BOEOTIA

Modern Greek Voiota, district of ancient Greece with a distinctive military, artistic, and political history. It corresponds somewhat to the modern noms (department) of Boeotia, the administrative centre of which is Levdhia. The noms extends farther to the northwest, however, to include part of ancient Phocis (Foks). It is bounded by Attica (Attik; southeast), the Gulf of Corinth (south), Phocis (west), the Gulf of Euboea (east), and the noms of Fthitis (north). Boeotia has two extensive fertile plains separated by a low ridge, an outlier of Mount Helicon (5,735 feet ) on which Thebes (Thvai) stands. The northern plain is a drained basin that formerly contained Lake Kopais, once the largest lake in Greece, and now a fertile plain growing cereals and cotton and supporting pedigreed cattle. The southern plain is watered by the Asops River. In classical times the much-reorganized Boeotian defensive league figured prominently in the rivalry between Athens and Sparta. The league led an uprising against Sparta during the Corinthian War (395387 BC) and in the Battle of Chaeronea (338) was thoroughly decimated in the struggle to preserve Greek independence from Macedonia. When Boeotia rose again (335) against Alexander III the Great, it was destroyed and thereafter was of little consequence. In spite of a harsh climate (the hills effectively block sea breezes), modern Boeotia's fertile plains produce wheat, corn (maize), tobacco, olives, and grapes. Bauxite is mined and converted to alumina and aluminum at a large plant at spra Sptia, on the Gulf of Corinth. A highway and rail line enters Boeotia's northwest-southeasttrending valley east of Delphi, running southeast past Thebes; the highway then swings northward to Chalcis (Khalkis), while the rail line passes around the hills to Attica, paralleled by the new superhighway from Athens. Area (noms) 1,240 square miles (3,211 square km). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 134,034.