Aigialeia

Municipality in Greece
Aigialeia
Αιγιάλεια
38°15′N 22°5′E / 38.250°N 22.083°E / 38.250; 22.083
CountryGreece
Administrative regionWest Greece
Regional unitAchaea
Area
 • Municipality723.1 km2 (279.2 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Municipality46,990
 • Density65/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
25x xx
Area code(s)269xx
Vehicle registrationΑΧ
Websitewww.aigialeia.gov.gr

Aigialeia (Greek: Αιγιάλεια, pronounced [eˈʝalia]) is a municipality and a former province (επαρχία) in the eastern part of the Achaea regional unit, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Aigio.[2] The municipality has an area of 723.063 km2.[3] The main towns are Aigio, Akrata and Diakopto. The municipality Aigialeia stretches from the south coast of the Gulf of Corinth to the mountainous interior of the Peloponnese peninsula. The main rivers of the municipality are the Selinountas and the Vouraikos.

Municipality

The municipality Aigialeia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 6 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[2]

Province

The province of Aigialeia (Greek: Επαρχία Αιγιαλείας) was one of the three provinces of Achaea. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality, except the municipal unit Erineos.[4] It was abolished in 2006.

History

Present Aigialeia was the territory of the ancient Achaeans. Several towns of the Achaean League were located here: Rhypes, Aegium, Ceryneia, Boura, Helice, Aegae and Aigeira. Helice was submerged as a result an earthquake, which also destroyed Boura. In Roman times, the most important towns were Aegium and Aigeira.[5] In the Middle Ages, the area was ruled by the Byzantines, Slavs, Franks, Venetians, and from the 16th century the Ottoman Turks. Aigialeia was liberated in the first stage of the Greek War of Independence, in 1821. Aigio was struck by an earthquake in 1995, damaging several buildings. The 2007 Greek forest fires cause great damage in the mountains of Aigialeia.

Transport

Roads

The main highways in Aigialeia are:

Railways

The Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways line Athens – Corinth – Aigio – Patras – Pyrgos – Kyparissia runs through Aigialeia. The Diakofto–Kalavryta Railway is a rack railway, offering passenger service as well.

Media

Newspapers, fanzines and others

Radio

  • Radio Aigio – 99.2 FM

Television

  • AXION – Aigio

Sporting clubs

  • Panegialios – Football League
  • Anagennisi/Aias Sympoliteias – Rododafni
  • Aris Valimitika
  • Asteras Temenis
  • Diakopto AC – Diakopto – fourth division
  • Egieas Egion
  • Olympiakos Aigio – Aigio, fourth division
  • Thyella Aigio – Aigio
  • A.O. Vouraikos Diakopto
  • A.O. Ziria
  • Aris Longou – Longos, Achaea
  • A.O. Thyella Aigeiras – Aigeira (1980-2018)
  • A.O. Akrata – Akrata (1970-2018)
  • A.E. Aigeiras/Akratas – Aigeira (merger of the two local clubs since July 2018[6])

References

  1. ^ "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
  3. ^ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-21.
  4. ^ "Detailed census results 1991" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. (39 MB) (in Greek and French)
  5. ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 7.6.1, 7.24, 7.25
  6. ^ Συγχωνεύονται Ακράτα και Θύελλα Αιγείρας!. Pelop.gr (in Greek).
  • v
  • t
  • e
Area
11,350 km2 (4,380 sq mi)
Population
679,796 (as of 2011)
Municipalities
19 (since 2011)
Capital
Patras
Regional unit of Achaea
Regional unit of Aetolia-AcarnaniaRegional unit of Elis
Regional governor
Nektarios Farmakis [el] (elected 2019)
Decentralized Administration
Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian
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  • e
Subdivisions of the municipality of Aigialeia
Municipal unit of Aigeira
Municipal unit of Aigio
Municipal unit of Akrata
Municipal unit of Diakopto
Municipal unit of Erineos
Municipal unit of Sympoliteia
  • v
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  • e
Former provinces of Greece
Grouped by region and prefecture
Attica
East and West Attica
Piraeus
West Attica
Central Greece
Boeotia
Euboea
Phocis
Phthiotis
Central Macedonia
Chalkidiki
Imathia
Kilkis
Pella
Serres
Thessaloniki
Crete
Chania
Heraklion
Lasithi
Rethymno
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Evros
Kavala
Rhodope
Epirus
Ioannina
Thesprotia
Ionian Islands
Corfu
Kefallinia
North Aegean
Lesbos
Samos
Peloponnese
Arcadia
Argolis
Laconia
Messenia
South Aegean
Cyclades
Dodecanese
Thessaly
Larissa
Magnesia
Trikala
West Greece
Achaea
Aetolia-Acarnania
Elis
Western Macedonia
Kozani
Note: not all prefectures were subdivided into provinces.