Preveza

Preveza (Greek: Πρέβεζα) is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. The Aktio-Preveza Immersed Tunnel, the first and so far only undersea tunnel in Greece, was completed in 2002 and connects Preveza to Aktio in western Acarnania in the region of Aetolia-Acarnania. The ruins of the ancient city of Nicopolis lie 7 kilometres (4 miles) north of the city.

Origin of the name

The name Πρέβεζα Preveza is of uncertain etymology. There are three hypotheses about its origin:

Municipality

The present municipality Preveza was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):

Preveza (regional unit)

Preveza (Greek: Περιφερειακή ενότητα Πρέβεζας) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Preveza.

Geography

The regional unit of Preveza is located northwest of the Ambracian Gulf. The Ionian Sea lies to the west. The terrain is mostly hilly. The mountains of Xerovouni are in the far northeast. Rivers include the Louros in the east, and Acheron in the north.

Its climate is typically Mediterranean with hot dry summers and cool winters. Snow is not uncommon in winter at higher elevations.

Administration

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

Prefecture

Preveza was established as a prefecture in 1915 (Greek: Νομός Πρέβεζας). As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Preveza was created out of the former prefecture Preveza. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.