Orestiada
Ορεστιάδα
City centre
City centre
Orestiada is located in Greece
Orestiada
Orestiada
Location within the region
Coordinates: 41°30′N 26°32′E / 41.500°N 26.533°E / 41.500; 26.533
CountryGreece
Geographic regionThrace
Administrative regionEastern Macedonia and Thrace
Regional unitEvros
Area
  Municipality955.6 km2 (369.0 sq mi)
  Municipal unit256.9 km2 (99.2 sq mi)
Elevation
35 m (115 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
  Municipality
37,695
  Municipality density39/km2 (100/sq mi)
  Municipal unit
23,584
  Municipal unit density92/km2 (240/sq mi)
Community
  Population20,211 (2011)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
682 00
Area code(s)25520
Vehicle registrationOP
Websitewww.orestiada.gr

Orestiada (Greek: Ορεστιάδα, formerly Νέα Ὀρεστιάς, Nea Orestiás), is the northeasternmost, northernmost and newest[2] city of Greece and the second largest town of the Evros regional unit of Thrace. Founded by Greek refugees from Edirne after the Treaty of Lausanne when the population exchange occurred between Turkey and Greece, in which the river Evros became the new border between the two countries.[3] The population is around 20,000.

History

Historical and Folklore Museum of New Orestiada.

Until 1923 Orestiada was called the present town of Karaağaç in Turkey. In ancient times, there was Orestias, a small settlement on this site which legends claim was founded by Orestes, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.

Following the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) and the Armistice of Mudanya (October 1922), the Western Forces surrendered Eastern Thrace to Turkey and the Greek army was ordered to withdraw within 15 days to positions east of Evros. As a result, Adrianople (renamed Edirne) which is located to the east of Evros, became Turkish, but Karagatch, located to the west of Evros, remained in Greece. As Eastern Thrace was evacuated by its Greek population, several residents of Edirne fled to its neighboring suburb, Karagatch, on the other bank of the river (the west and still Greek), hoping that something would change and they could go back to their homes more easily.[4] However at the Lausanne conference, Karagatch, was ransferred to Turkish control.[5] The 17,000 Greek inhabitants of the Karagatch Triangle learned of this concession on 27 May 1923.[6] The abandonment of the old Orestiada began in July 1923, as the population moved beyond the Evros River, the new border. On 4 June 1923, a committee, which had only been formed the day before at a joint meeting of the inhabitants of old Orestiada, traveled 17 kilometers south, to the uninhabited rural site of Kum-Tsiflik (Sandy Estate), to view the possible new settlement.[7] On 12 August 1923, the new city called New Orestiada was inaugurated to remind the old Orestiada, Karagatch.[8] The inauguration of the new city took place in August 1923 by the Metropolitan of Adrianople Polycarpos, with Spyros Dassios also in attendance.[9]

Economy

Orestiada has a medical center, an orchestra, and a choir as well as a sugar factory, outside the city which processes locally grown sugar beets. Asparagus, potatoes, tobacco, watermelons, and corn are also grown. As well, a cattle breeding fund gives commercial impetus to the city and the whole area which is in such an economically strategic location in Europe.

It is also the site of the Fylakio detention center for refugees seeking asylum in Greece. In November 2010, the European Union sent Frontex forces to Orestiada to help Greek police patrol the local section of the border with Turkey. Some 31,400 people crossed just that portion of the border in the first nine months of 2010.[10]

Geography

Orestiada lies in the plain of the river Evros, at 40 metres above sea level. Orestiada is only 6 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey. Orestiada is located 17 km north of Didymoteicho, 19 km south of Edirne, 28 km southeast of the Greek-Turkish-Bulgarian tripoint, 40 km southeast of Svilengrad, 91 km northeast of Alexandroupoli, and 212 km west of Istanbul.

Transport

Railway station, taken in 2017

Road

The Greek National Road 51/E85 passes 1 km to the west of Orestiada.

Rail

The city is served by two railway stations, the larger Orestiada railway station, and a smaller station Sakkos, both on the Alexandroupoli–Svilengrad line. Historically the city was on the İstanbul Sirkeci-Svilengrad line, since 1971 a parallel railway line that runs exclusively over Turkish territory so that the Orestiada station is now touched only by regional traffic.

Education

In 1999, Orestiada became the fourth town to host university departments (faculties) of the Democritus University of Thrace. The faculties based in Orestiada are the Department of Agricultural Development and the Department of Forestry, Environmental Management and Natural Resources. Both faculties have a five-year curriculum. More than 800 students live in the city.

Sports

Orestias hosts two sports club with presence in the higher national divisions, Orestis Orestiadas F.C. a football club and A.C. Orestias a volleyball club, playing in A1 Ethniki.

Sport clubs based in Orestiada
Club Founded Sports Achievements
Orestis Orestiadas F.C.1927FootballEarlier presence in Gamma Ethniki
A.C. Orestias1970VolleyballPresence in A1 Ethniki, finalist of Greek championship and European CEV cup.

Climate

Orestiada has relatively mild winters and hot summers. Rain falls mostly during the winter.

Climate data for Orestiada (2006-2023)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.6
(45.7)
10.8
(51.4)
14.6
(58.3)
20.1
(68.2)
25.9
(78.6)
30.4
(86.7)
33.3
(91.9)
33.7
(92.7)
28.2
(82.8)
20.8
(69.4)
15.2
(59.4)
9.3
(48.7)
20.8
(69.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.6
(38.5)
6.1
(43.0)
9.1
(48.4)
13.6
(56.5)
19.0
(66.2)
23.3
(73.9)
25.6
(78.1)
25.9
(78.6)
21.0
(69.8)
15.0
(59.0)
10.4
(50.7)
5.3
(41.5)
14.8
(58.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.5
(31.1)
1.3
(34.3)
3.6
(38.5)
7.0
(44.6)
12.0
(53.6)
16.1
(61.0)
17.8
(64.0)
18.1
(64.6)
13.8
(56.8)
9.1
(48.4)
5.5
(41.9)
1.3
(34.3)
8.8
(47.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 65.5
(2.58)
42.7
(1.68)
44.0
(1.73)
48.0
(1.89)
39.0
(1.54)
46.2
(1.82)
31.4
(1.24)
16.4
(0.65)
30.7
(1.21)
63.0
(2.48)
44.4
(1.75)
60.9
(2.40)
532.2
(20.97)
Source 1: National Observatory of Athens Monthly Bulletins (Jul 2006 - Sep 2023) [11]
Source 2: Orestiada N.O.A station [12] and World Meteorological Organization[13]

Municipality

Orestiada municipality.

The municipality Orestiada was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[14]

The municipality has an area of 955.591 km2, the municipal unit 256.898 km2.[15]

Communities

The municipal unit Orestiada is subdivided into the following communities (constituent settlements in brackets):[14]

Province

The province of Orestiada (Greek: Επαρχία Ορεστιάδας) was one of the provinces of the Evros Prefecture. It had the same territory as the present municipality.[16] It was abolished in 2006.

Population

Yeartownmunicipal communitymunicipal unit (Kapodistrias)municipality (Kallikratis)
19517,71912,83217,82543,929
196110,28112,90819,44148,821
197110,72712,51317,63740,869
198112,68514,72720,29743,141
199112,69114,78319,66940,821
200115,24617,19421,73039,485
201118,42620,21123,58437,695

The population of the settlements within the municipal community of Orestiada at the 2011 census was:

  • Orestiada 18,426
  • Lepti 641
  • Neos Pyrgos 943
  • Palaia Sagini 15
  • Sakkos 186

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
  2. "Orestiada: The northernmost and newest town in Greece".
  3. "ΔΗΜΟΚΡΙΤΕΙΟ ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10.
  4. "Δήμος Ορεστιάδας".
  5. "Ενημερωτικός Οδηγός 3ης Μ/Κ ΤΑΞΧΙΑΣ για τη φρουρά Ορεστιάδας" (PDF).
  6. Τσονίδης, Τάκης. ΝΕΑ ΟΡΕΣΤΙΑΣ - µια µατιά για να την γνωρίσουµε.
  7. Τσονίδης, Τάκης. ΝΕΑ ΟΡΕΣΤΙΑΣ - µια µατιά για να την γνωρίσουµε.
  8. "Ο Δήμος". Δήμος Ορεστιάδας (in Greek). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  9. Μαυρίδης, Πασχάλης. Η Ορεστιάδα στη ροή του χρόνου.
  10. "Ailing Greece Struggles with a Flood of Illegal Immigrants". Yahoo News. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  11. "Meteo.gr - Προγνώσεις καιρού για όλη την Ελλάδα".
  12. "Latest Conditions in Orestiada".
  13. "World Meteorological Organization". Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  14. 1 2 "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
  15. "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.
  16. "Detailed census results 1991" (PDF). (39 MB) (in Greek and French)
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