Chalkidiki

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Chalkidiki, also Halkidiki or Chalcidice, less often Khalkidiki and rarely Chalkidice (Greek: Χαλκιδική, ), is one of the prefectures of Greece. It is located in the southeastern portion of Central Macedonia. The Cholomontas or the Cholomon mountains lie in the northcentral part. It consists of a large peninsula in the northwestern Aegean Sea, resembling a hand with three "fingers" – Pallene (now Kassandra), Sithonia, and Agion Oros (the ancient Acte), which contains Mount Athos and its monasteries.

In ancient times, Chalkidiki was part of Thrace. The first Greek settlers in this area came from Chalcis (Halkis) and Eretria, cities in Euboea, around the eighth century BC who founded cities such as Mende, Toroni and Scioni; a second wave came from Andros in the sixth century BC. The ancient city of Stageira was the birthplace of the great philosopher Aristotle (Αριστοτέλης).

The capital of Chalkidiki is the city of Polygyros (in Greek Πολύγυρος), located in the center of the peninsula. Its most populous municipalities are Moudania, Kallikrateia, Polygyros, and Kassandra. Its largest towns are Nea Moudania,(Νέα Μουδανιά) Nea Kallikrateia, (Νέα Καλλικράτεια) and the city of Polygyros.

There are a lot of summer resorts on the beaches of all three fingers where other minor towns and villages are located, such as at Yerakini (Gerakina Beach), Neos Marmaras (Porto Carras) Ouranoupolis, Nikiti, Psakoudia, Kallithea (Pallene/Pallini, Athos), Sani Resort and more.

In June 2003, at the holiday resort Porto Carras located in Neos Marmaras, Sithonia, European Union leaders presented the first draft of the European constitution. See History of the European Constitution for developments after this point.

The only prefectural boundary is with the Thessaloniki prefecture located to the north.

Television

• Chalkidiki TV - Nea Moudania
• Super TV - Nea Moudania

Transport

• GR-18, NW, W, SW, Cen., NE
• Chalkidiki has no railroads and airports.

Ancient sites

• Acanthus
• Acrothoi
• Aege
• Alapta
• Aphytis
• Apollonia (Chalcidice)
• Charadrus
• Cleonae (Chalcidice)
• Galepsus
• Mekyberna
• Mende
• Neapolis, Chalcidice
• Olophyxus
• Olynthus
• Palaiochori "Neposi" castle
• Polichne
• Potidaea
• Scione
• Scolus
• Sermylia
• Stageira
• Spartolus
• Thyssus
• Torone

Municipalities

Municipality	YPES code	Seat (if different)	Postal code	Area code
Anthemountas	5201	Galatista	630 73	2371
Arnaia	5202		630 47	2372
Kallikrateia	5204	Nea Kallikrateia	630 80	2399
Kassandra	5205	Kassandreia	630 77	2399
Moudania	5206	Nea Moudania	632 00	2373
Ormylia	5207		630 71	2371
Pallini	5208	Chaniotis	630 85	2374
Panagia	5209	Megali Panagia	620 76	2373
Polygyros	5210		631 00	2371
Sithonia	5211	Nikiti	630 88	2375
Stagira-Akanthos	5212	Ierissos	630 72	2377
Toroni	5213	Sykia	630 72	2375
Triglia	5214	Nea Triglia	630 79	2375
Zervochoria	5203	Palaiochora	630 73	2371

See also: list of settlements in the Chalkidiki prefecture

Notable Chalkidikians

• Paeonius of Mende (late 5th c. BC) sculptor
• Philippus of Mende, student of Plato, astronomer
• Nicomachus, Aristotle's father
• Aristobulus of Cassandreia (375 - 301 BC), historian, architect
• Aristotle (384 BC in Stageira-322 BC), philosopher
• Callisthenes (360-328 BC), historian
• Crates of Olynthus, Alexander's hydraulic engineer
• Andronicus the Olynthian (c.370 BC) Phrourarchus of Tyre,appointed by Antigonus
• Bubalus of Cassandreia 304 BC keles(horse) flat race Lykaia
• Poseidippus of Cassandreia 3th c.BC comic poet
• Erginus (son of Simylus) from Cassandreia, Kitharode winner in Soteria c.260 BC
• Athanasios Stageiritis, Professor of Greek language at the Royal Academy in Vienna. Publisher of the fortnightly literary journal "Kalliope" in Vienna from 1819 to 1821
• Kyrkos Papageorgakis -Revolutionary of 1821
• Sokratis Malamas (1957 in Sykia), singer
• Manolis Mitsias (1944 in Doumpia), singer

References

Chalkidiki

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