Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki, (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη), is Greece's second-largest city and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. Thessaloniki is commonly called the 'symprotevousa' (lit. co-capital) of Greece due to both its long history and its strategic geographic and economic importance. More formally it is known as the "Capital of Cultural Affairs". The Thessaloniki urban area curves round the Thermaic Gulf for approximately 17 km; it comprises 13 municipalities and according to the 2001 census it has a population of 809,457. The Thessaloniki prefecture has a population of 1,099,598 (2005).
The alternate name Salonica, formerly the common name used in most western European languages, is derived from a variant form Σαλονίκη (Saloniki) in popular Greek speech. In written form, it sometimes takes the abbreviated form of Thes/niki. The city is also known as Selânik in Turkish, Солун (Solun) in Slavic, Sãrunã in Aromanian, and Selanik in Ladino (see other names).
Thessaloniki is a busy, vibrant city and it is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and cultural center as well as a major transportation hub in southeastern Europe. Its commercial port is of a great importance for Greece and for its southeast European hinterland. The city has two state universities that host a large student population (the largest in Greece); it is renowned for its large number of monuments of Byzantine architecture as well as for some main Ottoman, and Jewish structures. The city is famous for its picturesque restaurants and tavernas as well as for its lively and diverse nightlife, ranging from the traditional rebetadika to designer bars and the prestigious nightclubs located in the area adjacent to Makedonia International Airport. The city is also famed for its bougatsa delicacy that can be found in special stores in just about every corner of the city.
As the metropolitan area population expands to almost 1 million inhabitants, so does the emergence of certain problems. These primarily include an increase in traffic congestion, the lack of adequate parking facilities as well as an overconstruction of tightly packed, concrete blocks of apartment buildings. The construction of a subway line that will stretch along the city's central districts began on June 25, 2006 and is expected to be completed by the year 2012.
Rescource : www.el.wikipedia.org