Geography

Piraievs or Piraeus, city in central Greece, in Attiki (Attica) Department, on the Saronic Gulf: Piraeus is located 9 km southwest of Athens, overlooking the Martoum Sea, which leads to the Saronic Gulf.It is a peninsula surrounded by the sea (although in its geological origin it was an island), and features three natural harbors.

In 1834 the empty site was chosen as the port of modern Athens, because, despite being laid out around 450 BC, in 86 BC it was totally destroyed by the Romans, and it resumed importance only after Greece achieved independence in the 19th century. Since then it has been growing and now it's population around 1 000 000 citizens.

In its creation Piraeus had served Athens as a port, nowadays it is still the main port of Athens, the biggest in Greece and one of the most important in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a major port and industrial center of Greece. The city has shipyards, flour mills, and factories in which agricultural equipment, textiles, rugs, glass, and chemicals are produced. It also has a school of industrial studies (1938). So the importance of Piraeus to the country is vital because it is the most important shipping, industrial and transport center of Greece.