Macedonia

Macedonia, traditional region of Greece, comprising the north-central portion of the country. Greek Macedonia has an area of about 13,200 square miles (34,200 square km). It is bounded by Albania to the west, independent North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, the Greek region of Thrace (Thráki) to the east, the Aegean Sea to the southeast, and the Greek regions of Thessaly (Thessalía) and Epirus (Ípeiros) to the south and southwest. The principal city of the region is Thessaloníki (formerly Salonika, historically Thessalonica).

Present-day Greek Macedonia is part of the larger geographical region of Macedonia that also includes North Macedonia and the southwestern part of Bulgaria. The larger geographical region of Macedonia was under the control of the Ottoman Empire between 1371 and 1912. During that period it was inhabited by such a diverse population—Slavic-speaking Christians, Greek-speaking Christians, Turkish-speaking Muslims, Albanian-speaking Muslims, Aromani (Vlachs), Jews, and Roma (Gypsies)—that it inspired the French to adopt their term for the region, “Macédoine,” to refer to a salad of mixed fruits or vegetables.

Greek Macedonia was created as a result of the Second Balkan War in 1913. The region was occupied by Bulgarian troops during most of World War I and by Bulgarian and German troops in World War II, but each time it was returned to Greek sovereignty at the war’s end. Macedonia was the site of bitter fighting between leftists and royalists in the Greek Civil War (1946–49).

The population of Greek Macedonia is heavily concentrated around the city of Thessaloníki, which is Greece’s second largest city, the largest port after Piraeus, and the administrative, industrial, and commercial centre of northern Greece. The vast majority of the inhabitants of present-day Greek Macedonia have a Greek national identity. In the regions of Kastoriá and Flórina there is a small Macedonian minority made up of people who have a Macedonian, not Greek, national identity. There are many more people in these regions who also identify themselves as Macedonians in a regional or ethnic sense (or as Greek Macedonians) and who speak Macedonian (a South Slavic language) but have a Greek national identity. Among the inhabitants of Greek Macedonia there are also Aromani (Vlachs), Albanians, and Roma.

Most of the interior of Greek Macedonia is hilly or mountainous, reaching elevations of about 6,500 feet (2,000 metres). The coastal areas along the Aegean Sea and the river valleys of the region constitute the only significant lowlands in all of Macedonia. The Plain of Drámas and the valleys of the Struma and Axiós (Vardar) rivers are the richest farmland in Greece and produce rice, olives, cotton, and tobacco. Grapes and other fruits are widely grown, and wine and ouzo are produced. The processing of tobacco and other agricultural commodities and the weaving of textiles are the chief manufacturing industries. Thessaloníki has an international airport and is linked by roads and railways to Athens, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Tourism centres on the Chalcidice (Chalkidikí) Peninsula and the island of Thasos. Mount Olympus (Ólympos) and the monastic site of Mount Athos (Holy Mountain or Ágion Óros) also lie within the region.