Serres (regional unit)

Serres (Greek: Περιφερειακή ενότητα Σερρών) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Region of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the town of Serres. The total population reaches just over 175,000.

Geography

The mountains are Orvelos to the north, Menoikio to the east, Pangaio to the southeast, Kerdylio to the southwest, Vertiskos to the west, parts of Krousi to the west and portions of the Kerkini lies to the northwest. The regional unit borders on Thessaloniki to the southwest, Kilkis to the west, the Republic of Macedonia with the Novo Selo Municipality to the northwest, the Blagoevgrad Province of Bulgaria to the north, Drama to the northeast and Kavala to the east. The Strymonian Gulf lies to the south along with the Strymonas delta. Lake Kerkini was a lake located in the southern portion which is now drained. 41% of the regional unit are arable and most of the lands are near the Strymonas river which flows from Bulgaria and empties into the Strymonian Gulf. Another river is the Angitis in the eastern part of the regional unit, with the ravine and caves near Alistrati.

The regional unit has many archaeological and historical features including Serres, Amphipolis, several monasteries, and Metaxa near the border with Bulgaria. The regional unit is also a tourist attraction including Lailia, rich in forests, a skiing resort in the central portion, lake Kerkini which is a reservoir supplying water to the farmlands. Fishing is common within Ano Poroia especially during the summer months and famous Alistrati's caves and the nearby Aggitis ravine.

The southern part around the Strymonas valley has a Mediterranean climate, the rest is predominantly continental with cold winters in higher elevations.
History

In modern times, Serres, like the rest of Macedonia was contested territory between Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and the Ottoman Empire. After its liberation from the Turks by the Bulgarians in the First Balkan War, Serres became a part of Greece at the end of the Second Balkan War. During the National Schism, it was occupied by Bulgaria again only to form part of Greece at the end of the war. During the Second World War Bulgaria occupied Serres and launched a campaign of Bulgarisation. It was liberated in 1944.

A substantial portion of the population of the regional unit are descendants of refugees which came from Eastern Thrace which is now Northwestern Turkey, Asia Minor and from Pontus during the Greco-Turkish War.
Lake Kerkini
Administration

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

Amfipoli (2)
Emmanouil Pappas (4)
Irakleia (5)
Nea Zichni (6)
Serres (1)
Sintiki (7)
Visaltia (3)

Prefecture

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the Serres regional unit was created out of the former Serres Prefecture (Greek: Νομός Σερρών). 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
Amfipoli	Amfipoli	Rodolivos
	Kormista
	Proti
	Rodolivos
Emmanouil Pappas	Emmanouil Pappas	Chryso
	Strymonas
Irakleia	Irakleia	Irakleia
	Skotoussa
	Strymoniko
Nea Zichni	Nea Zichni	Nea Zichni
	Alistrati
Serres	Serres	Serres
	Ano Vrontou
	Kapetan Mitrousi
	Lefkonas
	Oreini
	Skoutari
Sintiki	Sidirokastro	Sidirokastro
	Agkistro
	Achladochori
	Kerkini
	Petritsi
	Promachonas
Visaltia	Visaltia	Nigrita
	Achinos
	Nigrita
	Tragilos

Provinces

Before the abolishment of the provinces of Greece in 2006, the Serres prefecture was subdivided into the following provinces:

Fyllida - Nea Zichni
Serres Province - Serres
Sintiki - Sidirokastro
Visaltia - Nigrita

Transport

The main roads of Serres regional unit are:

Motorway 2 (Igoumenitsa - Thessaloniki - Amfipoli - Alexandroupoli)
Motorway 25 (Thessaloniki - Serres - Sidirokastro - Bulgaria)
Greek National Road 2 (Florina - Thessaloniki - Amfipoli - Alexandroupoli)
Greek National Road 12 (Thessaloniki - Serres - Drama - Kavala)
Greek National Road 59 (Amfipoli - Nea Zichni)
Greek National Road 63 (Serres - Sidirokastro - Bulgaria)
Greek National Road 65 (Thessaloniki - Kilkis - Sidirokastro)

The Thessaloniki–Svilengrad railway passes through Serres and Sidirokastro.
Persons

Constantine Karamanlis (8 March 1907 in Proti - 23 April 1998), a former Greek prime minister and president
Emmanouel Pappas, hero of the Greek Independence Struggle
Glykeria, famous Greek singer (of Asia Minor Hellenic ancestry)
Ioannis Melissanidis, a Greek gymnast athlete
Nansy Stergiopoulou, of the all girl band Hi-5, family originally from Serres.

Sporting teams

The Panserraikos F.C. association football club, based in Serres, plays in the Football League 2.
See also

List of settlements in the Serres regional unit

References

"Kallikratis reform law text" (PDF).

Regional units of Greece
Attica	North Athens • South Athens • West Athens • Central Athens • Islands • East Attica • Peiraias • West Attica
Epirus	Arta • Ioannina • Preveza • Thesprotia
Ionian Islands	Ithaki • Kefalonia • Kerkyra • Lefkada • Zakynthos
Crete	Chania • Heraklion • Lasithi • Rethymno
Central Greece	Voiotia • Evoia • Evrytania • Fokida • Fthiotida
North Aegean	Chios • Ikaria • Lesvos • Limnos • Samos
East Macedonia and Thrace	Drama • Evros • Kavala • Rhodopi • Thasos • Xanthi
Peloponnese	Argolida • Arkadia • Korinthia • Lakonia • Messinia
South Aegean	Andros • Kalymnos • Karpathos • Kea-Kythnos • Kos • Milos • Mykonos • Naxos • Paros • Rhodos • Syros • Thira • Tinos
Thessaly	Karditsa • Larissa • Magnisia • Sporades • Trikala
West Greece	Aitoloakarnania • Achaia • Ilia
West Macedonia	Florina • Grevena • Kastoria • Kozani
Central Macedonia	Chalkidiki • Imathia • Kilkis • Pella • Pieria • Serres • Thessaloniki

Ancient Greece Science, Technology , Medicine , Warfare, , Biographies , Life , Cities/Places/Maps , Arts , Literature , Philosophy ,Olympics, Mythology , History , Images Medieval Greece / Byzantine Empire Science, Technology, Arts, , Warfare , Literature, Biographies, Icons, History Modern Greece Cities, Islands, Regions, Fauna/Flora ,Biographies , History , Warfare, Science/Technology, Literature, Music , Arts , Film/Actors , Sport , Fashion --- Cyprus Greek-Library - Scientific Library

Greece

World

Index

Hellenica World