Thessaloniki (regional unit)

**Thessaloniki** () is ane o the regional units o Greece. It is pairt o the Region o Central Macedonie an its caipital is the ceety o Thessaloniki.

## Geografie
The regional unit stretches frae the Thermaic Guwf tae the Strymonic Gulf. The Thermaic Guwf lees tae the soothwast while the Strymonic Guwf is in the east. Twa bouks o watter are locatit tae the north, Lake Koronia in the hert o the regional unit an Loch Volvi tae the east. Thare are fermlands throuoot the wastren an the soothwastren pairt, a few in the northeast, the north an alang the Axios River. The muntains include the Chortiatis tae the wastcentral pairt, the Vertiskos to the north an pairts o the Kerdylio muntains tae the northeast. The regional unit borders on the Imathia regional unit tae the soothwast, Pella tae the wast, Kilkis tae the north, Serres tae the east an Chalkidiki tae the sooth.

Its climate includes hot Mediterranean simmers an ceul to mild winters in law leein auries an its plains.  Winter wather is vera common in auries 500 m abuin sea level an intae the muntains.

## History

The aurie o the Thessaloniki regional unit joined the rest o Greece in 1912, durin the First Balkan War. The aurie wis struck bi an yirdquauk in the 1970s, an bi floodin due tae rainfaw in October 2006.

## Admeenistration

### Municipalities
The Thessaloniki regional unit is subdividit intae 14 municipalities. These are (nummer as in the map in the infobox):
*Ampelokipoi-Menemeni (2)
*Chalkidona (13)
*Delta (4)
*Kalamaria (7)
*Kordelio-Evosmos (8)
*Lagkadas (9)
*Neapoli-Sykies (10)
*Oraiokastro (14)
*Pavlos Melas (11)
*Pylaia-Chortiatis (12)
*Thermaikos (5)
*Thermi (6)
*Thessaloniki (1)
*Volvi (3)

### Prefectur

The Thessaloniki Prefectur () wis creatit when the aurie joined wi the rest o Greece durin the First Balkan War in 1913. Its aurie wis then the lairgest in the kintra coverin aboot 7% o aw o Greece. The prefecturs o Pella an Kilkis wur split aff in 1930 an 1937 respectively, an efter Warld War II in 1947, Imathia an Pieria.   

As a pairt o the 2011 Kallikratis govrenment reform, the prefectur wis transformit intae a regional unit athin the Central Macedonie region, athoot ony chynge in boondaries. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganisit, accordin tae the table belaw.

## Provinces

*Province o Thessaloniki
*Province o Lagkadas
*Note:* Provinces nae langer hauld ony legal status in Greece.

## Transport

### Roads an heich-gates
The regional unit o Thessaloniki is connectit wi the follaein roads an heich-gates.
*Motorways:
****[[Motorwey 1 (Greece)|A1]]/[[European route E75|E75]]** *([[Republic o Macedonie]], [[Larissa]], [[Athens]])*
****[[Egnatia Odos (modren road)|A2]]/[[European route E90|E90]]** *([[Kozani]], [[Ioannina]], [[Igoumenitsa]])* *([[Kavala]], [[Xanthi]], [[Alexandroupolis]], [[Turkey]])*
****[[Motorwey 25 (Greece)|A25]]/[[European route E79|Ε79]]** *([[Serres]], [[Bulgarie]])*
****[[Motorwey 25 (Greece)|A25]]** *([[Thessaloniki Internaitional Airport, "Macedonia"|Macedonia Internaitional Airport]], [[Nea Moudania]])*

*Naitional Roads:
****[[Greek Naitional Road 2|ΕΟ2]]/[[European route E86|Ε86]] W** *([[Edessa]], [[Florina]])*
****[[Greek Naitional Road 12|ΕΟ12]]/[[European route E79|Ε79]] Ν** *([[Serres]], [[Drama, Greece|Drama]])*
****[[Greek Naitional Road 16|ΕΟ16]], SW** *([[Polygyros]], [[Ouranopolis]])*
****[[Greek Naitional Road 65|ΕΟ65]], Ν** *([[Kilkis]], [[Doirani]])*

### History
The GR-1 an GR-2 uised tae be the main road links connectin the regional unit o Thessaloniki wi ither pairts o the kintra, up till the A1/E75 motorwey (constructit durin the 1970s) an the A2/E90 motorwey (constructit durin the 90's) wur delivered tae the public.
Furthermair pairts o the GR-67 (in the near futur tae form pairt o the A25) linkin Chalkidiki an the GR-65 linkin Kilkis, wur convertit intae motorweys durin the 2000s.

### Mass transit

*Public transport services are providit bi the Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organization
*Thessaloniki Metro (unner construction, tae be completit in late 2014)

## Communications
Maist o the stations are in the ceety (see Thessaloniki#Communications).  Here are leet o stations ootside the ceety:

*Thermi TV - Thermi

## Major Sport Clubs

*Iraklis *(foondit in 1908)*
*Aris *(foondit in 1914)*
*PAOK *(foondit in 1926)*
*Apollon Kalamarias *(foondit in 1926)*
*Agrotikos Asteras *(foondit in 1932)*

## See an aw
* Leet o dounsets in the Thessaloniki regional unit

## References