Epirus ( The Greek language (Greek Ελληνικά, IPA – Hellenic) is an Indo-European language with a documented history of some 3,000 years. ...Greek Ήπειρος, Albanian or Gjuha shqipe is a language spoken by more than six million inhabitants of the western Balkan peninsula (Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece) in south-eastern Europe (Albanians) and by a small number of people in Calabria, southern Italy. ...Albanian Çamëria), a province in northwestern Greece, formally called the Hellenic Republic ( Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. ...Greece (a Greek The peripheries (περιφέρειες) are the subnational subdivisions of Greece. ...periphery) bounded by Categories: Stub ...West Macedonia and Thessaly (Θεσσαλια; modern Greek Thessalía) is one of the 13 peripheries of Greece, and is further sub_divided into 4 prefectures. ...Thessaly to the east, by the Ambracian Gulf and the province of Categories: Greece geography stubs ...West Greece to the south, the The Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. ...Ionian Sea and the Ionia a view of Kerkyra The Ionian Islands (Greek: Ionia Nisia, Ιόνια Νήσια) are a group of islands in Greece. ...Ionian Islands to the west and Albania is a Mediterranean country in southeastern Europe. ...Albania to the north. Epirus is divided into the prefectures, called Nomos (plural: Nomoi) can refer to: the prefectures of Greece, the administrative division immediately below the peripheries of Greece the subdivisions of Ancient Egypt, see Nome (subnational division) law. ...Nomoi, of Ambracia (more correctly Ampracia) was an ancient Corinthian colony, situated about 7 miles from the Ambracian Gulf in Greece, on a bend of the navigable river Aracthus (or Aratthus), in the midst of a fertile wooded plain. ...Arta, Ioannina (Greek: Ιωάννινα, often Γιάννενα Giannena, Yiannena or Γιάννινα Giannina, Yiannina ; Albanian: Janinë or Janina; Aromanian: Ianina, Bulgarian: Янина Janina) is a city in and capital of Epirus, Greece, with a population of approximately 100,000 and sitting at an elevation of 600 metres above sea level. ...Ioannina, Preveza is one of the fifty_one prefectures of Greece. ...Preveza and Thesprotia (Greek: Θεσπρωτία) is one of the fifty_one prefectures of Greece. ...Thesprotia. The province has an area of 9,200 sq km and a population of about 350,000. Its capital and largest city is Ioannina (Greek: Ιωάννινα, often Γιάννενα Giannena, Yiannena or Γιάννινα Giannina, Yiannina ; Albanian: Janinë or Janina; Aromanian: Ianina, Bulgarian: Янина Janina) is a city in and capital of Epirus, Greece, with a population of approximately 100,000 and sitting at an elevation of 600 metres above sea level. ...Ioannina, pop. 100,000. The population today is almost entirely Greek_speaking and Greek Orthodox Church can refer to any of several hierarchical churches within the larger group of mutually recognizing Eastern Orthodox churches: the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, headed by the Patriarch of Constantinople, who is also the first among equals of the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ...Greek Orthodox in religion. There are small Albanian and Vlachs (also called Wlachs, Wallachs, Olahs) are the Romanized population in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romanians, Aromanians, Istro_Romanians and Megleno_Romanians, but since the creation of the Romanian state, this term was mostly used for the Vlachs living south of the Danube river. ...Vlach minorities.

Historically, Epirus extended further north into what is now Albania. There is still a substantial Greek minority in southern Albania, which Greeks call North Epirus. There was also a large Albanian minority in Greek Epirus, but these people were mostly moved to Albania during and after Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. ...World War II and the An ELAS resistance fighter The Greek Civil War was a war fought between 1944 and 1949 in Greece. ...Greek Civil War. Greece maintained a territorial claim to southern Albania for many years, but today both countries recognize the current border. Greece's main concern currently is the illegal immigration of Albanians seeking work in Greece.

Epirus is largely made up of mountainous ridges that in places reach 2,600 m. In the east, the The Pindus (Greek: Πίνδος, Albanian: Pino) mountains are a range located in central Greece, roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2636 m (8650 ft), along the border of Thessaly and Epirus. ...Pindus Mountains that form the spine of mainland Greece separate Epirus from Macedonia and Thessaly. Most of Epirus lies on the windward side of the Pindus. The winds from the Ionian Sea offer the region more rainfall than any other part of Greece. This advantage is set off by a lack of suitable farmland and poor soils. As a result the agricultural productivity of Epirus has always among the lowest in Greece. Tobacco is grown around Ioannina, and there is also some dairy farming and fishing, but most of the area's food must be imported. Having few resources and industries, it has been steadily depopulated by emigration since the 19th century. The population is concentrated in the area around Ioannina, which has some manufacturing and service industries. Despite its many attractions, Epirus has not experienced the tourist boom enjoyed by other parts of Greece.

History

The Greek name Epirus signifies "mainland" or "continent", and was originally applied to the whole coast south to the The Gulf of Corinth is the body of water separating Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. ...Corinthian Gulf. Epirus was settled by Greeks early ca. the first millennium BC but remained a frontier area contested with the This article is about an ancient civilization in southeastern Europe; see also Illyria (software), Illyria (character in the TV series Angel). ...Illyrian peoples of the The Adriatic Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea separating the Apennine peninsula (Italy) from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges. ...Adriatic coast. It played only a minor role in Ancient Greek politics. The Greek states founded a number of colonies in Epirus, which served as ports for shipping heading towards the Adriatic and Italy. Of these the most important was the Corinthian colony of Ambracia (more correctly Ampracia) was an ancient Corinthian colony, situated about 7 miles from the Ambracian Gulf in Greece, on a bend of the navigable river Aracthus (or Aratthus), in the midst of a fertile wooded plain. ...Ambracia.

Epirus was ruled from the 6th century by a dynasty, the Molossians, who claimed to be descended from In Greek mythology, Neoptolemus, also Neoptólemos or Pyrrhus, was the son of Achilles. ...Pyrrhus, son of For other uses, see Achilles (disambiguation). ...Achilles. The main importance of Epirus to the Greek cities ( A polis (πολις) — plural: poleis (πολεις) — is a city, or a city_state. ...polis) was that it was the location of the shrine and For alternate usages of Oracle, see Oracle (disambiguation) An Oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. ...oracle at At Dodona (ancient Greek: Δοδώνη, modern Dodoni) in Epirus, northwestern Greece, was a prehistoric oracle devoted to the Greek god, Zeus and the Mother Goddess identified at other sites with Rhea or Gaia, but here called Dione. ...Dodona, second in importance only to View of Delphi, looking down from the theater. ...Delphi. In the 5th century Epirus was drawn more closely into the Greek political and cultural orbit. Arymbas II was a respected figure in the Greek world, and his niece, Olympias (Greek: Ολυμπιάς) (d. ...Olympias, married Philip II of Macedon (Macedonia) (382 BC _ 336 BC), King of Macedon (ruled 359 BC _ 336 BC), was the father of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon) and Philip III of Macedon. ...Philip II of Macedon and was the mother of Bust of Alexander III in the British Museum. ...Alexander the Great.

On the death of Arymbas, Alexander I of Epirus (362 BC ca. ...Alexander succeeded, but ruled only as a dependent of Macedon. Alexander assumed the title King of Epirus, and raised the reputation of his country abroad. Aeacides, who succeeded Alexander, espoused the cause of Olympias against Cassander (c. ...Cassander, but was dethroned in Centuries: 5th century BC _ 4th century BC _ 3rd century BC Decades: 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 318 BC 317 BC 316 BC 315 BC 314 BC 313 BC 312 BC 311 BC 310...313 BC. His son Pyrrhus (318 BC _ 272 BC) (Greek Πυρρος, the color of fire, reddish, red_blonde) was the king of Epirus in 306 _ 301 BC and again in 297 _ 272 BC. Pyrrhus of Epirus Prince of one of the Alexandrian successor states, Pyrrhus was dethroned at the age of 17 when he...Pyrrhus came to throne in Centuries: 4th century BC _ 3rd century BC _ 2nd century BC Decades: 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 300 BC 299 BC 298 BC 297 BC 296 BC 295 BC 294 BC 293 BC 292...295 BC, and for six years fought against the The Roman Empire is not the Holy Roman Empire (843_1806). ...Romans in southern The Italian Republic or Italy ( Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ...Italy and Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ...Sicily. His campaigns gave Epirus a new, but brief, importance.

In the third century BC Epirus remained a substantial power, and the Epirotes attempted to gain control of The huge equestrian statue of Alexander the Great, king of ancient Macedon, on the waterfront at Thessaloniki, capital of Greek Macedonia Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in south_eastern Europe with an area of around 67,000 square kilometres and a population of 4. ...Macedonia, but in the 2nd century they blundered into war against the Romans, and in Centuries: 3rd century BC _ 2nd century BC _ 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC _ 160s BC _ 150s BC140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 173 BC 172 BC 171 BC 170 BC 169 BC _ 168 BC _ 167 BC 166 BC 165...168 BC the Romans pillaged the country and effectively ended its independence. In Centuries: 3rd century BC _ 2nd century BC _ 1st century BC Decades: 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC _ 140s BC _ 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC Years: 151 BC 150 BC 149 BC 148 BC 147 BC _ 146 BC _ 145 BC 144 BC...146 BC it became part of the province of Roman Macedonia, receiving the name Epirus Vetus, to distinguish it from Epirus Nova to the east.

For the next 400 years Epirus was ruled from Rome, until in the 4th century AD it passed to the rule of Map of Constantinople. ...Constantinople. It was overrun and largely resettled by successive waves of This article is about the Germanic tribes. ...Goths, The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples in Europe. ...Slavs, Vlachs (also called Wlachs, Wallachs, Olahs) are the Romanized population in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romanians, Aromanians, Istro_Romanians and Megleno_Romanians, but since the creation of the Romanian state, this term was mostly used for the Vlachs living south of the Danube river. ...Vlachs and The Albanians or Shqiptarë are a people of the western Balkan peninsula, speaking the Albanian language and numbering today approximately six million worldwide. ...Albanians, and its Greek character was diluted without ever being entirely lost. When Constantinople fell to the The Fourth Crusade (1202_1204), originally designed to conquer Egypt, instead, in 1204, conquered the Orthodox Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. ...Fourth Crusade in Events February _ Byzantine emperor Alexius IV is overthrown in a revolution, and Alexius V is proclaimed emperor. ...1204, Michel Angelus Comnenus seized Aetolia has a geographical presence in Greece and in cyberspace. ...Aetolia and Epirus, and his family ruled the area until Events Pope John XXII declares the doctrines of the Franciscans advocating ecclesiastical poverty erroneous End of the reign of Emperor Hanazono of Japan Emperor Go_Daigo ascends to the throne of Japan Births Pope Urban VI Margarete Maultasch, Countess of Tyrol Deaths Categories: 1318 ...1318. After a period of confusion Charles II Tocco, lord of Geography The capital of the Cephallonia prefecture is Argostoli. ...Cephalonia and Zakýnthos (Ζάκυνθος, also known as Zante), the third largest of the Ionian Islands, covers an area of 410 square kilometers and its coastline is roughly 123 kilometers in length. ...Zante, assumed the title of The Despotate of Epirus was one of the successor states of the Byzantine Empire, founded in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. ...Despot of Epirus.

In Events Albanians, under Turks John Hunyadi defeats Turks at the Battle of Nis Vlad II Dracul begins his second term as ruler of Wallachia, succeeding Basarab II. Births May 31 _ Margaret Beaufort (mother of Henry VII of England) December 5 _ Pope Julius II Marriages Deaths August 16 _ Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Ashikaga...1443 Scanderbeg sculpture Gjergj Kastrioti (Italian: Giorgio Castriota) (1405–January 17, 1468), better known as Skanderbeg or Skenderbej, was an Albanian leader who resisted the expanding Ottoman Empire for 25 years and is today considered a national hero of Albania. ...Skenderbeg, revolted against the Ottoman Empire and conquered most of Epirus, but on his death it fell into the power of Venice is known for its waterways and gondolas Gondola. ...Venice. In the late 15th century, the whole area was overrun by the The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923...Ottomans, who ruled it for the next 400 years, the Venetians retaining only a few strongholds along the coast. Under the Ottomans Epirus remained a backwater, with a mixed population of Orthodox Greeks and Moslem Albanians and Turks.

In the 18th century, as the power of the Ottomans declined, Epirus became a virtually independent region under the despotic rule of This article is about an Albanian pasha. ...Ali Tepelenë, an Albanian brigand who became pasha, or provincial governor, of Ioannina in 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...1788, and at one time controlled much of western Greece and Albania. When the The history of modern Greece began with the recognition of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832. ...Greek War of Independence broke out, Ali tried to make himself an independent ruler, but he was deposed and murdered by Ottoman agents in Events March 30 _ Florida becomes a United States territory. ...1822. When Greece became independent, Epirus remained under Ottoman rule.

The The name Treaty of Berlin is attached to four treaties: Treaty of Berlin, 1878 Treaty of Berlin, 1899 Treaty of Berlin, 1921 Treaty of Berlin, 1926 This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...Treaty of Berlin of Events January _ April January 16_24 ? Siege of Geok Tepe ? Russian troops under general Skobeleff defeat Turkomans January 25 _ Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company February 5 _ Phoenix, Arizona is incorporated. ...1881 gave Greece parts of southern Epirus, but it was not until the The outcome as of April 1914 The Balkan Wars were two wars in South_eastern Europe in 1912_ 1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria) first conquered Ottoman_held Macedonia and most of Thrace and then fell out over the division of the...Balkan Wars of 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ...1912_ 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...13 that most of the rest of Epirus was returned to Greece. But the Greeks resented the fact that northern Epirus had been given to the new state of Albania, despite the mostly Greek character of towns like Categories: Albania geography stubs | Cities in Albania ...Koritsa (now Korçë) and Gjirokastër (Photo by Marc Morell) Gjirokastër (Albanian: Gjirokastër or Gjirokastra, Greek: Argyrokastron or Girokastron) is a city in southern Albania at 40. ...Aryirokastro (now Gjirokastër). A provisional government existed for a short time during this period, and issued postage stamps; see postage stamps and postal history of Epirus for details.

When Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...World War I broke out in 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...1914, Albania collapsed. Under a March 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...1915 agreement among the Allies, Italy seized northern Albania and Greece gained the southern part of the country, which it called North Epirus. But internal divisions among the Greeks led to Greece being forced to evacuate the area in August 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ...1916, in favour of Italy. Although the The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, negotiated the treaties ending World War I. The Paris Peace Conference, 1946, negotiated the Paris Peace Treaties, 1947, with Germanys World War II allies and co_belligerents in Europe. ...Paris Peace Conference of 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1919 awarded the area to Greece, political developments such as the Greek defeat in the The Greco_Turkish War of 1919_1922, also called the War in Asia Minor, and (in Turkey) a part of the Turkish War of Independence, was a war between Greece and Turkey fought in the wake of World War I. The war arose because the western Allies, particularly British Prime...Greco_Turkish War meant that Greece could not sustain its claim, and the area was ceded to Albania.

Italy occupied Albania in 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...1939, and in 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...1940 invaded Greece. The Greeks counterattacked and soon occupied the Greek_speaking areas of southern Albania. But the German invasion of April 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...1941 saw the defeat of Greece, and the whole of Epirus was placed under Italian occupation until 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ...1943, when the Germans moved in. The highlands of Epirus became a major area of guerilla resistance to the occupation. Following the German withdrawal from Greece in 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...1944, some of the Greek nationalist resistance movements tried to reclaim southern Albania for Greece, but the KKE sticker The Communist Party of Greece, better known by its acronym KKE (Greek: Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας, Kommunistiko Komma Elladas), is the major communist party in Greece. ...Communist Party of Greece, which controlled the largest resistance movement, supported their fellow Communists in Albania in returning the area to Albanian control. During the An ELAS resistance fighter The Greek Civil War was a war fought between 1944 and 1949 in Greece. ...Greek Civil War there was heavy fighting in the mountains of Epirus.

After the war, the Albanian minority in Greek Epirus was moved to Albania, but Greek nationalists continued to agitate for the cession of what they called North Epirus to Greece. There was no possibility of this during the decades of Communist rule in Albania, but after the fall of the Communist regime in 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...1991 agitation resumed by nationalists on both sides. In 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993_2003) Events January January 1 _ Czechoslovakia divides. ...1993 Albania deported the Greek Orthodox Archimandrite of Gjirokaster for behavior it saw as seditious, causing a short_lived Albanian_Greek crisis. The Epirus question is still controversial both in Albania and Greece.

Weblinks

• HiT.gr _ Epirus Informations in English (http://hit.gr/english/epirus/)