Macedonia (Greece): Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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{{main|Macedonia (region)|Macedon|Ancient Greece#The rise of Macedon}} |
{{main|Macedonia (region)|Macedon|Ancient Greece#The rise of Macedon}} |
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[[Image:Thessaloniki seal.png|thumb|[[Alexander the Great]]]] |
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[[Image:MacedonEmpire.jpg|thumb|Map of the [[Macedon]]ian Empire.]] |
[[Image:MacedonEmpire.jpg|thumb|Map of the [[Macedon]]ian Empire.]] |
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[[Image:Macedonian Kingdom.jpg|thumb|Ancient Macedon's regions and towns, prior to the 4th century BC]] |
[[Image:Macedonian Kingdom.jpg|thumb|Ancient Macedon's regions and towns, prior to the 4th century BC]] |
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===Ancient History=== |
===Ancient History=== |
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The history of Macedonia dates far back, from |
The history of Macedonia dates far back, from ancient times. According to Herodot, the history of Macedonia began with the Makednoi tribe, among the first to use the name Hellenes, migrating to the region from the South. There they lived near non Greek tribes like the Bryges, who would later leave Macedonia for Asia Minor, where they were renamed to Phryges. Before the Makednoi came to the region there was no such toponyme. Accounts of other names such as Emathia are attested to have been in use before that. |
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A branch of Macedonians invaded Southern Greece, where, upon reaching Peloponnese were renamed to Dorians triggering the accounts of the Dorian invasion. For centuries the Macedonian tribes were organized in independent kingdoms, in what is now Central Macedonia, and their role in Greek politics was minimal. The rest of the region was inhabited by various Thracian and Illyrian tribes as well as colonies of other Greek states such as Amphipolis, Olynthos, Potidea, Stageira and many others. During the late 6th and early 5th century BC, the region was under Persian rule until the destruction of Xerxes at Plataea. In the next century, Macedonia would be the theatre of many military actions regarding the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians and was invaded by Thracians and Illyrians, as attested by Thucidydes. The kingdom of [[Macedon]], was reorganised by [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II]] and achieved Greek hegemony during his years. With Philip's exploits begins the Greek history of the remainder of the nowadays Greek Province of Macedonia. After his assassination, his son Alexander ascended the throne of Macedon |
A branch of Macedonians invaded Southern Greece, where, upon reaching Peloponnese were renamed to Dorians triggering the accounts of the Dorian invasion. For centuries the Macedonian tribes were organized in independent kingdoms, in what is now Central Macedonia, and their role in Greek politics was minimal. The rest of the region was inhabited by various Thracian and Illyrian tribes as well as colonies of other Greek states such as Amphipolis, Olynthos, Potidea, Stageira and many others. During the late 6th and early 5th century BC, the region was under Persian rule until the destruction of Xerxes at Plataea. In the next century, Macedonia would be the theatre of many military actions regarding the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians and was invaded by Thracians and Illyrians, as attested by Thucidydes. The kingdom of [[Macedon]], was reorganised by [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II]] and achieved Greek hegemony during his years. With Philip's exploits begins the Greek history of the remainder of the nowadays Greek Province of Macedonia. After his assassination, his son Alexander ascended the throne of Macedon he became the best known personna this land ever gave birth to. Macedonia remained an important and powerful kingdom until it was annexed by the Romans in 148 BC. The region remained under Roman rule for centuries, a part of many provinces with various names. |
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===Medieval History=== |
===Medieval History=== |
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Under Byzantine rule, the territory of the |
Under Byzantine rule, the territory of the Province of Macedonia was divided as part of various administrative regions, called Themata. Confusion sometimes occurs when referring to the Thema of Macedonia, which for centuries had nothing to do with the region. |
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===Ottoman Rule=== |
===Ottoman Rule=== |
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== Local government == |
== Local government == |
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Macedonia is divided into three [[peripheries of Greece|peripheries]] comprising thirteen [[Prefectures of Greece|prefectures]] or ''nomoi''. The prefectures are further divided into ''[[deme|demoi]]'' ([[Communities and Municipalities of Greece|municipalities]]) or ''koinotetes'' (roughly equivalent to [[United Kingdom|British]] or [[Australian]] [[shires]]). The geographical region of Macedonia also includes the [[male]]-only [[Autonomous entity|autonomous]] [[monastic]] republic of [[Mount Athos]], but this is not part of the Macedonia precincts. Indeed, Mount Athos lies outside the jurisdiction of most Greek and [[European Union|European]] laws. Due to the whole mountain's monastic status, it is inaccessible to women. |
Greek part of Macedonia is divided into three [[peripheries of Greece|peripheries]] comprising thirteen [[Prefectures of Greece|prefectures]] or ''nomoi''. The prefectures are further divided into ''[[deme|demoi]]'' ([[Communities and Municipalities of Greece|municipalities]]) or ''koinotetes'' (roughly equivalent to [[United Kingdom|British]] or [[Australian]] [[shires]]). The geographical region of Macedonia also includes the [[male]]-only [[Autonomous entity|autonomous]] [[monastic]] republic of [[Mount Athos]], but this is not part of the Macedonia precincts. Indeed, Mount Athos lies outside the jurisdiction of most Greek and [[European Union|European]] laws. Due to the whole mountain's monastic status, it is inaccessible to women. |
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They are overseen by the national government's [[Minister for Macedonia–Thrace (Greece)|Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace]]. Macedonia borders the neighboring peripheries of [[Thessaly]], [[Western Thrace|Thrace]] and [[Epirus (periphery)|Epirus]]. The three Macedonian peripheries and their prefectures are: |
They are overseen by the national government's [[Minister for Macedonia–Thrace (Greece)|Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace]]. Macedonia borders the neighboring peripheries of [[Thessaly]], [[Western Thrace|Thrace]] and [[Epirus (periphery)|Epirus]]. The three Macedonian peripheries and their prefectures are: |
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[[Image:Macedon431bcpriortoExpansions.png|thumb|[[Macedon|Ancient Macedonia]] prior to expansions in [[Greece|Modern Greece]]]] |
[[Image:Macedon431bcpriortoExpansions.png|thumb|[[Macedon|Ancient Macedonia]] prior to expansions in [[Greece|Modern Greece]]]] |
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Macedonia covers an area of some {{convert|34231|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}. High ground makes up much of the region with mountains reaching up to {{convert|2917|m|ft|0}}; extensive fertile plains lie along the [[Aegean Sea]] coast. Macedonia is traversed by the valleys of the [[Aliakmon]], [[Vardar|Axios]], [[Nestos]], and [[Strymonas]] rivers, all of which drain into the Aegean. It borders the countries of [[Albania]], [[Republic of Macedonia|the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia]], and [[Bulgaria]], and the Greek regions of [[Epirus (Greece)|Epirus]], [[Thessaly]] and [[Western Thrace|Thrace]]. The offshore island of [[Thasos]] is within the precincts of Macedonia; together with [[Samothrace]], they belong to the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη).<ref>[http://europa.eu.int/abc/maps/regions/greece/anat_en.htm EUROPA - The EU at a glance - Maps - Greece - Anatoliki Makedonia ke Thraki]</ref> |
Greek part of Macedonia covers an area of some {{convert|34231|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}. High ground makes up much of the region with mountains reaching up to {{convert|2917|m|ft|0}}; extensive fertile plains lie along the [[Aegean Sea]] coast. Macedonia is traversed by the valleys of the [[Aliakmon]], [[Vardar|Axios]], [[Nestos]], and [[Strymonas]] rivers, all of which drain into the Aegean. It borders the countries of [[Albania]], [[Republic of Macedonia|the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia]], and [[Bulgaria]], and the Greek regions of [[Epirus (Greece)|Epirus]], [[Thessaly]] and [[Western Thrace|Thrace]]. The offshore island of [[Thasos]] is within the precincts of Macedonia; together with [[Samothrace]], they belong to the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη).<ref>[http://europa.eu.int/abc/maps/regions/greece/anat_en.htm EUROPA - The EU at a glance - Maps - Greece - Anatoliki Makedonia ke Thraki]</ref> |
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The region has a population of 2,492,232<ref name=census/> and its capital and largest city is [[Thessaloniki]], with a city population of around 363,987,<ref name=census/> and a metropolitan area of around 1 million people. |
The region has a population of 2,492,232<ref name=census/> and its capital and largest city is [[Thessaloniki]], with a city population of around 363,987,<ref name=census/> and a metropolitan area of around 1 million people. |
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Since [[World War II]], Greek Macedonia is sometimes called ''Aegean Macedonia'', a term introduced |
Since [[World War II]], Greek Macedonia is sometimes called ''Aegean Macedonia'', a term introduced after the first Balkan War. Although this term is now used mostly by [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonian Slavs]] and occasionally in historical contexts, it is strongly disliked by many Greeks (particularly [[Macedonians (Greek)|Macedonians]]), who remember that after WWII, Tito's communist Yugoslavia began to remove the 'Greek' qualifying term in order to justify [[irredentism|territorial claims]] against Greek Macedonia. |
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===The capital=== |
===The capital=== |
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'''[[Thessaloniki]]''', '''Thessalonica''' or '''Salonica''' ([[Greek Language|Greek]]: Θεσσαλονίκη) is the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia and the second-largest city of [[Greece]]. It is also the capital of the [[Thessaloniki prefecture]] and the capital of the [[Region (Europe)|EU region]] (or, synonymously, [[Peripheries of Greece|Greek periphery]]) of [[Central Macedonia]]. Today's population of the [[Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area|city's metropolitan area]] is around 1,000,000. |
'''[[Thessaloniki]]''', '''Thessalonica''' or '''Salonica''' ([[Greek Language|Greek]]: Θεσσαλονίκη) is the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia and the second-largest city of [[Greece]]. It is also the capital of the [[Thessaloniki prefecture]] and the capital of the [[Region (Europe)|EU region]] (or, synonymously, [[Peripheries of Greece|Greek periphery]]) of [[Central Macedonia]]. Today's population of the [[Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area|city's metropolitan area]] is around 1,000,000. |
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The city was founded circa 315 BC by [[Cassander]], the King of [[Macedon]] (Μακεδών), on or near the site of the ancient town of [[Therma]] and twenty six other local villages. He named it after his wife [[Thessalonice of Macedon|Thessalonica]], the sister of [[Alexander the Great]]. She gained her name from her father, [[Philip II of Macedon]], to commemorate her birth on the day of his gaining a victory (Gr. Nike) over the [[Phocians]], who were defeated with the help of [[Thessalian]] horsemen, the best in |
The city was founded circa 315 BC by [[Cassander]], the King of [[Macedon]] (Μακεδών), on or near the site of the ancient town of [[Therma]] and twenty six other local villages. He named it after his wife [[Thessalonice of Macedon|Thessalonica]], the sister of [[Alexander the Great]]. She gained her name from her father, [[Philip II of Macedon]], to commemorate her birth on the day of his gaining a victory (Gr. Nike) over the [[Phocians]], who were defeated with the help of [[Thessalian]] horsemen, the best in Macedonia at that time. Thessaloniki means the "victory of Thessalians" (where Thessalians derives from [[Thessaly]] which means thesi alos, i.e. "a land that was sea"). |
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The Apostle [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]] landed at Thessaloníki (after [[Kavala]] and before [[Veria]]) on his second voyage to Europe (Acts, xvi. 11), and in [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] times the city was called '''symbasileousa''' 'συμβασιλεύουσα' (vice-capital) in Greek. [[Byzantine Greek]] brothers [[Saint Cyril]] and [[Saint Methodius]] were born in Thessaloníki. |
The Apostle [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]] landed at Thessaloníki (after [[Kavala]] and before [[Veria]]) on his second voyage to Europe (Acts, xvi. 11), and in [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] times the city was called '''symbasileousa''' 'συμβασιλεύουσα' (vice-capital) in Greek. [[Byzantine Greek]] brothers [[Saint Cyril]] and [[Saint Methodius]] were born in Thessaloníki. |
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[[Image:White Tower.jpg|thumb|The [[White Tower of Thessaloniki]] was used as a prison during the era of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Today it is a museum and the landmark of the city.]] |
[[Image:White Tower.jpg|thumb|The [[White Tower of Thessaloniki]] was used as a prison during the era of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Today it is a museum and the landmark of the city.]] |
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The inhabitants are overwhelmingly ethnic [[Greeks]] and most are [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]] [[Christians]]. From the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, the [[Demographic history of Macedonia|ethnic composition of the region of Macedonia]] is characterized by uncertainty both about numbers and identification. The 1904 [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] census of Hilmi Pasha recorded 373,227 Greeks and 204,317 [[ |
The inhabitants are overwhelmingly ethnic [[Greeks]] and most are [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]] [[Christians]]. From the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, the [[Demographic history of Macedonia|ethnic composition of the region of Macedonia]] is characterized by uncertainty both about numbers and identification. The 1904 [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] census of Hilmi Pasha recorded 373,227 Greeks and 204,317 [[Macedonian]] in the vilayet of Selânik ([[Thessaloniki]]) alone,. According to the same census, Macedonians were also dominant in the vilayet of Manastır ([[Bitola]]), counting 261,283 Macedonians and 178,412 other nationalites. Hugh Poulton, in his ''Who Are the Macedonians'', notes that "assessing population figures is problematic"<ref name="poulton">{{cite book |first=Hugh |last=Poulton |year=2000 |title=Who Are the Macedonians? |chapter=Greece |editor=Second |pages=85-86 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=0-253-21359-2 |url=http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=8_zeaeTOz6YC&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=85&prev=http://books.google.com/books%3Fq%3D%2522Who%2Bare%2Bthe%2BMacedonians%2522%2BPoulton&sig=NobKDU7Unvc2AqCZLCn0vSM5VIo }}</ref> for the territory of Greek Macedonia before its incorporation into the Greek state in 1913.<ref name="poulton" /> The area's remaining population was principally composed of [[Ottoman Turks]] and also some [[Jews]], and at much smaller numbers of [[Roma people|Roma]], [[Albanians]] and [[Vlachs]]. |
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During the first half of the twentieth century, major demographic shifts took place, which resulted in the region's population becoming overwhelmingly ethnic Greek. In 1919, Bulgaria and Greece signed the [[Treaty of Neuilly]], which called for an exchange of populations between the two countries. According to the treaty, [[Bulgaria]] was considered to be the parent state of all ethnic Slavs living in Greece. Most ethnic Greeks from Bulgaria were resettled in Greek Macedonia; most Slavs were resettled in Bulgaria but a number, remained, most of them by changing or adapting their surnames and declaring themselves to be Greek so as to be exempt from the exchange. In 1923 Greece and [[Turkey]] signed the [[Treaty of Lausanne]], and 600,000 Greek-speaking refugees from [[Anatolia]] were resettled in the region replacing Macedonian Turks and other Muslims (of Albanian, Greek, Roma, Slavic and Vlach ethnicity) under similar terms. |
During the first half of the twentieth century, major demographic shifts took place, which resulted in the region's population becoming overwhelmingly ethnic Greek. In 1919, Bulgaria and Greece signed the [[Treaty of Neuilly]], which called for an exchange of populations between the two countries. According to the treaty, [[Bulgaria]] was considered to be the parent state of all ethnic Slavs living in Greece. Most ethnic Greeks from Bulgaria were resettled in Greek Macedonia; most Slavs were resettled in Bulgaria but a number, remained, most of them by changing or adapting their surnames and declaring themselves to be Greek so as to be exempt from the exchange. In 1923 Greece and [[Turkey]] signed the [[Treaty of Lausanne]], and 600,000 Greek-speaking refugees from [[Anatolia]] were resettled in the region replacing Macedonian Turks and other Muslims (of Albanian, Greek, Roma, Slavic and Vlach ethnicity) under similar terms. |
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Macedonian cities during Ottoman rule were often known by multiple names (Greek, |
Macedonian cities during Ottoman rule were often known by multiple names (Greek, Macedonian or Turkish by the respective populations). After the partition of Ottoman Europe, cities in Greece became officially known only by their Greek names, and cities in Bulgaria and the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] became likewise officially known only in the languages of their respective states. After the population exchanges, many locations were renamed to the languages of their new occupants. |
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According to [[The League of Nations]], the population data for |
According to [[The League of Nations]], the population data for Macedonia in 1926 was the following: |
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{| class="wikitable" |
{| class="wikitable" |
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|''' |
|'''Macedonians''' || 1,341,000 (83.6%) |
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|- |
|- |
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|''' |
|'''Greeks''' || 177,000 (10.9%) |
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|- |
|- |
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|'''Muslims''' || 2,000 (0.1%) |
|'''Muslims''' || 2,000 (0.1%) |
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|- |
|- |
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|'''Others''' (mainly Jews) || 91,000 ( |
|'''Others''' (mainly Jews) || 91,000 (5.4%) |
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|- |
|- |
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|} |
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The population was badly affected by the [[Second World War]] through starvation, executions, massacres and deportations. Nazi-aligned Bulgarian occupation forces persecuted the local [ |
The population was badly affected by the [[Second World War]] through starvation, executions, massacres and deportations. Nazi-aligned Bulgarian occupation forces persecuted the local [[Macedonian|Macedonian]] and settled Bulgarian colonists in their occupation zone in eastern Macedonia and [[western Thrace]], deporting all Jews from the region. Total civilian deaths in Macedonia are estimated at over 400,000, including 55,000 Greek Jews. Further heavy fighting affected the region during the [[Greek Civil War]] which, combined with post-war poverty, drove many inhabitants of rural Macedonia to emigrate either to the towns and cities, or abroad. Even today, many parts of Macedonia are fairly sparsely inhabited. |
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[[Greek language|Greek]] |
[[Greek language|Greek]] now (before Second World War official language was [[Macedonian language|Macedonian language]])is the most widely spoken and the only official language of public life and education in Macedonia. There are also some bigger linguistic communities, including speakers of [[Macedonian language#Dialects|Macedonian ]], [[Pontic language|Pontian Greek]], [[Aromanian language|Aromanian]], [[Megleno-Romanian language|Megleno-Romanian]], [[Arvanitic language|Arvanitic]], [[Armenian language|Armenian]], [[Slavic language (Greece)|Slavic]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Ladino language|Ladino]] and [[Romani language|Romani]]. |
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Since the [[fall of communism]] throughout Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a large number of economic refugees and immigrants from Greece's neighboring countries, [[Albania]], [[Bulgaria]], the [[Republic of Macedonia| |
Since the [[fall of communism]] throughout Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a large number of economic refugees and immigrants from Greece's neighboring countries, [[Albania]], [[Bulgaria]], the [[Republic of Macedonia|Republic of Macedonia]], [[Romania]] and [[Serbia]], as well as from more distant countries such as [[Russia]], the [[Ukraine]], [[Armenia]] and [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], have arrived in Greece (including Macedonia) to seek employment. |
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The exact size of the minority groups of Macedonia is unclear, as Greece has not conducted a census on the question of mother tongue since 1951. The main minority groups in Macedonia are: |
The exact size of the minority groups of Greek part of Macedonia is unclear, as Greece has not conducted a census on the question of mother tongue since 1951. The main minority groups in Macedonia are: |
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*[[Vlachs]] ([[Aromanians]] and [[Megleno-Romanians]]), who largely identify as Greeks and belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. In the 1951 census they numbered 39,855 in all Greece (the number in Macedonia proper is unknown). |
*[[Macedonians]] [[Vlachs]] ([[Aromanians]] and [[Megleno-Romanians]]), who largely identify as Greeks and belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. In the 1951 census they numbered 39,855 in all Greece (the number in Macedonia proper is unknown). |
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*[[Minorities in Greece#Slavic-speaking|Slavophones]], who largely identify as Greeks<!--Greek Helsinki Monitor - 1999--> and belong to the Greek Orthodox Church<!--Greek Helsinki Monitor - 1999-->. In the 1951 census they numbered 41,017 in all Greece, mostly in [[West Macedonia|Western Macedonia]]. The linguistic classification of the dialects spoken by these people oscillates from [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] to [[Macedonian language|Macedonian |
*[[Minorities in Greece#Slavic-speaking|Slavophones]], who largely identify as Greeks<!--Greek Helsinki Monitor - 1999--> and belong to the Greek Orthodox Church<!--Greek Helsinki Monitor - 1999-->. In the 1951 census they numbered 41,017 in all Greece, mostly in [[West Macedonia|Western Macedonia]]. The linguistic classification of the dialects spoken by these people oscillates from [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] to [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] depending on location<!--Trudgill-->, although the people themselves call their language [[Slavic language (Greece)|Slavic]]<!--Sotiriu-->. This group has received a lot of attention in recent years due to claims that these people are in fact a Slavic [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|ethnic Macedonian]] minority in Greece. A political party promoting the concept and rights of what they describe as the "Macedonian minority in Greece" — the [[Rainbow (political party)|Rainbow]] (Ουράνιο Τόξο) - was founded in September 1998, and received 2,955 votes in Macedonia in the latest (2004) elections. Similarly, a pro-Bulgarian political party, known as [[Bulgarian Human Rights in Macedonia]] (Βουλγαρικά Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα στη Μακεδονία) was established in June 2000, promoting the concept and rights of what they describe as the "Bulgarian minority in Greece". This party has yet to participate in elections. {{see|Aegean Macedonians}} |
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Other minority groups include [[Arvanites]] (who like the Vlachs identify ethnically as Greeks), [[Jews]] ([[Sephardi Jews|Sephardim]] and [[Romaniotes]]), [[Armenians]] and [[Roma people|Roma]]. |
Other minority groups include [[Arvanites]] (who like the Vlachs identify ethnically as Greeks), [[Jews]] ([[Sephardi Jews|Sephardim]] and [[Romaniotes]]), [[Armenians]] and [[Roma people|Roma]]. |
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===Regional identity=== |
===Regional identity=== |
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[ |
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[[Image:Apogevmatini Macedonians.gif|thumb|[[Apogevmatini]] headline quoting [[Kostas Karamanlis]]:<br>''"I myself am a Macedonian, just as 2.5 million Greeks are Macedonians."'']] |
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'''Macedonians''' ({{lang-el|Μακεδόνες, ''Makedónes''}}) is the term by which ethnic [[ |
'''Macedonians''' ({{lang-el|Μακεδόνες, ''Makedónes''}}) is the term by which ethnic [[Macedonians]] originating from the region are known. The Macedonians have a strong regional identity, manifested both in Greece<ref name=Liotta>Liotta, P. H. and Simons, A. ''[http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/98winter/liotta.htm Thicker than Water? Kin, Religion, and Conflict in the Balkans]'', from ''Parameters'', Winter 1998, pp. 11-27</ref> and by emigrant groups in the [[Macedonian diaspora]]. |
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===Population of largest towns=== |
===Population of largest towns=== |
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[[Image:Philip II of Macedon CdM.jpg|thumb|[[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II King of Macedon]]]] |
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{| class="prettytable sortable" |
{| class="prettytable sortable" |
Revision as of 00:10, 19 September 2008
Template:Infobox Macedonia (Greece)
This is all a lie. These people are trying to claim an area which is not theirs. This is geographical genocide!
Macedonia (; Greek: Μακεδονία, Makedonía, IPA: [makʲe̞ðo̞ˈnia]) is a geographical and historical region of Greece in southeastern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region. Together with the regions of Thrace and—sometimes—Thessaly, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece. It is located at coordinates 40°45′N 22°54′E / 40.750°N 22.900°E.
Its territory covers most of the region of ancient Macedon and most of the Kingdom of Macedon, famously ruled by Alexander the Great. The name "Macedonia" was later applied to various areas in the Roman and Byzantine Empires with widely differing borders. By the 19th century, Macedonia had become defined as a distinct geographical, rather than political, region in the southern Balkans. It was ruled by the Ottoman Empire at the time but was divided by the Treaty of Bucharest of 1913, following the Ottoman defeat in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Albania each took control of portions of the territory, with Greece obtaining the largest portion. Greek Macedonia covers 52.4% of the area and contains 52.9% of the population of geographical Macedonia.
History
Ancient History
The history of Macedonia dates far back, from ancient times. According to Herodot, the history of Macedonia began with the Makednoi tribe, among the first to use the name Hellenes, migrating to the region from the South. There they lived near non Greek tribes like the Bryges, who would later leave Macedonia for Asia Minor, where they were renamed to Phryges. Before the Makednoi came to the region there was no such toponyme. Accounts of other names such as Emathia are attested to have been in use before that.
A branch of Macedonians invaded Southern Greece, where, upon reaching Peloponnese were renamed to Dorians triggering the accounts of the Dorian invasion. For centuries the Macedonian tribes were organized in independent kingdoms, in what is now Central Macedonia, and their role in Greek politics was minimal. The rest of the region was inhabited by various Thracian and Illyrian tribes as well as colonies of other Greek states such as Amphipolis, Olynthos, Potidea, Stageira and many others. During the late 6th and early 5th century BC, the region was under Persian rule until the destruction of Xerxes at Plataea. In the next century, Macedonia would be the theatre of many military actions regarding the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians and was invaded by Thracians and Illyrians, as attested by Thucidydes. The kingdom of Macedon, was reorganised by Philip II and achieved Greek hegemony during his years. With Philip's exploits begins the Greek history of the remainder of the nowadays Greek Province of Macedonia. After his assassination, his son Alexander ascended the throne of Macedon he became the best known personna this land ever gave birth to. Macedonia remained an important and powerful kingdom until it was annexed by the Romans in 148 BC. The region remained under Roman rule for centuries, a part of many provinces with various names.
Medieval History
Under Byzantine rule, the territory of the Province of Macedonia was divided as part of various administrative regions, called Themata. Confusion sometimes occurs when referring to the Thema of Macedonia, which for centuries had nothing to do with the region.
Ottoman Rule
Modern history
Greece gained the region from the Ottoman Empire, after the Second Balkan War with the Treaty of Bucharest (1913).
Etymology
There are four theories for the etymology of the name Macedonia:
- According to ancient Greek mythology, Macedon was the name of the first phylarch (tribal chief) of the tribe that initially settled western, southern and central Macedonia and founded the kingdom of Macedon.
- According to Herodotus, both the Dorians and Macedonians descended from the Makednoí tribe. The name of the latter two probably derives from the Doric noun μάκος mākos (Attic and modern Greek μάκρος mákros and μήκος mēkos), meaning "length", and the Doric adjective μακεδνός makednós, meaning "tall", since both the Macedonians (Makedónes) and their Makednoí tribal ancestors were regarded as tall people. The adjective is used by Homer in Odyssey (7.105f), to describe a tall poplar tree, and by Aristophanes in his comedy the Birds, to describe a wall built around their imaginary city.
- An unattested hypothesis suggests that the name Makedónes may mean "highlanders", from a hypothetical Macedonian bahuvrihi *μακι-κεδόνες *maki-kedónes "of the high earth". However, there is serious argumentation against this hypothesis.
- The district of Macedonia took its name from Macedon, according to Hesiod a son of Zeus and Thyia, Deucalion's daughter, "who conceived and bore to Zeus, who delights in the thunderbolt, two sons, Magnes and Macedon, rejoicing in horses, who dwell round about Pieria and Olympus". Hesiod makes Magnes and Macedon brothers, sons of Zeus and grandchilren of Deucalion, the progenitor of all Greeks. Magnes fathered the Magnesians who settled south of Mt. Olympus in Thessaly. Macedon settled north of Mt. Olympus in Macedonia and fathered the Macedonians. Hellanicus of Lesbos in c. 500 BCE, a Greek historian and contemporary of Herodotus, gives a variant of Hesiod's account and supports that Macedon was the son of Aeolus and thus a grandson to Deucalion. [citation needed]
Local government
Greek part of Macedonia is divided into three peripheries comprising thirteen prefectures or nomoi. The prefectures are further divided into demoi (municipalities) or koinotetes (roughly equivalent to British or Australian shires). The geographical region of Macedonia also includes the male-only autonomous monastic republic of Mount Athos, but this is not part of the Macedonia precincts. Indeed, Mount Athos lies outside the jurisdiction of most Greek and European laws. Due to the whole mountain's monastic status, it is inaccessible to women.
They are overseen by the national government's Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace. Macedonia borders the neighboring peripheries of Thessaly, Thrace and Epirus. The three Macedonian peripheries and their prefectures are:
Map of Macedonia | Number | Periphery | Capital | Area | Population |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | West Macedonia | Kozani | 9,451 km² | 301,522 | |
1 | Kastoria Prefecture | Kastoria | 1,720 km² | 53,483 | |
2 | Florina Prefecture | Florina | 1,924 km² | 54,768 | |
3 | Kozani Prefecture | Kozani | 3,516 km² | 155,324 | |
4 | Grevena Prefecture | Grevena | 2,291 km² | 37,947 | |
Total | Central Macedonia | Thessaloniki | 18,811 km² | 1,871,952 | |
5 | Pella Prefecture | Edessa | 2,506 km² | 145,797 | |
6 | Imathia Prefecture | Veria | 1,701 km² | 143,618 | |
7 | Pieria Prefecture | Katerini | 1,516 km² | 129,846 | |
8 | Kilkis Prefecture | Kilkis | 2,519 km² | 89,056 | |
9 | Thessaloniki Prefecture | Thessaloniki | 3,683 km² | 1,057,825 | |
10 | Chalkidiki Prefecture | Polygyros | 2,918 km² | 104,894 | |
11 | Serres Prefecture | Serres | 3.968 km² | 200,916 | |
Total | East Macedonia (Part of East Macedonia and Thrace) | Kavala | 5,579 km² | 249,029 | |
12 | Drama Prefecture | Drama | 3,468 km² | 103,975 | |
13 | Kavala Prefecture | Kavala | 2,111 km² | 145,054 | |
- | Mount Athos (Autonomous) | Karyes | 336 km² | 2,262 | |
Total | Macedonia | Thessaloniki | 34,177 km² | 2,424,765[1] |
Geography
Greek part of Macedonia covers an area of some 34,231 km2 (13,216.7 sq mi). High ground makes up much of the region with mountains reaching up to 2,917 metres (9,570 ft); extensive fertile plains lie along the Aegean Sea coast. Macedonia is traversed by the valleys of the Aliakmon, Axios, Nestos, and Strymonas rivers, all of which drain into the Aegean. It borders the countries of Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Bulgaria, and the Greek regions of Epirus, Thessaly and Thrace. The offshore island of Thasos is within the precincts of Macedonia; together with Samothrace, they belong to the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη).[2]
The region has a population of 2,492,232[1] and its capital and largest city is Thessaloniki, with a city population of around 363,987,[1] and a metropolitan area of around 1 million people.
Since World War II, Greek Macedonia is sometimes called Aegean Macedonia, a term introduced after the first Balkan War. Although this term is now used mostly by Macedonian Slavs and occasionally in historical contexts, it is strongly disliked by many Greeks (particularly Macedonians), who remember that after WWII, Tito's communist Yugoslavia began to remove the 'Greek' qualifying term in order to justify territorial claims against Greek Macedonia.
The capital
Thessaloniki, Thessalonica or Salonica (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη) is the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia and the second-largest city of Greece. It is also the capital of the Thessaloniki prefecture and the capital of the EU region (or, synonymously, Greek periphery) of Central Macedonia. Today's population of the city's metropolitan area is around 1,000,000.
The city was founded circa 315 BC by Cassander, the King of Macedon (Μακεδών), on or near the site of the ancient town of Therma and twenty six other local villages. He named it after his wife Thessalonica, the sister of Alexander the Great. She gained her name from her father, Philip II of Macedon, to commemorate her birth on the day of his gaining a victory (Gr. Nike) over the Phocians, who were defeated with the help of Thessalian horsemen, the best in Macedonia at that time. Thessaloniki means the "victory of Thessalians" (where Thessalians derives from Thessaly which means thesi alos, i.e. "a land that was sea").
The Apostle Paul landed at Thessaloníki (after Kavala and before Veria) on his second voyage to Europe (Acts, xvi. 11), and in Byzantine times the city was called symbasileousa 'συμβασιλεύουσα' (vice-capital) in Greek. Byzantine Greek brothers Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius were born in Thessaloníki.
Thessaloníki was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1430 to 1912. Thessaloniki was the main "prize" of the First Balkan War, as a result of which it was united with Greece on October 26 1912. This date has an immense importance for the city as, in addition to the aforementioned historic event of the unification, it also marks the nameday of Saint Demetrius, its patron Saint. Thessaloniki is a thriving, vibrant city and its commercial port is of a strategic importance for Greece. It is a major economic, industrial, commercial and cultural center as well as a transportation hub in southeastern Europe. The city hosts a large student population and it is widely renowned for its large number of monuments of Byzantine architecture as well as its eminent nightlife.
Climate
The climate of Macedonia can be categorised into two types that influence well-defined regions of its territory. The two distinct types are the Alpine and the Temperate/Mediterranean types. The Alpine type is dominant mainly in the mountainous areas of Western Macedonia and the Temperate/Mediterranean type affects Central Macedonia and East Macedonia and Thrace; it features cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers. The lowest temperature officially measured in Greece was recorded at Ptolemaida, in Western Macedonia, and was −27.8 °C (−18.0 °F).
Economy and Transport
Despite its rugged terrain, Macedonia possesses some of the richest farmland in Greece in the plain of Drama and the valleys of the Strimon and Axios. A wide variety of foodstuffs and cash crops are grown, including rice, wheat, beans, olives, cotton, tobacco, fruit, grapes, wine and other alcoholic beverages. Food processing and textile weaving constitute the principal manufacturing industries. Tourism is a major industry along the coast, particularly in the Chalcidice peninsula, the island of Thasos and the northern approaches to Mount Olympus. Many tourists originate from Greece's immediate neighbors.
Thessaloniki is a major port city and industrial center; Kavala is the other harbor of Macedonia. Apart from the principal airport at Thessaloniki (Makedonia Airport), airports also exist in Kavala (M.Alexandros Airport), Kozani (Filippos Airport), and Kastoria (Aristotelis Airport). The "Via Egnatia" motorway crosses the full distance of Macedonia, linking its main cities.
Culture
Macedonian cuisine
Macedonian music
Demographics
The inhabitants are overwhelmingly ethnic Greeks and most are Greek Orthodox Christians. From the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, the ethnic composition of the region of Macedonia is characterized by uncertainty both about numbers and identification. The 1904 Ottoman census of Hilmi Pasha recorded 373,227 Greeks and 204,317 Macedonian in the vilayet of Selânik (Thessaloniki) alone,. According to the same census, Macedonians were also dominant in the vilayet of Manastır (Bitola), counting 261,283 Macedonians and 178,412 other nationalites. Hugh Poulton, in his Who Are the Macedonians, notes that "assessing population figures is problematic"[3] for the territory of Greek Macedonia before its incorporation into the Greek state in 1913.[3] The area's remaining population was principally composed of Ottoman Turks and also some Jews, and at much smaller numbers of Roma, Albanians and Vlachs.
During the first half of the twentieth century, major demographic shifts took place, which resulted in the region's population becoming overwhelmingly ethnic Greek. In 1919, Bulgaria and Greece signed the Treaty of Neuilly, which called for an exchange of populations between the two countries. According to the treaty, Bulgaria was considered to be the parent state of all ethnic Slavs living in Greece. Most ethnic Greeks from Bulgaria were resettled in Greek Macedonia; most Slavs were resettled in Bulgaria but a number, remained, most of them by changing or adapting their surnames and declaring themselves to be Greek so as to be exempt from the exchange. In 1923 Greece and Turkey signed the Treaty of Lausanne, and 600,000 Greek-speaking refugees from Anatolia were resettled in the region replacing Macedonian Turks and other Muslims (of Albanian, Greek, Roma, Slavic and Vlach ethnicity) under similar terms.
Macedonian cities during Ottoman rule were often known by multiple names (Greek, Macedonian or Turkish by the respective populations). After the partition of Ottoman Europe, cities in Greece became officially known only by their Greek names, and cities in Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia became likewise officially known only in the languages of their respective states. After the population exchanges, many locations were renamed to the languages of their new occupants.
According to The League of Nations, the population data for Macedonia in 1926 was the following:
Macedonians | 1,341,000 (83.6%) |
Greeks | 177,000 (10.9%) |
Muslims | 2,000 (0.1%) |
Others (mainly Jews) | 91,000 (5.4%) |
The population was badly affected by the Second World War through starvation, executions, massacres and deportations. Nazi-aligned Bulgarian occupation forces persecuted the local Macedonian and settled Bulgarian colonists in their occupation zone in eastern Macedonia and western Thrace, deporting all Jews from the region. Total civilian deaths in Macedonia are estimated at over 400,000, including 55,000 Greek Jews. Further heavy fighting affected the region during the Greek Civil War which, combined with post-war poverty, drove many inhabitants of rural Macedonia to emigrate either to the towns and cities, or abroad. Even today, many parts of Macedonia are fairly sparsely inhabited.
Greek now (before Second World War official language was Macedonian language)is the most widely spoken and the only official language of public life and education in Macedonia. There are also some bigger linguistic communities, including speakers of Macedonian , Pontian Greek, Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian, Arvanitic, Armenian, Slavic, Turkish, Russian, Ladino and Romani.
Since the fall of communism throughout Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a large number of economic refugees and immigrants from Greece's neighboring countries, Albania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Serbia, as well as from more distant countries such as Russia, the Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia, have arrived in Greece (including Macedonia) to seek employment.
The exact size of the minority groups of Greek part of Macedonia is unclear, as Greece has not conducted a census on the question of mother tongue since 1951. The main minority groups in Macedonia are:
- Macedonians Vlachs (Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians), who largely identify as Greeks and belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. In the 1951 census they numbered 39,855 in all Greece (the number in Macedonia proper is unknown).
- Slavophones, who largely identify as Greeks and belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. In the 1951 census they numbered 41,017 in all Greece, mostly in Western Macedonia. The linguistic classification of the dialects spoken by these people oscillates from Bulgarian to Macedonian depending on location, although the people themselves call their language Slavic. This group has received a lot of attention in recent years due to claims that these people are in fact a Slavic ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece. A political party promoting the concept and rights of what they describe as the "Macedonian minority in Greece" — the Rainbow (Ουράνιο Τόξο) - was founded in September 1998, and received 2,955 votes in Macedonia in the latest (2004) elections. Similarly, a pro-Bulgarian political party, known as Bulgarian Human Rights in Macedonia (Βουλγαρικά Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα στη Μακεδονία) was established in June 2000, promoting the concept and rights of what they describe as the "Bulgarian minority in Greece". This party has yet to participate in elections.
Other minority groups include Arvanites (who like the Vlachs identify ethnically as Greeks), Jews (Sephardim and Romaniotes), Armenians and Roma.
Regional identity
[ Macedonians ([Μακεδόνες, Makedónes] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) is the term by which ethnic Macedonians originating from the region are known. The Macedonians have a strong regional identity, manifested both in Greece[4] and by emigrant groups in the Macedonian diaspora.
Population of largest towns
Towns/Cities | Greek Name | Population[1] |
---|---|---|
01. Thessaloniki | Θεσσαλονίκη | 773,180 |
02. Kavala | Καβάλα | 63,293 |
03. Katerini | Κατερίνη | 56,434 |
04. Serres | Σέρρες | 56,145 |
05. Drama | Δράμα | 55,632 |
06. Kozani | Κοζάνη | 47,451 |
07. Veria | Βέροια | 47,411 |
08. Ptolemaida | Πτολεμαΐδα | 35,539 |
09. Giannitsa | Γιαννιτσά | 26,296 |
10. Kilkis | Κιλκίς | 24,812 |
11. Naoussa | Νάουσα | 22,288 |
12. Aridaia | Αριδαία | 20,213 |
13. Alexandria | Αλεξάνδρεια | 19,283 |
14. Edessa | Έδεσσα | 18,253 |
15. Nea Moudania | Νέα Μουδανιά | 17,032 |
16. Florina | Φλώρινα | 16,771 |
17. Kastoria | Καστοριά | 16,218 |
18. Grevena | Γρεβενά | 15,481 |
19. Polygyros | Πολύγυρος | 10,721 |
20. Skydra | Σκύδρα | 5,081 |
See also
Notes and references
- ^ a b c d "National Statistical Service of Greece". NSSG. www.statistics.gr. 2001. Retrieved 2007-12-26. 2001 census
- ^ EUROPA - The EU at a glance - Maps - Greece - Anatoliki Makedonia ke Thraki
- ^ a b Poulton, Hugh (2000). "Greece". In Second (ed.). Who Are the Macedonians?. Indiana University Press. pp. 85–86. ISBN 0-253-21359-2.
- ^ Liotta, P. H. and Simons, A. Thicker than Water? Kin, Religion, and Conflict in the Balkans, from Parameters, Winter 1998, pp. 11-27
External links
- Macedonian Press Agency
- Museums of Macedonia
- Nikolaos Martis - Macedonia's Hellenism: Empirical documents and sources
- An online review of Macedonian affairs, history and culture
- ETΑΙΡΕΙΑ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΩΝ ΣΠΟΥΔΩΝ - SOCIETY FOR MACEDONIAN STUDIES (In Greek)
- University of Macedonia
- University of Western Macedonia
- Macedonia, The Historical Profile of Northern Greece
- Map of Makedonia
- Technological Educational Institution of Serres
- Department of Physical Education Science & Athletics of Serres
- Roman province of Macedonia
- Macedonia, Greece - History And Politics - eBook Greek Language (ISBN 960-6-0337-5)
- Alistrati Cave in Serres
- Lake Kerkini in Serres - Kerkini Wetland (Ramsar & Natura 2000 Protected)