Local Government
Macedonia is divided into three regions (Greek: Περιφέρειες) comprising fourteen regional units (Greek: Περιφερειακές ενότητες). The regional units are further divided into municipalities (Greek: δήμοι) or "communities" (Greek: κοινότητες – roughly equivalent to British or Australian shires). They are overseen by the Ministry for the Interior, while the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace is responsible for the coordination and application of the government's policies in the region. Prior to the Kallikratis Reform in 2010, Greece's regional units were called "prefectures", and Thasos was part of the prefecture of Kavala.
Macedonia borders the neighboring regions of Thessaly to the south, Thrace (part of the East Macedonia and Thrace region) to the east and Epirus to the west. It also borders Albania to the north-west, the Republic of Macedonia to the north and Bulgaria to the north-east. The three Macedonian regions and their subdivisions are:
| Map of Macedonia | # | regions, regional units and autonomous communities as of 2011 | Capital | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | West Macedonia | Kozani | 9,451 km² | 301,522 | |
| 1 | Regional Unit of Kastoria | Kastoria | 1,720 km² | 53,483 | |
| 2 | Regional Unit of Florina | Florina | 1,924 km² | 54,768 | |
| 3 | Regional Unit of Kozani | Kozani | 3,516 km² | 155,324 | |
| 4 | Regional Unit of Grevena | Grevena | 2,291 km² | 37,947 | |
| Total | Central Macedonia | Thessaloniki | 18,811 km² | 1,871,952 | |
| 5 | Regional Unit of Pella | Edessa | 2,506 km² | 145,797 | |
| 6 | Regional Unit of Imathia | Veria | 1,701 km² | 143,618 | |
| 7 | Regional Unit of Pieria | Katerini | 1,516 km² | 129,846 | |
| 8 | Regional Unit of Kilkis | Kilkis | 2,519 km² | 89,056 | |
| 9 | Regional Unit of Thessaloniki | Thessaloniki | 3,683 km² | 1,057,825 | |
| 10 | Regional Unit of Chalkidiki | Polygyros | 2,918 km² | 104,894 | |
| 11 | Regional Unit of Serres | Serres | 3.968 km² | 200,916 | |
| Total | East Macedonia | Kavala | 5,579 km² | 249,029 | |
| 12 | Regional Unit of Drama | Drama | 3,468 km² | 103,975 | |
| 13 | Regional Unit of Kavala | Kavala | 1,728 km² | 131,289 | |
| 14 | Regional Unit of Thasos | Thasos | 379 km² | 13,765 | |
| 15 | Mount Athos (autonomous community) | Karyes | 336 km² | 2,262 | |
| Total | Macedonia (Greece) | Thessaloniki | 34,177 km² | 2,424,765 |
The geographical region of Macedonia also includes the male-only autonomous monastic state of Mount Athos, but this is not part of the Macedonia precincts. Mount Athos is under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and enjoys a special status: it is inaccessible to women; its territory is a self-governed part of Greece, and the powers of the state are exercised through a governor. The European Union takes this special status into consideration, particularly on matters of taxation exemption and rights of installation. The governor of Mount Athos is appointed by the Greek Foreign Ministry.
Read more about this topic: Macedonia (Greece)
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