Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη ( listen)), often referred to internationally as
Thessalonica or
Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the geographic region of Greek Macedonia, the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace. Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (
Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital", and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (
Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople. According to the preliminary results of the 2011 census, the municipality of Thessaloniki today has a population of 322,240, while the Thessaloniki Urban Area (the contiguous built up area forming the "City of Thessaloniki") has a population of 790,824; making it the fifth largest and most populated city in the Balkans and the second most populated city that is not a capital, after Istanbul. Furthermore, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area extends over an area of 1,455.62 km2 (562.