Thesprotia Περιφερειακή ενότητα Θεσπρωτίας
—  Regional unit  —
Municipalities of Thesprotia
Thesprotia within Greece
Coordinates: 39°35′N 20°20′E / 39.583°N 20.333°E / 39.583; 20.333Coordinates: 39°35′N 20°20′E / 39.583°N 20.333°E / 39.583; 20.333
Country	Greece
Region	Epirus
Capital	Igoumenitsa
Area
• Total	1,515 km2 (585 sq mi)
Population (2005)
• Total	46,811
• Density	31/km2 (80/sq mi)
Postal codes	46x xx
Area codes	266x0
ISO 3166 code	GR-32
Car plates	ΗΝ
Website	www.nthesprotias.gr

Thesprotia (Greek: Θεσπρωτία) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Igoumenitsa. It is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region in antiquity.

History[link]

The territory of Thesprotia remained under Ottoman rule until 1913, when it was annnexed by the Greek state after the First Balkan War. Until 1937, when the separate prefecture of Thesprotia was established, the area was part of the Ioannina Prefecture.^[1][2]

Geography and climate[link]

Thesprotia borders Albania to the north, the regional unit of Ioannina to the east and Preveza to the south. The Ionian Sea lies to the west. Much of the prefecture is mountainous. Most farmland is located in the valleys in the central, southern and the western part. Two of Thesprotia's rivers are legendary: the Thyamis and the Acheron of Greek mythology, lined with reedbeds and plane trees.

Thesprotia's coastal climate is Mediterranean. Cold winters of a semi-alpine climate dominate the eastern part and higher elevations.

Administration[link]

The regional unit Thesprotia is subdivided into 4 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):^[3]

• Filiates (3)
• Igoumenitsa (1)
• Souli (2)

Prefecture[link]

Thesprotia was established as a prefecture in 1937 (Greek: Νομός Θεσπρωτίας). As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Thesprotia was created out of the former prefecture Thesprotia. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.^[3]

Provinces[link]

• Province of Thyamida - Igoumenitsa
• Province of Filiates - Filiates
• Province of Margariti - Margariti
• Province of Souli - Paramythia

Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.

Economy[link]

Thesprotia is traditionally one of the poorest and most remote prefectures of Greece. The main economical activities are agriculture and tourism, with agriculture as historically the main economical activity.^[4]

The main tourist attractions of the region are its numerous beaches, particularly the resort of Syvota. Other tourist attractions are the remains of ancient cities such as Gitani.

Infrastructure[link]

In 1996, construction began on motorway 2, officially called Egnatia Odos. The road, which links the Ionian coast at Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki, was opened to traffic in 2009. Other important roads in Thesprotia include the Greek National Road 6 (Igoumenitsa - Ioannina - Larissa) and Greek National Road 18 (Filiates - Paramythia - Preveza).

In 2009, construction began for a new highway that will connect Igoumenitsa and Saranda, passing by Sagiada and Konispol.

The port of Igoumenitsa serves ferry routes to the islands of Corfu and Paxoi (includes Antipaxoi), as well as Italy.

See also[link]

• List of settlements in Thesprotia

References[link]

External links[link]

• La Toile: Cooperation Network for European Culture: Thesprotia
• HiT.gr - Thesprotia - Lots of photos and historical information about the prefecture of Thesprotia
• Paramythia of Thesprotia - The historical city of Paramythia

v t e Administrative division of the Epirus Region Area: 9,203km² • Population: 353,820 (2001) • Capital: Ioannina Regional unit of Arta Arta • Central Tzoumerka • Georgios Karaiskakis • Nikolaos Skoufas Regional unit of Ioannina Dodoni • Ioannina • Konitsa • Metsovo • North Tzoumerka • Pogoni • Zagori • Zitsa Regional unit of Preveza Parga • Preveza • Ziros Regional unit of Thesprotia Filiates • Igoumenitsa • Souli Regional governor: Alexandros Kachrimanis • Website: www.php.gov.gr