Regions That Are Greek To Me Trivia Quiz

Answer: Central Macedonia

Central Macedonia is the largest of all Greek administrative regions. It has a quite varied landscape: large plains, sandy beaches, dense forests and some mountains. The region is subdivided in seven regional units (former prefectures), including Thessaloniki, Chalkidiki and Pella.
Regional capital city of Central Macedonia is Thessaloniki, while other cities such as Edessa (with several beautiful waterfalls) and Pella (the capital of ancient Macedonia during the era of Alexander the Great) also are widely known outside Greece. The highest mountain in Central Macedonia (as well as in all of Greece) is Mount Olympus (at 2 918 m), which was considered by the ancient Greeks as the home to the gods. The largest rivers are the Strymon (coming from Bulgaria) and the Vardar (originating in the independent country of Northern Macedonia). Lake Kerkini is a large lake on the Strymon river.
Ammouliani is one of the few islands of Central Macedonia, but the region is not very well known for its islands.
Central Macedonia has a land border with Mount Athos (in Greek known as the "Hagios Oros", which translates to "Holy Mountain"), the autonomous entity mentioned in the introduction. Mount Athos is a very peculiar place: no women are allowed to visit the peninsula, only male monks and males who will work for the many monasteries may take up residence there, and the peninsula is governed as a theocracy.

Answer: Central Greece

Central Greece (also known as Roumeli) is literally the centre of the Greek territories. It is divided into five regional units, of which Boeotia and Euboea are the best known outside Greece. The regional capital is Lamia and the largest city is Chalcis (on Euboea), but the city of Thebes in Boeotia is more famous, because of the historic persons (for instance the poet Pindar and the generals Pelopidas and Epaminondas) and dramatic characters (most importantly Oedipus and his daughter and half-sister Antigone) hailing from Thebes.
Mount Parnassus is one of the highest mountains of Central Greece, at 2 457 m. It was the subject of an ode by Pindar. The longest river flowing only through Central Greece is the Spercheios, that mounds into the Aegean sea a few kilometres north of the famous Thermopylae pass. Lake Yliki is the largest lake in Central Greece and a good source for drinking water for the regions of Central Greece and Attica.
The island Euboea occupies almost a quarter of the territory of the Central Greece region, but on this island live almost one third of the inhabitants of the region.

Answer: Peloponnese

The Peloponnese region is not a perfect match to the Peloponnese peninsula. The north-western quarter of the peninsula (including the ancient site, Olympia) is indeed part of the region Western Greece, and a small part in the east of the Peloponnese peninsula has been attributed to the region Attica.
The Peloponnese region is subdivided in five regional units: Arcadia (including the regional capital Tripoli), Argolis (including the ancient sites of Argos and Mycenae), Corinthia, Laconia (including Sparti, a present-day township on the site of ancient Sparta) and Messenia. The largest city is Kalamata in Messenia, renowned for the eponymous black olives.
Mount Taygetus (2 404 m) is the highest mountain in the region Peloponnese, situated roughly between Sparti and Kalamata. The Eurotas river flows along Sparti. Lake Stymphalia is in Corinthia, nowadays a resting place for many migrating birds. In antiquity it was known as the site where Heracles had to fulfil one of his twelve labours. Sphacteria is a small island near Pylos (regional unit Messenia) and is known for three naval battles: one in the Peloponnesian War and two in the war for Greek independence.

Answer: East Macedonia and Thrace

The easternmost region of the Greek mainland is East Macedonia and Thrace. It borders Bulgaria and Turkey. The region is divided in five regional units, and the largest city is Alexandroupoli. The regional capital is Komotini, although the regional government has its offices in Kavala. The old part of the city Xanthi counts many buildings in bright colours (yellow of course being one of the most popular; the name Xanthi translates roughly to "blond" or "yellow").

The highest mountain in the region is Falakro at 2 232 m, but the mountain range Rhodope (stretching over Bulgaria and Greece) is better known: the Greek part has been declared a National Park.

The longest river is the Maritsa (also known as the Evros), at 480 km and coming from Bulgaria.

The island Samothrace is famous as the site where the statue of the goddess Nikč was found.

Answer: Thessaly

Thessaly is a region on the east coast of the Greek mainland, between Macedonia in the north and Central Greece in the south. The regional capital is Larissa and one of the principal ports is Volos. The region is subdivided in five regional units, including Magnesia and the Sporades islands. Mount Olympus borders both Thessaly and Central Macedonia.

The highest mountain that is only in Thessaly is Mount Agrafa, at 2 184 m. The longest river is the Pineios, at 205 km. The Sporades island group counts about 24 islands, of which only four are inhabited.

But speaking purely from a geographic point of view, one would to have include some other islands scattered over more or less adjacent regions.

Answer: Western Greece

Western Greece is a region divided by the Gulf of Corinth and the Gulf of Patras. It consists of the regional units Aetolia-Acarnania on the north of these gulfs and Elis and Achaea on the Peloponnese peninsula. The regional capital is Patras on the southern side of the eponymous Gulf, while one of the better known cities lies on the northern side: Missolonghi, the place where Lord Byron died during the Greek war of independence.

The highest mountain in Western Greece is the Aroania at 2 340 m, while Mount Erymanthos at 2 227 m is perhaps a trifle better known. One of Heracles' twelve works was to capture the Erymanthian boar, a huge swine living on the slopes of Mount Erymanthus. The Alfeios flows for 112 km through the Peloponnese region and the region Western Greece, and it mouths in the Ionian sea near Pyrgos, roughly 15 km from Archaia Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games.

Answer: Epirus

Epirus is a region in the west of Greece, bordering Albania to the north. It is quite mountainous and thus rather scarcely populated. It is subdivided in four regional units. I chose to mention here as "city" the small municipality Dodoni, site of the ancient oracle of Dodona, the oldest oracle in Greece and one of the most important (second only to Delphi). Mount Smolikas in the Pindus mountains is the highest Epirote mountain, at 2 637 m. Only Mount Olympus surpasses the height of Mount Smolikas.
Epirus is also the region where the river Acheron flows, the river that was considered the entrance to Hades (the underworld). To cross the river, the deceased had to pay the ferryman (Charon).
The Epirote region contains the regional unit Ioannina, named after the regional capital city. This city lies upon an eponymous island in a lake that bears also the same name. Ioannina is thus the name of a regional unit, a lake in the regional unit, a city around the lake, an island in the lake, and a settlement on the island. It contains several monasteries, but there are only a few hundred inhabitants on the island.
Lake Gistova is another lake, on the frontier between Greece and Albania, and at a high elevation.

Answer: Crete

Crete is the largest Greek island and the most southern of all Greek regions.
Crete is subdivided in four regional units. Heraclion is the regional capital and the largest city. Chania is near the western side of the main island and was an outpost of the Venetians between 1204 and 1453. The harbour and surroundings still testify of the Venetian influence.
Mount Ida is the highest mountain on Crete at 2 456 m, although Lefka Ori follows closely at 2 452 m.
Crete is of course an island, but the region Crete counts also several other islands. A few of the better known islands depending on Crete are Gramvousa (a former pirate colony), Paximadia (supposedly the birthplace of the Greek gods Artemis and Apollo) and Spinalonga (a former leper colony and Venetian fortress).
Samaria Gorge is a National Park near Chania. It was eroded in the mountains by an eponymous river. One can walk for about 13 km through the gorge and enjoy fantastic sights.

Answer: South Aegean

The South Aegean region is a set of islands in the southern half of the Aegean Sea. Before 2011 it was divided in the Cyclades island group and the Dodecanese island group, but the administrative reform by Kallikrates subdivided the region into 13 regional units - one for each of the major islands.
The regional capital is Ermoupoli on the island of Syros and the largest city is Rhodes on the eponymous island, where once the bronze statue named the Colossus stood (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world). The highest mountain is the Kerkis (at 1 434 m) on the island of Samos. Other islands frequently visited by tourists ("island hoppers") are Kos, Mykonos, Naxos and Thira (the volcanic island previously known as Santorini).
The island of Delos once was the centre of the naval league between Athens and several South Aegean islands. Between 478 BC and 404 BC this naval alliance was aimed against the Persian Empire.
There is also a region named the North Aegean, which comprises (among others) the islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios.

Answer: Attica

Attica is the wealthiest and most populated region of Greece, although almost the smallest in area (only the region Ionian islands is smaller). The regional capital of Attica and national capital of Greece is Athens, which also is the largest city. Other cities include Piraeus (the largest Greek harbour city, and the official harbour to Athens) and Marathon (site of a major battle in 490 BC against the Persians. After the battle one of the Athenians ran back to the city, and his effort gave the name to the present running race).
The highest mountain is Mount Pateras, at 1 131 m. It overlooks Eleusis (birthplace of the poet Aeschylus) and Megara (birthplace of Byzas, the founder of Byzantium).
Attica comprises a few islands, of which the best known is probably Salamis. In 480 BC the Athenian fleet crushed the Persian fleet in the narrow straits between Salamis and the mainland of Attica.
Only a few rivers of Attica are known outside of Greece. The Cephissus is one of the rivers near Athens. Motorway 1 (Athens - Thessaloniki) follows the riverbed of the Cephissus for a while.