Aetolia-Acarnania ( el, Αιτωλοακαρνανία, ''Aitoloakarnanía'', ) is one of the

regional units of Greece The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level Administrative divisions of Greece, administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 Modern reg ...

. It is part of the

geographic region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

Central Greece Continental Greece ( el, Στερεά Ελλάδα, Stereá Elláda; formerly , ''Chérsos Ellás''), colloquially known as Roúmeli (Ρούμελη), is a traditional geographic region of Greece. In English, the area is usually called Central ...

and the administrative region of

West Greece Western Greece Region ( el, Περιφέρεια Δυτικής Ελλάδας, translit=Periféria Dhitikís Elládhas, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It comprises the western part of continental Greece and the north ...

. A combination of the historical regions of

Aetolia Aetolia ( el, Αἰτωλία, Aἰtōlía) is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania. Geography The Achelous River separates Aetolia ...

and Acarnania, it is the country's largest regional unit. Its capital is

Missolonghi Missolonghi or Messolonghi ( el, Μεσολόγγι, ) is a municipality of 34,416 people (according to the 2011 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis ...

for historical reasons, with its biggest city and economic centre at

Agrinio Agrinio ( Greek: Αγρίνιο, , Latin: ''Agrinium'') is the largest city of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit of Greece and its largest municipality, with 106,053 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its c ...

. The area is now connected with the Peloponnese peninsula via the Rio-Antirio Bridge. The surrounding regional units take in Arta in

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...

, a narrow length bordering

Karditsa Karditsa ( el, Καρδίτσα ) is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa regional unit of region of Thessaly. Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BC. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the ...

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, The ...

Evrytania Evrytania ( el, Ευρυτανία, ; Latin: ''Eurytania'') is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Karpenisi (approx. 8,000 inhabitants). Geography Evrytania is almost entirely formed ...

to the northeast, and

Phocis Phocis ( el, Φωκίδα ; grc, Φωκίς) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. It stretches from the western mountainsides of Parnassus on the east to the mountain range of Var ...

to the east.

Geography

Mountains dominate the north, northeast, west and southeast, especially the Acarnanian Mountains. The longest and main river is the Acheloos, which ends as a delta in wetlands to the southwest on a rich fertile valley. The second longest is

Evinos The Evinos ( el, Εύηνος) is a river in western Greece, flowing into the Gulf of Patras. Its source is in the northern Vardousia mountains, near the village Artotina, Phocis. The river flows in a generally southwestern direction, for most o ...

; others include the Ermitsa, the Inachos, and the

Mornos The Mornos ( el, Μόρνος) is a river in Phocis and Aetolia-Acarnania in Greece. It is long. Its source is in the southwestern part of the Oiti mountains, near the village Mavrolithari, Phocis. It flows towards the south, and enters the Morno ...

(on the border with Phocis). The regional unit excludes the islands lying to its west, since they belong to the Kefalonia and

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

regional units. There is one reservoir and a lake in its central part. The many mountains of the area span the

Panaitoliko Panaitoliko (Greek: Παναιτωλικό) is a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrinio Agrinio ( Greek: Αγρίνιο, , Latin: ''Agrinium'') ...

toward the northeast and the

Acarnanian Mountains The Acarnanian Mountains ( el, Ακαρνανικά όρη, ''Akarnanika ori'') is a mountain range in the northwestern part of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit in western Greece. It stretches from the village Monastiraki, near Vonitsa, in the ...

, the Valtou and the Makrynoros mountains in the north, the Nafpaktia Mountains in the southeast, the

Arakynthos Arakynthos (Greek language, Greek: Αράκυνθος) is a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrinio, of ...

and Kravara in the south. Lakes include the Amvrakia, the

Lysimachia ''Lysimachia'' () is a genus consisting of 193 accepted species of flowering plants traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae. Based on a molecular phylogenetic study it was transferred to the family Myrsinaceae, before this family wa ...

Ozeros Lake Ozeros ( el, Οζερός, Λίμνη Οζερού) is a lake located west of the Greek city of Agrinio. The lake has its own catchment area but is sometimes connected to the waters of the Acheloos river, flowing from the northwest, when the ...

, and Trichonida, and artificial lakes and reservoirs include Kastraki, Kremasta, the largest lake in Greece since its creation in 1970, and Stratos. Two lagoons are found in the southern part of the regional unit: the Messolongi and the

Aitoliko Aitoliko (Greek: Αιτωλικό) is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Messolonghi, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit ...

. The lowest altitude in Greece is found in west Aetolia-Acarnania at about -10 meters from the sea level.

Climate

Its climate ranges from hot and humid summers, with temperatures often surpassing 40 °C, to mild and short winters in the low-lying areas, with cool winters dominating in the mountain areas. At the highest elevations, summers are cool, and snow and cold weather dominate the winter months in the Panaitoliko.

History

Ancient era

Byzantine era

Ottoman era

During the

Ottoman period The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, between the 16th century until the Greek War of Independence, the region was called

Karleli Karli-Eli ( gr, Κάρλελι, ''Karleli''; tr, Karlıeli), also Karli-Ili or Karlo-Ili, was the Ottoman name for the region of Aetolia-Acarnania in western Greece, which formed a distinct administrative unit ('' sanjak'' or '' liva'') from the ...

and formed a province (''

sanjak Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ) * Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province") * Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region") * el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...

'') in the

Rumelia Eyalet The Eyalet of Rumeli, or Eyalet of Rumelia ( ota, ایالت روم ایلی, ), known as the Beylerbeylik of Rumeli until 1591, was a first-level province ('' beylerbeylik'' or ''eyalet'') of the Ottoman Empire encompassing most of the Balkans (" ...

Modern Aetolia-Acarnania

Aetolia and Acarnania became a prefecture and merged to form Aetolia-Acarnania after the Greek War of Independence in the late-1820s; the prefecture included

at the time, and it ranked second largest in Greece. Evrytania separated from the prefecture in 1948. In the 20th century, ferry services between

Rio Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

and the Peloponnese began. and in the 1950s and the 1960s ferry services began to incorporate vehicles. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος}, ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom and ...

a number of buildings needed to be repaired. A drawbridge linking the island of Lefkada began in the 1960s. The prefecture's first reservoir, the

Acheloos Dam Acheloos (ancient Greek: Ἀχελῷος) may refer to: * Achelous River, a major river in Greece * Achelous River (disambiguation), other rivers of the name in Greece * Achelous In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Achelous (also Achel ...

over the Acheloos was under construction in 1967 and completed in the early 1970s delivering water and hydro to western part of Greece, villages were relocated at the time. Two more dams were added, the Stratos Hydroelectric Dam in the 1980s and another in the late-1980s.

Transportation

The following years, GR-5 bypassed Messolonghi and Agrinion and GR-38 became connected with paved road with Eurytania and Phthiotida. In the late-1980s, the by-pass of Naupaktos began construction but after paving the road, the signs did not appear and until 1998, it was left unopened. In 1999, the road was re-repaired and finally opened to traffic. In 2000, the construction of the Rio-Antirio or the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge connecting the Peloponnese began construction and was opened to traffic in August 2004. The superhighway, the

Ionia Odos The Greek Motorway 5 ( el, Αυτοκινητόδρομος 5; code: A5) is a motorway in Greece. The motorway, commonly referred to as Ionia Odos ( el, Ιόνια Οδός) or Ionia Motorway, starts at Ioannina and it follows the western coastlin ...

(Ionian Motorway) which will run centrally bypassing communities began construction in 2001 at a part between Messolonghi and the curve, this section remains to be unpaved, the rest of the highway is in plan but the opening date is not yet set. A railway formally served the places from Kryoneri and

and served with the ferry with

. In the 1980s, the service came to an end. *

Greek National Road 5 National Road 5 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 5, abbreviated as EO5) is a single carriageway road in western Greece. It connects Antirrio, at the north end of the Rio-Antirrio bridge, with Ioannina in northwestern Greece, passing through Agrinio a ...

/ E55, SE, S, Cen., N *

Greek National Road 38 National Road 38 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 38, abbreviated as EO38) is a single carriageway road in western and central Greece. It connects Thermo with Lamia, via Agrinio and Karpenisi. It passes through the regional units Aetolia-Acarnania ...

, Cen., NE *

Greek National Road 42 National Road 42 () is a highway in northwestern Aetolia-Acarnania and in Lefkada, Greece. It links the town of Lefkada with the Greek National Road 5 (Antirrio - Arta - Ioannina) in Amfilochia, passing through the town of Vonitsa. The easter ...

, N, NW *

Greek National Road 48 National Road 48 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 48, abbreviated as EO48) is a single carriageway road in central Greece. It connects the Greek National Road 5 at Antirrio with the town Livadeia, passing through Naupactus and Delphi. The section be ...

/ E65, SE *Road linking Agios Nikolaos, Astakos and Aitolikon, NW, W, SW, S

Population history

*1981: 218,362 *1991: 230,688 *2001: 224,429 *2011: 210,802

Administration

Amfilochia, Etolio-Acarnania prefecture, Greece - City at night

Etoliko, Etolia-Acarnania, Greece - View on city with bridges

The regional unit Aetolia-Acarnania is subdivided into 7 municipalities. These are (number in parenthesis corresponds to number in the infobox's map): *

(2) *

Aktio-Vonitsa Aktio–Vonitsa ( el, Άκτιο-Βόνιτσα) is a municipality in the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit of the West Greece region of Greece. Its seat is the town of Vonitsa. The municipality has an area of 660.172 km2. Municipality The mu ...

(3) *

Amfilochia Amfilochia ( el, Αμφιλοχία) is a town and a municipality in the northwestern part of Aetolia-Acarnania in Greece, on the site of ancient Amfilochia. Under the Ottoman Empire, it was known as Karvasaras (Καρβασαράς; from ''car ...

(4) *

Messolonghi Missolonghi or Messolonghi ( el, Μεσολόγγι, ) is a municipality of 34,416 people (according to the 2011 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis ...

(1) *

Nafpaktia Nafpaktia ( el, Ναυπακτία), Latinized Naupactia, is the historical name for the region around the port town of Nafpaktos (Naupactus) in Central Greece. It is also the name of a municipality in the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, West G ...

(6) * Thermo (5) *

Xiromero Xiromero municipality ( el, Δήμος Ξηρομέρου) is a municipality in the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, West Greece region, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Astakos. Its borders do not coincide with the historical regi ...

(7)

Prefecture

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Aetolia-Acarnania was created out of the former prefecture Aetolia-Acarnania ( el, Νομός Αιτωλοακαρνανίας). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.

Provinces

*Province of

- Messolonghi/Messolongi *Province of

- Nafpaktos *Province of Trichonida - Agrinio *Province of Valtos - Amfilochia *Province of

Vonitsa Vonitsa ( el, Βόνιτσα) is a town in the northwestern part of Aetolia-Acarnania in Greece, seat of the municipality of Aktio-Vonitsa. Population 4,916 (2011). The beach town is situated on the south coast of the Ambracian Gulf, and is domina ...

- Vonitsa ''Note:'' Provinces no longer hold any legal status in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

People

Stratos Apostolakis Stratos Apostolakis ( el, Στράτος Αποστολάκης; born 17 May 1964), nicknamed The Turbo, is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a defender or a defensive midfielder. Career Apostolakis was no stranger to contro ...

- footballer *

Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas Georgios Athanasiadis–Novas ( el, Γεώργιος Αθανασιάδης-Νόβας) (February 9, 1893 – August 10, 1987) was a Greek poet, lawyer and politician who served as Prime Minister for one month in 1965. Born in Nafpaktos, he obta ...

- a former Greek

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

* Filipos Darlas, footballer * Ioannis Kalogeras *

Christos Kapralos Christos Kapralos (Greek: Χρήστος Καπράλος, 1909 – 20 January 1993) was a Greece, Greek artist of the 20th century. He was born in Panaitolio (or Moustafouli) in the former municipality of Thesties (now part of the municipalit ...

, writer *

Pavlos Karakostas Pavlos Karakostas (Παύλος Καρακώστας, 1937-2002) was a Greece, Greek author from Perdikaki Valtou (Acarnania - Greece). He was a qualified teacher and served as a School Master and later as a School Adviser in Athens. He also studie ...

Pantelis Karasevdas Pantelis Karasevdas ( el, Παντελής Καρασεβδάς; 1877 – 14 March 1946) was a Greek sport shooter. He was a member of Panachaikos Gymnastikos Syllogos, that merged in 1923 with Gymnastiki Etaireia Patron to become Panachai ...

Michalis Kousis Michalis Koussis (Greek: Μιχάλης Κούσης; 10 October 1953 – 24 May 2005) was a Greek Olympian Marathon and long-distance runner. Koussis was born in 1953 in Agrinio in Aetolia-Acarnania, western Greece. He was an athlete of the Ag ...

Nikolaos Makris Nikolaos Makris ( el, Νικόλαος Μακρής, 1829–1911) was a Hellenic Army General and politician. Nikolaos Makris was born in Missolonghi in 1829. He was the son of Dimitrios Makris, a military leader during the Greek War of Indepe ...

Aristidis Moschos Aristeidis Moschos (Greek: Αριστείδης Μόσχος; 1930 – 8 November 2001) was a Greek player and teacher of the santouri. Biography Moschos was born in Agrinio, a city in the Aitoloakarnania district. He was fifth in a family of t ...

, musician *

Andreas Panagopoulos Andreas Panagopoulos ( el, Ανδρέας Παναγόπουλος, 1883 - 1952) was a Greek politician and four times mayor of Agrinio, being considered one of the city's most important mayors. He was born in Agrinio in 1883 and to Anastasis Pana ...

* Thodoros Papadimitriou * Pythagoras Papastamatiou, director *

Evangelos Papastratos Evangelos Papastratos ( el, Ευάγγελος Παπαστράτος, 1910 – 1998) was a Greek businessman born in the city of Agrinio in Aetolia-Acarnania, Greece. Although the youngest of his brothers, he was the first in his family to becom ...

* Loukia Pistiola, actress *

Charilaos Trikoupis Charilaos Trikoupis ( el, Χαρίλαος Τρικούπης; 11 July 1832 – 30 March 1896) was a Greek politician who served as a Prime Minister of Greece seven times from 1875 until 1895. He is best remembered for introducing the vote of c ...

- a former Greek Prime Minister *

Spyridon Trikoupis Spiridon Trikoupis ( el, Σπυρίδων Τρικούπης; 20 April 1788 – 24 February 1873) was a Greek statesman, diplomat, author and orator. He was the first Prime Minister of Greece (1833) and member of provisional governments of Greece ...

- a former Greek Prime Minister *

Dimitrios Valvis Dimitrios Valvis (Δημήτριος Βάλβης; 1808 or 1814Zinovios Valvis - a former Greek Prime Minister *

Yannis Yfantis Yannis Yfantis is a Greek poet who is awarded with the Cavafy Award. He was born in 1949 in Raina near Agrinio in Aetolia-Acarnania. He was presented to the Thessaloniki Public Broadcasting with ''Elliniki kai pagkosmia poiisi'' (''Ελληνι ...

- poet *Panagiotis Kontos - a former General Secretary of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Communications

Radio

Agrinio 93.7 FM Agrinio (Greek: Αγρίνιο, , Latin: ''Agrinium'') is the largest city of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit of Greece and its largest municipality, with 106,053 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its cap ...

* Dytika FM * Stereo Channel * Akarnania Radio

Television

Acheloos TV Acheloos Television (Greek: Αχελώος Τηλεόραση) is a Greek local radio and television station serving the central and western Aetolia-Acarnania. Its headquarters are in the city of Agrinio. It broadcasts in Epirus, western Central G ...

- Agrinion *Lychnos, UHF channel 32 (religious), broadcasting from Nafpaktos * Lepanto Tv - Nafpaktos *

Ν TV Nu ( ell, νι ''ni'' ) is the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet (uppercase Ν, lowercase ν), representing the voiced alveolar nasal . In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 50. It is derived from the ancient Phoenician language nun ...

- Agrinion

Newspapers

*
29Dytika
' *'' Akarnania'' *'' En Bambini'' - Bambini *
Nea Epohi
' *'' Vela''

Sporting teams

Panetolikos Panetolikos Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ Παναιτωλικός), or with its full name Panetolikós Yimnastikós Filekpedeftikós Síllogos ( el, Παναιτωλικός Γυμναστικός Φιλεκπαιδευτικός Σύλλογος'' ...

Agrinion Agrinio (Greek: Αγρίνιο, , Latin: ''Agrinium'') is the largest city of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit of Greece and its largest municipality, with 106,053 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its cap ...

, Super League *

Nafpaktiakos Asteras F.C. Nafpaktiakos Asteras ( el, Π.Α.Σ. Ναυπακτιακός Αστέρας) is a Greek football club based in the town of Nafpaktos, Greece. History It was formed by the conjunction of two former clubs of the city: Nafpaktiakos and Asteras Naf ...

Nafpaktos Nafpaktos ( el, Ναύπακτος) is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, situated on a bay on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, west of the mouth of the river Mornos. It is named for Naupaktos (, Latini ...

, Local Championship *

AE Messologiou AE, Ae, ae, Æ or æ may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''A.E.'' (video game), 1982 * ''Ae'' (film), a 2022 Sri Lankan film * Autechre, an electronic music group * ''L'Année épigraphique'', a French publication on epigraphy * ''Encyclo ...

- Mesologgi, fourth division * Thyella Paravolas -

Paravola Paravola (Greek: Παραβόλα) is a village and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrinio Agrinio ( Greek: Αγρίνιο, , Latin: ''Agriniu ...

, Local Championship * Amfilochos -

, Fourth Division *

Aris Aris or ARIS may refer to: People * Aris (surname) Given name * Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer * Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player * Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano * Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter * Aris Howard, Former President of the Jama ...

- Etoliko, Local Championship

References

External links

Etoloakarnania's News PortalStructurae on AitoloakarnaniaSociety of Agrinio’s Youth and Students in AthensKatafigio Nafpaktias(Mountainous Nafpaktia)Katafygion Nafpaktias
{{Authority control Prefectures of Greece 1833 establishments in Greece Regional units of Western Greece