Chalcis

Chalcis Χαλκίς
Chalcis' seafront
Chalcis
Location within the region
Coordinates: 38°28′N 23°36′E / 38.467°N 23.600°E / 38.467; 23.600Coordinates: 38°28′N 23°36′E / 38.467°N 23.600°E / 38.467; 23.600
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Central Greece
Regional unit	Euboea
Area
• Municipality	424.77 km2 (164.00 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	30.80 km2 (11.89 sq mi)
Highest elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)
• Municipality	102,223
• Municipality density	240/km2 (620/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	59,125
• Municipal unit density	1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	341 00
Area code(s)	22210
Vehicle registration	ΧΑ
Website	www.dimos-xalkideon.gr

Chalcis (/ˈkælsᵻs/;Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: Χαλκίς, Chalkís) or Chalkida (Modern Greek: Χαλκίδα, [xalˈciða]) is the chief town of the island of Euboea in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from antiquity and is derived from the Greek (copper, bronze), though there is no trace of any mines in the area. In the late Middle Ages, it was known as Negropont, a name that was applied to the entire island of Euboea as well.

The earliest recorded mention of Chalcis is in the Iliad, where it is mentioned in the same line as its rival Eretria. It is also documented that the ships set for the Trojan War gathered at Aulis, the south bank of the strait nearby the city. Chamber tombs at Trypa and Vromousa dated to the Mycenaean period were excavated by Papavasiliou in 1910. In the 8th and 7th centuries BC, colonists from Chalcis founded thirty townships on the peninsula of Chalcidice and several important cities in Magna Graecia, such as Naxos, Rhegion and Cumae. Its mineral produce, metal-work, purple and pottery not only found markets among these settlements, but were distributed over the Mediterranean in the ships of Corinth and Samos.