Until the Kallikratis reform in 2010, the prefectures ( , ) were the second-level administrative regions of Greece. They are now defunct, and have been approximately replaced by regional units.
They are called departments in ISO 3166-2:GR and by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names.United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names: Administrative Division of Greece (Working Paper N° 95), New York 2000, (PDF 1,3 MB)]
The prefectures were the second-degree organization of local government, grouped into 13 regions or (before 1987) 10 geographical departments, and in turn divided into provinces and comprising a number of communities and municipalities. The prefectures became self-governing entities in 1994, when the first prefectural-level elections took place. The prefects were previously appointed by the government. By 2010, their number had risen to 51, of which one, the Attica Prefecture, where more than a third of the country's population resided, was further subdivided into four prefecture-level administrations (νομαρχίες, sing. νομαρχία). In addition, there were three super-prefectures (υπερνομαρχίες, sing. υπερνομαρχία) controlling two or more prefectures.
With the Kallikratis reform, which entered into force on 1 January 2011, the prefectures were abolished. Many, especially in the mainland and in Crete, were retained in the form of regional units (περιφερειακές ενότητες) within the empowered regions, which largely took over the prefectures' administrative role.
Organization The "Prefectural Self-Governments" were formed in 1994Law 2218/1994 and replaced the previous prefectures, whose councils and prefects were appointed by the government.
Prefectures were governed by a Prefectural Council (νομαρχιακό συμβούλιο) made up of 21 to 37 members,Articles 13 and 14 of the "Code of Prefectural Self-Government" (Presidential Decree 30/1996) led by the Prefect (νομάρχης) and presided by a Council President (πρόεδρος).
Other organs of the prefectures were: The Prefectural Committee, consisted of the Prefect or an assistant appointed by him and 4 to 6 members, elected by the Prefectural Council.Article 15 of the Code of Prefectural Self-Government The Provincial Council and The Eparchos (Sub-prefect/eparch, έπαρχος).
Super-prefectures had their own organs (Council, Committee and Super-prefect).
Prefectural councillors were elected via public election every four years. Three-fifths of all seats went to the combination winning a majority and two-fifths of the seats going to remaining parties based on a proportional system. Prefect became the president of the victorious electoral combination. Victorious is a combination which attains more than 42% in the first round of the prefectural elections. If no combination passes this threshold, a second round takes place between the two combinations that took the most votes in the first round.According to the legislative reform of 2006 (Law 3463/2006). See also the circular 12 of the Ministry of Interior Affairs about the upcoming local elections.
Duties The State ultimately oversaw the actions of local governments, including the prefectures, but the Constitution of GreeceArticle 102 of the Constitution and the Code of Prefectural Self-GovernmentArticles 1 and 8 of the Code of Prefectural Self-Government still provided communities and municipalities with legal control over the administration of their designated areas.
The Code of Prefectural Self-Government did not include a non-restrictive list of prefectural duties, but a general rule, according to which the newly formed Prefectural Self-Governments had all the duties of the previous prefectures, which are related to their local affairs.About the meaning of local affairs see the Decision 888/1997 of the Council of State. Nonetheless, the affairs of "(central) state administration" belonging to the prefects before 1994 are now exerted by the Presidents of the Regions (περιφερειάρχης).Articles 3 and 8 of the Code of Prefectural Self-Government The Prefectural Self-Governments kept the "local affairs of prefectureal level" not belonging to the "(central) state administration".See the Decision 3441/1998 of the Council of State.
With certain laws specific affairs of certain ministries were transferred to the Prefectural Self-Governments (sanitary committees, urban-planning services etc.).See the Law 2647/1998 for instance.
List of prefectures
Numberin mapPrefectureArea(km2)Population(2001)Populationdensity(/km2)Region46Aetolia-Acarnania5460.888224,42941.10Western Greece42Larissa5380.943279,30551.91Thessaly24Ioannina4990.416170,23934.11Epirus5Phthiotis4440.765178,77140.26Central Greece34Arcadia4418.736102,03523.09Peloponnese19Evros4241.615149,35435.21Eastern Macedonia and Thrace2Euboea4167.449215,13651.62Central Greece12Serres3967.744200,91650.64Central Macedonia13Thessaloniki3682.7361,057,825287.24Central Macedonia37Laconia3636.05899,63727.40Peloponnese51Kozani3515.853155,32444.18Western Macedonia18Drama3468.293103,97529.98Eastern Macedonia and Thrace44Trikala3383.477138,04740.80Thessaly45Achaea3271.507322,78998.67Western Greece38Messenia2990.901176,87659.14Peloponnese6Boeotia2951.622131,08544.41Central Greece7Chalkidiki2917.877104,89435.95Central Macedonia40Dodecanese2714.295190,07170.03South Aegean15Heraklion2641.220292,489110.74Crete43Magnesia2636.272206,99578.52Thessaly41Karditsa2635.954129,54149.14Thessaly47Elis2617.776193,28873.84Western Greece39Cyclades2571.691112,61543.79South Aegean21Rhodope2543.145110,82843.58Eastern Macedonia and Thrace9Kilkis2518.88089,05635.36Central Macedonia10Pella2505.774145,79758.18Central Macedonia14Chania2375.849150,38763.30Crete49Grevena2290.85637,94716.56Western Macedonia36Corinthia2289.952154,62467.52Peloponnese35Argolis2154.309105,77049.10Peloponnese32Lesbos2153.727109,11850.66North Aegean4Phocis2120.56448,28422.77Central Greece20Kavala2111.705144,85068.59Eastern Macedonia and Thrace48Florina1924.56454,76828.46Western Macedonia3Evrytania1868.91132,05317.15Central Greece16Lasithi1822.76476,31941.87Crete22Xanthi1792.992101,85656.81Eastern Macedonia and Thrace50Kastoria1720.13353,48331.09Western Macedonia8Imathia1700.810143,61884.44Central Macedonia23Arta1662.21078,13447.01Epirus11Pieria1516.702129,84685.61Central Macedonia26Thesprotia1514.65346,09130.43Epirus1-2East Attica1512.993403,918266.97Attica17Rethymno1496.04781,93654.77Crete25Preveza1035.93859,35657.30Epirus1-4West Attica1004.007151,612151.01Attica1-3Piraeus929.382541,504582.65Attica28Cephalonia904.38739,48843.66Ionian Islands31Chios904.22753,40859.06North Aegean33Samos777.94543,59556.04North Aegean27Corfu (Kerkyra)641.057111,975174.67Ionian Islands30Zakynthos405.55039,01596.20Ionian Islands1-1Athens Prefecture361.7192,664,7767,366.98Attica29Lefkada355.93622,50663.23Ionian IslandsaMount AthosMount Athos is not a prefecture, but has been listed for completeness.335.6372,2626.74—
History The following prefectures have been part of the Greek state since independence: Attica Boeotia Phthiotis Prefecture Phocis Prefecture Evrytania Prefecture Euboea Prefecture Aetolia-Acarnania Prefecture Cyclades Prefecture Corinthia Prefecture Argolis Prefecture Arcadia Prefecture Laconia Prefecture Messinia Prefecture Achaea Prefecture Elis
Notes: Many of the prefectures were originally combined in pairs: Attica and Boeotia formed the Attica and Boeotia Prefecture Phthiotis Prefecture and Phocis Prefecture formed the Phthiotis and Phocis Prefecture (in 1833–1836 the Phocis and Locris Prefecture) Corinthia Prefecture and Argolis Prefecture formed Argolis and Corinthia Prefecture Achaea Prefecture and Elis Prefecture formed the Achaea and Elis Prefecture Aetolia-Acarnania originally also included Evrytania. Unlike the rest mentioned above, the prefecture never broke up into two prefectures, thus being the only one left with a composite appellation. Messenia originally included the southern half of what is now Elis. Laconia originally included the southern-eastern half of what is now Messinia. Euboea originally included the Sporades, which now belong to Magnesia. The territory of Phthiotis Prefecture did not originally include the Domokos Province, which was part of Thessaly (under Ottoman rule until 1881). The area currently constituting the Domokos Province of the Fthiotis Prefecture only became a part of the Greek state in general, and of Phthiotis in particular, after the annexation of Thessaly to Greece in 1881. Arcadia Prefecture and the Cyclades Prefecture are the only prefectures to have their borders unchanged since independence. The capital of Argolis Prefecture, Nafplion was the first capital of the modern Greek state (1828–1834), before the move of the capital to Athens by King Otto.
There were several short-lived prefectures in areas of present Albania and Turkey, during the Greek occupation of those areas during World War I and the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) respectively:
Argyrokastron (1915–1916), in Northern Epirus (southern Albania) Korytsa (1915–1916), in Northern Epirus (southern Albania) Adrianople (1920–1922), in Eastern Thrace (European Turkey) Kallipolis (1920–1922), in Eastern Thrace (European Turkey) Rhaedestos (1920–1922), in Eastern Thrace (European Turkey) Saranta Ekklisies (1920–1922), in Eastern Thrace (European Turkey)
See also ISO 3166-2:GR
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