located_in_the_administrative_territorial_entity stratos 
___MASK17___ is a continent that comprises the westernmost part ___MASK83___ Eurasia . ___MASK17___ is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north , the ___MASK18___ to the west , and the Mediterranean Sea to the south . To the east and southeast , ___MASK17___ is generally considered as separated from Asia by the watershed divides ___MASK83___ the Ural and Caucasus Mountains , the Ural River , the Caspian and Black Seas , and the waterways ___MASK83___ the Turkish Straits . Yet the non - oceanic borders ___MASK83___ ___MASK17___  a concept dating back to classical antiquity  are arbitrary . The primarily physiographic term " continent " as applied to ___MASK17___ also incorporates cultural and political elements whose discontinuities are not always reflected by the continent ' s current overland boundaries . ___MASK78___ (' ), officially the Hellenic Republic ( Greek : ' ), historically also known as Hellas ("" ), is a country in southeastern Europe . ___MASK78___ ' s population is approximately 10 . 955 million as ___MASK83___ 2015 . Athens is the nation ' s capital and largest city , followed by Thessaloniki . Continental ___MASK78___ (" Stereá Elláda "; formerly , " Chérsos Ellás "), colloquially known as " Roúmeli " (  ), is a traditional geographic region ___MASK83___ ___MASK78___ . In English the area is usually called ___MASK92___ , but the equivalent Greek term (   , " Kentrikí Elláda ") is more rarely used . The ___MASK62___ or Peloponnesus (" Pelopónnsos "), is a peninsula and geographic region in southern ___MASK78___ . It is separated from the ___MASK76___ part ___MASK83___ the country by the Gulf ___MASK83___ Corinth . During the late Middle Ages and the Ottoman era , the peninsula was known as the Morea , a name still in colloquial use in its demotic form (  ). The euro ( sign : €; code : EUR ) is the official currency ___MASK83___ the eurozone , which consists ___MASK83___ 19 ___MASK83___ the member states ___MASK83___ the European Union : Austria , Belgium , Cyprus , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Ireland , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , the Netherlands , Portugal , ___MASK37___ , Slovenia , and Spain . The currency is also officially used by the institutions ___MASK83___ the European Union and four other European countries , as well as unilaterally by two others , and is consequently used daily by some 337 million Europeans . Outside ___MASK83___ Europe , a number ___MASK83___ overseas territories ___MASK83___ EU members also use the euro as their currency . ___MASK61___ is the second - largest city in ___MASK78___ and the capital ___MASK83___ Greek Macedonia , the administrative region ___MASK83___ Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration ___MASK83___ Macedonia and Thrace . Its nickname is   (" Symprotévousa "), literally " the co - capital ", a reference to its historical status as the  (" Symvasilévousa ") or " co - reigning " city ___MASK83___ the Eastern Roman ( Byzantine ) Empire , alongside ___MASK10___ . ___MASK13___ (" Mesolongi ") is a municipality ___MASK83___ 34 , 416 people ( according to the 2011 census ) in western Greece . The town is the capital ___MASK83___ Aetolia - Acarnania regional unit , and the seat ___MASK83___ the municipality ___MASK83___ Iera Polis Messolongiou ( Sacred City ___MASK83___ ___MASK13___ ). ___MASK13___ is known as the site ___MASK83___ a dramatic siege during the Greek War ___MASK83___ Independence , and ___MASK83___ the death ___MASK83___ poet Lord Byron . Lake Stratos ( Greek :   ) is an artificial lake near Stratos in Aetolia - ___MASK44___ , western Greece . The lake is fed and drained by the river Acheloos . It was formed by the Stratos Dam , completed in 1989 . Its maximum capacity is 80 , 000 , 000 m³ ___MASK83___ water . Its area is 7 . 4 km2 . It is used for the generation ___MASK83___ hydroelectric power . The Stratos Hydroelectric Dam is a dam on the ___MASK80___ Acheloos in Aetolia - ___MASK44___ , western Greece . It is situated just east ___MASK83___ the village Stratos , and 9 km northwest ___MASK83___ Agrinio . The dam created the Stratos artificial lake . There are four more dams upstream from the Stratos Dam : the Kastraki Dam , the Kremasta Dam , the Sykia Dam and the Mesochora Dam . ___MASK44___ is a region ___MASK83___ west - ___MASK92___ that lies along the Ionian Sea , west ___MASK83___ Aetolia , with the Achelous River for a boundary , and north ___MASK83___ the gulf ___MASK83___ Calydon , which is the entrance to the Gulf ___MASK83___ Corinth . Today it forms the western part ___MASK83___ the regional unit ___MASK83___ Aetolia - ___MASK44___ . The capital and principal city in ancient times was Stratos . The north side ___MASK83___ ___MASK44___ ___MASK83___ the Corinthian Gulf was considered part ___MASK83___ the region ___MASK83___ Epirus . Aetolia - ___MASK44___ is one ___MASK83___ the regional units ___MASK83___ Greece . It is part ___MASK83___ the geographic region ___MASK83___ ___MASK92___ and the administrative region ___MASK83___ West Greece . A combination ___MASK83___ the historical regions ___MASK83___ Aetolia and ___MASK44___ , it is the country ' s largest regional unit . Its capital is Missolonghi for historical reasons , with its biggest city and economic centre at Agrinio . The area is now connected with the Peloponnese peninsula via the Rio - Antirio Bridge . The surrounding regional units take in Arta in Epirus , a narrow length bordering Karditsa ___MASK83___ Thessaly , Evrytania to the northeast , and Phocis to the east . A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams . Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation , human consumption , industrial use , aquaculture , and navigability . Hydropower is often used in conjunction with dams to generate electricity . A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage ___MASK83___ water which can be evenly distributed between locations . Dams generally serve the primary purpose ___MASK83___ retaining water , while other structures such as floodgates or levees ( also known as dikes ) are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions . ___MASK70___ (" Thessalía "; ancient Thessalian : , " Petthalía ") is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region ___MASK83___ Greece , comprising most ___MASK83___ the ancient region ___MASK83___ the same name . Before the Greek Dark Ages , ___MASK70___ was known as Aeolia , and appears thus in Homer ' s " Odyssey ". Agrinio ( Greek :  , , Latin : " Agrinium ") is the largest city ___MASK83___ the Aetolia - Acarnania regional unit ___MASK83___ Greece and its largest municipality , with 106 , 053 inhabitants . It is the economical ___MASK45___ ___MASK83___ Aetolia - Acarnania , although its capital is the town ___MASK83___ Mesolonghi . The settlement dates back to ancient times . Ancient Agrinion was northeast ___MASK83___ the present city ; some walls and foundations ___MASK83___ which have been excavated . In medieval times and until 1836 , the city was known as Vrachori (  ). Aetolia is a mountainous region ___MASK83___ Greece on the north coast ___MASK83___ the Gulf ___MASK83___ Corinth , forming the eastern part ___MASK83___ the modern regional unit ___MASK83___ Aetolia - Acarnania . Phocis is one ___MASK83___ the regional units ___MASK83___ Greece . It is part ___MASK83___ the administrative region ___MASK83___ ___MASK92___ . It stretches from the western mountainsides ___MASK83___ Parnassus on the east to the mountain range ___MASK83___ Vardousia on the west , upon the Gulf ___MASK83___ Corinth . It is named after the ancient region ___MASK83___ Phocis , but the modern regional unit also includes parts ___MASK83___ ancient Locris and Doris . Evrytania ( alternative romanization " Evritania ", Latin : " Eurytania ") is one ___MASK83___ the regional units ___MASK83___ Greece . It is part ___MASK83___ the region ___MASK83___ ___MASK92___ . Its capital is Karpenisi ( approx . 8 , 000 inhabitants ). ___MASK88___ (" Athína " ) is the capital and largest city ___MASK83___ Greece . ___MASK88___ dominates the Attica region and is one ___MASK83___ the world ' s oldest cities , with its recorded history spanning over 3 , 400 years , and its earliest human presence starting somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennia BC . Classical ___MASK88___ was a powerful city - state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development ___MASK83___ the port ___MASK83___ Piraeus , which had been a distinct city prior to its 5th century BC incorporation with ___MASK88___ . A centre for the arts , learning and philosophy , home ___MASK83___ Plato ' s Academy and Aristotle ' s Lyceum , it is widely referred to as the cradle ___MASK83___ Western civilization and the birthplace ___MASK83___ democracy , largely because ___MASK83___ its cultural and political impact on the European continent , and in particular the Romans . In modern times , ___MASK88___ is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic , financial , industrial , maritime , political and cultural life in Greece . In 2015 , ___MASK88___ was ranked the world ' s 29th richest city by purchasing power and the 67th most expensive in a UBS study .