Kilkis is in Central Macedonia and has a population of 82,000 people. It borders the counties of Thessalonika and Serres on the east, Pella on the west and F.Y.R.O.M. on the north. It is known as 'The Gateway to Greece' because of its location.
Kilkis is well known to every Greeek due to the Battle of Kilkis (21/6/1913) which was decisive for Greece as it decided the borders of the country.
The river Axios which rises in former Yugoslavia flows through this county on its way to the Thermaiko Gulf. Another important river which flows through this county and empties into the aforementioned gulf is the Gallikos. There are also two lakes in this region, Lake Doirani and Lake Pikrolimni (literally translated as Bitterlake). The former covers 43.1 sq km, 22 of which are located in F.Y.R.O.M. It is 147m above sea level and is no deeper than 10m at its deepest point. It is rich in fish and really is a sight to behold.
The plain of the county is surrounded by hulking mountains including Mount Paiko (1,650m) in the west, Mount Belles (2,031m) in the north, Mount Krousia in the east and Mount Vertsikos in the south. A large proportion of the county is covered by forests that house a wide range of trees as well as rare species of plants and flowers.
The people of the area are creative, hardworking and very hospitable. They are mostly occupied with agriculture, animal husbandry, industry and increasingly with tourism. Many crops are grown here including cereals, tobacco and cotton.
The capital of the county is Kilkis and other important towns include Goumenissa, Axioupoli and Polycastro.
