Ioannina () 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 ...

, located in the northwestern part of the country. It is part of the region of

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

. Its capital is the city of

Ioannina Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...

. It is the largest regional unit in Epirus, and one of the largest regional units of Greece, with a population of 160,773 people, according to the 2021 census.

Geography

Ioannina borders

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

in the north, and the regional units of

Kastoria Kastoria (, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria (regional unit), Kastoria regional unit, in the Geographic regions of Greece, geographic region ...

in the northeast,

Grevena Grevena (, ''Grevená'' ; ) is a town and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Western Macedonia, northern Greece, capital of the Grevena (regional unit), Grevena regional unit. The town's current population is 12,515 citizen ...

and

Trikala Trikala () is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece, and the capital of the Trikala (regional unit), Trikala regional unit. The city straddles the Lithaios river, which is a tributary of Pineios (Thessaly), Pineios. According to the Greek Natio ...

in the east, Arta in the southeast,

Preveza Preveza (, ) is a city in the region of Epirus (region), Epirus, northwestern Greece, located on the northern peninsula of the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the Preveza (regional unit), regional unit of Preveza, which is the s ...

in the south and

Thesprotia Thesprotia (; , ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital and largest town is Igoumenitsa. Thesprotia is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region in antiquity. His ...

in the southwest and west. Ioannina is a mountainous region, dominated by the

Pindus The Pindus (also Pindos or Pindhos; ; ; ) is a mountain range located in Northern Greece and Southern Albania. It is roughly long, with a maximum elevation of (Smolikas, Mount Smolikas). Because it runs along the border of Thessaly and Epiru ...

mountains, that cover the eastern part of the regional unit. The main subranges of the Pindus are from north to south:

Gramos Gramos ( or Γράμμος; ; , , or ) is a mountain chain situated on the border of Albania and Greece. Part of the larger northern Pindus mountain range, its highest peak, ''Maja e Çukapeçit'', rises at an elevation of . Geography From ...

Smolikas Mount Smolikas (; ) is a mountain in the Ioannina regional unit, northwestern Greece. At a height of 2,637 metres above sea level, it is the highest of the Pindus Mountains, and the second highest mountain in Greece after Mount Olympus. The mou ...

(2,637 m, the highest of the Pindus),

Tymfi Tymphe (in Latin and English usage) or Tymfi (in the Greek government's preferred transliteration), Timfi, also Tymphi (, ) is a mountain in the northern Pindus mountain range, in northwestern Greece. It is part of the regional units of Greece, ...

Lygkos Lyngos (), also transliterated as ''Lygos'', is a remote mountain range in the eastern Ioannina and the western Grevena regional unit in northwestern Greece. It is a part of the Pindus mountain range. Its highest point is the Avgo, at 2,177 m e ...

Lakmos Lakmos () is a mountain in eastern Ioannina and western Trikala regional units. The mountain is a part of the Pindus mountain range. Its highest peak is the ''Peristeri'', at 2,295 m elevation. It stretches from the village Krapsi in the west to ...

and

Athamanika Athamanika or Tzoumerka ( Greek: Αθαμανικά or Τζουμέρκα) is a mountain range in northwestern Greece, part of the wider Pindus mountain range. Its highest point is the mountain Kakarditsa, at 2,429 m. Its length is approximately ...

. The lower

Xerovouni Xerovouni (, also Ξηροβούνι ''Xirovouni'') is a mountain in the southern part of the Epirus region, Greece. It covers the northeastern Preveza Preveza (, ) is a city in the region of Epirus (region), Epirus, northwestern Greece, locate ...

mountains are situated in the south, and the

Tomaros Tomaros (, also Ολύτσικας - ''Olytsikas'' or ''Tomaros'') is a mountain in southwestern Ioannina regional unit, Greece. Rising to the south of the archaeological site of Dodona, it is part of the Pindus mountain range. Its maximum eleva ...

in the southwest. Lake Pamvotida is the largest lake of Epirus. Several major rivers have their source in the Ioannina regional unit, including

Aoös The Vjosa (; indefinite form: ) or Aoös () is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania. Its total length is about , of which the first are in Greece, and the remaining in Albania. Its drainage basin is and its average dischar ...

Arachthos Arachthos () is a former municipality in the Arta regional unit, Epirus, Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Al ...

and

Acheron The Acheron ( or ; ''Acheron'' or Ἀχερούσιος ''Acherousios''; ''Acherontas'') is a river in the Epirus (region), Epirus region of northwest Greece. It is long, and has a drainage area of . The river's source is located near the vil ...

History

:''See also the history sections of the

and

articles.'' The area of the present regional unit of Ioannina joined Greece in 1913, after the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...

Administration

The regional unit Ioannina is subdivided into 8 municipalities. These are (numbered as in the map in the infobox): *

Dodoni Dodoni () is a village and a municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Agia Kyriaki (community Theriakisi). The modern village of Dodoni is located near the ancient city of same name a ...

(3) *

(1) *

Konitsa Konitsa (, see also Konitsa#Name, names in other languages) is a town of Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina in Epirus (region), Epirus, Greece. It is located north of the capital Ioannina and near the Albanian Border crossings of Albania, border. ...

(6) *

Metsovo Metsovo (; ) is a town in Epirus (region), Epirus, in the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the west and Meteora to the east. The largest centre of Aromanians, Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece, Metsovo is a large regio ...

(7) *

North Tzoumerka North Tzoumerka () is a municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with ...

(''Voreia Tzoumerka'', 2) *

Pogoni Pogoni (, ) is a municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Kalpaki. The municipality has an area of 701.059 km2. Its population was 6,848 at the 2021 census. History Pogoni was ...

(8) *

Zagori Zagori (; ), is a region, a municipality, and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeloi. It has an area of some and contains 46 v ...

(5) *

Zitsa Zitsa () is a village and a municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Eleousa. The municipality has an area of 565.566 km2, the municipal unit 65.868 km2, the community 29.1 ...

(4)

Prefecture

Ioannina was established as a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

in 1915 (). As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Ioannina was created out of the former prefecture Ioannina. 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

- Ioannina *Province of

- Konitsa *Province of

- Metsovo *Province of

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

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Transport

* Egnatia Odos (A2)/ E90, NW, Cen., NE *

Ionia Odos The A5 motorway, also known as the Ionia Odos (),
(FEK AAP' 253/21.12.2015, pp. 2098–2099). i ...

(A5)/ E55, E951, S, Cen. *

Greek National Road 5 National Road 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 and Arta. The southern part, ...

/ E55 S, Cen. *

Greek National Road 6 Greek National Road 6 (, abbreviated as EO6) is a national road in north-central Greece. It begins at the port of Igoumenitsa and ends at Volos, passing through the towns Ioannina, Metsovo, Trikala and Larissa. The section between Metsovo and V ...

, W, Cen., E *

Greek National Road 17 Greek National Road 17 (, abbreviated as EO17) is a single carriageway road in northwestern Greece. It connects Ioannina with Dodoni Dodoni () is a village and a municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. The seat of the munic ...

, S, SW *

Greek National Road 20 National Road 20 (, abbreviated as EO20) is a single carriageway road in northwestern Greece. It links the cities of Ioannina and Kozani via Konitsa and Siatista. It passes through the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina, Kastoria (regional unit), ...

/ E853, Cen., NW, N * Greek National Road 26, NW * Ioannina Airport

Tourism

The prefecture of Ioannina, like most of the Greek mainland, is not as popular as the islands among tourists. However, besides the city

, there are a number of attractions in the area, including: * A few kilometres south of the city is the Vrellis wax statue museum, displaying scenes from Greek history. A small department in the city centre is free to the public. * The

oracle and archaeological site with

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...

. * The

Vikos–Aoös National Park The Vikos–Aoös National Park ( ''Ethnikós Drymós Víkou–Aóou'') is a national park in the region of Epirus (region), Epirus in northwestern Greece. The park, founded in 1973, is one of ten National parks of Greece, national parks in main ...

, including the

Vikos gorge The Vikos Gorge or Vikos Canyon () is a gorge in the Pindus Mountains of northwestern Greece. It lies on the southern slopes of Mount Tymphe with a length of about 32 km, depth ranging from 120 to 1350 m, and a width ranging from 2500 m to ...

, through which the

Voidomatis The Voidomatis () is a river in the Ioannina regional unit in northwestern Greece, and is a tributary of the Aoös river. General description The main current sources are located in the village of Vikos. Along its path it converges with oth ...

river flows. * The

villages, partly in the Vikos-Aoos National Park. *

Papingo Papingo (, also transcribed as Papigko, Papigo) is a former community (1919-2010) in the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit, Epirus (region), Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform (the so-called Kallikratis Law) it ...

, one of the Zagoria villages, a ski resort that is mainly popular with Greeks, and a popular starting point for hiking and mountaineering. * Mount

, at 2,637 meters Greece's second highest mountain. *

, in winter a ski resort. * The caves of

Perama Perama () is a coastal town and a suburb of Piraeus and belongs to the Piraeus regional unit and is the southwestern limit of Athens urban area. It lies on the southwest edge of the Aegaleo mountains, on the Saronic Gulf coast. It is 8 km ...

, a few kilometres northeast of Ioannina. * The monument in Zalongo for the women of Souli. * The Kalpaki War Museum. * Bourzani Bridge, near Melissoptera. *

Pavlos Vrellis Greek History Museum The Pavlos Vrellis Greek History Museum () also known as Pavlos Vrellis Museum of Wax Effigies is a privately owned wax museum in Ioannina regional unit, Greece. It was set up by the sculptor Pavlos Vrellis in February 1983, and is the best known ...

, the best known wax museum in Greece

Sports

Ioannina has a major football team, that is named

PAS Giannina PAS Giannina Football Club (), or with its full name Panipirotikós Athlitikós Síllogos Giánnina (, ''Panepirotic Athletic Club Giannina'') is a Greek professional Association football, football club based in the city of Ioannina, the capita ...

. There are minor sports teams throughout the prefecture: *Averoff *Dafnoula *Eleousa *Kefalovrysi *Metsovo *Mousiotitsa *Velissario

Literature

* Franz X. Bogner & Georgios Pilidis. Lake of Ioannina. 128 pages. . Ioannina 2010.

References

{{Authority control Prefectures of Greece 1915 establishments in Greece Regional units in Epirus (region)