelled with the Greek alphabet. There are many transliteration schemes, giving rise to many variant names. For English names, I chose the spellings that are most often met in literature or news reports. A knowledge of the variations in transliteration schemes makes it easier to recognize variant names. The pronunciation of the letter Beta in Ancient Greek was like our B, but in Modern Greek more like V, so it may be transliterated either way. Likewise, Eta is usually E for Ancient Greek words, I for Modern. Gamma-Gamma is a diphthong, pronounced (and usually transliterated) "NG". Delta may be represented as D or DH; Gamma as G or Y; Phi as F or PH; Rho as R or RH; Kappa as K or C; Chi as KH or CH; and Upsilon as Y or I, or occasionally V or F. There is a diacritical mark similar to a reversed apostrophe called "rough breathing". In transliteration, it may be ignored, or may be shown as H. For example, it comes at the start of Ellas/Hellas, meaning Greece.

Departments:

1. Achaea: Acaia (Portuguese); Achaïa, Ahaïa, Akhaïa (variants); Achaïe (French)
2. Aitolia and Akarnania: Acarnania and Ætolia, Aetolia and Acarnania, Aitolia kai Akarnania, Aitolia-Akarnania, Etolía Akarnanía (variants); Atolien und Akarnien (German); Etólia e Acarnania (Portuguese); Étolie-Acarnanie (French)
3. Arcadia: Arcadie (French); Arkadhía, Arkadía (variants); Arkadien (German)
4. Argolis: Argolída (variant); Argolide (French); Argolide (Portuguese)
5. Attica: Atica (Portuguese); Atikí, Attikí (variants); Attika (German); Attique (French)
6. Boeotia: Beócia (Portuguese); Béotie (French); Böotien (German); Viotía, Voiotía (variants)
7. Corfu: Corcyra (obsolete); Corcyre (French-obsolete); Corfou (French); Kérkira, Kérkira, Kérkyra (variants); Korfu (German)
8. Corinth: Corinthia, Korinthía (variants); Corinthie (French); Corínzia (Portuguese); Korinth (German)
9. Cyclades: Cicladas (Portuguese); Cicladi (Italian); Cyclades (French); Kikládes, Kikladhes, Kykládes (variants); Kykladen (German)
10. Dodecanese: Dhodhekanisos, Dodekánis, Dodekánisos, Dodekánissa, Dodekánissos, Dodekánnisos (variants); Dodécanèse (French); Dodecanésia (Portuguese); Dodecaneso (Italian); Dodekanes (German); Sporades du Sud (French-variant)
11. Drama: Dhráma (German)
12. Euboea: Eubea (Italian); Eubée (French); Eubéia (Portuguese); Euböa, Ewwia (German); Euripos, Negropont (obsolete); Évia, Évvoia (variants); Nègrepont (French-obsolete)
13. Evritania: Euritanía (Portuguese); Eurytanie (French); Evrytanía (variant)
14. Evros: Euros (Portuguese); Hevros (variant); Héwros (German)
15. Fokis: Fócida (Portuguese); Fokída, Phocis, Phokis (variants); Phocide (French)
16. Fthiotis: Fthiótida, Phthiotis (variants); Ftiótida (Portuguese); Phthiotide, Phtiotide (French)
17. Grevena: Grewena (German)
18. Heraklion: Candia (obsolete); Candie (French-obsolete); Héracleion, Héraclion (French); Herákleion, Irákleion, Iráklio, Iráklion (variants)
19. Ilia: Elia, Elis, Ileía, Ilís (variants); Élida (Portuguese); Élide (French)
20. Imathia: Eimathía (variant); Emathia (Portuguese); Émathie (French)
21. Ioannina: Ianina (French-variant); Janina (Serbian); Jannina, Yanina, Yannina (variants)
22. Karditsa: Carditsa (French-variant); Kardhítsa (variant)
23. Kavala: Cavalla (French); Cavalla, Kavalla (variants); Kawála (German)
24. Kefallinia: Cefalonia (Italian); Cefalônia (Portuguese); Cephalonia, Kefallenia, Kefalloniá, Kefaloniá, Kephalonia (variants); Céphalonie (French)
25. Khalkidiki: Chalcidice, Chalcidice, Chalkidikí, Halkidikí, Khalkidhikí (variants); Chalcidique (French); Chalkidhikí (German); Kalkídica (Portuguese)
26. Khania: Canea, Chaniá, Haniá (variants); Canée (French); Canéia (Portuguese)
27. Khios: Chio (French-variant); Chios, Híos (variants); Sakis Adası (Turkish); Scio (Italian)
28. Kozani: Kosáni (German); Kozáne (variant)
29. Laconia: Lacônia (Portuguese); Laconie (French); Lakonía (variant); Lakonien (German)
30. Larisa: Lárissa (variant)
31. Lasithi: Lasithion, Lassíthi, Lassithion (variants)
32. Lesvos: Lesbos, Mytilène (variants)
33. Levkas: Lefkáda, Lefkás, Leucas (variants); Leucade (French, Italian); Leucádia (Portuguese); Sainte-Maure (French-obsolete); Santa Maura (obsolete)
34. Magnesia: Magnésia (Portuguese); Magnésie (French); Magnessia, Magnisía, Magnissía (variants)
35. Messinia: Messênia (Portuguese); Messenia (variant); Messénie (French); Messenien (German)
36. Mount Athos: Ághion Óros, Ágio Óros, Ágion Óros, Ágios Óros, Áyion Óros, Hágion Óros, Hágion Óros (variants); Mont Athos (French)
37. Pella: Péla, Pelli (variants)
38. Pieria: Piérie (French)
39. Preveza: Prévesa (Portuguese); Préwesa (German)
40. Rethymnon: Rethímni, Réthimno, Réthymno, Rethýmne (variants); Rethýmni (German)
41. Rodopi: Rhodope, Rodhópi (variants); Rhodopen (German); Rodope (French)
42. Samos: Susam Adası (Turkish)
43. Serrai: Séres, Sérres (variants)
44. Thessaloniki: Salônica (Portuguese); Salonica, Salonika, Thessalonike (variants); Salonicco, Tessalonica (Italian); Saloniki (German); Salonique, Thessalonique (French)
45. Trikala: Tríkkala (variant)
46. Xanthi: Xante (French-variant)
47. Zakynthos: Jacinto (Portuguese); Sákynthos (German); Zacinthe (French-obsolete); Zákinthos, Zákintos, Zante (variants)

Regions:

1. Aegean Islands: Ägäische Inseln (German); Îles de la Mer Égée (French); Nísoi Aigaíou, Nísoi Aiyaíou, Nissiá Egeou, Níssoi Aigaíou (variants)
2. Aegean North: Nordägäis (German)
3. Aegean South: Südägäis (German)
4. Central Greece and Euboea: Attica and the Islands, Central Greece and Évvoia, Kentrikí Ellás kaí Évvoia, Kentrikí Hellás kaí Évia, Loipi Sterea Ellas kai Evvoia, Stereá Eláda (variants); Grèce centrale et Eubée (French); Grecia Central y Eubea (Spanish); Mittelgriechenland, Zentralgriechenland (German)
5. Crete: Candia (obsolete); Candie (French-obsolete); Creta (Italian, Spanish); Crète (French); Kreta (German); Kríti (variant)
6. Epirus: Épire (French); Epiro (Spanish); Ípeiros, Ípiros (variants)
7. Greater Athens: Perifereia Proteuosis (variant)
8. Greece Central: Mittel-Hellas (German)
9. Greece West: West-Hellas (German)
10. Ionian Islands: Îles Ioniennes (French); Iónia Nissiá, Iónioi Nísoi, Iónioi Níssoi (variants); Ionische Inseln (German); Islas Jónicas (Spanish); Isole Ionie (Italian)
11. Macedonia: Macédoine (French); Makedhonía, Makedonía (variant); Makedonien, Mazedonien (German)
12. Macedonia Central: Zentralmakedonien (German)
13. Macedonia East and Thrace: Ostmakedonien und Thrakien (German)
14. Macedonia West: Westmakedonien (German)
15. Peloponnese: Morea (obsolete); Morée (French-obsolete); Peloponeso (Spanish); Pelopónissos, Peloponnesus, Pelopónnisos, Pelopónnissos (variants); Peloponnes (German); Péloponnèse (French); Peloponneso (Italian)
16. Thessaly: Tesalia (Spanish); Tessaglia (Italian); Thessalía (variant); Thessalie (French); Thessalien (German)
17. Thrace: Thráki (variant); Thrakien, Thrazien (German); Tracia (Italian, Spanish)

Population history: