Kastoria Prefecture
Encyclopedia
Kastoria is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Macedonia
West Macedonia
West Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Greek Macedonia. It is divided into the regional units of Florina, Grevena, Kastoria, and Kozani.-Geography:...

. Its capital is the town of Kastoria
Kastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...

.

Geography

Kastoria is situated at the western end of Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...

 in the far north of the country. It borders the regional units of Florina to the north, Kozani to the southeast, Grevena to the south and Ioannina to the southwest. The international border with the Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

n district of Korçë
Korçë District
The District of Korçë , is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania. According estimates, as of January 1, 2010, 138,898 people lived in the Korce District...

 lies on the western edge of the regional unit.

The main mountain ranges are Gramos
Gramos
Gramos is a village and a former community in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nestorio, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 28 . The village is an old Aromanian settlement, named after the nearby...

 and Voio
Voio
Voio is a mountain range in the southwestern Kastoria and western Kozani prefecture in Greece. The mountain is part of the Pindus mountain ranges. Its peaks stand over 1,802 m and is located in the south-central part....

 in the west (both part of the Pindus
Pindus
The Pindus mountain range is located in northern Greece and southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km long, with a maximum elevation of 2637 m . Because it runs along the border of Thessaly and Epirus, the Pindus range is often called the "spine of Greece"...

 range) and Verno
Verno
Verno , older form Vernon, is a mountain range covering the northeastern Kastoria and southwestern Florina prefectures in Greece. Its peaks stand over ....

 in the northeast. The river Haliacmon
Haliacmon
The Haliacmon is the longest river in Greece, with a total length of . Haliacmon is the traditional English name for the river, but many sources cite the formerly official Katharevousa version of the name, Aliákmon...

 flows through the area. Lake Orestiada
Lake Orestiada
Lake Orestiada or Lake Kastoria is a lake in the Kastoria Prefecture of Macedonia, northwestern Greece. Sitting at an altitude of 630 meters, the lake covers an area of 28 square kilometers....

 is the largest lake. The regional unit is mountainous with a pronounced continental climate, characterised by cold winters and hot summers.

Administration

The regional unit Kastoria is subdivided into 3 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
  • Kastoria
    Kastoria
    Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...

     (1)
  • Nestorio
    Nestorio
    Nestorio ; ) is a municipality in the Kastoria peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. Nestorio is a small picturesque village 28 km southwestwards of Kastoria, at the banks of the river Aliakmon....

     (2)
  • Orestida
    Orestida
    Orestida is a municipality in the Kastoria peripheral unit, Greece. The seat of the municipality is in Argos Orestiko.The town of Argos Orestiko hosts the celebration of the ascension of the Holy Cross, in September...

     (3)

Prefecture

Kastoria was created as a prefecture
Prefectures of Greece
During the first administrative division of independent Greece in 1833–1836 and then again from 1845 until their abolition with the Kallikratis reform in 2010, the prefectures were the country's main administrative unit...

  in 1941. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Kastoria was created out of the former prefecture Kastoria. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
New municipality Old municipalities Seat
Kastoria
Kastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...

Kastoria
Kastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...

 
Kastoria
Agia Triada
Agia Triada, Kastoria
Agia Triada is a former municipality in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kastoria, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 6,117 . The seat of the municipality was in Maniakoi....

Agioi Anargyroi
Agioi Anargyroi, Kastoria
Agioi Anargyroi is a former municipality in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kastoria, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,845 . The seat of the municipality was in Korisos....

Vitsi
Vitsi
Vitsi is a former municipality in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kastoria, of which it is a municipal unit. It takes its name from Mount Vitsi which is the highest point within the municipal unit. The...

Kastraki
Kastraki, Kastoria
Kastraki is a former community in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kastoria, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 769 . The seat of the community was in Ieropigi. The other village in the community is...

Kleisoura
Korestia
Korestia
Korestia is a former municipality in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kastoria, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,000 . The seat of the municipality was in Makrochori....

Makednoi
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia, Greece
Mesopotamia is a former municipality in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kastoria, of which it is a municipal unit. population 4,100 .The municipality was also known as Aliakmonas, named after the river Aliakmonas...

Nestorio
Nestorio
Nestorio ; ) is a municipality in the Kastoria peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. Nestorio is a small picturesque village 28 km southwestwards of Kastoria, at the banks of the river Aliakmon....

Nestorio
Nestorio
Nestorio ; ) is a municipality in the Kastoria peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. Nestorio is a small picturesque village 28 km southwestwards of Kastoria, at the banks of the river Aliakmon....

 
Nestorio
Akrites
Arrenes
Arrenes
Arrenes is a former community in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nestorio, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 623 . The seat of the community was in Eptachori....

Gramos
Orestida
Orestida
Orestida is a municipality in the Kastoria peripheral unit, Greece. The seat of the municipality is in Argos Orestiko.The town of Argos Orestiko hosts the celebration of the ascension of the Holy Cross, in September...

Argos Orestiko
Argos Orestiko
Argos Orestiko is a town and a former municipality in the Kastoria peripheral unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Orestida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit....

 
Argos Orestiko
Ion Dragoumis
Ion Dragoumis (municipality)
Ion Dragoumis is a former municipality in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Orestida, of which it is a municipal unit. It was named after the Greek diplomat Ion Dragoumis. Population 3,457 . The seat of the...


Population

Under Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 rule, the area around Kastoria was part of the Monastir Vilayet. At that time the region was multiethnic consisting of ethnic Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...

, Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...

, Aromanians
Aromanians
Aromanians are a Latin people native throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Serbia and Romania . An older term is Macedo-Romanians...

, Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

, Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...

, and Turks. In modern times there is a high percentage of Greek speakers in the area. The population was estimated at 51,934 inhabitants in the most recent census.

Transport

  • GR-15
    Greek National Road 15
    Greek National Road 15 is a national highway of Greece. It passes through Kalambaka, Grevena, Neapoli and Kastoria....

    , S, Cen., NE
  • GR-20
    Greek National Road 20
    The Greek National Road 20 or the Diagoniki Odos? is a highway or route that links the city of Kozani and Ioannina via Siatista and Konitsa. The highway is entirely the E92 for its entire length...

    /E90
    European route E90
    European route E 90 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from Lisbon in Portugal in the west to the Turkish-Iraqi border in the east.-Itinerary:...

    , S, only passes through Eptachori
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