For other places named Pella, see: Pella (disambiguation).

Statistics
Capital:	Edessa
Area:	2,506 km²
Elevation:	Lowest: southeastern part Highest: northwestern part
Inhabitants:	138,261(1991)
Population density:	55.17/km²
ISO 3166-2:	GR-61
FIPS code:	07
Car designation:	EE (Edessa)
Code for the municipalities :	41xx
Number of provinces:	3
Number of municipalities:	11
Number of independent communes:	none
Area/distance code:	11-30-238x0 (030-238x0)
Postal code	58x xx
Name of inhabitants:	Pellan sing. -s pl.
2-letter abbreviation/HASC:	PL
Website:	www..gr (also in Greek)
Map

Pella (Greek: Πέλλα) is one of the 51 prefectures of Greece. Its capital town is Edessa.

History

Main article History of Pella.

Pella was the palace-capital of ancient Macedon, removed from the older capital (Vergina), the seat of Philip II of Macedon and of Alexander the Great, his son. Pella was sacked by the Romans in 168 BC, when its treasury was transported to Rome.

Geography

The mountains lie to the north and the southwest especially the Vermio mountains, the Voras mountains to the northwest and the Paiko mountains to the northeast. Pella is bounded with the prefectures of Kilkis to the northeast, Thessaloniki to the east, Imathia to the south, Kozani to the southwest, Lake Vegolitida to the southwestl, Florina to the west and the Republic of Macedonia/FYROM to the north with the district of Brod to the northwest and Gevgeli to the northeast.

Archaeology

In the base of the description of Titus Livius, the site was excavated by voyagers including Holand, Pouqueville, Beaujour, Cousinéry, Delacoulonche, Hahn, Glotz and Struck in the 19th century. The first excavation began by G. Oikonomos in 1914-1915, the systematic exploration of the site began in 1953 and excavated in 1957. The first series of campaigns were completed in 1963 including more excavations in 1980 and still continue in the agora part.

Agriculture

Agriculture is very common to the south and mainly produces fruits.

Transportation

• GR-1 (old highway), SE
• GR-2 , W, SW, Cen., E, SE
• Edessa - Verroia road, S

Places

• Aridaia
• Edessa
• Giannitsa

Municipalities

Communities

• See also: Communities of Pella

References

• Ph. Petsas , Pella. Alexander the Great's Capital, Thessaloniki, 1977.
• D. Papakonstandinou-Diamandourou , Πέλλα. ιστορικί επισκόπησις και μαρτυρίαι Pella istoriki episkopisis kai martyriai (, in Greek), Thessaloniki, 1971.
• R. Ginouvès e. a., La Macédoine , CNRS Éditions, Paris, 1993, 90-98.
• F. Papazoglou , Les villes de Macédoine romaine , BCH Suppl. 16, 1988, 135-139.

External links

• Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites (via Perseus)
• Macedonian Heritage
• Greek Ministry of Culture

See also

Thessaloniki