Athens

Athens Αθήνα Athīna
Location
Coordinates	37°58′N 23°43′E / 37.967°N 23.717°E / 37.967; 23.717
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (min-max):	70 - 338 m (230 - 1109 ft)
Government
Country:	Greece
Periphery:	Attica
Districts:	7
Mayor:	Kostas Bakoyannis  (New Democracy) (since: 1 September 2019)
Population statistics (as of 2011[1])
Metropolitan
- Population:	3,737,550
- Area:	2,928.717 km² (1,131 sq mi)
- Density:	1,276 /km² (3,305 /sq mi)
Municipality
- Population:	655,780
- Area:	38.964 km² (15 sq mi)
- Density:	16,830 /km² (43,591 /sq mi)
Codes
Postal:	10x xx, 11x xx, 120 xx
Telephone:	21
Auto:	Yxx, Zxx, Ixx (excluding ZAx and INx)
Website
www.cityofathens.gr

Athens is one of the most famous cities in the world. It is the capital city of Greece and the most important financial, industrial, maritime, political, and cultural center of the country.

It is also one of the world's oldest cities. Scholars disagree on whether the city is named for the goddess Athena, or the goddess for the city. Athens has a population of about 4 million people and is growing. It is in the prefecture, or division of the country, of Attica. Its port, Piraeus, is the largest passenger port in Europe, and the second-largest port in the world.

Athens has a borderline cold semi-arid climate (BSk in the Köppen climate classification) and a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa in the Köppen climate classification). The average rainfall is relatively low, due to the rain shadow from the Parnitha mountains. Frost is infrequent and snow does not occur every winter.

1. ↑ "(875 KB) 2001 Census" (PDF). National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ) (in Greek). www.statistics.gr. Retrieved 2007-10-30.