Igoumenitsa
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Igoumenitsa Ηγουμενίτσα |
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View of the old port
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 Igoumenitsa
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Location within the region
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| Coordinates: 39°29′N 20°16′E / 39.483°N 20.267°ECoordinates: 39°29′N 20°16′E / 39.483°N 20.267°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Epirus |
| Regional unit | Thesprotia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Giorgos Katsinos |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 428.4 km2 (165.4 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 111.8 km2 (43.2 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Municipality | 25,814 |
| • Municipality density | 60/km2 (160/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 17,902 |
| • Municipal unit density | 160/km2 (410/sq mi) |
| Community | |
| • Population | 9,820 (2011) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 461 00 |
| Area code(s) | 26650 |
| Vehicle registration | ΗΝ |
| Website | www.igoumenitsa.gr |
Igoumenitsa (Greek: Ηγουμενίτσα, Greek pronunciation: [iɣumeˈnitsa]), is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Thesprotia.
Igoumenitsa is the chief port of Thesprotia and Epirus, and one of the largest passenger ports of Greece, connecting northwestern Mainland Greece with the Ionian Islands and Italy. The city is build on easternmost end of the Gulf of Igoumenitsa in the Ionian Sea and primary aspects of the economy are maritime, transport, services, agriculture and tourism. The 670 km (420 mi) long Egnatia Highway, which serves northern Greece, terminates at Igoumenitsa, making it a popular starting point for tourists coming from Europe and ending point for trucks from Turkey.
Igoumenitsa features many shops, schools, offices and cargo storages, a Technological Educational Institute, a library, an archeological museum, several sport stadiums and tennis courses, a courthouse and a medical clinic. The Thesprotia Police Headquarters and the Municipal Sailing Club are located here. The city itself is build on the slopes of a forested mountain and expands perimetrically around the gulf.
The 2011 census recorded 25,814 inhabitants for the wider Municipality, of which 9,820 in the municipal unit of Igoumenitsa proper. Igoumenitsa is known for being surrounded by several forests and for its blue waters. The nearby Drepanos Beach is one of the longest sand beaches in the region, with a length of over 7 kilometers.
The town is located near the site of ancient Τιτάνη (Titane). In Ottoman times, a small coastal fort was built. The Venetians referred to the port as Porto delle Gomenizze, apparently the origin of the modern name. The settlement of Igoumenitsa didn't exist prior to 1913; the largest nearby village was Grava (Γράβα), with some 300 inhabitants. After 1913, a small town center began to form near the Turkish fort, with some 750 inhabitants by 1936, when it was named Igoumenitsa. The town was destroyed in 1944 and a new settlement grew up around the new ferry terminal in the 1950s and 1960s.
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Wikipedia