Makedonia ,Macedonia
Makedonia or Macedonia, is the central Area of northern Greece.
It is most famously associated with the kings Philip and his son Alexander the Great, who made Makedonia the most powerful empire in ancient times, stretching its reach all the way into Asia and spreading the Greek culture and language to the peoples of that area.
The birthplace also of Aristotle, the great philosopher who set the foundations of logic, making our world rational and introducing many of the western ideas we now cherish. He studied the nature of the world and also made major advances in the fields of physics, meteorology, natural history & biology, as well as chemistry.
Now the  Makedonia is a vibrant and distinct part of Greece. With its capital, the cosmopolitan Thessaloniki, having the lead, it includes many diverse, both culturally and geographically areas and towns: Serres, Drama, Kavala, Katerini, Halkidiki (and Mount Athos) Kilkis, Edessa, Veroia, Kozani, Kastoria, Grevena and Florina.
Largely undiscovered by tourists, it has an amazing number of attractions to offer and interests to pursue: Stunning nature (rivers, lakes, gorges, ski resorts and mountains such as Olympus), numerous significant archaeological sites like Vergina, Pella and Philippi, Byzantine relics and churches everywhere, crystal clear sandy beaches in Halkidiki, gorgeous mountain villages with some beautiful guesthouses. For those males (only!) who quest spirituality or simply spectacular natural beauty, Mount Athos with its ancient monasteries is worth a visit.
Makedonia first appeared as a geo-political entity in the 7th century B.C, when the ancient Greek tribe of "Makedones" established their presence in the area.
For many centuries Makedonia, largely because of its geography, remained on the fringe of the Greek world. The entry of the Makedonian city-state into the history of southern Greece was sealed by the acceptance of Alexander I, king of Makedonia, by the "hellanodikai" as a competitor in the Olympic Games in 496 B.C. (only Greeks were allowed to participate in the games). Alexander I, called Philellinas (grecophile), was the first great leader of Makedonia. His timely information about the moves of the Persian armies of Xerxes and Mardonios was paramount to their defeat.
In 359 B.C., with the accession to the throne of king Philip II (Filippos), a new glorious era begun. From an insignificant, marginal state, the charismatic Philip transformed Makedonia into a dominant power in the Aegean and paved the way for his son's campaigns in the Orient. Philip's vision had the result of ushering the ancient world into the epoch of Hellenism, spread in three continents. His ingenious reforms of his army and talent in strategy left his son, Alexander the Great (Megas Alexandros), with a magnificent heritage and sphere of dominance to preserve. He proved more than worthy of his father's inheritance, as well as his professor's, Aristotle's, teachings. He went where no Greek had ever gone before, to the ends of the then-known world, defeating the mighty Persians and establishing his reign as far as India. His celebrated victories, genius and passion, as well as the dissemination of greek spirit and civilization he nurtured and accomplished, made him into an timeless legend.
After his death in 323 B.C., the Makedonian empire declined, and eventually fell to the rule of the Romans who made Thessaloniki the capital of the Roman province of Makedonia and the southern Balkans. They built the illustrious "Via Egnatia", the road that connected the Byzantium to Rome.
Makedonia's growth and prosperity resumed in the Byzantine era (4th-5th century A.D.). Its strategic location at the crossroads of the major roads in the Balkan peninsula, its important ports of Thessaloniki and Kavala brought wealth and a flourishing of art and commerce.
With the collapse of the Byzantine empire, Makedonia passes to Frankish and then to Turkish (Ottoman) rule.
During the Ottoman reign (15th-early 20th century), local autonomy of some areas, in combination with the Greeks regaining control of trade and production, after the dust of the conquest had settled, allowed the continuance of the region's prosperity. Even though southern Greece's liberation started in 1821 with the Uprising in the Peloponnese against the Turks, it was not until 26 October 1912 and after a long and bloody Makedonian Struggle that Makedonia became free and reunited with the rest of Greece.

Locations in Makedonia :
Chalkidiki
Drama
Florina 
Grevena
Imathia
Kastoria
Kavala
Kilkis
Kozani
Pella
Pieria
Serres
Thassos Island
Thessaloniki