The 74 regional units of Greece are the country's third-level administrative units (counting decentralized administrations as first-level). They are subdivisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into municipalities.
They were introduced as part of the Kallikratis administrative reform on 1 January 2011 and are comparable in area and, on the mainland, coterminous with the "pre-Kallikratis" prefectures of Greece.
Vathy (Greek: Βαθύ) or Vathi is the largest settlement on the Greek Ionian island of Ithaca and the seat of the Ithaca regional unit. It is located in the southern part of the island, in a deep natural harbour. According to the 2021 census, it has a population of 1,693.
In the Middle Ages, Ionian islands were subject to frequent pirate raids, which forced inhabitants to build settlements inland. Vathy was only formed in the 16th century, during the late Venetian rule, when the families living uphill in the settlement of Palaiochora ('old town'), began moving down to Vathi. In 1807, the French built a fortress on the Loutsa hill at the port entrance. The dockyard at the port operated throughout the 19th century, and over 200 ships were built during the period. Wealth from shipbuilding, trade and fishing caused expansion of population and house construction. During the British rule in the 19th century, the population rose to about 5,000. However, in the 1920s the naval activity dwindled, and the economy of Vathy stagnated.
Thasos (Greek: Θάσος [ˈθas̠os̠]) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area.
The island has an area of 380 km and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate regional unit within the East Macedonia and Thrace region. Before the local administration reform of 2011, it was part of the Kavala Prefecture. The largest town and the capital is Thasos, officially known as Limenas Thasou, "Port of Thasos", situated on the northern side. It is connected with the mainland by regular ferry lines between Keramoti and Thasos town, and between the regional centre of Kavala and Skala Prinou.