Orestiada

Orestiada is a town and municipality in the Evros regional unit of northeastern Greece. It lies in the extreme northeast of the country, near the border with Turkey, on the plain formed by the Evros River. The town serves as the administrative center of the municipality of Orestiada.

The city has its origins in the population exchanges that followed the Greco-Turkish War and the 1922 treaty between Greece and Turkey. In 1923, Greek refugees from the Asia Minor community of Orestia established a new settlement in the area and named it Orestiada after their homeland. The town grew as a border settlement with an economy based on agriculture, trade, and services serving both local residents and cross-border travelers.

Administratively, Orestiada is the seat of the municipality of Orestiada, which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace_periphery and the Evros regional unit. The municipality comprises several communities beyond the urban core, integrated into the surrounding rural landscape.

Geographically, the area features flat farmland suitable for crops and livestock, with a continental-style climate characterized by hot summers and cold winters. The local economy remains centered on agriculture, with cross-border trade and related services contributing to activity in the town and surrounding communities.

Culturally, the town reflects the heritage of its refugee founders, and its daily life includes educational institutions, local commerce, and community activities that draw on the history and demographic composition of the region. Orestiada thus functions as a regional hub near the Turkish border within Greece.