Regions and municipalities of Greece
Administrative divisions of GreeceΔιοικητική διαίρεση της Ελλάδας (
Greek )
Category
Unitary state Location
Hellenic Republic Number 13 regions, 332 municipalities, 1 autonomous entity (as of 2021) Populations Total : 10,432,481Areas Total : 131,957 km2 (50,949 sq mi)
Following the implementation on 1 September 2019 of the
Kleisthenis I Programme , the administrative divisions of Greece consist of two main levels: the
regions and the
municipalities . In addition, a number of
decentralized administrations overseeing the regions exist as part of the Ministry of the Interior, but are not part of local government. The old
prefectures were either abolished and divided or transformed into
regional units in 2011 by Kallikratis Plan. The
administrative regions are divided into
regional units which are further subdivided into
municipalities . The Eastern Orthodox monastic community on
Mount Athos is an autonomous
self-governing entity.
Administrative divisions
Decentralized administrations
The first level of administrative division is composed of the new
decentralized administrations (αποκεντρωμένες διοικήσεις, apokentroménes dioikíseis ), comprising two or three regions (except for
Attica and
Crete ), run by a government-appointed
general secretary , assisted by an advisory council drawn from the regional governors and the representatives of the municipalities.
Kallikratis administrative divisions as of 2010
Decentralized Administration of Attica , with the capital of
Athens
Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace , with the capital of
Thessaloniki
Decentralized Administration of Epirus and Western Macedonia , with the capital of
Ioannina
Decentralized Administration of Thessaly and Central Greece , with the capital of
Larissa
Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian , with the capital of
Patras
Decentralized Administration of the Aegean , with the capital of
Piraeus
Decentralized Administration of Crete , with the capital of
Heraklion
Monastic community of Mount Athos (self-governing, excluded from the Kallikratis Plan)
Regions
The second level is composed of the
regions (περιφέρειες, periféreies ; sing. περιφέρεια, periféreia ), run by a regional governor (περιφερειάρχης, perifereiárchis ) and a regional council (περιφερειακό συμβούλιο, perifereiakó symvoúlio ), popularly elected every 4 years.
The regions are divided into 74
regional units (περιφερειακές ενότητες, perifereiakés enótites ), usually but not always coterminous with the former
prefectures . Each regional unit is headed by a vice-regional governor (αντιπεριφερειάρχης, antiperifereiárchis ), drawn from the same political block as the regional governor.
Municipalities
The fourth level of government is constituted by the
municipalities (δήμοι, dímoi ; sing. δήμος,
dímos ), which have resulted from merging several former municipalities and communities (themselves the subject of a previous reform with the 1997
Kapodistrias plan ). They are run by a mayor (δήμαρχος,
dímarchos ) and a municipal council (δημοτικό συμβούλιο, dimotikó symvoúlio ), elected every 4 years. The municipalities are further subdivided into municipal units (δημοτικές ενότητες, dimotikés enótites ) and finally into communities (κοινότητες, koinótites ). Although communities have their own councils, their role is purely advisory to the municipal-level government.
History
From 1 January 2011, in accordance with the
Kallikratis programme , the administrative system of
Greece was drastically overhauled. The
former system of 13
regions , 54
prefectures and 1033
municipalities and communities was replaced by 7 decentralized administrations, 13 regions and 325 municipalities. From 2019 there are 332 municipalities (
Kleisthenis I Programme ).
The
first elections to the restructured Greek local government areas were held between 29 May and 2 June 2010.
See also
References
Overview
Regions
Central Greece (
Aetolia-Acarnania (
Aetolia ,
Acarnania ),
Attica ,
Boeotia ,
Euboea ,
Evrytania ,
Phocis ,
Phthiotis ,
Saronic Islands )
Crete (
Chania ,
Heraklion ,
Rethymno ,
Lasithi )
Cyclades (
Andros ,
Delos ,
Kea ,
Kythnos ,
Milos ,
Mykonos ,
Naxos ,
Paros ,
Santorini ,
Syros ,
Tinos )
Dodecanese (
Agathonisi ,
Astypalaia ,
Chalki ,
Kalymnos ,
Karpathos ,
Kasos ,
Kos ,
Leipsoi ,
Leros ,
Nisyros ,
Patmos ,
Rhodes ,
Symi ,
Tilos ,
Kastellorizo )
Epirus (
Arta ,
Ioannina ,
Preveza ,
Thesprotia )
Ionian Islands (
Corfu ,
Ithaca ,
Kefalonia ,
Kythira ,
Lefkada ,
Paxi ,
Zakynthos )
Macedonia (
Chalkidiki ,
Drama ,
Florina ,
Grevena ,
Imathia ,
Kastoria ,
Kavala ,
Kilkis ,
Kozani ,
Pella ,
Pieria ,
Serres ,
Thasos ,
Thessaloniki )
North Aegean islands (
Chios ,
Ikaria ,
Lemnos ,
Lesbos ,
Samos )
Peloponnese (
Arcadia ,
Argolis ,
Corinthia ,
Laconia ,
Messenia ,
Achaea ,
Elis )
Thessaly (
Karditsa ,
Larissa ,
Magnesia ,
Trikala ,
Sporades )
Thrace (
Evros ,
Rhodope ,
Xanthi )
Terrain
Water
Environment
Society
Demographics
Culture
Anastenaria
Caryatid
Clean Monday
Concept of kingship
Dress (
Chiton ,
Chlamys ,
Exomis ,
Fustanella ,
Himation ,
Mariner's cap ,
Peplos ,
Perizoma ,
Tsarouchi ,
Vraka )
Eastern Party
Festivals
Folklore
Greek East and Latin West
Greektown
Hellenization
Hospitality
Carols (
Christmas ,
New Year's ,
Theophany's )
Mangas
Mountza
Naming customs
Paideia
Philhellenism and
Hellenophobia
Plate smashing
Philosophy
Public holidays (
Independence Day ,
Ohi Day )
Rouketopolemos
Souliotic songs
Theophany
Tsiknopempti
Units of measurement
Worry beads
Art
Cuisine
Breads (
Daktyla ,
Kritsini ,
Lagana ,
Paximadi ,
Tsoureki )
Desserts (
Diples ,
Halva ,
Koulourakia ,
Kourabiedes ,
Loukoumades ,
Melomakarona ,
Pasteli ,
Spoon sweets ,
Vasilopita )
List of dishes
Drinks (
Mastika ,
Metaxa ,
Ouzo ,
Rakomelo ,
Sideritis ,
Tentura ,
Tsipouro ,
Tsikoudia ,
Frappé coffee )
Cheeses (
Anthotyros ,
Feta ,
Graviera ,
Kasseri ,
Kefalotyri ,
Ladotyri ,
Manouri ,
Metsovone ,
Mizithra )
Filo (
Amygdalopita ,
Bougatsa ,
Galaktoboureko ,
Karydopita ,
Spanakopita ,
Tiropita )
Greek salad (
Dakos )
Meze
Pasta (
Gogges ,
Flomaria ,
Hilopites )
Restaurants (
Kafenio ,
Ouzeri ,
Taverna )
Sauces (
Skordalia ,
Taramosalata ,
Tirokafteri ,
Tzatziki )
Souvlaki
Varieties (
Heptanesean ,
Cretan ,
Epirote ,
Macedonian )
Wine (
Agiorgitiko ,
Aidini ,
Assyrtiko ,
Athiri ,
Kotsifali ,
Lesbian ,
Limnio ,
Mavrodafni ,
Mandilaria ,
Malagousia ,
Malvasia ,
Moschofilero ,
Retsina ,
Robola ,
Savatiano ,
Vilana ,
Xinomavro )
Languages
Greek alphabet (
History ,
Orthography ,
Diacritics ,
Braille ,
Cyrillization ,
Romanization (
Greeklish ) and
numerals
Greek language (
Demotic ,
Katharevousa ) and
dialects (
Cappadocian ,
Cretan ,
Cypriot ,
Greco-Australian ,
Maniot ,
Pontic ,
Tsakonian ,
Yevanic )
Greek Sign Language
History (
Mycenaean Greek ,
Ancient Greek ,
Koine Greek ,
Medieval Greek ,
Modern Greek )
Literature (
Ancient ,
Medieval ,
Modern )
Minority Languages (
Albanian language (
Arvanitika ),
Aromanian ,
Balkan Romani ,
Bulgarian ,
Ladino ,
Macedonian ,
Turkish )
Place names and
exonyms
Proverbs
Words for love
Media
Music
Church music
Dances (
Ai Georgis ,
Angaliastos ,
Antikristos ,
Ballos ,
Dionysiakos ,
Fisounis ,
Gaitanaki ,
Geranos ,
Hasapiko ,
Ikariotikos ,
Kalamatianos ,
Kangeli ,
Kastorianos ,
Kerkiraikos ,
Kleistos ,
Koftos ,
Pidikhtos ,
Leventikos ,
Maniatikos ,
Metsovitikos ,
Ntames ,
Palamakia ,
Partalos ,
Pentozali ,
Proskinitos ,
Pyrrhichios ,
Rougatsiarikos ,
Sirtaki ,
Sousta ,
Syrtos ,
Trata ,
Tsakonikos ,
Tsamikos ,
Zeibekiko ,
Zervos )
Éntekhno
Folk music (
Cretan ,
Epirote ,
Heptanesian ,
Macedonian ,
Nisiotika ,
Peloponnesian ,
Pontic ,
Thessalian ,
Thracian )
Hip Hop
Ionian School
Laïko (
Skyladiko )
Musical instruments (
Askomandoura ,
Aulos ,
Bouzouki ,
Byzantine lyra (
Cretan ,
Macedonian ,
Politiki ,
Pontic ),
Crotala ,
Floghera ,
Gaida ,
Harp ,
Laouto ,
Lyre ,
Organo ,
Pan flute ,
Phorminx ,
Psaltery ,
Salpinx ,
Santouri ,
Souravli ,
Tambouras ,
Tambourine ,
Trigono ,
Tsampouna ,
Tympano ,
Zilia )
Rebetiko
Rock (
Punk )
Religion and lore
Ancient religion (
Origins ,
Modern Revival )
Aerico
Buddhism
Catholicism
Drosoulites
Eastern Orthodox Church (Timeline:
Antiquity ,
Early Middle Ages ,
Late Middle Ages ,
Early Modern Era ,
19th century ,
Early 20th century ,
Late 20th century ,
Contemporary )
Fairy tales
Gello
Greek Orthodox Church (
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ,
Church of Greece ,
Flag )
Greek Old Calendarists
Hinduism
Hypertimos
Islam
Judaism (
History )
Kallikantzaros
Lamia
Mormo
Mount Athos
Mythology (
Primordial deities ,
Titans ,
Twelve Olympians ,
Heracles ,
Odysseus ,
Jason ,
Oedipus ,
Perseus ,
Daedalus ,
Orpheus ,
Theseus ,
Bellerephon ,
Satyr ,
Centaur )
Nymph
Protestantism
Psychai
Sikhism
Thymiaterion
Name days
Vrykolakas
Wayside shrine
Sport Symbols
Sovereign states States with limited recognition Dependencies and other entities