This article is about the modern Greek district Achaea. See Achaea (province) for the province of the Roman empire. See also Achaeans, a Homeric name for Hellenes. See AchaeaMud for the MUD created by Iron Realms Entertainment.

Achaea (uh-kee-uh) or Achaia (uk-eye-uh) is a district on the northern coast of the Peloponnese, stretching from the mountain ranges of Erymanthus and Cyllene on the south to a narrow strip of fertile land on the north, bordering the Gulf of Corinth, into which the mountain Panachaicus (1,902 m, the northernmost mountain range in the Peloponnese) projects. Achaea is bounded on the west by the territory of Elis, on the east by that of Sicyon, which, however, was sometimes included in it. The population in 2001 has almost reached 300,000.

Climate

Its climate has hot summers and mild winters. Sunny days dominate during the summer months in areas within the beaches and partially cloudy and rainy in the mountains. Snow is very common during the winter in the mountains of Erymanthus, Panachaicus and Aroania. Winter high temperatures is around the 10°C mark throughout the low lying areas.

History

The origin of the name has given rise to much speculation; one theory is that the Achaeans were driven back into this region by the Dorian invaders of the Peloponnese. Another Achaea, in the south of Thessaly, called sometimes Achaea Phthiotis, has been supposed to be the cradle of the race.

In Ancient Rome times the name of the province of Achaea was given to the whole of Greece, except Thessaly, Epirus, and Acarnania. It is in this latter enlarged meaning that the name is always used in the New Testament (e.g., Acts 18:12, 27; 19:21; Romans 15: 26; 16:5).

In the 13th century the Principality of Achaea was founded in Greece after the Fourth Crusade.

The Principality of Achaea fell to the Ottoman Empire. In 1821, it became part of Greece.

A mid-1994 late-night (around 3 AM local time) earthquake rumbled the area with a magnitude around 5 on the Richter scale. This was a minor one. It was after another earthquake.

Population

Achaea today has about one-third of its peninsula's inhabitants and two-thirds of Achaia living in the Patra(s) area which is the capital of Achaea and the Peloponnese, and more than half of the population live in the city (municipality). It is also the third largest city in Greece excluding Piraeus. The main industrial area is 20 km south of the city near Phares, and Tsoukoulaiíka and Vrachnaiíka.

Aigion is a seaside city with a city hall and a city square is in its heart. The population is around 11,000.

Achaea is the most populous area in the Peloponnese peninsula, home to nearly one_third of the inhabitants of the peninsula.

Sights and Sports

There are two skiing resorts, one on the Panachaicus west of the mountain top (elevation around 1700 m) east of Patras—it will be Nafpaktos's closest because of the new bridge (mid_2004)—and the other on Aroania, sometimes still called Chelmos, near Kalavrita. It is Kalavrita's closest resort.

Kalavrita is a town situated more than 70 km (45 miles) to the east via the road from Achaea's capital. A few kilometres to its west is a monastery situated on the peak of the hill. Its name is Aghía Lávra. 12 to 20 km east, is Cave Lakes where lakes are inside this brilliant cave. It is open to tourists, and the length is around 300 to 500 m. A skiing resort is on Mount Chelmos. A narrow gauge railway track runs for 30 km and acts as a tourist attraction (mainly). The track begins near Kalavrita and ends off Diakopton.

Economy

Achaia has the most supermarkets in the Peloponnese and the western part of Greece.

Temeni is a place where the famous spring water Avra (Άυρα) or Aúra is manufactured. It is owned by Tria Epsilon, a division of Coca-Cola Company, some think Buena Vista Company.

There are no oil refineries.

Transport

There are two main bus terminals.

Veropoulos first opened by the sea, near former GR-9, then Alpha-Beta Vassilopoulos on Akte Dymaion.

The main highways are 8 (longest), 8A (E55), GR-9 (E55, E65), GR-31, and GR-33.

A beltway which bypasses Patras begun construction in 1990, and extended construction to GR-33 in 1992, Savalia in 1993, East Patra or Patras in 1995, and in 1998 into GR-8. Lights were installed in the early 2000s on the beltway, and opened to traffic on late 2003. It starts from near Roitika and ends just south of Rhion.

GR-8 was the first superhighway, along with GR-5 in the prefecture. The beltway is the second, and the bridge will be the third. Its length now has almost 100 km (60 mi) of superhighway. 70 to 75 km until 2003.

A new bridge that started construction in 2000 (though plans had been made throughout the 1990s, and was supposed to begin in those years) is scheduled to open in mid-2004, connecting the mainland and the Peloponnese. This will eliminate much of the ferry service which has been used for about half a century for automobiles. Afterwards, there will be only the rare ferry service in the city of Aigio(n), which is the ferry route to Aghios Nikolaos in Phocis.

Communications and Companies headquartered in Achaea

• Kronos Supermarkets - Patras
• Achaia Channel - Patras
• Patra TV - Patras
• Super B - Patras
• Tele Con - extinct
• Tele Time - regional

Statistics and Area

Here are the cities ranked by the largest, as of 2003.

• Patra (Patras) 150,000 (est.), (met. about 200,000)
• Aigion 12,000 (est.)
• Rhion¹
• Ovrya¹
• Kato Achaia¹
• Aigiéra
• Akrata
• Kalavryta
• Vrachnaiika¹
• Mintilogi¹
• Paralia¹
• Alissos¹
• Ptéri
• Chalandritsa
• Diakopton/Diacopton
• Psathopyrgos¹

¹ suburb of Patras See also List of municipalities of the Prefecture of Achaea and Communities in Achaea.

Provinces:

• Province of Aigiera - Aigiera
• Province of Kalavryta - Kalavryta
• Province of Patras/Patra - Patras

Part of this text is incorporated from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica