Eordea

:"Eordea" is also a spider genus (Linyphiidae).

Eordea (Greek: Εορδαία, rarely Eordaia, Latin: Eordaia) is a province in northern Greece. It is part of Western Macedonia and more specifically is located in the prefecture of Kozani. Eordea borders the province of Kozani to the south, the prefectures of Kastoria to the northwest, the prefectures of Florina to the north, Pella to the northeast. Imathia to the east. The capital of Eordea is Ptolemaida, which is a well-developed industrial city most known for its power plants which are run by the Public Power Corporation (also called DEI).

History

In archaic Greek, Eordea comes from the Pelasgian word "Eorda", which means "Mother Earth" and is the ancient name given to that region because of the fertility of its soil. The history of Eordea can be found stretching long before 3000 BCE when the first Greeks known as the Aeolians and Arcadians began to inhabit this area. Remnants of the exploited copper mines from 2700 up until 1200 BCE indicate strongly that the Greeks inhabited Eordea for thousands of years. Iron mines have also been exploited in the Eordean region. Ptolemaida is the capital of the province of Eordea that is located in the prefecture Kozani of western Macedonia, with over 40,000 inhabitants. The capitol Ptolemaida (Πτολεμαΐδα in Greek), was named after Ptolemy the first of Eordea born in the year 337 BCE and famously known as a distinguished General of Alexander the Great. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, Ptolemy is known in antiquity as the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Alexandria in Egypt, which thrived until the death of Cleopatra the last reigning Pharaoh of Egypt.Fact|date=February 2008

Recent discoveries

Within a 50-year period, paleontologists and archaeologists have made many discoveries due to the industrial development of the Eordean countryside. In particular, the skeletal fossils of a prehistoric mammoth, a prehistoric elephant, and Stone Age tools have all been found within the province of Eordea. These finds add to knowledge on the variety of animal species and human artifacts in this particular region of western Macedonia.Fact|date=February 2008

Football

Eordaikos, the historic football club of West Macedonia was named after.