Attica
Attica (Αττική) is a peninsula reaching into the Aegean Sea. It is bordered to the northwest by the land region of Sterea Ellada and split from the Peloponnese by the Isthmus of Corinth.
The peninsula is naturally divided into three plains by various mountain ranges, the most well-known being the pine-covered peeks of Mount Hymettus (Υμηττός ) and Mount Parnitha (Πάρνηθα), both of which have been historically mined for marble. The river Kifisos runs through the region. The dammed Lake Marathon (Λίμνη Μαραθώνος) was created in the 1920s as a reservoir for the region.
As host to the settlements of Athens, Eleusis, and Marathon, Attica is one of the most historically significant areas of ancient Greece, with some settlements dating back to prehistoric times. Many temples and sacred centers are found in the region, including Eleusis in the west, Brauron on the eastern coast, and Sounio at the southernmost tip of Attica.
And as home to Athens, the country’s modern capital and largest city with a population of over 4 billion people, the landscape of Attica has been altered significantly over time by urban development, extensive deforestation, and uncontrolled, human-instigated wildfires.
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