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Thrákī Thrace |
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| Country: | Greece | |
| Largest city: | Alexandroupoli | |
| Prefectures: | Xanthi Rhodope Evros |
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| Population: | 362,038 (2001 census) 368,993 (2006 estimate) |
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| Area: | 8,578 km² | |
| Population density: | 43/km² | |
| Website: | Ministry for Macedonia–Thrace | |
Thrace (Greek: Θράκη Thrákī, IPA: [ˈθɾаkʲi]) is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Alexandroupoli (Αλεξανδρούπολη Alexandroúpoli, ale̞ksanˈðɾupo̞li in polytonic Ἀλεξανδρούπολις Alexandroúpolis) is a city Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as Peripheries of Greece, which are further subdivided into 3 super-prefectures and 54 prefectures or nomes Xanthi (Ξάνθη Xánthi, ˈksanθi is one of the Prefectures of Greece. Rhodope (Ροδόπη Rodópi,) is one of the Prefectures of Greece. The Evros Prefecture (Νομός Έβρου Nomos Evrou) is the northernmost of the prefectures of Greece. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The regions ( γεωγραφικά διαμερίσματα, lit Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Mesta (Места or Nestos (Νέστος is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. The Maritsa or Evros (Марица Εβρος Romanized as Hebrus, Meriç is with a length of 480 km the longest river that runs solely in the interior Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece. Macedonia ( Μακεδονία, Makedonía,) is a geographical and historical region of Greece in southeastern Europe Epirus ( Greek: Ήπειρος Ípiros) is a periphery in northwestern Greece. It is also called Western or Greek Thrace to distinguish it from Eastern Thrace, which lies east of the river Evros and forms the European part of Turkey, and the area to the north, in Bulgaria, known as Northern Thrace. East Thrace, or Eastern Thrace (Източна Тракия Iztochna Trakiya; Ανατολική Θράκη or Turkish Thrace, is the part of the modern Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The Upper Thracian Plain (Горнотракийска низина Gornotrakiyska nizina) constitutes the northern part of the historical region of Thrace. Thrace is divided into the three prefectures of Xanthi, Rodhopi and Evros, which together with the two Macedonian prefectures of Drama and Kavala form the Periphery of East Macedonia and Thrace. Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as Peripheries of Greece, which are further subdivided into 3 super-prefectures and 54 prefectures or nomes Xanthi (Ξάνθη Xánthi, ˈksanθi is a city in northern Greece, in the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery Rhodope (Ροδόπη Rodópi,) is one of the Prefectures of Greece. The Evros Prefecture (Νομός Έβρου Nomos Evrou) is the northernmost of the prefectures of Greece. Macedonia ( Μακεδονία, Makedonía,) is a geographical and historical region of Greece in southeastern Europe Drama prefecture (Νομός Δράμας Nomós Drámas, noˈmos ˈðɾamas is a prefecture in northeastern Macedonia, Greece. Kavala prefecture (Greek Νομός Καβάλας Nomos Kavalas) is a prefecture in eastern Macedonia, Greece. The peripheries ( Περιφέρειες) are the official regional Administrative divisions of Greece. East Macedonia and Thrace (Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη is one of the thirteen peripheries of Greece, consisting of the eastern Furthermore, the prefectural authorities of Drama, Kavala and Xanthi have been combined into a single administrative unit in recent years, as have those of Rodhopi and Evros.
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Area - Demographics
The approximate area of Thrace is 8,578 km² with a population of 368,993 (2006 est. ). Around two-thirds of the population are Orthodox Christian Greeks, while the remainder (approx. The Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία Hellēnorthódoxē Ekklēsía) is formed by several autocephalous churches A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions 120,000) are Muslims who are an officially recognised minority of Greece. The Muslim minority of Greece ( Greek: μουσουλμανική μειονότητα Ελλάδας mousoulmaniki meionotita Elladas; Turkish: Yunanistan Around half are of Turkish origin, while another third are Bulgarian Muslim, or Pomaks who mainly inhabit the mountainous parts of the region. Turks (Batı Trakya Türkleri form an officially unrecognized minority group in Greece, traditionally settled in the northeastern region of Thrace The Roma of Thrace are also mainly Muslim, unlike their ethnic kin in other parts of the country who generally profess the Orthodox faith of the Greek majority. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Since 1990 and the end of the cold war Thrace (along with the rest of Greece) has seen an influx of both legal and illegal economic immigrants (most of them being Albanians) seeking work mainly in the urban areas of the region. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Thrace is bordered by Bulgaria to the north, Turkey to the east, the Aegean Sea to the south and the Greek region of Macedonia to the west. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Macedonia ( Μακεδονία, Makedonía,) is a geographical and historical region of Greece in southeastern Europe Alexandroupoli is the largest city, with a population of around 52,720 (2001 census). Alexandroupoli (Αλεξανδρούπολη Alexandroúpoli, ale̞ksanˈðɾupo̞li in polytonic Ἀλεξανδρούπολις Alexandroúpolis) is a city
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History
The region had been under the rule of the Ottoman Empire since 14th century and till the 19th century. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Before the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, Thrace had a mixed population of Turks and Bulgarians, with a strong Greek element in the cities and the Aegean Sea littoral. The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family The Bulgarians (българи balgari) are a South Slavic people generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Littoral refers to the coast of an ocean or sea or to the banks of a river lake or estuary A smaller number of Pomaks, Jews, Armenians and Roma also lived in the region. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins
During the First Balkan War, the Balkan League (Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro) fought against the Ottoman Empire and annexed most of its European territory, including Thrace. The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece The Balkan League was the alliance of Serbia, Montenegro, Greece and Bulgaria against the Ottoman Empire during the Balkan Wars Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The victors quickly fell into dispute on how to divide the newly conquered lands, resulting in the Second Balkan War. The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece In August 1913 Bulgaria was defeated, but gained Western Thrace under the terms of the Treaty of Bucharest. The Treaty of Bucharest was concluded on August 10, 1913, by the delegates of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro
In the following years, the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire) (with which Bulgaria had sided) lost World War I and as a result Western Thrace was given to Greece (which had sided with the Entente) (mainly the United Kingdom, France, Russian Empire) under the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly. The Central Powers ( German: "Mittelmächte" Hungarian: "Központi hatalmak" Turkish: "İttifak Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Triple Entente (" entente " — French for "agreement" was the name given to the loose alignment of the United Kingdom, the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, dealing with Bulgaria for its role as one of the Central Powers in World War I, was signed on November 27
Throughout the Balkan Wars and World War I, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey each forced respective minority populations in the Thrace region out of areas they controlled. The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches A large population of Greeks in Eastern Thrace, and Black Sea coastal and southern Bulgaria, was expelled south and west into Greek-controlled Thrace. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Concurrently, a large population of Bulgarians was forced from the region into Bulgaria by Greek and Turkish actions. Turkish populations in the area were also targeted by Bulgarian and Greek forces and pushed eastward. As part of the Treaty of Neuilly, and subsequent agreements, the status of the expelled populations was legitimized. The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, dealing with Bulgaria for its role as one of the Central Powers in World War I, was signed on November 27 This was followed by a further population exchange which radically changed the demographics of the region toward increased ethnic homogenization within the territories each respective country ultimately was awarded.
This was followed by the large-scale Greek-Turkish population exchanges of 1923 (Treaty of Lausanne), which finalized the reversal of Western and Eastern Thrace region's pre-Balkan War demography. The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey is the first large-scale population exchange, or agreed mutual expulsion in the 20th century The Treaty of Lausanne ( July 24, 1923) was a Peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the Partitioning The treaty granted the status of a minority to the Muslims in Western Thrace, in exchange for a similar status for the Greek Orthodox minority in Istanbul and the Aegean islands of Imbros and Tenedos. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion History Early history Christianity in Byzantium existed from the time of the Twelve Apostles, but it was in the year 330 that the Roman Emperor Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Imbros, officially referred to as Gökçeada in Turkey (older name in Turkish İmroz; Greek: Ίμβρος – Imvros) is the largest island For the ant spider genus see Tenedos (genus. For the 19th century fort in Zululand, see Fort Tenedos Tenedos, officially The Treaty of Lausanne was gradually violated from the Turkish side, and was crowned by the Istanbul Pogrom in mid 50's. The Treaty of Lausanne ( July 24, 1923) was a Peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the Partitioning The Istanbul Pogrom (also known as Istanbul Riots; Σεπτεμβριανά (Events of September 6–7 Eylül Olayları (Events of September 6–7 was a Pogrom
When Bulgaria invaded Western Thrace as one of the Axis Powers during World War II, it further changed the demographics by arresting the region's Jews and deporting them to death camps administered by Germany. The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries
Politics
The Muslim minority of Thrace has been a source of diplomatic tension between Greece and Turkey. Turkey considers the whole of the Muslim minority a strictly Turkish minority. Turks (Batı Trakya Türkleri form an officially unrecognized minority group in Greece, traditionally settled in the northeastern region of Thrace Greece, on the other hand, considers the whole minority to be Greek citizens of diverse origins and a recognised religious minority under Greece's international obligations (Treaty of Lausanne). The Treaty of Lausanne ( July 24, 1923) was a Peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the Partitioning Athens affords no official recognition to a Turkish or any other ethnicity.
In fact, there are ethnic differences within the Muslim minority. The estimated numbers of its constituent ethnic groups are given in a document of the Greek Consulate Berlin as follows:
- total number: 120,000
- Turkish origin: 50%
- Pomak origin: 35%
- Roma origin: 15%
Such documents as the said paper of the Greek Consulate Berlin have no effect on the minority politics of Greece concerning the concession of any ethnic identity to the Muslim minority and they primarily serve as information publications about Greece to the world.
Economy
The economy of Thrace in recent years has become less dependent on agriculture. A number of Greek-owned high-tech industries belonging to the telecommunications industry have settled in the area. The Via Egnatia motorway (which is planned to be completed by 2008) which will pass through Thrace, is a promise for further development of the region. The Via Egnatia ( Greek:) was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. Tourism is slowly becoming more and more important as the Aegean coast of Region of Thrace boasts quite a few beautiful beaches. Additionally, there is the potential for winter tourism activities in the Rhodopi mountains, the natural border with Bulgaria which are covered by dense forest. The Rhodopes (Родопи Rodopi, usually used with a definite article Родопите Rodopite, sometimes also called Родопа Rodopa or Родопа
Miscellaneous
- Abdera, an ancient Greek coastal town in the prefecture of Xanthi is the birth place of the Greek philosophers Democritus, considered by some the father of the atomic theory, and Protagoras, who is credited with having invented the role of the professional sophist or teacher of "virtue". Abdera (Άβδηρα was a town on the coast of Thrace 17 km east-northeast of the mouth of the Nestos, and almost opposite Thasos. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Democritus ( Greek:) was a pre-Socratic Greek Materialist Philosopher (born at Abdera in Thrace ca This article focuses on the historical models of the atom For a history of the study of how atoms combine to form molecules see History of the molecule. Protagoras ( Greek:) (ca 490&ndash 420 BC was a pre-Socratic Greek Philosopher and is numbered as one of the Sophists by
- Thrace and in particular the Rhodope mountains, its northern mountainous part, is home to one of the two surviving brown bear (species Ursus arctos) populations in Greece (the other is in the Pindus mountains, in central Greece). The Rhodopes (Родопи Rodopi, usually used with a definite article Родопите Rodopite, sometimes also called Родопа Rodopa or Родопа The Brown Bear ( Ursus arctos) is an Omnivorous Mammal of the family Ursidae, distributed across much of northern Eurasia and This article is about the mountain range called Pindus for other uses of these names see Pindus (disambiguation The Pindus (Πίνδος
- The Greek-Turkish border is a major entering point of illegal immigrants from Asia (Kurds, Afghans, Pakistanis) trying to enter Europe. The Demographics of Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically mixed Pakistan 's estimated population was 172800000 in July 2008 During 1950-2008 Pakistan's urban population expanded over sevenfold while the total population increased by over fourfold
See also
- East Macedonia and Thrace
- Xanthi Prefecture
- Rhodope Prefecture
- Evros Prefecture
- Democritus University of Thrace
- Muslim minority of Greece
- Republic of Gumuljina
External links
- Periphery of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
- Combined Prefectural Authority of Drama, Kavala and Xanthi
- Combined Prefectural Authority of Rhodope and Evros
- Prefecture of Xanthi
- Thrakiki.gr
- Prefecture of Rhodope
- Prefecture of Evros
- Democritus University of Thrace
- Municipality of Feres
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