Arcadia prefecture
Arcadia or Arkadía (Greek Αρκαδία) is a region of Greece in Peloponnesus. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas.
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Modern Arcadia
Arcadia's has its present-day capital at Tripolis. It forms the largest prefecture on the Peloponnesian peninsula. It currently covers about 18% of the entire peninsula, although it once extended to about 20 to 25% of the peninsula.
The prefecture has a skiing resort on Mount Maenalus, the Mainalon, located about 20 km NW of Tripoli. The other mountains include the Parnon in the southeast, the Saita, the Skiathio, the Lykaia and Tsiberou.
The Greece Interstate 7 (E65) freeway, which was extended after 1997 and in 2003, runs through Arcadia on a north-west to south-east axis and nearly forms in the southwest the end of the freeway. A nuclear and coal power station which produces electricity for most of southern Greece, operates to the south of Megalopolis, along with a coal mine.
Arcadia has two tunnels. The Artemisio Tunnel opened first, followed by the tunnel east of Megalopolis; both serve traffic flowing between Messinia prefecture and Athens.
The chief cities and communities in the prefecture include Tripolis, Astros, Vytina, Dimitsana, Langadia, Leonidio, Leontari, Levidi, Megalopolis and Stemnitsa.
In agriculture, potato farms, mixed farming, olive groves, and pasture dominate the plains of Arcadia, especially in the area around Megalopolis and between Tripolis and Levidi.
Persons
- Ancient Olympic victors:
- Androsthenes of Maenalus, won gold in 420 and 416 BC
- Euthymenes of Maenalus, won gold in 400 and 392 BC
- Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770 - 1843), a general in the Greek War of Independence (1821 - 1832), lived in Arcadia.
- Gennaios Kolokotronis, son of Theodoros, was born in Stemnitsa.
- Dimitris Plapoutas, revolutionary, was born in Paloumba
- Anagnostaras, revolutionary, was born in Agrilos
- Patriarch Gregory V was born in Dimitsana
- Bishop Germanos of Patra was born in Dimitsana
- Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos, Olympic athlete, was born in Gortynia
- Kostas Karyotakis (October 30, 1896 – July 20, 1928 in Preveza)
- Alexandros Papanastasiou, politician and PM, was born in Levidi
- Georgios Stanotas, general, was born in Kastanitsa
- Nikos Ploumbidis, communist official, was born in Langadia
- Konstantinos Georgakopoulos, Prime Minister, was born in Tripolis
- Mimis Fotopoulos, actor, (April 1913 in Zatouna Gortynias - 1986 in Athens)
- Grigoris Lambrakis, athlete/politician, was born in Tegea
- Babis Tsertos, singer, was born in Tropea
Climate
Its climate has hot summers and mild winters in the eastern part, the southern part, the low lying areas and the central part ald area lower than 1,000 m. The area mainly receives rain during summer and winter months for most of the time in the rest of Arcadia. Winter [snow?] occurs commonly in the mountainous areas for much of the west and the northern part, the Taygetus area, the Mainalon.
History
In the 20th century, Arcadia experienced extensive population loss through emigration, mostly to the Americas. Many Arcadian villages lost almost half their inhabitants, and fears arose that they would turn into ghost towns. Arcadia now has a smaller population than Corinthia. Demographers expected that its population would halve between 1951 and the early 21st century.
In the mid to late 20th century a power plant began operating.
Population
- 1951: 154,361 (density: 34.93/km²)
- 1961: 134,950
- 1971: 111,263 (density: 23.5/km²)
- 1991: 103,840
- 2001: 102,025
Transportation
- Greece Interstate 7
- Greece Interstate 33, N
- Greece Interstate 37, Cen, S
- Greece Interstate 74, NW, N
- Greece Interstate 76, W, SW
Communications
Television
Provinces
Arcadia has 4 provinces:
- Province of Gortynia - Dimitsana
- Province of Kynouria - Leonidio
- Province of Mantineia - Tripolis
- Province of Megalopoli - Megalopolis
Municipalities
| Municipality | YPES code | Seat | Postal code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimitsana | 0506 | Dimitsana | 220 07 |
| Falanthos | 0523 | Davia | 221 00 |
| Falaisia | 0522 | Leontari | 220 21 |
| Gortynia | 0505 | Karytaina | 220 22 |
| Irea | 0507 | Paloumpa | 220 28 |
| Klitoros | 0508 | Amygdala | 220 14 |
| Kontovazena | 0509 | Kontovazena | 220 15 |
| Korynthos | 0510 | Korynthos | 221 00 |
| Lagadia | 0512 | Langadia | 220 03 |
| Leonidio | 0514 | Leonidio | 223 00 |
| Levidi | 0513 | Levidi | 220 02 |
| Mantineia | 0515 | Nestani | 220 05 |
| Megalopolis | 0516 | Megalopolis | 222 00 |
| Skyritida | 0517 | Vlachokerasea | 220 16 |
| Tegea | 0518 | Stadio | 220 12 |
| Trikolones | 0519 | Stemnitsa | 220 24 |
| Tripolis | 0520 | Tripolis | 221 00 |
| Tyros (formerly Apollonas) | 0501 | Tyros | 220 29 |
| Tropaia | 0521 | Tropaia | 220 08 |
| Valtesi | 0502 | Kato Asea | 220 27 |
| North Kynouria | 0503 | Astros | 220 01 |
| Vytina | 0504 | Vytina | 220 10 |
This exludes the independent commune of Kosmas (municipal code: 0511, postal code: 230 58) where the seat is Geraki.
For more communities, see Communities of Arcadia
