# Central Greece (geographic region)

Continental Greece (Greek: Στερεά Ελλάδα, romanized: Stereá Elláda; formerly Χέρσος Ἑλλάς, Chérsos Ellás), colloquially known as Roumeli (Ρούμελη), is a traditional geographic region of Greece. In English, the area is usually called Central Greece, but the equivalent Greek term (Κεντρική Ελλάδα, Kentrikí Elláda) is more rarely used.
It includes the southern part of the Greek mainland (sans the Peloponnese), as well as the offshore island of Euboea. Since 1987, its territory has been divided among the administrative regions of Central Greece and Attica, and the regional unit (former prefecture) of Aetolia-Acarnania in the administrative region of Western Greece.

## Etymology

The region has traditionally been known as Roúmeli (Ρούμελη), a name deriving from the Turkish word Rūm-eli, meaning "the land of the Rūm [the Romans, i.e. the Byzantine Greeks]" and originally encompassing all of the Ottoman Empire's European possessions. The official name Stereá Elláda ("Continental" or "Mainland" Greece) derives from the juxtaposition with the Peloponnese peninsula across the Corinthian Gulf, and the fact that these two territories formed the independent First Hellenic Republic after the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829).

## Geography

Central Greece is the most populous geographical region of Greece, with a population of 4,591,568 people, and covers an area of 24,818.3 km$^2$ (9,582.4 sq mi), making it the second-largest of the country. It is located to the north of the Peloponnese and to the south of Thessaly and Epirus, bordering the Aegean Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the west and the Corinthian Gulf to the south. Its climate is temperate along its coastlines, and dry in the interior.

### Mountains

The region is one of the most mountainous in Greece, having some of the highest elevations in the country.
| Number | Mountain | Height (m) | Ranking in Greece | Regional unit |
| 1 | Giona | 2,510 | 5th | Phocis |
| 2 | Vardousia | 2,495 | 7th | Phocis |
| 3 | Parnassus | 2,457 | 9th | Phocis, Boeotia |
| 4 | Tymfristos | 2,315 | 16th | Evrytania, Phthiotis |
| 5 | Oeta | 2,152 | 22nd | Phthiotis |

### Lakes

Central Greece also has some of the largest lakes in Greece; among the most important is Mornos lake in Phocis, which supplies water to Phocis, parts of Phthiotis, Boeotia, and Athens as well.
| Number | Lake | Area (km$^2$) | Ranking in Greece | Regional unit |
| 1 | Trichonida | 96.513 | 1st | Aetolia-Acarnania |
| 2 | Yliki | 22.731 | 9th | Boeotia |
| 3 | Amvrakia | 13.619 | 13th | Aetolia-Acarnania |
| 4 | Lysimachia | 13.200 | 14th | Aetolia-Acarnania |
| 5 | Ozeros | 10.013 | 16th | Aetolia-Acarnania |

### Rivers

Some important and well-known rivers of Central Greece are the Acheloos in Aetolia-Acarnania, which is the second longest of the country, the Spercheios in Phthiotis, the Evenus in Aetolia-Acarnania, and the Mornos in Phocis.

## Cities

The principal cities of the region of Central Greece according to the census of 2001 are:
* Athens
    3,130,841 (Athens urban area)
       3,761,810 (Athens metropolitan area)
* Lamia
    58,601
* Agrinio
    57,147
* Chalkida
    53,584
* Thebes
    21,211
* Livadeia
    20,061

## Gallery

* The Athenian Treasury in Delphi
* Livadeia
* Galaxidi
* Chalkis
* Hosios Loukas
* Fustanella from central Greece