Grevena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grevena Γρεβενά Grebini
Central square (Emilianou square)
Grevena Location in Greece
Country	Greece
Geographic region	Macedonia
Administrative region	Western Macedonia
Regional unit	Grevena
Area
• Municipality	1,859.9 km2 (718.1 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	461.4 km2 (178.1 sq mi)
Elevation	530 m (1,740 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Municipality	21,421
• Municipality density	11.5173/km2 (29.8296/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	15,716
• Municipal unit density	34.062/km2 (88.219/sq mi)
Community
• Population	12,515 (2021)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	511 00
Area code(s)	24620
Vehicle registration	ΡΝ
Website	www.dimosgrevenon.gr

Grevena (pronounced Greh-veh-NAH) is a town and a municipality in northern Greece. It is the main city of the Grevena region, located in Western Macedonia. As of 2021, about 12,515 people live in the town. The wider municipality has a population of 21,421.

Grevena is about 420 kilometers (260 miles) from Athens and 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Thessaloniki. Since the early 2000s, the town has been connected to the A2 motorway, also known as Egnatia Odos. This important road links Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki and Alexandroupoli, near the border with Turkey. Grevena is surrounded by mountains and sits by the Greveniotikos river, which flows into the Aliakmon river. You can also find the Grevena Municipal Museum in the town.

History of Grevena

Life Under Ottoman Rule

Photo of Grevena in 1900 by Manakis brothers

For a long time, Grevena was part of the Ottoman Empire. During this period, it was a small center for government and military activities. In 1900, people from different backgrounds lived in Grevena. These included Greek Christians, Turks, Greek Muslims, Aromanians, and Romani.

Grevena was a diverse town, and some of its Muslim residents spoke Greek. After a population exchange between Greece and Turkey in the 1920s, many Greek refugee families moved to Grevena. These families came from areas like East Thrace, Asia Minor, and Pontus.

Over time, many of the old Ottoman buildings in Grevena disappeared. A mosque and a religious school (madrasa) were present until the population exchange, but they were later destroyed. Another mosque was turned into a church in 1927, but it was also later taken down to build the Church of Agios Achillios.

Earthquakes in Grevena

Grevena has experienced some earthquakes, but thankfully, they haven't caused much harm to people. On May 13, 1995, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 hit the area. However, it only caused damage to buildings. Before the main quake, two smaller tremors happened, which warned people to leave their houses. Because everyone was outside, no one was hurt, even though many houses in nearby villages collapsed.

Later, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake occurred on January 5, 2005, and a 5.4 magnitude earthquake on July 17, 2007. These also caused very little or no damage, mostly affecting some older buildings in villages northeast of Grevena.

How Grevena is Organized

Grevena Municipality

Map of Grevena municipality

Map of Grevena municipal unit

The municipality of Grevena was created in 2011 by combining 13 smaller areas. These areas used to be separate municipalities, but now they are called municipal units. The municipal units that make up Grevena are:

• Agios Kosmas
• Dotsiko
• Filippaioi
• Gorgiani
• Grevena
• Irakleotes
• Mesolouri
• Samarina
• Smixi
• Theodoros Ziakas
• Ventzio

Grevena Municipal Unit

The municipal unit of Grevena is further divided into smaller communities. These communities include:

• Agioi Theodoroi
• Amygdalies
• Elatos
• Elefthero
• Felli
• Kalochi
• Kyrakali
• Megalo Seirini
• Myrsina
• Rodia
• Megaro
• Vatolakkos

Grevena Community

The community of Grevena itself is made up of three different settlements:

• Doxaras (with a population of 190 in 2021)
• Grevena (the main town, with a population of 12,293)
• Kalamitsi (with a population of 30)

Education in Grevena

Grevena is home to two departments of the university of Western Macedonia. Students can study Statistics and Insurance Science, or Business Administration here.

Grevena's Economy

The area around Grevena is known for its large production of mushrooms. These mushrooms are often collected in the Valia Calda area. Grevena is also where a special type of cheese called Anevato is made.

Climate in Grevena

Grevena has a climate that is like a mix of Mediterranean and continental weather. This means there are big changes between daytime and nighttime temperatures. Winters are cold with snow, while summers are hot during the day and cool at night.

Population Over Time

Here's how the population of Grevena has changed over the years:

Notable People from Grevena

Many interesting people have come from Grevena, including:

• Theodoros Ziakas, a fighter in the Greek revolution
• Konstantinos Dimidis, a printer, gunsmith, and fighter in the Greek revolution
• Charissios Tziogas, another fighter in the Greek revolution
• Nicolaos Tsolakis, a leader in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia
• Nicolaos Zamkinos, also a leader in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia
• Georgios Boussios, a fighter in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia and a politician
• Kostas Koutsomytis, a director
• Kostas Papanikolaou, a former NBA basketball player
• Miltiadis Tentoglou, an Olympic and European champion long jumper
• Eva Chantava, a volleyball player

See also

In Spanish: Grevená (ciudad) para niños