Alexandroupoli is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros Prefecture in Thrace. Names for the city in other languages include Latin: Alexandropolis, Turkish: Dedeağaç and Bulgarian: Дедеагач (Dedeagach). It has sister city of Edirne since November 30, 2007.
Alexandroupoli is about 14.5 km (9 miles) west of the delta of the river Evros, 40 km from the border with Turkey, 300 km (186 mi) from Thessaloniki on the newly constructed Egnatia highway, and 750 km (466 mi) from Athens. Around the city one finds small fishing villages like Makri and Dikela to the west, and suburban Antheia, Aristino, Nipsa, Loutra to the east, while north of the city are the ever closing Palagia, Abantas, Aissymi and Kirkas. At the 2001 census, the main city had a population of 48,885 and the municipality had a population of 52,720. The current metropolitan population is estimated at around 70,000 inhabitants, and its area covers the southwestern portion of the prefecture, and it runs approximately 40 km long and wide, its length shorter northward. Its boundary goes 70% of the way from the Rhodope Prefecture to the Evros Delta. The municipality has a land area of 642.245 km² (247.972 sq mi) and is the fourth largest in all of Greece. Besides Alexandroúpoli, its other largest settlements are the villages of Mákri (pop. 820), Ávas (497), Sykorráchi (309), Aisými (289), and Díkella (288). |
