Epirus

Epirus (Greek Ήπειρος, Ípeiros; see also List of traditional Greek place names), is a province or periphery in northwestern Greece, bounded by West Macedonia and Thessaly to the east, by the province of Sterea Ellada (Central Greece) to the south, the Ionian Sea and the Ionian Islands to the west and Albania to the north. Epirus is divided into the prefectures, called nomoi, of Arta, Ioannina, Preveza and Thesprotia. The province has an area of 9,450 sq km and a population of about 350,000. Its capital and largest city is Ioannina, pop. 100,000. The population includes one of Greece's largest concentrations of Vlachs.

Related Topics:
Greek - List of traditional Greek place names - Periphery - Greece - West Macedonia - Thessaly - Sterea Ellada - Ionian Sea - Ionian Islands - Albania - Nomoi - Arta - Ioannina - Preveza - Thesprotia - Ioannina - Vlachs

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Historically, Epirus extended further north into what is now southern Albania. There is a Greek minority in southern Albania, which Greeks call North Epirus. Greece maintained a territorial claim to southern Albania for many years, but today both countries recognise the current border. Greece's main concern currently is the illegal immigration of Albanians seeking work in Greece.

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Epirus is largely made up of mountainous ridges, part of the Dinaric Alps, that in places reach 2,650 m. In the east, the Pindus Mountains that form the spine of mainland Greece separate Epirus from Macedonia and Thessaly. Most of Epirus lies on the windward side of the Pindus. The winds from the Ionian Sea offer the region more rainfall than any other part of Greece. Tobacco is grown around Ioannina, and there is also some dairy farming and fishing, but most of the area's food must be imported from other richer regions of Greece. The population is concentrated in the area around Ioannina, which has some manufacturing and service industries. Despite its many attractions, Epirus has not experienced the tourist boom enjoyed by other parts of Greece.

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The Climate of Epirus is mainly Alpine. The vegetation is made up mainly of coniferous species. The animal life is specially rich in this area and features among others bears, wolves, foxes, deers and lynxes.

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