Argolida

Argolis (or Argolis) is located in the Eastern Peloponnese and is a regional unit, a former prefecture of Greece and a geographical area belonging administratively to the Peloponnese Region and geographically to the Peloponnese (or Morea).

Argolis (or Argolis) is located in the Eastern Peloponnese and is a regional unit, a former prefecture of Greece and a geographical area belonging administratively to the Peloponnese Region and geographically to the Peloponnese (or Morea).It is washed to the south by the Argolic Gulf and to the east by the Saronic Gulf. It is mainly a semi-mountainous prefecture with a long coastline, however it includes the very productive and densely populated lowland area of ​​the Argolic plain. In the 2021 census it had a population of 93,216 inhabitants and an area of ​​2,156 square kilometers.

The capital of the prefecture is Nafplio (14,203 inhabitants) and its largest city is Argos (22,209 inhabitants). Important settlements are also the towns of Nea Kios, Lygourio, Ancient Epidavros, Kranidi, Ermioni, Porto Heli. The economy of the prefecture is mostly based on the primary sector with significant citrus fruit production and olive cultivation. Animal husbandry is also developed in the mountainous areas of the prefecture. Of great importance is the tourism sector which is particularly developed around the world heritage site of Mycenae, the traditional old town of Nafplion and many summer resorts such as Tolo and the Ermionida coastline. Finally, there is also significant manufacturing activity around the primary sector.

All the law of Argolis has a special relationship with Corinth since it has existed as a modern administrative unit since 1949. The Prefecture of Argolis and Corinthia was commonly known as Argolidocorinthia and one of the first prefectures to be established in Greece.
Then it was split from the prefecture of Argolidokorinthia (where, however, the capital was Nafplio). Until 2010 it was divided into three provinces: Argos, Nafplio and Ermionida, while since then it has been divided into four municipalities: Argos, Nafplio, Epidaurus and Ermionida.
Geography
General information

View of the Argolic plain from the Nafplion side.
Argolis is located at the northeastern tip of the Peloponnese. It borders the prefectures of Corinthia, Arcadia and Attica (Troizinia). The border with Corinth and Arcadia is defined, from north to south, by Mount Arachneos, the Dervenakia Pass, Mount Farmakas, Mount Oligirtos, Mount Lyrkeio, and Mount Ktenias.

The largest part of the prefecture is occupied by the peninsula of Argolis which extends from the eastern part of the main Peloponnese towards the south-east and is surrounded by the Argosaronic Gulf to the north, the Gulf of Hydra to the east and the Argolic Gulf to the southThe peninsula begins roughly east of the line joining Mylos, Argos, Mycenae, Athikia and the Baths of Fair Helen (the latter two in Corinth).Important mountain masses are Mount Arachneio, Mount Didymos and Mount Aderes. On the fringes of the mountains there are valleys next to or above the sea such as in Drepano, Iria, Ancient Epidaurus, Dimaina, Didyma, Trachea, Iliokastro, Ermionida and elsewhere.


On the contrary, in the west of the prefecture is the important Argolikos Kampos where the two most important cities of the prefecture are located and where the majority of the economy of the prefecture is concentrated. It is an alluvial plain formed by the river Inachos and the streams that end up in the plain. It is one of the most fertile areas of the Peloponnese and is systematically cultivated with citrus fruits, olive trees, peach trees, pear trees and vegetables.

In the far west is the area of ​​mountainous Argolida, which is part of the Municipality of Argos - Mycenae and consists of the municipal units of Lyrkia, Achladokampou, Alea and Lerni. The most important mountainous masses of the prefecture are located there such as the mountains Artemisio, Farmakas, Ktenias, Zavitsa (Timenio), Lyrkeo and Oligirtos. In addition, the source of Inachos is located in the area.This part of the prefecture is the most sparsely populated and isolated. Important rural areas are the plateaus of Achladokampos and Alea.

Climate
The prefecture of Argolis is considered one of the warmest prefectures of mainland Greece along with the prefectures of Laconia, Messinia, the coasts of Arcadia and Attica. The climate throughout the prefecture is hot dry Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters but there are significant differences within the prefecture.


Eastern Argolis presents a fairly mild climate even in winter and is the driest regions of the country. The Argolic plain is known for its sweltering heat in summer and prolonged frosts in winter, while hail is a frequent occurrence. The mountainous Argolis, on the contrary, is much wetter and colder than the rest of the prefecture and the climate is closer to that of the nearby mountainous regions of Arcadia and Corinthia.
Lagoon
Vivari Lagoon is a blue-green lagoon of unique beauty and rare biodiversity that makes Vivari, a small traditional fishing village, stand out. It is a closed type with a single water surface. It stretches between Drepanos and Vivari and has an area of ​​1.48 kilometers and its greatest width is 528.01 meters and its depth does not exceed 1.5 meters. 
A characteristic of the Vivario lagoon is that it has been declared a protected area, due to its great ecological interest. More specifically, the lagoon is home to thousands of fish and many rare species of birds

Aquatic habitat
The Nafplio - Nea Kiou Wetland is located at a distance of 6 kilometers from Nafplio. The beach of Nea Kiou in the homonymous settlement of Argolida, hides a natural treasure, the Nafplio - Nea Kiou wetland. The wetland is a port for all four municipalities of the prefecture, since it is one of the only remaining rich wetlands in Greece, gathering great ecological interest. One of the ten recorded in the county. The wetland of Nafplion - Nea Kiou harbors hundreds of beautiful birds that make a strong mark on the fauna in the area, since they migrate to the wetland during the winter months. Aquatic and migratory birds such as flamingos, swans, wild geese, ducks, kingfishers etc. have been observed from time to time in the wetland.

History
Refugee Settlement
In Argolis after the Asia Minor disaster, resident Asia Minor refugees brought to the region a different culture and a new temperament. Very industrious and cultured people. The refugee areas are:

Nea Kios belongs to the Municipality of Argos - Mycenae, which is a historical continuation of Kios in Asia Minor, a city of 15,000 inhabitants. The establishment of Nea Kiou began in 1926, and after the actions of a special committee established in 1925 it was recognized as a settlement in the 1928 census. In Nea Kios, in 1952, the Asia Minor church was built, dedicated to Panagia Theomana - Odigetria, who is the patron saint of Nea Kios, and celebrates on August 23 during the Feast of the Dormition. In 1981 due to the swampy area, it took a lot of effort and sacrifice to make it a model town, as it is characterized.

In the Municipality of Nafplio, refugees from Asia Minor arrived in the city. As in the whole country at that time, so in Nafplio, the issue of refugee housing arose. An area in the north-eastern part of the city was chosen for the creation of refugee housing. The refugee settlement was called "Neon Byzantion" or simply Synoikismus, as the people of Nafplion are used to calling it.In 1929, the construction of the first refugee homes began, while the project lasted more than seven years in total. The building of the Asia Minor 2nd Primary School which still exists today is a building full of history. The refugees from Asia Minor who had settled in the settlement attached great importance to education, for this reason, they tried to have the area acquire its own degree program.On October 6, 1957, the foundation stone was laid, and the construction of the school began. Which was done with money collected by the Asia Minor Association of New Byzantium, which is why it was called the second one, which was completed in 1958. The Asia Minor Central Church of the Settlement is dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helen and was inaugurated in 1961.

Economy
The economy of the Prefecture of Argolis is basically based on the primary and tertiary sector. The Argolis plain as a basis for income has the cultivation of the land with the main product being citrus fruits, oranges and mandarins since the whole prefecture of Argolis is the capital of oranges. The fragrances and aromas that rise from the orange trees in the Spring are perceived by all locals and visitors. It is particularly fertile due to its alluvial character and is the most productive area of ​​the prefecture. Important areas in the plain are cultivated with citrus fruits - which are the main production of the prefecture - olives and fruit and vegetables.The Municipality of Nafplion has the coastal plain of Iria, which mainly has fruit and vegetable crops, with the most well-known artichoke. Argos is another region that is famous for the local variety of melons the well-known Argean melons but also for other products such as leeks and apricots. Ermioni and the entire wider municipality of Ermionida is known for the pomegranate grown in the area. Kranidi is known for Kranidi olive oil. It has the characteristic that it consists of two varieties, Manaki and Koroneiki, the composition of both of these varieties characterizes it for its high quality characteristics. On the contrary, in the mountainous and semi-mountainous areas of Argolis, animal husbandry, amnoerifia, and olive cultivation have a prominent place..

Tourism is one of the most profitable and developed sectors of the prefecture - especially in Hermionida and Nafplio, since they were among the first areas to develop tourism in the country due to its proximity to Athens, its long coastline and its historical wealth. Important holiday centers are Nafplio, Tolo, Porto Heli, Costa, Ermioni and Agios Emilianos.

he secondary sector is quite developed and deals mostly with the processing of agricultural production and meeting agricultural needs in industrial goods (mainly irrigation systems).

Σ"Kyknos" tomato cannery occupies an important place in the economic history of the prefecture. In 1928, the Kyknos factory was established in Nafplion, offering work to thousands of workers. In those years, production was mainly manual and in 1950 the Nafplion factory was upgraded to designs by the architect Kalliklis. The new industrial building is for the time a symbol of avant-garde. In 2002, however, the factory was moved to Savalia, in the prefecture of Ilia, after the Argolic plain had turned to the more profitable citrus crops.

Transportation
Railroad
Argolis was one of the first regions of the country to be connected to the national railway network. The Corinth - Mylon railway line and the Argos - Nafplio branch was built in 1885-1886 as the first section of the Corinth - Kalamata railway line which was fully operational much later.
From then until the 1990s the railway operated continuously helping to transport people and goods. No attempt was made to modernize the railway network, apart from the reconstruction of the Achladokampos bridge in 1973 and the transfer of the Nafplio Station to the port, with the result that the train was significantly degraded.In the decade of the 2000s the train started working again but at the end of the same decade it was closed due to the renovation of the network. It operated again in the period 2009-2010 but finally stopped for good along with the rest of the Peloponnese network. Since its closure, various announcements have been made regarding the repair of the line and the resumption of rail services without anything materializing so far (March 2022).