Geographic regions of Greece

The traditional geographic regions of Greece (Greek: γεωγραφικά διαμερίσματα, lit. 'geographic departments') are the country's main historical-geographic regions, and were also official administrative regional subdivisions of Greece until the 1987 administrative reform.[1] Despite their replacement as first-level administrative units by only partly identical administrative regions (Greek: περιφέρειες), the nine traditional geographic regions—six on the mainland and three island groups—are still widely referred to in unofficial contexts and in daily discourse.

As of 2011, the official administrative divisions of Greece consist of 13 regions (Greek: περιφέρειες)—nine on the mainland and four island groups—which are further subdivided into 74 regional units and 325 municipalities. Formerly, there were also 54 prefectures or prefectural-level administrations.

Geographic region	Post-1987 administrative region(s)	Map
Aegean Islands	split into North Aegean, South Aegean	Map showing Regions of Greece
Central Greece	split into Attica, Central Greece, part of Western Greece
Crete	identical
Epirus	identical
Ionian Islands	identical, apart from Kythira, which became part of Attica
Macedonia[2]	split into Western Macedonia, Central Macedonia, part of East Macedonia and Thrace
Peloponnese	split into Peloponnese, part of Western Greece
Thessaly	identical
Thrace	merged into East Macedonia and Thrace

See also

• Regions of ancient Greece

Notes

1. Π.Δ. 51/87 "Καθορισμός των Περιφερειών της Χώρας για το σχεδιασμό κ.λ.π. της Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης" (Determination of the Regions of the Country for the planning etc. of regional development, ΦΕΚ A 26/06.03.1987
2. In Macedonia there is one autonomous region, Mount Athos (Ayion Oros, or "Holy Mountain"), a monastic state under Greek sovereignty. It is located on the easternmost of the three large peninsulas jutting into the Aegean from the Macedonian mainland.