Drama ( el, Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Δράμας, ''Perifereiakí Enótita Drámas'') 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 units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into munici ...

. It is part of the

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 an ...

of East Macedonia and Thrace. Its capital is the town of

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

. The regional unit is the northernmost within the geographical region of Macedonia and the westernmost in the administrative region of East Macedonia and Thrace. The northern border with

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

is formed by the

Rhodope Mountains The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...

Geography

The northern part of the regional unit, bordering Bulgaria, is very mountainous. The main mountain ranges are Orvilos ( bg, Славянка - Slavyanka) in the northwest,

Falakro Falakro Oros ( Greek: Φαλακρό όρος, translated in English as: "Bald mountain"; bg, Боздаг, ''Bozdag''; Turkish: ''Bozdağ'', translated in English as: "Gray mountain") is a mountain in the Drama regional unit, eastern Greek M ...

in the north (at 2232m the highest point of the regional unit), the western

in the northeast (including mounts Frakto, Elatia, Koula etc.) and Menoikio in the southwest. The Nestos is the longest river, flowing in the northeast. The northern portion holds a unique treasure known as

Karantere Elatia or Karantere ( el, Ελατιά or ''Καρά Ντερέ'') is a mostly forested mountain area located in the central and northern parts of the Drama regional unit (and partially Kavala regional unit) in Greek Macedonia that extends along ...

(or Forest of Elatia). Drama is surrounded by the regional units of Xanthi to the east,

Kavala Kavala ( el, Καβάλα, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the Egnat ...

to the south, Serres to the southwest and to the west, and the

n provinces of Blagoevgrad and Smolyan to the north. Arable lands are located in the southern and the westcentral portion of Drama. The southern part mainly has a

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

climate. The climate is more continental with cold winters in higher elevations and in the northern part.

Administration

The Drama regional unit is subdivided into 5 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox): *

Doxato Doxato ( el, Δοξάτο, formerly Δοξάτον) is a town and municipality in the Drama regional unit, in East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Kalampaki. Municipality The municipality Doxato was formed ...

(2) *

(1) * Kato Nevrokopi (3) *

Paranesti Paranesti ( el, Παρανέστι) is a municipality in the Rhodope Mountains of northeastern Drama regional unit, Greece. It consists of two municipal units: Paranesti and Nikoforos. The largest villages of the municipal unit Paranesti are Para ...

(4) * Prosotsani (5)

Prefecture

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the former Drama Prefecture ( el, Νομός Δράμας) was transformed into a regional unit within the East Macedonia and Thrace region. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below. According to the 2011 census, the Drama regional unit had a population of 98,287, 11,666 more inhabitants than in the 2021 census.

Transport

The main roads of Drama regional unit are

Greek National Road 12 National Road 12 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 12, abbreviated as EO12) is a single carriageway road in northern Greece. It connects Thessaloniki with Kavala, passing through Serres and Drama. It also serves traffic heading towards the north, to t ...

(Thessaloniki - Serres - Drama - Kavala), Greek National Road 14 (Drama - Xanthi) and Greek National Road 57 (Drama - Kato Nevrokopi - Bulgaria). The

Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli railway The Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli railway is an about 440 km long railway in northern Greece connecting the Central Macedonian city of Thessaloniki with Alexandroupoli in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, via Serres. There is a connection toward ...

passes through Drama and Paranesti.

References

{{Authority control Regional units of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Prefectures of Greece

Geography

Administration

Prefecture

Transport

See also

References