Achaea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Achaea Prefecture Νομός Αχαΐας |
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| Periphery | West Greece |
| Capital | Patras |
| Population | 331,316 (2005)Ranked 5th |
| Area | 3,271 km² Ranked 14th |
| Population density | 101.3/km²Ranked 9th |
| Number of provinces | 3 |
| Number of municipalities | 21 |
| Number of communities | 2 |
| Postal codes | 25x xx - 26x xx |
| Area codes | 2610, 269x0 |
| Licence plate code | ΑΧ |
| ISO 3166-2 code | GR-13 |
| Website | http://www.achaia.gr/ |
Achaea (Greek: Ἀχαΐα, Achaïa; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is an ancient province and a present prefecture of Greece, on the northern coast of the Peloponnese, stretching from the mountain ranges of Erymanthus and Cyllene on the south to a narrow strip of fertile land on the north, bordering the Gulf of Corinth, into which the mountain Panachaicus (1,902 m, the northernmost mountain range in the Peloponnese) projects. Achaea is bounded on the west by the territory of Elis, on the east by that of Sicyon, which, however, was sometimes included in it. The population in 2001 had reached over 300,000.
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[edit] Climate
Its climate has hot summers and mild winters. Sunny days dominate during the summer months in areas within the beaches and partially cloudy and rainy in the mountains. Snow is very common during the winter in the mountains of Erymanthus, Panachaicus and Aroania. Winter high temperatures are around the 10°C mark throughout the low lying areas.
[edit] History
The origin of the name has given rise to much speculation; Achaean is a common term for the Greek troops in Homer. Possibly corresponding are the Ahhiawa of 13th century BC Hittite texts. The Achaeans proper in the Catalogue of Ships are from Argos and Tiryns. However, one theory is that the Achaeans were driven to this region by the Dorian invaders of the Peloponnese. Another Achaea, in the south of Thessaly, called sometimes Achaea Phthiotis, has been suggested to be the cradle of the original tribe.
In Ancient Roman times the name of the province of Achaea was given to the whole of Greece, except Thessaly, Epirus, and Acarnania. It is in this latter enlarged meaning that the name is always used in the New Testament (e.g., Acts 18:12, 27; 19:21; Romans 15: 26; 16:5).
In the 13th century the Principality of Achaea was founded in Greece after the Fourth Crusade.
The Principality of Achaea fell to the Ottoman Empire. The area was later invaded by the Venetians in the late-16th and the 17th centuries and later invaded by the Ottomans again. In 1821, it became part of Greece. Achaea or Achaia later produced several heroes including Kanaris and Roufos and prime ministers of Greece including Andreas Michalakopoulos as well as some head of states.
In the 20th century, the Area which excluded Metochi reverted from Ilia as the municipality of Kalotychia became Vouprasias. That part had been a part of Ilia, then Elis during the ancient times. Another reorganization reverted Mataranga and Spata into the prefecture of Achaia and the municipality of Larissos.
A mid-1994 late-night (around 3 AM local time) earthquake rumbled the area with a magnitude around 5 on the Richter scale. This was a minor one. It was after another earthquake. A forest fire consumed the northern part of the Panachaicus in the mid-1990s.
Mudslides numbering around 1,500 occurred between 1950 and 2005 according the university study, much of the mudslides occurred to the north and the central parts. Mudslides are one of the most in all of Greece.
[edit] Population
Achaea today has about one-third of its peninsula's inhabitants and two-thirds of Achaia living in the Patra area which is the capital of Achaea and the Peloponnese, and more than half of the population live in the city (municipality). It is also the third largest city in Greece excluding Piraeus. The main industrial area is 20 km south of the city near Phares, and Tsoukoulaiíka and Vrachnaiíka.
Aigion is a seaside city with a city hall and a city square is in its heart. The population is around 30,000.
[edit] Sights and sports
There are two skiing resorts, one on the Panachaicus west of the mountain top (elevation around 1700 m) east of Patras—it will be Nafpaktos's closest because of the new bridge (mid-2004)—and the other on Aroania, sometimes still called Chelmos, near Kalavrita. It is Kalavrita's closest resort.
Kalavrita is a town situated more than 70 km (45 miles) to the east via the road from Achaea's capital. A few kilometres to its west is a monastery situated on the peak of the hill. Its name is Aghía Lávra. 12 to 20 km east, is Cave Lakes where lakes are inside this brilliant cave. It is open to tourists, and the length is around 300 to 500 m. A skiing resort is on Mount Chelmos. The mountain hosts the most modern Greek telescope, named Aristarchus (after the ancient Greek astronomer - Aristarchus of Samos) and operated by the National Observatory of Athens A narrow gauge railway track runs for 30 km and acts as a tourist attraction (mainly). The track begins near Kalavrita and ends off Diakopton. Patras
[edit] Economy
Achaia has the most supermarkets in the Peloponnese and the western part of Greece.
Temeni is a place where the famous spring water Avra (Άυρα) or Aúra is manufactured. It is owned by Tria Epsilon, a division of Coca-Cola Company and a parent.
There are no oil refineries except for a small refinery near Rio.
[edit] Transport
There are two main bus terminals.
The main highways are 8 (longest), 8A (E55), GR-9 (E55, E65), GR-31, and GR-33.
A beltway which bypasses Patras begun construction in 1990, and extended construction to GR-33 in 1992, Savalia in 1993, East Patra or Patras in 1995, and in 1998 into GR-8. Lights were installed in the early 2000s on the beltway, and opened to traffic on late 2003. It starts from near Roitika and ends just south of Rhion.
GR-8 was the first superhighway, along with GR-5 in the prefecture. The beltway is the second, and the bridge will be the third. Its length now has almost 100 km (60 mi) of superhighway. Its length was only 70 to 75 km until 2003.
The Rio-Antirio bridge, which started construction in 2000 (though plans had been made throughout the 1990s, and was supposed to begin in those years), opened in mid-2004, connecting the mainland and the Peloponnese. This eliminated much of the ferry service which has been used for about half a century for automobiles. Since then, there is only the rare ferry service in the city of Aigio(n), which is the ferry route to Aghios Nikolaos in Phocis.
[edit] Communications and companies headquartered in Achaea
- Kronos Supermarkets - Patras
- Achaia Channel - Patras
- Patra TV - Patras
- Super B - Patras
- Tele Con - extinct
- Tele Time - regional
[edit] Provinces
[edit] Municipalities and communities
| Municipality | YPES code | Seat (if different) |
|---|---|---|
| Aigeira | 0701 | |
| Aigio | 0702 | |
| Akrata | 0703 | |
| Aroania | 0704 | Psofida |
| Diakopto | 0706 | |
| Dymi | 0707 | Kato Achaïa |
| Erineos | 0708 | Kamares |
| Farres | 0722 | Chalandritsa |
| Kalavryta | 0709 | |
| Larissos | 0711 | Lappa |
| Lefkasio | 0713 | Kleitoria |
| Messatida | 0714 | Ovrya |
| Movri | 0715 | Sageika |
| Olenia | 0723 | Lousika |
| Paion | 0716 | Dafni |
| Paralia | 0717 | |
| Patras | 0718 | |
| Rio | 0719 | |
| Sympoliteia | 0720 | Rododafni |
| Tritaia | 0721 | Stavrodromi |
| Vrachnaiika | 0705 | |
| Community | YPES code | Seat (if different) |
| Kalentzi | 0710 | |
| Leontio | 0712 |
See also:
[edit] Persons
- Andreas Michalakopoulos (1876 - 1938), a Prime Minister of Greece between October 7, 1924 - June 26, 1925
- Andreas Mikroutsikos
- Vasilis Roufos
- Alexandros Zaimis
- Georgios Papadreou a Prime Minister of Greece
- Dimitrios Gounaris a Prime Minister of Greece
- Dimitrios Maximos a Prime Minister of Greece
- Georgios Papadopoulos President of the Greek Republic and Prime Minister of Greece, from Eleochori Achaias
- Konstantinos Stefanopoulos President of Greek Republic (1995-2005) from Patras
- Dimitrios Tofalos Olympic Champion
- Kostis Palamas National Greek Poet
- Kostas Katsouranis Footballer - European Champion (Euro 2004)
- Kostas Davourlis Footballer of Panachaiki. The greatest Greek Player
[edit] Sporting teams
[edit] Football/soccer
- Achaiki - Kato Achaia, third division
- Apollon Patras
- Apolloniada Patras
- Achaios Saravali Patras - Saravali - fourth division
- Achilleas Ovrias FC - Ovrya, fourth division
- Achilleas Patras AC - Patras, fourth division
- Achilleas Kamaron
- AEK Patras FC - Patras, fourth division
- Aetos Patras - Patras, fourth division
- Agiou Dimitriou FC
- Egieas Egion
- Aris Patras
- Aris Valimitika
- Aris Logos
- A.O. Ampelokipi Patras
- A.O. Anagenisi Patras
- Agyia FC - Patras (Agyia), fourth division
- Albatross Glyfadas Patras - Patras, fourth division
- AS Apollo Eglikadas, fourth division
- Aris - fourth division
- Astrapis Psarofai - Patras (Psarofai), fourth division
- Atromitos Patras - Patras, fourth division
- Atromitos Zarouchleika Patras - Patras (Zarouchleika) - fourth division
- Atromitos Lappa
- A.O. Kaminia
- A.O. Kalavrita
- A.O. Krini
- A.O. Krini 93
- A.O. Vouraikos Diakopto
- Elpida Egklykadas - Egklykada, fourth division
- Esperos Patras
- Ethnikos Patras - Patras, fourth division
- Ethnikos Sageikon - Sageika, fourth division
- Dafni FC
- Dafni Kalavrita
- Diakopto AC - Diakopto - fourth division
- Doxa Chalandritsas FC - Chalandritsa, fourth division
- Doxa Paralias - Paralia, fourth division
- Dimi A.O.
- Doxa Niforeika
- Filia Patras - Patras, fourth division
- Foinikas Patron - Patras, ceased
- Fostiras Ovrias FC - Ovrya, fourth division
- Iraklis Patron - Patras, fourth division
- Iraklis Leykas
- Ikaros Petrotou
- Ikaros Lakopetras
- Kypros Patron AC - Patras, fourth division
- Galini Patras
- Pelopas Patras
- A.O. Psilalonia Patras
- A.O. Omonia Patras
- P.A.O. Kritikon Patras
- Achaikos Kato Achaias
- Asteras Temenis
- Posidvn Elikis
- Milon Ovrias
- NE Patras - Patras, fourth division
- NO Patras - Patras, fourth division
- APS Olympiakos - fourth division
- Olympiakos Aigio - Aigio, fourth division
- Olympiakos Kamares - Kamares - fourth division
- Olympiakos Kato Achaia - Kato Achaia, fourth division
- Olympiakos Patras - Patras - fourth division
- Olympiacos Soudeneika
- Olympiada
- Ormi Patras - Patras - fourth division
- Panachaiki - Patras, second division
- Pirsos Patras
- Panaigialeios - fourth division
- Panathinaikos Skagiopouleiou - fourth division
- Panionios Achilleas Agyias AU - Patras (Agyia), fourth division
- Panachaikos Souli
- Perivola A.O.
- APS Patrai - Patras, fourth division
- Patraikos AC - Patras, fourth division
- PAS Patraikos - Patras, fourth division
- EA Patras - Patras, fourth division
- Patreos - Patras, fourth division
- Pigasos Begkoulariou FC, fourth division
- Poseidonos Patras AU - Patras, ceased
- Proodevtiki - fourth division
- Skakistikos Omilos Patras - Patras, fourth division
- Thriamvos Patras - Patras, ceased, now part of EPA Patras
- Thyella - Patras, third division
- Zavlani - fourth division
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
