Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is located on the Thermaic Gulf, at the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea. It is bounded on the west by the delta of the Axios/Vardar. The municipality of Thessaloniki, the historical center, had a population of 325,182 in 2011,[4] while the Thessaloniki Urban Area had a population of 824,676[4] and the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area had 1,030,338 inhabitants in 2011.[4][3] It is Greece’s second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre; it is a major transportation hub for Greece and southeastern Europe, notably through the Port of Thessaloniki.[10][10] The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general,[11] and is considered to be Greece’s cultural capital.[11] Events such as the Thessaloniki International Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora.[12] Thessaloniki was the 2014 European Youth Capital.[13]
