Rafina

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Statistics
Prefecture: Attica
Metropolitan Area: Athens
Location:
Latitude:
Longitude:

38.021 (38°1'15") N lat.
24.012 (24°0'8") E long.
Population: (1991)
 - Total
 - Density
 - Rank

 8,611

 -/km
Elevation:
 -lowest:
 -centre:

Aegean Sea
about 10 m(centre)
western part
Postal code: 190 09
Area/distance code: 11-(00)30-22940
Municipal code: 0339
Car designation: Y (prev.)
Z pres.
3-letter abbreviation: RAF Rafina
Address of administration: 12 Arafinidon Alon Street
Rafina 190 09

Rafina (Greek: Ραφήνα) is a town located on the eastern coast of Attica.

Geographical Location

Rafina is east of the Penteli mountains and northeast of the Mesogeia plain with an exception of farmland near the coastline to the north. The Cephissus River lies to the west. It is located E of Athens and the Attiki Odos (number 63), S of Nea Makri, NNE of the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport and N of Loutsa. Rafina is about 30 km E of downtown Athens.

The Municipality of Rafina contains, besides the city itself, a large portion of the surrounding area, which is mostly woodland and farmland.

Road and Sea Access

The town can be accessed through Marathonos Avenue (GR-54) to the west. Other roads link with the town of Artemida, also known as Loutsa, to the South and Nea Makri to the North.

Rafina is a port town serving ferries to the southern part of Euboea as well as most of the Cyclades. Its port is the second largest of Attica, after that of Piraeus, but it will probably be superseded by the one in Lavrio, which is currently being expanded.

History

Rafina was established in the 1920s by refugees fleeing from Anatolia after the end of the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922). Its name is an anagram of the name of an ancient Greek city which was located roughly in the same location as the modern town. Until the 1960s and the 1970s, most of the population was rural. As housing developments came to the area, the population boomed and moved into the settlements.

July 2005 Forest Fire

On July 28, 2005, a forest fire began near the area of the hills southwest of Rafina at 11:00 EET (8:00 AM GMT). The fires expanded quickly with windspeeds of 60 to 70 km/h, threatening forests around the hills and the small mountain range that runs from north of Spata to near Rafina, consuming most of the forest and burning homes in two settlements including Kallitechnoupoli.The fires also threatened Neos Voutzas near Penteli.As a result of property damage, a large number of people were displaced.Traffic was redirected or halted as Marathonos Avenue was shut down from its junction near Pikermi. The fires also threatened Neos Voutzas near Penteli. Thick smoke covered the area until about 5 pm EET, when the wind calmed down and changed direction to the northeast near Rafina.A massive mobilization of fire departments across the region of Attica followed, and eventually most of the region's available personnel were deployed to the area.Firefighting efforts were assisted by water bombers and helicopters.The gradual decrease of windspeeds in the area slowed the spread of the fire.The fire was put under control in the afternoon and was fully extinguished by nightfall.The flames did not reach the city itself. On the same day another forest fire began in the area of Neos Voutzas at 13:00 EET (11:00 AM GMT).

July 2018 Wildfire

On July 23, 2018: Wildfires in Mati and Rafina claim the lives of at least 102 people

Settlements

Other

Rafina has schools, lyceums, gymnasia, banks, churches, a post office, beaches and squares (plateies). Rafina is home to the former Greek prime minister Kostas Karamanlis and his family. It is also the birthplace of former football goalkeeper Nikos Sarganis.

Historical population

Year Population Change Municipal population
1981 4,994 - -
1991 7,752 2,758/55.23% 8,611

External links




Northwest: Penteli North: Nea Makri
West: Pikermi Rafina East: Petalies Gulf, Aegean Sea
Southwest: Sparta South: Artemida, also Loutsa

See also:

A portion of content for this article is credited to Wikipedia. Content under GNU Free Documentation License(GFDL)