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Listed 26 sub titles with search on: Economy  for wider area of: "GREECE Country EUROPE" .


Economy (26)

Miscellaneous

AGATHONISSI (Island) DODEKANISSOS
  The economy is dependent on animal farming, fishing and tourism. Animal farming is conducted “free range” and therefore produce is small in quantity but of exceptional quality.
  There are some ten professional fishermen earning a living from the waters surrounding the island although in recent years fish farming has been a successful addition.
  As has occurred with the other Dodecanese islands, visitors to the island have steadily increased, making tourism a main source of income for the economic development of the island.
Manolis Makris, ed.
This text (extract) is cited February 2004 from the Dodekanissos Union of Municipalities & Communities pamphlet.

Argolida on the 20th century

ARGOLIS (Prefecture) PELOPONNISOS
  Argolida is one of the most productive areas in Greece. Due to the fine climate, it offers a large variety of citrus trees, garden produce and vegetables.
  During the last decades, arboriculture is county’s main productive sector. The cultivation of olive trees and the production of quality olive oil is its main characteristic, while, during the last few years in most mountainous regions, farmers add new olive plantations.
  Cattle-raising is also worth mentioning. In both mountainous and flat regions most people possess flocks, whose breeding is supported by the local authorities.
  Finally, Argolida County has made large steps in the production of machine-made manufactures, such as cans and water pump wells.
(text: Alexis Totsikas)
This text (extract) is cited March 2004 from the Prefecture of Argolis tourist pamphlet.

PYTHAGORIO (Municipality) SAMOS
Primary Sector
  The cultivation of vines is of great importance for the Municipality of Pythagorio. The dominant specie is the white Muscat grape of the renowned since the antiquity family of "Samias Ampelou" Samian vine. It yields the world famous quality wines V.Q.P.R.D. In a total of 7690 km2 in the western Samos, 2680 km2 (a least) are within the boundaries of our Municipalities area.
  When it comes to the cultivation of olives out of a total of 123593 km2 of cultivated land 52235 km2 are within the area of the Municipality of Pythagorio. Out of a total of 1630000 olive trees, 676000 are within the area of the Municipality of Pythagorio. The most common olive variety is Throubolia, but there is also Koroneiki, Kalamon and Manaki. All over the Municipality of Pythagorio we encounter century old olive fields.
  The culture of citrus fruits is concentrated in the area of the valley of Chora.
  The culture of grain covers an area of 1000 km2, most of it within the area of the Municipality of Pythagorio. Horticulture is also developed while the apiculture is mainly found in the Karvounis area.
  Cattle-raising involves sheep and goat herding but in the last few years the raising of cows has been introduced.
  Woodcutting is concentrated around the Samian pine and the wood is used for the construction of sea vessels.
  Fishing is found in the Pythagorio and Iraion.
Secondary sector
  The businesses in the secondary sector are small and some medium sized enterprises of wood, iron, aluminum and shipping companies.
Tertiary sector
  The favorable climatic conditions the historical, cultural and social features of our area are the main reasons for the tourist flow in the renowned tourist destinations of Pythagorio, Iraion and Potokaki. Special interest tourism such as agrotourism, ecotourism, convention tourism, nature tourism, sports tourism, scientific tourism, mountain walking tourism, and other alternative forms of tourism are being developed fast. There is a great number of hotels of all categories and sizes where the visitors can be accommodated while enjoying their stay in our area. A big variety of restaurants, tavernas, cafes, Snack bars, nightclubs, bars and traditional cafes. A broad commercial market of local products exists in our area that caters for all the needs of the local population and the visitors. Samos and in particular the coastal zone of Pythagorio-Iraion enjoys a unique combination of nature, primary sector activities, archeological and cultural wealth and a lively tourist activity.

This text is cited Febr 2004 from the Municipality of Pythagorio URL below


SYMI (Island) DODEKANISSOS
  Since the island is mountainous and arid, the majority of its inhabitants used to be employed in the sponge industry, shipping, fishing, shepherding and very small-scale farming. Nowadays the majority is engaged in tourism, commerce and crafts, such as carpentry and boat building.
This text (extract) is cited November 2003 from the Municipality of Symi tourist pamphlet.

Agriculture

KOUTSOPODI (Municipality) ARGOLIS
  Agriculture is very extensive in Koutsopodi and the other villages. Some wheat , barley , oats and a lot of vegetables are raised. The main product of the region is oranges , appricots , olive oil and grapes , especially currants and wine. The fertile soil ,the mechanisation and the hard working inhabitants resulted in a very high standard of living in the area. Most farmers have enter into partnership and the result of this was the correct facing of a lot of hardships and problems such as irrigation antifreezing protection ,new and better methods of farming etc. Stock raising is limited only on the mountainous areas of Koutsopodi municipality. There has recently been an interest in the cultivation of flowers and at present there is a greenhouse unit in the area raising roses.
   The morphology of the soil and the geographical place of the mountainous municipality are good factors to the development of agro-tourism in the area . That would be the ideal solution against urbanism which consists a big problem for those areas. Bio - agriculture, that is the method of farming without using fertilizers and pesticides ,has already appeared in the municipality and about 13 farmers cultivate an area of 709.50 acres of olive trees , vineyards ,and orange trees. The development of the method seems to be increasing in the near future , as it seems to be the ideal alternative to the local agricultural development.

This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Municipality of Koutsopodion URL below, which contains images.


Cattle-breeding

Fishing

Forests

Industry

Links

AGIASSOS (Municipality) MYTILINI

KARDAMYLA (Small town) CHIOS

Mineral wealth

Natural colour: Yellow ochra

LAVRION (Ancient city) ATTIKI
This is found in many places, including Italy, but Attic, which was the best, is not now to be had because in the times when there were slaves in the Athenian silver mines, they would dig galleries underground in order to find the silver. Whenever a vein of ochre was found there, they would follow it up like silver, and so the ancients had a fine supply of it to use in the polished finishings of their stucco work.

Argentum (silver)

Agentum (silver).The use of silver among the Greeks, although no doubt later introduced than that of gold, dates from pre-historic times. In the archaic tombs opened by Dr. Schliemann at Mycenae were several vessels and ornaments of silver. Homer mentions on several occasions vessels of silver, sometimes as coming from Sidon (Il. xxiii. 743), sometimes as imported from Egypt (Od. iv. 125), sometimes as of home manufacture (Od. xix. 57). Our museums exhibit numerous specimens of all these kinds of ware. The method of manufacture in early times was the same for silver as for gold and copper: the material was beaten out with a hammer and fastened either with nails or solder, or else cast in moulds.
  In Asia, in the time of the Persian Empire, silver must have been common, for we know that it was thirteen times less valuable than gold (Herod. iii. 95) ; and the stores of gold accumulated by kings, such as Croesus, and even by private individuals, such as Pythius (Herod. vii. 27), were enormous. From Asia it came to Greece in the way of commerce.
  But there were also silver mines in Hellas of great importance. Among these the most prolific were the mines of Laurium, the property of the Athenian people and the chief source of their wealth. With regard to the working of these mines we possess many details; as to which see Boeckh On the Silver Mines of Laurium, and Rhangabe in the Memoires de l'Acad. des Inscr. viii. 297. There were also extensive silver mines in the Pangaean range in Thrace and in Epirus. From these sources came the supplies of Greece before the age of Alexander.
  Silver was at that time in great demand in Greece. It was used by the rich for drinking vessels, by ladies for mirrors and toilet-boxes, by the pious for statues and ornaments to be dedicated in the temples. Among Greek silversmiths the most celebrated was Mentor (Plin. xxxiii.154), whose name is mentioned by the Romans in conjunction with those of Polycleitus and Scopas, and whose works were eagerly sought out by the connoisseurs of later times. Mys and Acragas and other silversmiths had wide reputation. But the chief use to which in earlier and less luxurious times silver was put was in coinage. The usual issues of Asia Minor were in silver, and that metal was almost the only currency in Hellas proper, and used conjointly with copper in Sicily and S. Italy. As early as the 6th century Aegina, Corinth, Euboea, Athens, Samos, and many other cities issued an abundance of silver coin, and during the next century the example was followed by nearly every Greek independent city of any pretensions. It may be remarked here that all the Greek words connected with money are derived from arguros, and not from chrusos, as katarguroo, to bribe with money; arguramoibos, a money-changer, &c.; and arguros is itself not unfrequently used to signify money in general (Soph. Antig. 295), as aes is in Latin.
  In the time of Alexander the mines of Laurium were of diminished richness, and their produce decreased until in the time of Pausanias and Strabo they were looked on as exhausted (Paus. ad init.). But their place was far more than supplied by the enormous treasures of silver which the Persian kings had laboriously hoarded, and which Alexander and his captains spent with lavish profusion. A whole corps of Alexander's soldiers bore silver shields (the Argyraspides), Mithradates Eupator had numerous chariots of silver, and we read in Athenaeus' description of the pomp of Ptolemy Philadelphus (v. p. 196) of such things as a silver bowl holding 600 metretae and embossed with figures of animals.
  Italy is less richly furnished by nature with silver than Greece. In early times, indeed, the Etruscans were celebrated for working in silver, many of their productions still surviving; and they issued silver coins as early as the 5th century. But we may suppose the metal imported either from the Gauls to the north or the seafaring Phoenicians. Certainly at the same period silver was rare at Rome, as is shown by the fact that Rome long contented herself with copper money, and only followed the example of her richer neighbours in striking silver in B.C. 269. Before that period Greek silver was in circulation at Rome; and the principal silver coin of the Romans, the denarius, was borrowed from the Greek drachma. This dearth of silver disappeared when the Romans acquired the rich mines of Spain, which the Carthaginians had worked before them. These were situate at Osca and elsewhere, but those near Carthago Nova were so rich (Polyb. xxxiv. 9) as to employ forty thousand miners, to the great profit of the Roman state. This makes, more surprising the statement of Pliny (xxxiii.141) that at the capture of Carthage the booty in silver only amounted to 4370 pounds. It was really the victories of Scipio Asiaticus which flooded Rome with silver as with other luxuries, until silver tables of 100 pounds' weight became common at Rome, and even the cooking utensils of the wealthy were sometimes made of the same material (Plin. xxxiii.140). Statuettes and parts of statues of silver of the Roman period have been found, together with many silver cups and vessels. Some of these latter were found at Pompeii, some at Caere, but the largest hoard, weighing upwards of 100 pounds, at Hildesheim in Germany. This treasure, consisting of upwards of seventy vessels, must have been part of the baggage of a Roman officer on the frontiers, [p. 184] and forcibly illustrates the luxury of wealthy officers in late times. It also shows what immense strides the practical art of the silver-smith had made since early Greek times. The Hildesheim vases, which are now in the Museum of Berlin, are composed of a body of silver, over which is fastened a second layer covered with alto-rilievos of beaten work, admirably designed and excellently adapted to the forms and purposes of the vessels. On the subject of working in silver, Pliny has a dissertation (xxxiii.127 ff.).

Silver as Coin.
  We have already stated when and where silver was principally used for currency; and for further details, see Nummus, Denarius, Drachma. But we must add here a few words as to the alloy of silver. In the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. the silver issued in the Greek world is usually of almost perfect purity. Of a number of pieces of S. Italy tested, many offer a proportion of 94 to 96 per cent. of pure silver, none less than 91 per cent. The coins of Aegina are about .96 fine. Those of Athens, which were noted in antiquity for their purity, give a percentage of .986 to .983. Even after Alexander the coins of Athens retain their purity, the analysis of some specimens yielding .966 of silver, .032 of copper, and .002 of gold. But in some places the standard of fineness rapidly falls in late times. A tetradrachm of Philip, one of the last kings of Syria, yielded only .678 of silver, and the contemporary coins of Egypt are still more debased. When the Romans occupied that country, they found the money so debased in quality, though it still retained its weight, that a Roman denarius was equivalent in value to the Ptolemaic tetradrachm of nearly four times its weight. Among the Romans silver retained its standard, excepting in the case of some denarii of M. Antony, until the time of Augustus, who fixed the purity at 98-9 per cent. But after Vespasian we find a continual decrease in the standard of silver currency, with occasional slight reactions, until the so-called silver money is but copper plated. The substances used for adulteration of silver were copper, tin, zinc, and lead, all of which are found in the later Egyptian money.

Proportionate Value of Silver as compared with Gold and Copper.
  A few words must be said under this head as to the relations held, in value one with another, of the three precious metals -gold, silver, and copper. According to Herodotus (iii. 95), in reckoning the revenues of the Persian Empire gold was esteemed at thirteen times the value of silver. And Brandis tries to show by induction that this relation, or more exactly that of 13 1/31 to 1, held between gold and silver in the Levant during many centuries. But in the 4th century the value of gold began to fall in Greece. The pseudo-Plato (Hipparch. 231 D) speaks of the comparative value of the two metals as 12 to 1; and after Philip of Macedon had possessed himself of the rich gold mines of Thrace, and his son of the treasures of the Persian kings, it fell to 10 to 1 (Menander, ap. Pollux, ix. 76). Mr. Head (Coinage of Syracuse) shows reasons for supposing the relation in value of gold to silver in Sicily to have been 15 to 1 until about B.C. 344, and afterwards 12 to 1. Roman laws of the middle of the 2nd century show that the relation of 12 to 1 was then current in Italy; but Roman gold coins bearing marks of value show considerable variations in the relation, from 9 to 17 to 1. Under the empire it was about 10 or 12 to 1. The relation between silver and copper was in Sicily 250 to 1, and nearly the same result is given for Rome, by a comparison of the weights of silver and copper coins of the 3rd century which bear marks of value. At a later time copper would seem to have become far more valuable in proportion. It is, however, difficult to prove this, because copper coins of later time are mere money of account, and not struck up to the full. value.

This text is from: A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890) (eds. William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin). Cited June 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Thasos mines

THASSOS (Island) MAKEDONIA EAST & THRACE

Official pages

AGIOS KOSMAS (Municipality) GREVENA

IOANNINA (Prefecture) EPIRUS

KEA (Island) KYKLADES
The basic occupation of the islanders was, and still is, stock breeding. Kea's cows are reputedly the best of the region. Pigs, goats and sheep are also raised on the island. Apart from dairy products (milk, cheese, butter etc.) Kea also produces excellent vegetables, fruit and nuts. Apiculture should also be mentioned. Thyme honey from Kea is famous. Pasteli, made with sesame seed and honey, is a speciality of the island.

SYMI (Island) DODEKANISSOS
Half of the current active population is engaged in the building industry, as well as in commerce and tourism including restaurants, hotels and transport. At present, tourism in Symi is dependent on daily visitors who come from Rhodes and visitors who stay in Symi for a couple of days. Symiots who live abroad visit Symi for their vacations during the summer months as well. The duration of the season lasts 7 months (April - October). High season lasts three months July - September. A few number of people are engaged in agriculture, farming and fishery. Boat building and wood carving (furniture, decorative motives in interior architecture) flourished in the past. Nowadays two small boat - yards are operating mainly for the construction and repair of the fishing boats.

This text is cited May 2005 from the Municipality of Symi URL below, which contains images


Economic Activity and Local Products

SYROS (Island) KYKLADES
  Syros is the administrative centre of the Cycladic islands. A large part of its population is employed in public services. The Prefectural Administration of the Cyclades and the Administration of the northern Aegean Region are located in Hermoupolis.
  Another significant part of its population is involved in agricultural production. Numerous greenhouses cover every corner of southern Syros and produce fresh vegetables (even out of season) such as zucchinis, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers...). They supply not only the market of Hermoupolis, but are also exported to Athens and other Greek cities.
  Stock breeding is also highly developed on Syros.The Union of Agricultural Companies of Syros processes and packs fresh milk, as well as a range of dairy products, such as the "San Michali" cheese and other Syriot varieties. Apiculture is also developed in "Apano Meria".
  Many Syriots are employed in the shipbuilding wharves of "Neorio", which is one of the important economic resources of the island. As a matter of fact, Syros preserves old traditions in shipbuilding. Syriot shipyards were once world-famous and some of them are still operational.   Old commercial traditions are maintained in the modern market of Syros. Due to these traditions, this market offers an abundance of shops selling all kinds of goods. The marble-paved narrow streets of that part of the town, right at the port, are lined with one shop after another, meeting the demand of Syriots and visitors alike. Hardly any visitor leaves the island without having tasted its famous loukoum and halvadopita.   During the last years, Syros experienced a wave of tourism. It is being discovered by more and more people. Hotels, beaches and tourist services have been developed . Numerous neoclassical buildings have been restored to their former glory and are often turned into splendid hotels.
  Many taverns and small restaurants offer live music (bouzouki, guitar and accordeon). One can enjoy the atmosphere while sampling delicious local specialities (pichti, louza, syriano loukaniko, etc.).

This text is cited Apr 2003 from the University of Patras' XENIOS DIAS website URL below.


Small industry

KOUTSOPODI (Municipality) ARGOLIS
  The manufactured products of the area consist mainly of the olive oil , canned fruit ,wine and the processing of oranges for export. There are also a lot of manufacturing units producing equipment for irrigation systems (drilling machines ,pipes etc) a lot of carpenter shops, cheese - making industries etc. All of these offer a solution to the unemployment of the young people and the economic development in general. The new municipality of Koutsopodi seems to be an area with a very good standard of living , economic development and very good future prospects of further development in general.

This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Municipality of Koutsopodion URL below, which contains images.


Tourism

Alpine Tourism

KERKINI (Municipality) SERRES

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