Larisa / Larissa

Νομός Λάρισας

Periphery: Thessaly
Prefectures : Kardhitsa , Larissa, Magnesia , Trikala

Larissa Google Earth with Street Map

Statistics
Periphery: Thessaly
Capital: Larissa
Area: 5,381 km ² Ranked 2nd
Elevation: Lowest: Aegean Sea
Highest: Mount Olympus
Inhabitants: 282447 Ranked 5th
Population density: 51.65/km ²
ISO 3166-2: GR-42
Car designation: PI (Λάρισα)
Code for the municipalities: 33xx
Number of provinces: 5
Number of municipalities: 28
Number of independent communes: 3
Area/distance code: 2410 in Larissa
249x0 elsewhere
Postal code 41x xx in Larissa
40x xx elsewhere
Name of inhabitants: Larissan sing.
-s pl.
2-letter abbreviation/HASC: LR

Larissa or Larisa (Greek: Λάρισα) is the capital city of the Thessaly periphery of Greece, and capital of the Larissa prefecture. It is a main agricultural centre and a transportation hub, linked by rail with the port of Volos and with Thessaloniki (Salonika) and Athens. The dominance of agriculture has made Larissa, one of the main bulwarks of the Greek Communist Party.

Geography

It is the second largest prefecture in area in Greece, exceeded only by Aitoloacarnania. Larissa or Larisa prefecture features the Tempe Valley, and the NE part of the Pineios River. It is the largest prefecture in Thessaly covering about one-third of the region. It also contains the tallest mountain in Greece, Mount Olympus with an elevation of 2,918 m. The climate is more continental than any other part of Greece. It has a Mediterranean climate with dry hot summers and mild to cool winters, except in the mountain areas which get warm summers and cold winters. The highest temperature ever recorded was 45.2°C and the coldest was -21.6°C. In the summer, Larissa is often the warmest area in Greece and often the coldest in winter.

It is bounded by Kozani to the northwest, Pieria to the northeast (both in Macedonia), the Aegean Sea to the east, Magnesia to the southeast, Fthiotis to the south (in Central Greece/Mainland Greece), Karditsa to the southwest and Trikala to the west. It is not the only prefecture that borders the most other prefectures. The other prefecture is Kozani.

The elevation of Larissa Airport is 73 m.

The skiing resort of Pilio is to the east and is the closest resort which is 59 km E.

The southern part, the northern part, and the northwesternpart are heavily covered with forests while the central, the southwestern, the western and the southeastern part are covered with fertile land that is called the Thessalian Plain. The barren rocks are to the east and the northeast within the Aegean Sea and in the Olympus area. Lake Voivi is situated in the southeast and is a lagoon dividing the Thessalian Plain and the Pelion ranges, and with the prefecture of Magnesia.

Larissa from space, November 2004

Larissa Google Earth

History

Traces of Paleolithic human settlement have been recovered from the area, but it was peripheral to areas of advanced culture. The area around Larissa was extremely fruitful - it was agriculturally important and in antiquity was known for its horses. The city finally moved closer to the rest of Greece.

The name Larissa, which pre-dates Indo-European languages, was common to many Pelasgian towns. Thus in Greek mythology, Larissa or Larisa was vaguely personified as a daughter of Pelasgus, though no specific myth was connected with her.

Larissa, written Larisa on ancient coins and inscriptions, is near the site of the Homeric Argissa. It appears in early times, when Thessaly was mainly governed by a few aristocratic families, as an important city under the rule of the Aleuadae, whose authority extended over the whole district of Pelasgiotis. This powerful family possessed for many generations before 369 BC the privilege of furnishing the Tagus, or generalissimo, of the combined Thessalian forces. The principal-rivals of the Aleuadae were the Scopadac of Crannon, the remains of which (called by the Turks Old Larissa) are about 14 miles south west. The inhabitants sided with Athens during the Peloponnesian War, and during the Roman invasion their city was of considerable importance. Since the 5th century it has been the scat of an archbishop. Larissa was the headquarters of Ali Pasha during the Greek War of Independence, and of the crown prince Constantine during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. The flight of the Greek army from this place to Pharsala took place on the 23 April 1897.

Unitl 1881 it was the seat of a pasha in the wilaya of Iannina. In Turkish, it was known as Veal Shehr (New Town). Its long subjection to Ottoman rule has left little trace of antiquity. It was formerly a Turkish military centre and most of the people were of Turkish origin. In the 19th century, there was a small village in outskirts of the town inhabited by Africans from the Sudan, a curious remnant of the forces collected by Ali Pasha. In the 19th century, the town produced leather, cotton, silk and tobacco. Fevers and agues were prevalent owing to bad drainage and the overflowing of the river; and the death-rate was higher than the birth rate. It was also renouned for its minarets of its mosques (four of which were still in use in the early part of the 20th century) and the Muslim burial grounds. A considerable portion of the Turkish population emigrated in 1881. During the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, Turkish troops entered the city once again. After a treaty for peace was signed, they withdrew and Larissa remained permanently in Greece. This was followed by a further exodus of Turks in 1898.

Tobacco Company Larissa , Workers in the Tobacco Company, Workers in the Tobacco Company,

Historical population

  • 1889: 13.610 (city)
  • 1907: 18.001 (city)
  • 1907: 95.066 (prefecture)
  • 1991: 277.973 (prefecture)
  • 2001: 126.076 (city)
  • 2001: 279.305 (prefecture)

The municipality of Larissa had a population 126.076 in 2001 divided in

  • Larissa / Δημοτικό διαμέρισμα Λάρισας [ 124786 ]
    • Larissa / η Λάρισα [ 124394 ]
    • Amphithea / η Αμφιθέα [ 63 ]
    • Kolourion / το Κουλούριον [ 329 ]
  • Terpsithea / Δ.δ. Τερψιθέας [ 1290 ]
    • Terpsithea / η Τερψιθέα [ 1290 ]
    • Argissa / η Άργισσα [ 0 ]

Transportation

Greece Interstate 1/E75, SE, Cen., E
Greece Interstate 3, S, Cen., NW
Greece Interstate 6, W, Cen., SE
Greece Interstate 26, NW
Greece Interstate 30, S

Places

Agia
Elassona
Farsalos
Larissa
Tyrnavos

Municipalities and communities

Municipality YPES code Seat Postal code Area code ((0)30-)
Agia 3301 Agia 400 03 24940-2
Ampelonas 3303 Ampelonas 404 00 24029-31
Antichasia 3304 Kranea 400 01 24930-51
Armenio 3305 Armenio 415 00 2410-7
Elassona 3309 Elassona 402 00 24930-2
Enippeas 3310 Megalo Evydrio 403 00 24910-71
Evrymenes 3311 Stomio Pyrgetou 400 07 24950-91
Farsala 3331 Farsala 403 00 24910-2
Giannouli 3307 Giannouli 415 00 2410-59
Gonnoi 3308 Gonni 415 00 24950-31
Kato Olympos 3313 Pyrgetos 400 07 24950-4
Koilada 3315 Koilada/Kilada 415 00 2410-81
Kileler 3314 Kileler 415 00 2410-73
Krannonas 3316 Agioi Anargyroi 415 00 2410-75
Lakereia 3317 Dimitra 400 03 24940-71
Larissa 3318 Larissa 410 through 414 2410 - 2 through 6
Livadi 3319 Livadi 400 02 24930-41
Makrychori 3320 Makrychori 400 06 24950-2
Melivoia 3321 Sotiritsa 400 03 24940-51
Narthaki 3322 Narthaki 403 00 24910-93
Nessonas 3323 Sykouri 400 06 24950-51
Nikaia 3324 Nikaia Larissas 415 00 2410-9
Olympos 3325 Kallithea 40200 24930-61
Platykampos 3327 Platykampos 400 09 2410-54 and 97
Polydamantas 3327
Potamia 3328 Vlachogianni 401 00 24920-91
Sarantaporo 3329 Sarantaporo 402 00 24930-93
Tyrnavos 3330 Tyrnavos 401 00 24920-2
Community YPES code Seat Postal code Area code ((0)30-)
Ampelakia 3302 Ampelakia Larissas 400 04 24950-93
Karya 3312 Karya Olympou 402 00 24920-91
Verdikousa 3306 Verdikousa 400 05 24920-81
Tsaritsani

Sporting teams

  • AEL 1964 - first division(A' Ethniki) Greek Champions 1988 Cup Winners 1985
  • Apollonas Larissas
  • Olympia Larissas (Basketball team)
  • GS Larisas (Basketball team)

Geological features named after Larissa

Larissa Chasma on Dione, an important location in Roman History when Greece was part of the Roman Empire during ancient times.

Google Earth

Persons

  • Alexis Georgoulis (October 6, 1974, actor
  • Konstantinos Chalkias
  • Yannis Goumas (May 24, 1975, a Panathinaikos football (soccer) player
  • Thanassis Papakonstantinou (1959 in Tyrnavos)
  • Anna Vagena (actress)

    Links

    Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
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