Rafina
Town in Attica, Greece
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rafina (Greek: Ραφήνα) is a suburban port town located on the eastern coast of Attica in Greece. It has a population of 14,620 inhabitants (2021 census).[1] Since the 2011 local government reform it has been part of the municipality Rafina-Pikermi, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.[2] The municipal unit has an area of 18.979 km2.[3] It is part of the Athens metropolitan area.[4][5]
Rafina
Ραφήνα | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of Rafina's harbour | |
 Location within the regional unit | |
  Rafina | |
| Coordinates: 38°1′N 24°0′E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Attica |
| Regional unit | East Attica |
| Municipality | Rafina-Pikermi |
| Area | |
| • Municipal unit | 18.979 km2 (7.328 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Municipal unit | 14,620 |
| • Municipal unit density | 770.3/km2 (1,995/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 190 09 |
| Area code | 22940 |
| Vehicle registration | Z |
| Website | www.rafina.gr |
Geography
Rafina lies on the Aegean Sea coast, east of Mount Pentelicus and northeast of the Mesogaia plain. It is 5 km (3 mi) north of Artemida, 7 km (4 mi) south of Nea Makri and 25 km (16 mi) east of Athens city centre. The municipal unit of Rafina contains, besides the city itself, a large portion of the surrounding area, which is mostly woodland and farmland. The only other town is Kallitechnoupoli.
Rafina is a port town serving ferries to the southern part of Euboea as well as most of the Cyclades. Its port acts as the second port of Athens, after the Athens' port of Piraeus.
History
Rafina suffered damage from a forest fire in July 2005 and again in 2018.
Historical population
| Year | Town population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 4,994 | – |
| 1991 | 8,282 | 8,611 |
| 2001 | 10,173 | 10,701 |
| 2011 | 12,168 | 13,091 |
| 2021 | 13,604 | 14,620 |
Culture
Sports
Rafina is the seat of two football clubs with presence in third national division (Gamma Ethniki), Triglia Rafina club founded in 1932 by refugees, and Thyella Rafina club founded in 1957.
| Sport clubs based in Rafina | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Founded | Sports | Achievements |
| Triglia Rafina F.C. | 1932 | Football | Presence in Gamma Ethniki |
| Thyella Rafina F.C. | 1957 | Football | Presence in Gamma Ethniki |
Notable residents
- Robert Pires (French footballer)[6]
- Kostas Karamanlis, former Greek prime minister
- Simon Rrumbullaku Albanian-Greek football player.
International relations
Pano Lefkara, Cyprus[7]
Tirilye, Turkey[7][8]
Triglia, Chalkidiki
