Arta (regional unit) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arta Περιφερειακή ενότητα Άρτας
Regional unit
Municipalities of Arta
Arta within Greece
Country	Greece
Region	Epirus
Capital	Arta
Area
• Total	1,662 km2 (642 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	67,877
• Density	40.841/km2 (105.78/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal codes	47x xx
Area codes	268x0
ISO 3166 code	GR-31
Car plates	ΑΤ

Arta (Greek: Περιφερειακή ενότητα Άρτας) is a special area in Greece, like a county or a province. It is part of the Epirus region. The main town and capital of Arta is also called Arta.

Geography of Arta

The Arta region is located north of the Ambracian Gulf. It has several mountain ranges, including the Athamanika in the northeast and the Pindus mountains in the east. There is only one mountain road that connects Arta to the Pineios valley and Thessaly.

In the western part of Arta, there are flat areas where people farm. Arta shares its borders with other Greek regions. These include Preveza to the west, Ioannina to the north, and Trikala and Karditsa to the east. To the south, it borders Aetolia-Acarnania.

The main rivers flowing through Arta are the Acheloos in the east, the Arachthos in the middle, and the Louros in the west. Most people in Arta live in the western part, especially in the valley of the Arachthos river. The mountain areas like Athamanika and Valtou have fewer people.

How Arta is Governed

The regional unit of Arta is divided into four main areas called municipalities. Think of these as smaller local governments within the larger Arta region.

These four municipalities are:

• Arta (1)
• Central Tzoumerka (Kentrika Tzoumerka, 3)
• Georgios Karaiskakis (2)
• Nikolaos Skoufas (4)

Changes in Local Government

Arta first became a "prefecture" (a type of administrative area) in 1882. Later, in 2011, the Greek government made some big changes. The old prefecture of Arta was changed into the "regional unit" of Arta, which is what it is called today. The area covered by Arta stayed the same.

At the same time, the municipalities within Arta were reorganized. This means some smaller old municipalities were combined to form the new, larger ones you see today.

Images of regional unit

Here is how the old municipalities were grouped into the new ones:

History of Arta

Arta was once a very important city in the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Despotate of Epirus, which was a Greek state that existed after the Byzantine Empire.

In 1881, the area of Arta became part of Greece. This happened after an agreement called the Convention of Constantinople, following the Congress of Berlin in 1878. Before that, it was part of the Ottoman Empire.

A very famous landmark in Arta is the Old Bridge. This historic bridge crosses the Arachthos river and is a symbol of the area.

Transportation in Arta

Arta has important roads that help people travel around. One of the first parts of the Ionia Odos motorway was built around Arta in 1997. This motorway connects Ioannina with Patras and Kalamata.

The main highways in Arta are:

• Greek National Road 5/E55, which runs through the south, center, and west.
• Greek National Road 21, in the west.
• Greek National Road 30, in the center and east.

Sporting Teams

• Anagennisi Artas

Famous People from Arta

Many notable people have come from the Arta region throughout history:

• Pyrrhus (318 BC-272 BC): A famous general and king of Epirus.
• Epicrates of Ambracia: A comic poet from the 4th century BC.
• Silanus of Ambracia
• Epigonus of Ambracia: A musician from the 6th-5th century BC.
• Georgios Karaiskakis: A general who fought in the Greek War of Independence (1796-1827).
• Maximus the Greek (c. 1475-1556): A writer, scholar, and translator.
• Napoleon Zervas (1891–1957)
• Theodoros Tzinis
• Nikolaos Skoufas
• Yannis Makriyannis
• Kostas Kristallis: A poet.
• Yiannis Moralis (1916): A painter.
• Antonios Nikopolidis (1971): A famous footballer.
• Yannis Anastasiou (1973): A footballer.
• Nikos Rizos (1924 - April 20, 1999): An actor.

See Also

In Spanish: Unidad periférica de Arta para niños

• List of settlements in the Arta regional unit