Peripheries

Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as peripheries, as shown in the table below. These peripheries are subdivided further into the 54 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos). Greece has one autonomous region, Mount Athos (Agio Oros - Holy Mountain) in Macedonia.

Periphery Capital Population Area (sq km)
Attica Athens 3,841,408 3,808
Central Greece Lamia 614,614 15,549
Central Macedonia Thessaloniki 1,931,870 18,811
Crete Iraklio 623,666 6,336
East Macedonia and Thrace Komotini 623,248 14,157
Epirus Ioannina 358,698 9,203
Ionian Islands Corfu 220,097 2,307
North Aegean Mytilene 208,151 3,836
Peloponnese Tripoli 650,310 15,490
South Aegean Ermoupoli 320,001 5,286
Thessaly Larissa 760,714 14.037
West Greece Patras 753,267 11,350
West Macedonia Kozani 303,857 9,451
Mount Athos (Autonomous) Karyes 2,250 390

Regions

Traditionally (and also officially until 1987) there were 9 geographical regions of Greece (six on the mainland and three island groups), which are still sometimes used in popular discourse. These were:

  • Thrace
  • Macedonia
  • Thessaly
  • Epirus
  • Central Greece
  • Peloponnese
  • Aegean Islands
  • Ionian Islands
  • Crete