World Bank2024-10-292024-10-292024-10-29https://hdl.handle.net/10986/42323Kalamata is the capital and central port of Messinia, located seaside along the Messinian Gulf and stretches along the coastline at the foot of Mount Kalathi of the Taygetos Mountains. Kalamata is about 3 hours from Athens and the same distance from Patras by car. The morphology of the broader region is characterized by mountains, which account for half of the Peloponnese area. The region, which possesses 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites, is one of the least densely populated in Greece with 37.2 inhabitants per km . While Kalamata is the biggest city in terms of population, Tripoli is the capital of the Region where the regional administration is located. A number of ancient Greek as well as medieval sites of Byzantine, Venetian, Frankish, and Turkish origins are found nearby. It offers opportunities for hiking, mountaineering (Taygetos), picturesque villages and historical monasteries situated in the mountain ranges. The city is a development pole of interregional importance owing to cultural and educational contributions, tourism, and its location along major road networks.en-USCC BY-NC 3.0 IGOHUMAN CAPITALLABOR MARKETMSMEsINFRASTRUCTURETOURISMAGRI-FOOD AND BIOECONOMYENERGYReportWorld Bank10.1596/42323