Provinces of Greece

The provinces of Greece (επαρχία, "eparchy") were sub-divisions of some the country's prefectures. From 1887, the provinces were abolished as actual administrative units, but were retained for some state services, especially financial and educational services, as well as for electoral purposes. Before the Second World War, there were 139 provinces, and after the war, with the addition of the Dodecanese Islands, their number grew to 147. According to the Article 7 of the Code of Prefectural Self-Government (Presidential Decree 30/1996), the provinces constituted a "particular administrative district" within the wider "administrative district" of the prefectures. The provinces were finally abolished after the 2006 local elections, in line with Law 2539/1997, as part of the wide-ranging administrative reform known as the "Kapodistrias Project", and replaced by enlarged municipalities (demoi). Provincial administration consisted of two parts: a collective Provincial Council and an eparch (έπαρχος). Members of the Provincial Council were the prefectural councillors of the respective province. The eparch or sub-prefect was the prefectural councillor who received the most votes in the prefectural elections. This is a list of the former provinces of Greece and their capitals, sorted by prefecture, as they stood in 1991: Achaea Aigialeia Province - Aigio Kalavryta Province - Kalavryta Patras Province - Patras Aetolia-Acarnania Missolonghi Province - Missolonghi Nafpaktia Province - Nafpaktos Trichonida Province - Agrinio Valtos Province - Amfilochia Vonitsa-Xiromero Province - Vonitsa Arcadia Gortynia Province - Dimitsana Kynouria Province - Leonidio Mantineia Province - Tripoli Megalopoli Province - Megalopoli Argolis Argos Province - Argos Ermionida Province - Kranidi Nafplia Province - Nafplio Arta Prefecture: no provinces Athens Prefecture: no provinces Boeotia Thebes Province - Thebes (Thiva) Livadeia Province - Livadeia Chalkidiki Arnaia Province - Arnaia Chalkidiki Province - Polygyros Chania Prefecture Apokoronas