Drama (, ''Perifereiakí Enótita Drámas'') is one of the
regional units of Greece
The 74 regional units of Greece (, ; singular , ) are the country's third-level administrative units (counting decentralized administrations as first-level). They are subdivisions 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 areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
of
East Macedonia and Thrace. Its capital is the town of
Drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
. 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, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
is formed by the
Rhodope Mountains.
Geography
The northern part of the regional unit, bordering Bulgaria, is very mountainous. The main mountain ranges are
Orvilos ( - Slavyanka) in the northwest,
Falakro in the north (at 2232m the highest point of the regional unit), the western
Rhodope Mountains 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 (or Forest of
Elatia).
Drama is surrounded by the regional units of
Xanthi to the east,
Kavala to the south,
Serres to the southwest and to the west, and the
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
n provinces of
Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad ( ) is List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, а town in Southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Municipality and of Blagoevgrad Province. With a population of almost inhabitants, it is the economic and cultura ...
and
Smolyan
Smolyan () is a List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, town and ski resort in the south of Bulgaria near the border with Greece. It is the administrative and industrial centre of the Smolyan Province. The town is built along the narrow valley of t ...
to the north. Arable lands are located in the southern and the west-central 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
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 (2)
*
Drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
(1)
*
Kato Nevrokopi (3)
*
Paranesti (4)
*
Prosotsani (5)
Prefecture
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the former Drama Prefecture () 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 (Thessaloniki - Serres - Drama - Kavala), Greek National Road 14 (Drama - Xanthi) and Greek National Road 57 (Drama - Kato Nevrokopi - Bulgaria). The Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli railway passes through Drama and Paranesti.
See also
* List of settlements in the Drama regional unit
* Former toponyms of places in Drama Prefecture
References
{{Authority control
Regional units of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Prefectures of Greece