Western Thrace

The northern Greek geographical region ( geografikó diamerisma γεωγραφικό διαμέρισμα ) Thrace (sometimes Thrace; Greek Thrace Θράκη ), also Western Thrace ( Bulgarian Trakia Zapadna Западна Тракия, Turkish Trakya Batı, Bulg also Belomorska Trakia Беломорска Тракия, Aegean Thrace ), or Greek Thrace is part of the historical region of Thrace.

Largest city and economic center of the region is Komotini.

Geography

The Greek region of Thrace occupies the western part of the geographical- historical landscape Thrace. Today it has a population of 362 038 inhabitants ( 2001 ) and an area of ​​8578 km ². It extends over the three Greek regional districts Evros with the island of Samothrace, Rodopi and Xanthi.

Thrace is bordered on the north by Bulgaria, on the west by the Greek region of Macedonia and in the south to the Mediterranean. The Evros ( Greek: Hebrus, neugriech. Evros, bulgar. Mariza, Turkish Meric ) separates from the Western Thrace Turkish Thrace to the east. (See Eastern Thrace )

History

See Thrace ( Landscape)

Attractions

General Thrace is touristy little developed and is seen next to the Epirus as an insider tip for individual tourism in Greece. As one of Europe's oldest cultural landscapes, it was once known for its philosophers. In the big cities you can find very well-maintained museums everywhere. Anywhere in Thrace, you can reach the remains of ancient cultures and historic places. Many of them are poorly understood and little is known.

Population

In Greek Thrace now live 362 038 inhabitants ( 2001 ), the majority of Greeks, many of them descendants of the displaced in the years 1914-1917 Greeks from Eastern Thrace ( European Turkey ). Furthermore, individuals from the population exchange under the Treaty of Lausanne (1923 ), ie Greeks from the Pontus, Anatolia and Asia Minor, as well as a number of Russia - Greeks who were settled in the 1990s. The latter are, however, lack of jobs in the region, largely drawn in the metropolitan areas.

The rest of the population Westthrakiens represent primarily Turks and Pomaks, which are recorded in the statistics along with the Muslim Roma only as Muslim residents Westthrakiens. Greece based this imprecise nature of the data collection to the Treaty of Lausanne. According to a study by the Athens Academy, there were 105,000 Muslims in Western Thrace in 1995. The Greek Embassy Berlin, however, are a number of Muslims in Western Thrace to 120,000.

In general, the region in the past had (regardless of race ) to be suffering from depopulation, as this was an economic and political fringe. Today, far more Thracians living abroad than in the region itself but give hope opening the border to Bulgaria, as well as the closer economic exchange between Greece and neighboring Turkey.

Cities and towns Westthrakiens

See also List of Thracian cities The most important cities of the region are: