What is Thessaloniki?
[[File:Thessalonica Montage L.png|right|thumb|Thessaloniki]] [[File:Flag of Thessaloniki.svg|thumb|150px|Flag]] '''Thessaloniki''' is the second-largest [[city]] in [[Greece]] after [[Athens]]. There were 325,182 people at the census of 2011. Including the suburbs, there were 1,110,312 people. It is in the region of [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]] in northern [[Greece]]. It is the capital of the [[prefecture|Thessaloniki prefecture]] and it is the capital of the periphery of central Macedonia. It is the largest city in the geographical region of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]]. It has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'' in the [[Köppen climate classification]]). The average [[rainfall]] is relatively low, due to the [[rain shadow]] from the Pindos mountains. Unlike in Athens, there are frequent [[frost]]s and [[snow]] every [[winter]]. == History == [[File:Thessaloniki - The street in Downtown.JPG|160px|right|thumb|Thessaloniki's center]] Thessaloniki was established by King Cassander of [[Macedon]], friend of [[Alexander the Great]] in the fourth century B.C. He named the city after the sister of [[Alexander the Great]], princess Thessalonike, which in Greek means ''victory over Thessaly''. From late antiquity to the late Middle Ages (330AD-1430AD) it was the second most important city of [[Byzantine Empire]]. Then Thessaloniki faced many invasions from enemies such as the Avaroi, Bulgars and others. In the year 1204, the crusaders conquered Thessaloniki and created the Kingdom of Thessalonica. Later it was liberated by Byzantines and then sold to the [[Republic of Venice]] but the year 1430, it was conquered by the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Thessaloniki was a part of [[Ottoman Empire]] for approximately 500 years and in 1912 it became part of [[Greece]] when Greece acquired [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]] following the [[Balkan Wars]]. Many famous people have lived or were born here, such as the Roman statesman and philosopher [[Cicero]], many saints like [[Cyril and Methodius]], who invented the [[Cyril