Pikermi

Pikermi
Πικέρμι
Municipal unit
Center of Pikermi
Center of Pikermi
Pikermi is located in Greece
Pikermi
Pikermi
Location within the regional unit
Coordinates: 38°0′N 23°56′E / 38.000°N 23.933°E / 38.000; 23.933
CountryGreece
Administrative regionAttica
Regional unitEast Attica
MunicipalityRafina-Pikermi
Area
 • Municipal unit21.522 km2 (8.310 sq mi)
Elevation
140 m (460 ft)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Municipal unit
7,707
 • Municipal unit density360/km2 (930/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
190 09
Area code(s)210
Vehicle registrationZ
Websitewww.koinotita-pikermiou.gr

Pikermi (Greek: Πικέρμι) is a suburb of Athens and a former community of East Attica regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rafina-Pikermi, of which it is a municipal unit.[2] The municipal unit has an area of 21.522 km2.[3]

Geography

Pikermi is situated at the northern edge of the Mesogaia plain, south of the Penteliko Mountain. It is 5 km east of Pallini, 6 km west of Rafina and 19 km east of Athens city centre. Greek National Road 54 (Athens - Rafina) passes through Pikermi. The municipal unit Pikermi consists of the settlements Pikermi, Drafi and Dioni.

Paleontology

Pikermi features a paleontological site which has more than forty mammal species from the late Miocene (8 million years ago). What is special about Pikermi is that it is one of the first Miocene fossil localities to be discovered. It was discovered in 1839 by Bavarian soldiers of king Otto. Since it was one of the first localities, many of the species named there are type species. The locality itself is used as the archetypal example of a 'Pikermian' chronofauna that existed from Afghanistan to the Balkans during the Late Miocene.[4] Similar fossils are found on Samos Island in Greece and Shanxi China.

Historical population

Year Village population Community population
1981 509 -
1991 650 1,293
2001 1,168 2,931
2011 2,009 7,175
2021 2,082 7,707

References

  1. ^ "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
  2. ^ "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
  3. ^ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.
  4. ^ Denk, Thomas; Zohner, Constanin M.; Grimm, Guido W.; Renner, Susanne S. (29 October 2018). "Plant fossils reveal major biomes occupied by the late Miocene Old-World Pikermian fauna". Nature Ecology and Evolution. 2 (12): 1864–1870. doi:10.1038/s41559-018-0695-z. PMID 30374173. S2CID 256704026. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  • Media related to Pikermi at Wikimedia Commons