Almyros
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Almyros Αλμυρός |
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Almyros municipality (red and pink) and municipal unit (red)
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 Almyros
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Location within the region
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| Coordinates: 39°10.8′N 22°45.6′E / 39.1800°N 22.7600°ECoordinates: 39°10.8′N 22°45.6′E / 39.1800°N 22.7600°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Thessaly |
| Regional unit | Magnesia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dimitrios Eseridis |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 905.4 km2 (349.6 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 473.9 km2 (183.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 70 m (230 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Municipality | 18,614 |
| • Municipality density | 21/km2 (53/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 12,678 |
| • Municipal unit density | 27/km2 (69/sq mi) |
| Community | |
| • Population | 8,220 (2011) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 371 00 |
| Area code(s) | 24220 |
| Vehicle registration | ΒΟ |
| Website | almyros-city.gr |
Almyros or Halmyros (Greek: Αλμυρός, which means salty) is a town and a municipality of the regional unit of Magnesia, region of Thessaly, Greece. It lies in the center of prosperous fertile plain known as 'Krokio Pedio', which is crossed by torrents. Almyros is an important agricultural and commercial center of Magnesia, and is also developing as a tourist center for the area. The main agricultural products are tomatoes, cotton, wheat, almonds, peanuts and pistachio nuts.
The history of Almyros begins with the ancient city of Alos (about 10 km south of Almyros), the ruins of which can still be visited. Alos was a very important and populous town, famous for its port and for its role in the Persian Wars. After the Byzantine Empire, because of pirate raids, they built the town in the place that it is today.
Halmyros was the site of the decisive Battle of Halmyros on 15 March 1311, where the Catalan Company shattered the assembled feudal armies of Frankish Greece and conquered the Duchy of Athens.
In 1838, the settlement was described as being "a Turkish town, situated on the western coast of the Pagasitic Gulf, half an hour's journey inland, on the Plain of Krokios, and consisting of some 300 dwellings. It is chiefly inhabited by Turks, with only a few Christian settlers, who cultivate the lands of the Turks residing there". The Ottoman Empire ceded most of Thessaly in 1881, followed by development and repopulation by Greeks.
In 1980 a catastrophic magnitude 6.5 earthquake destroyed most of the town.
The municipality Almyros was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:
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Wikipedia