Athens
From The UCSC Wikipedia Trust Project
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Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína IPA: Template:IPA) is the capital and largest city of Greece. It is also known as the birthplace of democracy. [5][6] Named after the goddess Athena, Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world with a recorded history of at least 3,000 years. Today, the Greek capital is a bustling and cosmopolitan metropolis with an urban population of 3.1 million people and a metro population of 3.7 million people. The Athens metropolitan area is the centre of economic, financial, industrial, cultural and political life in Greece. The city is also rapidly becoming a leading business centre in the European Union. The city proper has a land area of 39 km² while the urban agglomeration of Athens spans 412 km².[7]
Ancient Athens was a powerful city-state center of learning, home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization, largely due to the impact of its cultural and political achievements during the 5th and 4th centuries BC on the rest of the then known European Continent.[8] The classical era heritage is still evident in the city, portrayed through a number of ancient monuments and artworks, the most famous of all being the Parthenon on the Acropolis, standing as an epic landmark of western civilization. Athens is also home to some World Heritage Sites. Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896 and in 2004 it welcomed the Summer Olympics back home with great success.
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Origin of Name
Template:NameWiktTemplate:See alsoIn ancient Greek, the name of Athens was Template:Polytonic (Athenai), related tο Template:Polytonic (Athena) and Template:Polytonic (Athene), the Attic and Ionic names respectively of the goddess Athena. The city's name may have been in the plural, like those of Template:Polytonic (Thebai) and Template:Polytonic (Mykenai), because it consisted of several parts. In the 19th century, Template:Polytonic was formally re-adopted as the city's name. Since the official abandonment of Katharevousa Greek in the 1970s, however, the popular form Αθήνα (Athína) has become the city's official name.
History
Location
Geography
Athens sprawls across the central plain of Attica, often referred to as the Attica Basin, which is bound by Mount Aegaleo in the west, Mount Parnitha in the north, Mount Penteli in the northeast, Mount Hymettus in the east, and the Saronic Gulf in the southwest. Athens has expanded to cover the entire plain making future growth difficult. The geomorphology of Athens causes the so-called temperature inversion phenomenon, partly responsible for the air pollution problems the city has recently faced.[9] (Los Angeles, with similar geomorphology, has similar problems).
Climate
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °C (°F) | 12 (55) | 12 (55) | 15 (60) | 18 (66) | 23 (74) | 28 (83) | 32 (89) | 31 (89) | 28 (83) | 22 (73) | 17 (64) | 14 (58) | 21 (71) |
| Avg low °C (°F) | 6 (44) | 6 (44) | 8 (47) | 11 (52) | 15 (60) | 19 (67) | 22 (73) | 22 (73) | 19 (67) | 15 (60) | 11 (53) | 8 (47) | 13 (57) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Athens is located at a transition point between the Mediterranean and the Alpine climatic zones. The city enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with the greatest amounts of precipitation mainly occurring from mid-October to mid-April; any precipitation is sparse during summer and falls generally in the form of showers and/or thunderstorms. Because it is located in a strong rain shadow, however, Athens is very dry compared with most of Mediterranean Europe. The mountainous northern suburbs, however, experience a somewhat differentiated climate with generally lower temperatures and more considerable snowfalls in winter. Fog is highly unusual at the city center but is more frequent to the east, behind the Hymettus mountain range.
Snowfalls occur in an almost yearly basis, though these do not normally lead to significant if any disruptions at all. Nevertheless, the city has experienced its share of blizzard-like conditions, demonstrated in severe episodes that, in fact, tend to become more and more often in this current decade. The most recent examples include the blizzard of March 1987, February 1992, January 2002, February 2004 and January 2006 all dumping heavy amounts of snow that literally blanketed the entire metropolitan area for days.
Spring and autumn are considered ideal seasons for sightseeing and indeed for all kinds of outdoor activities.
Summers can be particularly hot and at times prone to smog and pollution related conditions (admittedly, however, much less so compared to the past). The average summer daytime maximum temperature is 32°C. Heat waves are not too common and mostly happen during the months of July and/or August, when hot air masses come to Greece from the south or the southwest. It is only on such days that temperature maxima shoot over 38°C.
The all time high temperature for the metropolitan area of Athens is +45.0°C and was measured at the Nea Filadelfia suburb (July 2000, HNMS station), while the respective low temperature record is -10.4°C and was measured at the Votanikos area, close to the city center.
Population
Athens has an official population of 745,514 with a metro population of 3.7 million. The actual population, however, is believed to be higher, because during census (taking place once every 10 years) some Athenian residents travel back to their birthplaces and register as local citizens there [1]. Also unaccounted for is an undefined number of unregistered immigrants originating mainly from Albania and other Eastern European countries.[10] [11]
The ancient site of the city is centered on the rocky hill of the acropolis. In ancient times the port of Piraeus was a separate city, but it has now been absorbed into greater Athens. The rapid expansion of the city initiated in the 50's and 60's continues today because of its transition from an agricultural to an industrial nation.[12] The expansion is now especially towards the East and North East (a tendency that is greatly related to the new Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and Attiki Odos, the freeway that cuts across Attica). By this process, Athens has engulfed many former suburbs and villages in Attica and continues to do so.
Historical Population
Throughout its long history, Athens has had many different population levels. The table below shows the historical population of Athens throughout the years.
| Year | City Population | Urban Population | Metro Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 123,000[13] | - | - |
| 1971 | 867,023[14] | - | - |
| 1981 | 885,737 | - | - |
| 1991 | 772,072 | - | 3,444,358[15] |
| 2001 | 745,514 | 3,130,841 | 3,761,810 |
Government
Attica Periphery
Athens is located within the Attica Periphery which encompasses the most populated region of Greece. The Attica Periphery itself is split into four prefectures; they include the Athens Prefecture, Piraeus Prefecture, West Attica Prefecture, and the East Attica Prefecture.
Athens Prefecture
The next largest municipalities are the Municipality of Piraeus, the Municipality of Peristeri and the Municipality of Kallithea. Athens can therefore refer either to the entire metropolitan area or to the Municipality of Athens. Each of these municipalities has an elected district council and a directly elected mayor. Mrs. Dora Bakoyanni of the conservative New Democracy party was the Mayor of Athens from 1 January 2003 until 15 February 2006, when she joined the Greek Cabinet as the Minister of Foreign affairs. She was the 76th Mayor of Athens and the first female ever to hold the post in the history of the city. She was replaced by Theodoros Behrakis. The next municipal elections occurred in October 2006, and as of those results, Nikitas Kaklamanis is the new mayor of Athens.
Municipality of Athens
The modern city of Athens consists of what was once a conglomeration of distinct towns and villages that gradually expanded and merged into a single large metropolis; most of this expansion occurred during the second half of the 20th century. The Greater Athens area is now divided into 55 municipalities, the largest of which being the Municipality of Athens or Dimos Athinaion, with a population of 745,514 people.
The Municipality of Athens is divided into seven municipal districts or demotika diamerismata. The 7-district division, however, is mainly used for administrative purposes. For Athenians the most popular way of dividing the city proper is through its neighbourhoods (usually referred to as areas in English), each with its own distinct history and characteristics. Those include Pangrati, Ambelokipi, Exarhia, Ano and Kato (Upper and Lower) Patissia, Ilissia, Ano and Kato Petralona, Mets, Koukaki as well as Kypseli, world's second most densely populated urban area. For someone unfamiliar with Athens, getting to know these neighbourhoods can often come particularly handy in both exploring and understanding the city.
Athenian Life
Central Athens
Athens is home to 148 theatrical stages, more than any other European city (including the famous ancient Herodes Atticus Theatre, home to the Athens Festival, which takes place from May to October each year).[16][17] In addition to a large number of multiplexes, Athens features many romantic, open air garden cinemas. Athens also has a vast number of music venues including a state of the art music hall known as the "Megaron Moussikis" that attracts world-famous artists all year round.[18]
Psiri
The Psiri (Greek: Ψυρρή) neighbourhood - aka Athens's "meat packing district" - features mainstream and trendy bars making it a hotspot for the city, and a number of live music restaurants called "rebetadika", after Rebetiko, a unique kind of music that blossomed in Syros and Athens from the 1920s till the 1960s. Rebetiko is admired by many, therefore virtually every night rebetadika get crammed by people of all ages that will sing, dance and drink wine until dawn.
Gazi
The Gazi (Greek: Γκάζι) area, one of the latest in full redevelopment, is located around a historic gas factory, that has been converted into the Technopolis cultural multiplex and has a number of small clubs, bars and restaurants, as well as Athens's nascent "gay village". The relatively recent and rapid redevelopment of these areas has brought the - recently relatively forgotten - city centre back into the limelight.
Plaka
Plaka, (Greek: Πλάκα), lying just beneath the Acropolis, is famous for its numerous neoclassic buildings, making it one of the most scenic districts of Athens. It remains the traditional top tourist destination, with many tavernas featuring traditional music.
Monastiraki
Nearby Monastiraki (Greek: Μοναστηράκι), on the other hand, is famous for its string of small tourist shops as well as its crowded flea market and the tavernas that specialize in souvlaki. Another district notably famous for its student-crammed, stylish cafés is Theseum or Thission (Greek: Θησείο), lying just west of Monastiraki. Thission is home to the remarkable ancient temple of Hephaestus, standing on top of a small hill.
Kolonaki
The Kolonaki (Greek: Κολωνάκι) area, near Syntagma Square, is full of boutiques catering to well-heeled customers by day and bars and luxurious restaurants by night. Ermou Street, an approximately 1 km pedestrian road connecting Syntagma Square to Monastiraki, has traditionally been considered a consumer paradise for both the Athenians and tourists. Full of fashion shops and shopping centres featuring most international brands, it is in the top 5 most expensive shopping streets in Europe and the tenth most expensive retail street in the world.[19] Near there, the renovated Army Fund building in Panepistimiou Street includes the "Attica" department store and several high-class designer stores. Kolonaki is often considered one of the more chic areas of Athens.
Suburbs
The Athens Metropolitan Area consists of 73 densely populated municipalities, sprawling around the city of Athens to virtually all directions. According to their geographic location in relation to the city of Athens, the suburbs are divided into four zones namely the northern suburbs (including Ekali, Nea Erythrea, Agios Stefanos, Drosia, Kryoneri, Attica, Kifissia, Maroussi, Pefki, Vrilissia, Melissia, Pendeli, Halandri and Filothei), the southern suburbs (including Palaio Faliro, Elliniko, Glyfada, Alimos, Voula and the southernmost suburb of Vouliagmeni), the eastern suburbs (including Zographou, Vyronas, Kaisariani, Cholargos, Papagou and Aghia Paraskevi) and the western suburbs (including Peristeri, Ilion, Egaleo, Petroupoli and Nikaia). The northern and most of the southern suburbs are particularly affluent districts, resided primarily by middle-to-high and high incomers. The western suburbs are primarily resided by middle incomers with certain few areas resided by middle-to-low incomers and still others resided by middle-to-high incomers. Finally the eastern suburbs are primarily resided by middle and middle-to-high incomers.
The Athens city coastline, extending from the major commercial port of Piraeus to the southernmost suburb of Varkiza for some 30 km, is also connected to the city centre with a tram (which, although modern can be slow during rush hours) and it boasts a series of high class restaurants, cafes, exciting music venues and modern sports facilities. In addition, Athens is packed with trendy and fashionable bars and nightclubs that are literally crowded by the city's youth on a daily basis. Especially during the summer time, the southern elegant suburbs of Glyfada, Voula and Vouliagmeni become home to countless such meeting points, situated all along Poseidonos and Alkyonidon Avenues. In the winter time, the focus of the nightlife moves up into the city centre, in Piraeus as well as across the northern suburbs. In addition, "Bournazi" at the western suburb of Peristeri has also become eminent for its intense nightlife, becoming a hotspot, mainly for the residents of the western Athenian suburbs. In the northern districts, the classy suburb of Kifissia hosts a vast number of expensive restaurants, bars and cafés.
The Mall Athens is a massive, American-style mall, located in the northern suburb of Maroussi, that provides a vast number of selections.
Nearby is the entirely new attraction of the massively upgraded main Olympic Complex (known by its Greek acronym OAKA). The whole area has been redeveloped under designs by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava with steel arches, landscaped gardens, fountains, futuristic passages and a landmark new blue glass roof which was added to the main Stadium. A second Olympic complex, next to the sea at the beach of Kallithea (Faliron), also boasts futuristic stadiums, shops and an elevated esplanade. Work is underway to transform the grounds of the old Athens Airport - named Hellinikon - in the southern suburbs into a massive landscaped park, which will be known as Metropolitan Park (considered to be the largest in Europe when ready).[20]
The major waste management efforts undertaken in the last decade (especially the plant built on the small island of Psytalia) have made pollution of the Saronic Gulf a thing of the past and now the coastal waters of Athens are a haven for swimmers. Athens has some of the cleanest and most pristine beaches in Europe. In fact many of Athens' elegant southern suburbs (such as Alimos, Palaio Faliro, Elliniko, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Vari) host a number of beautiful, sandy beaches, most of which are operated by the Greek National Tourism Organization.[21] This means that one has to pay a fee in order to get in. Nonetheless, this fee is not expensive in most cases and it includes a number of related, convenient services like parking facilities, cocktail drinks and umbrellas. These beaches are extremely popular in the summer by both Athenians and foreign tourists.
The city is surrounded by four easily accessible mountains (Parnitha and Penteli to the north, Hemmettus to the southeast, and Egaleo to the west). Mount Parnitha, in particular, is the tallest of the city (1,453 m) and it has been declared a protected National Park. It has tens of well-marked paths, gorges, springs, torrents and caves and you may even meet deers while exploring its dense forests. Hiking and mountain biking in all four mountains have been and still remain popular outdoor activities for many Athenians. Casinos operate on both Mount Parnitha, some 30km from downtown Athens (accessible by car or cable car) and the nearby town of Loutraki (accessible by car via the Athens - Corinth National Highway or the suburban railway).
The nearby islands of Salamina, Aigina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses are also sites of spectacular natural beauty and historical architecture. The Athens municipality maintains a website of tourist interest.[22]
Transportation
The Athens Mass Transit System consists of a large bus fleet, a trolleybus fleet that mainly serves the downtown area,[23] the Athens Metro,[24] a tram line connecting the southern suburbs to the city center,[25] and the Athens Suburban Railway services.[26] The public transportation system is occasionally disrupted by the striking of its public employees.
Attiko Metro
The Athens Metro, or as it is more commonly known as the Attiko Metro (Greek: Αττικο Mετρο), is one of the most impressive underground Mass Transit systems in the world; while its main purpose is transport, it also houses Greek artifacts found during construction of the subway.[27] It has an operating staff of 387 employees and runs two of the three metro lines.[28] It's two operational lines of which are distinguished by the colors used in the relevant maps and signs are blue and red. The two li