THESSALIA - Geography and history
Thessalia occupies the central part of mainland Greece and consists of a low-lying plain surrounded by high mountain ranges. It occupies 14 037 square kilometres. It comprises the nomí of Larisa, Magnisia, Trikala and Karditsa, together with the Northern Sporades group of islands, the largest of which are Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonisos. The other main urban centres are Volos, Karditsa and Trikala.
36% of the area of Thessalia is lowland, 17% is semi-mountainous and 47% is mountainous. Although this is Greece's flattest region, with the country's largest single plain, it also contains the loftiest summit in both Greece and the Balkan Peninsula, Mytikas peak of Mount Olympus (2 917 m), mythological abode of the 12 gods of ancient Greece. The Thessalian plain is crossed by the Pinios, Greece's third longest river, whilst the damming of the Megdovas River has created the Tavropos reservoir, where there is a major hydroelectric power station.
Geographically favourable position
Thessalia is one of the most developed regions in the country. Its population increased from 729 000 in 1990 to 743 000 in the year 2000. This represents 7% of the total national population.
The Thessalian plain is the most extensive in Greece, with considerable farming activity, and main crops include wheat, cotton, maize and sugar beet.
Only 41% of Thessalia's cultivated land is irrigated, and agricultural holdings are small (more than 20% cover an area of less than 5 ha) and highly fragmented. Furthermore, the labour force is underemployed, agricultural machinery underused and land is expensive to buy or lease. As a result, costs in the region are relatively high.
Thessalia's geographical position is a distinct asset. Its agricultural produce can be transported readily and quickly to the large urban centres of consumption such as Athens and Thessaloniki.
Substantial agricultural output and a sound transportation network have prompted the development of industries processing agricultural products (e.g. cotton ginning, spinning, weaving, flour milling, sugar refining, pulp mills, etc.).
Larisa and Volos as centres of development
Thessalia's economic development has centred chiefly around the cities of Larisa and Volos, each of which has its own character and pattern of activity. There is a high level of manufacturing activity in Volos, which has attracted heavy industry and has also traditionally been a centre of general and mechanical engineering. Larisa has industrial activities linked directly to agriculture, with a large number of factories processing agricultural produce.
In the western part of the region (Trikala, Karditsa), economic activity is centred on agriculture and livestock rearing, with only a few small industries processing agricultural produce. The per-capita GDP of this area is well below that of the nomi in the eastern part of the region. The eastern part of the region is the focus of considerable tourist activity.
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