Elassona

Elassona
Ελασσόνα
Elassona

Coordinates: 39°53′N 22°11′E / 39.883°N 22.183°E / 39.883; 22.183Coordinates: 39°53′N 22°11′E / 39.883°N 22.183°E / 39.883; 22.183
Country Greece
Administrative region Thessaly
Regional unit Larissa
Area
 • Municipality 1,565.2 km2 (604.3 sq mi)
 • Municipal unit 291.1 km2 (112.4 sq mi)
Elevation 308 m (1,010 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Municipality 32,121
 • Municipality density 21/km2 (53/sq mi)
 • Municipal unit 11,044
 • Municipal unit density 38/km2 (98/sq mi)
Community[1]
 • Population 7,750 (2011)
 • Area (km2) 102.5
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 402 00
Area code(s) 2410
Vehicle registration ΡΙ
Website www.elassona.com.gr
View of Olympus from Elassona.

Elassona (Greek: Ελασσόνα; older form: Elasson Ἐλασσών) is a town and a municipality in the Larissa regional unit in Greece. During antiquity Elassona was called Oloosson - Ὀλοοσσών and was a town of the ancient "Perrhaebi", known today as Thessaly. It is situated at the foot of Mount Olympus. Elassona is bypassed by the GR-3 (Larissa - Kozani - Florina).

History

Unlike the rest of Thessaly, which was annexed by Greece in 1881, Elassona remained part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912, when it joined Greece (along with Crete, Macedonia and Epirus) following victory in the Balkan Wars.

Municipality

The municipality Elassona was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 9 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[2]

Subdivisions

The municipal unit of Elassona is divided into the following communities:

Municipal changes

Until March 15, 2006, Tsaritsani was part of the municipality (now municipal unit) of Elassona and functioned as a municipal district. Under the law 3448/15-3-2006, Tsaritsani got separated from the municipality and declared a commune. The loss of its population and land leaves the remaining municipality with an adjusted 2001 census population of 12,056 and a land area of 291.097 km².

Province

The province of Elassona (Greek: Επαρχία Ελασσόνας) was one of the provinces of the Larissa Prefecture. It had the same territory as the present municipality.[3] It was abolished in 2006.

Population

(Statistics, 1981-2011)

Year Town Community Municipal unit Municipality
1981 7,146 - - -
1991 7,225 - 15,637 -
2001 7,233 7,762 14,563 -
2011 7,338 7,750 11,044 32,121

Geography

The municipality Elassona has an area of 1565.2 km2, the municipal unit Elassona has an area of 291.097 km2 (excluding Tsaritsani), and the community Elassona has an area of 102.515 km2.[4]

Its geography includes farmlands in the valley areas, the mountains to the west and east and forests in the west and east as well as grasslands, ledges are to be founded in some areas and barren area in the higher elevations.

The rivers Elassonitis (or Elassonitikos) and Titarisio flow through Elassona and they both flow into the Pineios River, Thessaly's longest river. The river divides the town into two parts, the older city built on the Olympiotissa hill and is also Varosi or Varossi (Βαρόσι), and the new city on the right bank of the river. These two parts of the city are connected by four bridges, one of which is an ancient stone arch bridge. The other part is near the Kefalovrysi Lake.

Transportation

Elassona is linked with the old GR-3 and is bypassed to the east. Elassona is located 70 km southwest of Katerini, 38 km NNW of Larissa (old: about 50 km), 22 km NW of Tyrnavos (old: 30 km), east of Deskati and Grevena and 78 km ESE of Kozani.

References

  1. 1 2 "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
  2. ↑ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
  3. ↑ "Detailed census results 1991" (PDF). (39 MB) (Greek) (French)
  4. ↑ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.
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