The municipality of Katerini (85,851 inhabitants in 2011; 68,186 ha) lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf.
The municipality was established in the 2011 local government reform as the merger of the former municipalities of Elafina (Ελαφίνα, 4,313 inh.), Katerini (62,205 inh.), Korinos (Κορινός, 5,557 inh.), Paralia (Παραλία, 6,803 inh.), Petra (Πέτρα, 4,888 inh.), and Pierioi (Πιέριοι, 2,885 inh.).
The town of Katerini, one of the newest in Greece, is a popular tourist destination, close to the sea and to several archaeological sites of great interest such as the ancient city of Dion and the Ancient Greek Castle of Platamon.
The town has probably been named after a chapel dedicated to St. Catherine (Greek: Agia Aikaterini), a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century. At the beginning of the 20th century the town was recorded as Agia Aikaterini and Aikaterini but finally the vernacular name Katerini prevailed. Olivier Touzeau, 27 October 2013
The flag of the former municipality of Katerini (photo, Town Hall, 2007) was white with the emblem of the town - St. Catherine in a laurel wreath with the Greek flag behind her - and its name below in black. The new municipality uses the same emblem and, probably, the same flag. Olivier Touzeu, 27 October 2013
The flag perviously used by the former municipality (Kokkonis website) was white with the name of the municipality, on the central part on the left an oval shield including a representation of St. Catherine, and on the right a (blue and white, with black shadows) mountainous landscape, and below the date "16 October 2013" - when Katerini was liberated from the Ottoman Empire - and the word "Eleutheria" (Freedom). Olivier Touzeau, 27 October 2013
![[Flag of Katerini]](../images/g/gr-mh-kt.jpg)
![[Flag of Katerini]](../images/g/gr-mh-k4.gif)
