Phocis

Geography

Modern Phocis has an area of 2120 km2, of which 560 km2 are forested, 36 km2 are plains, and the remainder is mountainous. The massive ridge of Parnassus (2,459 m, which traverses the heart of the country, divides it into two distinct portions. The neighbouring prefectures are Aetolia-Acarnania to the west, Phthiotis to the north and Boeotia to the east. It also shares a tiny border with Evrytania. Much of the south and east are deforested and rocky and mountainous while the valley runs from Itea up to Amfissa. Forests and green spaces are to the west, the central part and the north.

Its reservoir is the Mornos Dam on the Mornos river. It covers nearly 1 km to 3 km2. It was completed in the 1960s, and GR-48 was extended to pass through the dam.

The roads of Phocis are:

• Greek National Road 3, NE
• Greek National Road 27, Cen., N
• Greek National Road 48, SW, Cen., SE
• E65, SW, S, SE

Administration

Prefecture

The prefecture of Phocis was formed in 1947 from the previous Phthiotis and Phocis Prefecture. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, a new regional unit Phocis was formed from the 1947 prefecture Phocis () without a change of territory.

Municipalities

In 2011 the regional unit Phocis was subdivided into 2 municipalities according to the table below.

Former provinces

The pre-2011 municipalities had been organized into two provinces:

• Province of Dorida - Lidoriki
• Province of Parnassida - Amfissa These were abolished. Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.

Demographics

Modern Phocis was inhabited by several Greek tribes since antiquity, mainly by Phocians, Locrians and Dorians, which were intermingled and formed the present-day Phocian population, with a unique linguistic and cultural heritage, frequently mentioned as Roumeliotes.

Population statistics

With a population of 40,343 (2001), it is one of Greece's least populous regional units, and has a population density of 19 /km2. In the summer months, the population nearly doubles due to the influx of tourists.

Most of the villages are in the south, the southeast and the east, especially in the areas between Amfissa and Itea. The north and the west are the least populated.

Notable people

• Alexander of Phocis
• Giannis Skarimpas (September 28, 1893 in Agia Efthymia Parnassidos – January 21, 1984)
• Nikolaos Makarezos (1919 – August 3, 2009)
• Eleni Karaindrou

Sporting teams

Here are the most popular sporting teams in the prefecture. All of the teams are under the Phocis Football Clubs Association in which it existed since 1985 after the separation and dissolution of the Phocis-Phtiotis Football Guild Union.

• Androutsos Gravia - Gravia
• Asteras Iteas - Itea
• Doxa Desfina - Desfina
• Isaia Desfina - Desfina
• Diagoras Polydrosos - Polydrosos
• Dorikos Nea Dorida - Nea Dorida
• Fokikos - Amfissa
• A.O. Malesina - Malesina

History

Ancient History

Main article: Phocis (ancient region), Delphi, Locris, Ozolian Locris, Doris (Greece)

Byzantine era

Main article: Hellas (theme)

Frankokratia

Main article: Lordship of Salona, Duchy of Neopatras

Ottoman era and Greek War of Independence

In the Greek War of Independence, Salona was the first town of Central Greece to revolt under the leadership of Panourgias, Giannis Diovouniotis, Ioannis Gouras and its bishop Isaiah, who were in cooperation with Athanasios Diakos, Yannis Makriyannis and others originated from Phocis. On 27 March 1821, Panourgias invaded the town and on April 10 the Greeks captured the Castle of Salona, the first fortress which fell in Greek hands, and extinguished the six hundred people of the Ottoman garrison in it.

Attribution

References

References

1. (2001–2002). "History". Prefecture of Fokida.
2. "ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text". [[Government Gazette (Greece).
3. [http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/General/resident_population_census2011.xls Detailed census results 2011] {{Webarchive. link. (2013-12-25 {{in lang). el