Chalkidiki
Chalkidiki (/kælˈkɪdɪki/; Greek: Χαλκιδική, romanized: Chalkidikḗ [xalciðiˈci], alternatively Halkidiki), also known as Chalcidice, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos region constitutes the easternmost part of the peninsula, but not of the regional unit.
Chalkidiki
Περιφερειακή ενότητα
Χαλκιδικής
Χαλκιδικής
2,918 km2 (1,127 sq mi)
102,085
35/km2 (91/sq mi)
237x0, 239x0
ΧΚ
The capital of Chalkidiki is the town of Polygyros, located in the centre of the peninsula, while the largest town is Nea Moudania. Chalkidiki is a popular summer tourist destination.
Name[edit]
Chalkidiki also spelled Halkidiki (/kælˈkɪdɪki/) or Chalcidice (/kælˈsɪdɪsi/) is named after the ancient Greek city-state of Chalcis in Euboea, which colonised the area in the 8th century BC.
Archaeology[edit]
In June 2022, archaeologists announced the discovery of a poorly preserved single-edged sabre among the ruins of a monastery on the coast of Chalcidice. Alongside the curved sword, excavators revealed evidence of a fire, a large cache of 14th-century glazed pottery vessels, as well as other weapons, including axes and arrowheads.[8]
Economy[edit]
Tourism[edit]
Chalkidiki has been a popular summer tourist destination since the late 1950s when people from Thessaloniki started spending their summer holidays in the coastal villages. In the beginning tourists rented rooms in the houses of locals. By the 1960s, tourists from Austria and Germany started to visit Chalkidiki more frequently. Since the start of the big tourist boom in the 1970s, the whole region has been captured by tourism.[9] In the region there is a golf course, with plans for four others in the future.
Mining[edit]
Gold was mined in the region during antiquity by Philip II of Macedon and the next rulers. Since 2013, a revival of mining for gold and other minerals has occurred, and a number of concessions have been granted to Eldorado Gold of Canada. Critics claim that mining adversely affects tourism and the environment.[10]
In September 2018 it was announced that Line 2 of the Thessaloniki Metro could be extended in the future in order to serve commuters to and from some areas of Chalkidiki.[14]
