Kavala

Kavala (Greek: Καβάλα; [kaˈvala]) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit.

It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and located on the Egnatia motorway, a one and a half-hour drive to Thessaloniki (160 kilometres (99 miles) west) and a forty-minute drive to Drama (37 km (23 miles) north) and Xanthi (56 km (35 miles) east).

Names and Etymology

In Antiquity the name of the city was Neapolis ('new city', like many Greek colonies). During the Middle Ages it was devoutly renamed Christoupolis ('city of Christ'.

The etymology of the modern name of the city is disputed. There are some explanations, either from the Italian cavallo (=horse), or from the Hebrew Kabbalah due to the large Jewish population of the city. Its nickname is The cyan city (Η γαλάζια πόλη).

History

Antiquity

The city was founded at about the end of the 7th century BC by settlers from Thassos, who called it Neapolis (Νεάπολις; "new city" in Greek). It was one of the colonies that the Thassians founded along the coastline in order to take advantage of the rich gold and silver mines of the territory, especially those located in the nearby Pangaion mountain (which were eventually exploited by Phillip II of Macedonia).

Kavala (regional unit)

Kavala (Greek: Περιφερειακή ενότητα Καβάλας) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of East Macedonia and Thrace. Its capital is the city of Kavala. Kavala regional unit is the easternmost within the geographical region of Macedonia.

Geography

The Pangaio mountains, reaching 1,957 m, are situated in the west. The neighbouring regional units are Serres to the west, Drama to the north and Xanthi to the east. The river Nestos flows along the eastern border. Arable lands are located along the coastline, in the north and in the east.

The regional unit has a predominantly Mediterranean climate.

Administration

The regional unit Kavala is subdivided into 3 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):

Prefecture

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the former Kavala Prefecture (Greek: Νομός Καβάλας) was transformed into a regional unit within the East Macedonia and Thrace region. The prefecture also included the island of Thasos, which became a separate regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.