located_on_terrain_feature gryllos
___MASK91___ (" Athína " ) is the capital and largest city of Greece . ___MASK91___ dominates the Attica region and is one of 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 ___MASK91___ was a powerful city - state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus , which had been a distinct city prior to its 5th century BC incorporation with ___MASK91___ . A centre for the arts , learning and philosophy , home of Plato ' s Academy and Aristotle ' s Lyceum , it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy , largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent , and in particular the Romans . In modern times , ___MASK91___ is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic , financial , industrial , maritime , political and cultural life in Greece . In 2015 , ___MASK91___ was ranked the world ' s 29th richest city by purchasing power and the 67th most expensive in a UBS study . Greek National Road 76 ( abbreviated as EO76 ) is a single carriageway road in southern ___MASK6___ . It connects the Greek National Road 9 near Krestena with Megalopoli , via Andritsaina and Karytaina . It runs through the western and the central part of the ___MASK1___ , in the regional units Elis and Arcadia . ___MASK6___ (' ), officially the Hellenic Republic ( Greek : ' ), historically also known as Hellas ("" ), is a country in southeastern Europe . ___MASK6___ ' s population is approximately 10 . 955 million as of 2015 . ___MASK91___ is the nation ' s capital and largest city , followed by Thessaloniki . ___MASK20___ is a continent that comprises the westernmost part of ___MASK26___ . ___MASK20___ is bordered by the ___MASK30___ to the north , the ___MASK83___ to the west , and the Mediterranean Sea to the south . To the east and southeast , ___MASK20___ is generally considered as separated from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains , the Ural River , the Caspian and Black Seas , and the waterways of the Turkish Straits . Yet the non - oceanic borders of ___MASK20___  a concept dating back to classical antiquity  are arbitrary . The primarily physiographic term " continent " as applied to ___MASK20___ also incorporates cultural and political elements whose discontinuities are not always reflected by the continent ' s current overland boundaries . The ___MASK79___ (, , ) is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea , south of the ___MASK93___ . It is bounded by ___MASK95___ including Calabria , ___MASK77___ , and the Salento peninsula to the west , southern Albania to the north , and the west coast of Greece . Skillounta is a former municipality in Elis , West ___MASK6___ , ___MASK6___ . Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina - Krestena , of which it is a municipal unit . The municipal unit has an area of 194 . 409 km . It is named after the ancient town Scillus , which was located in the area . Its seat of administration was in the town Krestena . The territory of the municipal unit Skillounta stretches from the plains on the ___MASK79___ coast to the forested mountains of southeastern Elis . The river Alfeios forms its northern border . Krestena is 6 km south of Olympia , 12 km north of Zacharo and 18 km southeast of Pyrgos . The Greek National Road 9 / E55 ( Patras - Pyrgos - Kyparissia ) passes through Kallikomo in the western part of Skillounta , and the Greek National Road 76 to Andritsaina and Megalopoli runs west to east through Krestena and Graikas . The euro ( sign : €; code : EUR ) is the official currency of the eurozone , which consists of 19 of the member states of the European Union : Austria , ___MASK33___ , ___MASK54___ , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , ___MASK82___ , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , the Netherlands , Portugal , ___MASK47___ , Slovenia , and Spain . The currency is also officially used by the institutions of 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 of Europe , a number of overseas territories of EU members also use the euro as their currency . Andritsaina is a town and a former municipality in Elis , West ___MASK6___ , ___MASK6___ . Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina - Krestena , of which it is a municipal unit . The municipal unit has an area of 131 . 247 km . Greek National Road 9 ( abbreviated as EO9 ) is a single carriageway with at - grade intersections in the West ___MASK6___ and ___MASK1___ regions . It runs along the west ___MASK21___ of the ___MASK1___ peninsula , from Patras to Methoni via Pyrgos . Its length is around , making it the second - longest national highway of ___MASK6___ . The ___MASK1___ or Peloponnesus (" Pelopónnsos "), is a peninsula and geographic region in southern ___MASK6___ . It is separated from the central part of the country by the Gulf of 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 (  ). Zacharo is a town and municipality in southwestern ___MASK6___ . Administratively , it belongs to the Elis regional unit , in the region of West ___MASK6___ . Zacharo is situated on the ___MASK21___ of the Gulf of Kyparissia , a part of the ___MASK79___ . The mountain Lapithas is to the north , and the Minthi is to the east . Northwest of the town , between mount Lapithas and the sea , is the Kaiafas Lake . Zacharo is 18 km south of Olympia , 28 km southeast of Pyrgos , 65 km northwest of Kalamata and 65 km west of Tripoli . The town is crossed by the Greek National Road 9 / E55 , that links Patras with Kalamata . Krestena is a town and a community in Elis , West ___MASK6___ , ___MASK6___ . Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina - Krestena , of which it is the seat of administration . Krestena is situated in the low hills between the river Alfeios and the ___MASK79___ . It is 2 km southeast of Makrisia , 6 km south of Olympia , 12 km north of Zacharo and 18 km southeast of Pyrgos . In 2011 , the population of the town was 1 , 864 , and of the community , which includes the villages Poros and Moschoula , 2 , 356 . The town has a kindergarten , schools , a lyceum , a gymnasium , a center of environmental training , two churches , restaurants , banks , a police station , a fire brigade , a medical center and a post office . Greek National Road 76 ( Kallikomo - Andritsaina - Megalopoli ) passes south of the town . The Samiko ___MASK15___ is located approximately 6 kilometers to the north . Karytaina or Karitaina is a village and a community in Arcadia , ___MASK6___ . Karytaina is situated on a hill on the right bank of the river Alpheios , near its confluence with the Lousios . The village dates back to the Middle Ages , but its history is unknown before the Crusader conquest ca . 1205 . Karytaina became the seat of a barony under the Frankish Principality of Achaea , and the Castle of Karytaina was built in the mid - 13th century on a steep rocky outcrop by Baron Geoffrey of Briel . The area returned to Byzantine control in 1320 , and came under Ottoman control in 1460 . After a brief period of Venetian rule ( 1687  1715 ), Karytaina returned to Ottoman control , and prospered as an administrative and commercial centre . Karytaina and its inhabitants were among the first to rise up during the Greek War of Independence of 1821  29 . Today Karytaina is a protected traditional settlement and has , alongside the remains of its Frankish castle , several other medieval and Ottoman monuments . Kyparissia is a town and a former municipality in northwestern Messenia , ___MASK1___ , ___MASK6___ . Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality ___MASK36___ , of which it is the seat and a municipal unit . The municipal unit has an area of 101 . 018 km . The town proper has around 5 , 100 inhabitants . Graikas is a mountain village in the municipal unit of Skillounta , Elis , ___MASK6___ . In 2011 its population was 307 . It is situated on a hillside , 3 km southeast of Gryllos , 8 km southeast of Krestena and 9 km northeast of Zacharo . The Greek National Road 76 passes north of the village . Graikas suffered damage from the 2007 Greek forest fires . ___MASK89___ or Evia ( Modern Greek :  , " Evvoia " " Eúboia ") is the second - largest Greek island in area and population , after Crete . The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece . In general outline it is a long and narrow , seahorse - shaped island ; it is about long , and varies in breadth from to . Its geographic orientation is from northwest to southeast , and it is traversed throughout its length by a mountain range , which forms part of the chain that bounds Thessaly on the east , and is continued south of ___MASK89___ in the lofty islands of Andros , Tinos and Mykonos . Alfeiós ( also romanized as Alpheus , Alpheios ) is the longest river in the ___MASK1___ , in ___MASK6___ . The river is 110 km long , flowing through the regional units of Arcadia and Elis . Its source is near the village Dorizas , about halfway between Tripoli and Megalopoli in the highlands of Arcadia . It flows southwest toward Megalopoli , where it has been diverted around open pit lignite mines . At Thoknia it receives its right tributary Elissonas , and continues north towards Karytaina . Below Karytaina the Lousios flows into the Alfeios , and the Alfeios continues northwest , passing north of Andritsaina . Near Tripotamia the rivers Ladon and Erymanthos flow into the Alfeios . The Alfeios then flows west along Olympia and empties into the ___MASK79___ south of Pyrgos . Makrisia is a village in the municipal unit of Skillounta , Elis , ___MASK6___ . In 2011 its population was 1 , 720 . It is situated near the left bank of the river Alfeios , 2 km northwest of Krestena , 3 km northeast of Kallikomo , 4 km southwest of Olympia and 16 km southeast of Pyrgos . Kallikomo ( Greek :  ) is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Skillounta , Elis , ___MASK6___ . It is situated 5 km from the ___MASK79___ , 3 km west of Krestena , 5 km north of Kato Samiko and 16 km southeast of Pyrgos . The GR - 9 / E55 ( Patras - Pyrgos - Kyparissia ) runs through the village . The junction with the Greek National Road 76 to Krestena and Megalopoli is 1 km east of the village . The community consists of the villages Kallikomo , Krounoi and Ladiko . Patras (, Classical Greek and Katharevousa :  , ) is ___MASK6___ ' s third - largest city and the regional capital of Western ___MASK6___ , in the northern ___MASK1___ , west of ___MASK91___ . The city is built at the foothills of Mount Panachaikon , overlooking the Gulf of Patras . Thessaloniki is the second - largest city in ___MASK6___ and the capital of Greek Macedonia , the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace . Its nickname is   (" Symprotévousa "), literally " the co - capital ", a reference to its historical status as the  (" Symvasilévousa ") or " co - reigning " city of the Eastern Roman ( Byzantine ) Empire , alongside Constantinople . The 2007 Greek forest fires were a series of massive forest fires that broke out in several areas across ___MASK6___ throughout the summer of 2007 . The most destructive and lethal infernos broke out on 23 August , expanded rapidly and raged out of control until 27 August , until they were put out in early September . The fires mainly affected western and southern ___MASK1___ as well as southern ___MASK89___ . The death toll in August alone stood at 67 people . In total 84 people lost their lives because of the fires , including several fire fighters . Gryllos ( Greek :  , before 1927 :  - Moundraza ) is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Skillounta , Elis , ___MASK6___ . Its population in 2001 was 307 for the village and 447 for the community , which includes the small village Chani Gryllou . It is 3 km northwest of Graikas , 3 km northeast of Vrina and 5 km southeast of Krestena . The Greek National Road 76 ( Krestena - Andritsaina - Megalopoli ) runs through Chani Gryllou . Gryllos suffered damage from the 2007 Greek forest fires . Arcadia (" Arkadía ") is one of the regional units of ___MASK6___ . It is part of the administrative region of ___MASK1___ . It is situated in the central and eastern part of the ___MASK1___ peninsula . It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas . In Greek mythology , it was the home of the god Pan . In European Renaissance arts , Arcadia was celebrated as an unspoiled , harmonious wilderness .