Kalpaki, Ioannina
Municipal unit in Greece
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kalpaki (Greek: Καλπάκι) is a former municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it has been part of the municipality Pogoni, of which it is a municipal unit.[2] It is situated about 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Ioannina, and southwest of Konitsa. The municipal unit has an area of 116.756 km2, and the community 13.189 km2.[3] The EO20 road connects Kalpaki with Ioannina and Konitsa. The EO22 connects Kalpaki with Kakavia, the border crossing into southern Albania.
Kalpaki
Καλπάκι | |
|---|---|
Location within the regional unit | |
  Kalpaki Location within Greece | |
| Coordinates: 39°53′N 20°37′E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Epirus |
| Regional unit | Ioannina |
| Municipality | Pogoni |
| Area | |
| • Municipal unit | 116.756 km2 (45.080 sq mi) |
| • Community | 13.189 km2 (5.092 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Municipal unit | 1,534 |
| • Municipal unit density | 13.14/km2 (34.03/sq mi) |
| • Community | 553 |
| • Community density | 41.9/km2 (109/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Vehicle registration | ΙΝ |
Subdivisions
History
In the interwar period, the site of Kalpaki was a cluster of a few straw huts used by people working their fields on the plain.[4][5] After 1945, its location as a road intersection for north–eastern and south–western routes attracted inhabitants to settle and work.[4][5] Thus following the Second World War, Kalpaki replaced Doliana, located among hilly terrain as a regional centre, due in part to its accessibility on the Doliana plain.[4]
On January 7th, 02:00am UTC, an IF2 ranked tornado hit Kalpaki, Greece. The tornado destroyed a poultry farm, killing tens of thousands of chickens. The tornado also significantly damaged two other buildings, both of which had partially collapsed walls. A church, watchtowers and other structures were also damaged. This would become one of the worst tornadoes in Europe in 2026.[6]
Demographics
| Year | Settlement population | Community population | Municipal unit population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 586 | - | - |
| 1991 | 521 | - | 2,874 |
| 2001 | 558 | 754 | 2,324 |
| 2011 | 625 | 625 | 1,719 |
| 2021 | 547 | 553 | 1,534 |
The majority of inhabitants are Sarakatsani.[5] These include former transhumant pastoralists, as well as those who previously lived in mountainous villages like Elafotopos in Zagori before settling in Kalpaki during the 1970s and 1980s.[4][5]