Introduction |
Facts |
Flag |
History |
Culture |
Geography |
Currency |
Economy |
Demographics |
Language |
Greece is officially known as the Hellenic Republic country, which located in south Eastern Europe on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It is surrounded by Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the north and by Turkey to the east. Moreover the Aegean, Mediterranean and Ionian Seas, which constitue the country's eastern, southern, and western borders also surround it.
Greece was very poor in past, but it has experienced rapid economic and social growth from the 20th century. Today, Greece is a highly developed nation, member of the European Union since 1981 and a member of the Eurozone since 2001.
| Country Name : | Greece |
| Capital : | Athens |
| Largest City : | Athens |
| Official Language : | Greek |
| Government : | Parliamentary republic |
| President : | Karolos Papoulias |
| Prime Minister : | Kostas Karamanlis |
| Area : | 131,945 kmē |
| Area Rank : | 70th |
| Population : | 11,244,118 |
| Population Rank : | 74th |
| Density : | 80.91/kmē |
| Density Rank : | 87th |
| GDP Total : | $245.88 billion |
| GDP Total Rank : | 37th |
| GDP per Capita : | $22,800 |
| GDP per Capita Rank : | 30th |
| Currency : | Euro |
| Time Zone : | EET (UTC+2) |
| Internet TLD : | .gr |
| Calling Code : | +30 |
| Geographic Coordinates : | 39 00 N, 22 00 E |
| Railways : | 2,571 km |
| Highways : | 116,470 km |
| Waterways : | 6 km |
| Internet Users : | 3.8 million |
| Radio Users : | 5.02 million |
| Mobile Users : | 9,305,700 |
| Telephone Users : | 6,348,800 |
| Population Growth : | 0.18% |
| Birth Rate : | 9.68 births/1,000 |
| Death Rate : | 10.24 deaths/1,000 |
| Airport : | 82 |
Description :
Nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy.
Pre-history: - The Minoan and the Mycenaean civilizations were the first civilizations of Greece. Around the Greek isles and shores sprouted city-states, or poleis. These all city-states or poleis had their own individual governments and social infrastructure. Under Athens Sparta, Greeks formed a coalition to repel the 'eastern threat' of the Persians. The internal struggle between Spartans and Athenans the Peloponnesian war saw the end of that period and then after all parts of Greece were under the rule of Alexander the great and aimed again to detect the Persians. Alexander led the Greeks and gave them victor and the Hellenistic era was started.
Byzantine Period: - During 168 BC, Romans conquered the territory of Greece, so Greece became a province of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire split in two, the eastern Roman Empire was called the Byzantine Empire. During the period of the Byzantine Empire Greece faced many invasions, but it succeeded in Hellenising and institutionalizing most of its new invaders. On 29th of May 1453 due to the arrival of the Ottoman Empire, the Byzantine rule was ended.
Ottoman Period: - In 1453, the Ottomans arrived at Greece and during the 15th century, the Ottomans conquered Greece. While the Ottomans were completing the main conquest of the Greek Mainland, two Greek migrations occurred. The first saw the Greek intelligentsia migrate to Western Europe and the second migration of Greeks left the plains of the Greek peninsula and resettled in the mountains the islands Greek regions outside Ottoman control. In the mountainous regions, the Ottomans were unable to create a permanent military. So some Greek mountain clans across the peninsula and some islands were able to maintain a status of independence.
Creation of the Modern Greek State: - After an eight-year war, Greece formally gained its independence from the Ottomans in 1829; it was the first nation in the empire to do so. In 1830, the Russian ex-minister of foreign affairs, Ioannis Kapodistrias, a noble Greek was chosen as President of the new Republic. However the Great Powers soon dissolved that republic and installed a "Greek" monarchy. Initially including the Peloponnisos and the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, Greece more than tripled its area between 1880 and 1920, gaining mainland territory and islands from the Ottomans, Britain and Bulgaria.
1st World War: - In First World War Greece sided with the entente powers against the Ottoman Empire and the other central Powers. In the wars aftermath, the Great Powers awarded a small part of Asia Minor to Greece, centered on the city of Smyrna, which had a majority of Greek population. During 1919 to 1922 the Greece-Turkish war was occurred. In this war, the Turks defeated the Greek armies and regained control over Asia Minor after that, the Treaty of Lousanne was signed to fix the borders. At that time an agreement was also passed. As per this agreement, the population was exchanged such as about 500 thousand Muslims then living in mainland Greek territory left for Turkey in exchange for more than 1.22 million Greek residents of Asia Minor.
Second World War: - During 1939 to 1945, the Second World War was occurred. German forces occupied Greece during this World War. Greek Communist rebels then waged war against the country's right-wing government from 1946 to 1949. In 1967 a group of middle ranking military officers took control Greece. The military regime was overthrown in 1974 and the people of Greece voted in favor of a republic. In so doing, they brought and end to the Greek monarchy, which had been a controversial feature of the government of Greece throughout most of its modern history.
Literature: - Greece has a strong literary tradition, mainly in poetry. It has many great poets; such as Constantine Cavafy was his great poet, who gained international fame in the 20th century. George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis were also outstanding examples of Greek poets, who were each awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. Nikos kazamtzakiswais also a great writer of Greece, his novel Zorba the Greek have been widely translated and his novels have been turned into films.
Art and Architecture: - Photis kontoglous is a great Greek artist of the 20th century. Theophilos khatzimikhil also a great Greek painter of the 20th century, who painted attractive pictures of great originality.
Moreover the modernist painter is nikos khatzikyriakos Gkikas.
During the 19th century ncoclassical architecture was the dominant style in Greece. Christian and Theophilos Hansen were great architects as well as designers of neoclassical style. Stamatis Kleanthes and Lasiandras kaftantzogou were also outstanding examples of Greek architects.
Music and Dance: - Manolis kalomoiris, Nikos Skalkottas and Yannis Xenakis are important Greek classical music composers. The world famous opera soprano Maria callas, which born in New York City to Greek immigrant parents, received her musical training in Greece. Manos Khatzidakis and Mikis Theodoraki's done tremendous role to popularize Greek music.
The hasapiko the tsamiko and the kalamatia no are traditional Greek dances, which performed at weddings and other celebrations.
Location: - Greece is located in south Eastern Europe, on the Southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It is surrounded by Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the north and by Turkey to the east.
Seas: - Greece is surrounded by the Aegean, Mediterranean and Ionian Seas, which constitute the country's eastern, southern and western borders, and no part of mainland Greece is more than 100 km. from the water Islands lies about one-fifth of the country's land area. It has the 7th or 8th longest coastline in the world, with more than 15,000 km. of coastline.
Mountains: - Four fifths of Greece consists of mountains or hills, which making the country one of the most mountainous in Europe. The mythical Mount Olympus is the tallest mountain of Greece, which located in the northern Pieria prefecture, near Thessalonica. Mytikas is its tallest peak, which is about 2919 meters high. Once considered the throne of the Gods, it is very popular among hikers and climbers who deem its height as a challenge. The Rhodope range is also another high altitude northeastern mountain range of Greece.
The famous mountain range of Greece is the Pindus mountain range, which located in western Greece, and continues through the western Peloponnese crosses the islands of kythera and Antikythera and finds its way into southwestern Aegean, in the island of Crete, where it ends. It has a maximum elevation of 2,636 meters.
Lakes: - There are many lakes in Western Greece.
Area: - The total area of Greece is about 13,1941 sq. km.
Population: - According to the 2005 estimate, the total population of Greece was about 1,12,44,118 and its population density was about 84 persons per sq. km.
Climate: - Greece's climate consists of three types: -
The Mediterranean type
The Alpine type
The temperate type
The Mediterranean features mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The Cyclades, the Dedicatees, Eastern Peloponessus and pars of the Sterea Ellada region are affected by Mediterranean type. In this type, snowfalls occur rarely in the winter. The Alpine type is mainly in western Greece. The Temperate type is affects central and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. It features cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers.
Animals: - There are rare marine species like, the Pinniped Seals, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle live in the seas surrounding mainland Greece, while the endangered brown bear, the lynx, the Roe Deer and the wild Goat are living in its dense forests.
Capital: - Athens is the capital as well as the largest cit of Greece.
| 1.00 - (Greece ) | = | USD - (United States Dollars) |
| 1.00 USD - (United States Dollars) | = | - (Greece ) |
| Unit | Currency Name | EUR/Unit | Unit/EUR |
Historically, Greece was poor but today, it has one of the best - performing economies in the euro zone. Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector, which contributes about 40% of the GDP.
Sources of income
Tourism: - Tourism is a main source of income of Greece. The Greek tourism industry remains thriving and its contribution in the GDP growth is very high Greece has been one of the most popular tourist destinations on a global basis and each and every year, in summer season, country's numerous cosmopolitan islands get benefit by millions of international visitors. Famous natural beauties, golden beaches, idyllic sunsets, a legendary nightlife, ancient and historic sites and the world famous Greek cuisine combined with a unique hospitality and an impressively developing tourism. Greece ranked 12th in international tourist arrivals. This year the Greek Ministry of Tourism plans to invest more than 38 million euros in the advertisement o tourism industry.
Shipping: - Greece is a global leader in shipping.
Exports: - Exports of manufactured goods including telecommunications hardware software; agricultural products and other foodstuff and fuels play a tremendous role in Greek income.
Achievements: - The country is the largest investor in southeastern Europe. Sine from last two decades, Greece became successful to achieve the second highest economic growth rate in the world after Japan. Today, Greece enjoys a high standard of living, ranking 24th on the 2005 Human Development index and 22nd on the Economist's 2005 worldwide quality of life index. Greece became a full member of the EU on 1st Jan 1981.
Economic Problems: - Today Greece is facing various economic problems such as, unemployment rate, the overhauling of the tax system, the social security system, and the partial privatization of the public sector.
Population: - According to the 2005 estimate, the total population of the country was about 1,12,44,118, and its population density was about 84 persons per sq. km.
Ethnic Groups: - Greece is largely an ethnically homogenous country with only small minorities.
Most of the population is ethnically Greek, which is 98% of the total population, the main ethnic minorities being Turks, Pomaks, Jews, Armenians and various Roma Groups.
Religion: - The majority of Greek population is followers of Greek Orthodox Church, which are approximately 95 to 98% of the total population. About 1.3% of the total population is Muslims, who lived in Thrace. Greece also has some. Roman Catholic who live in the city of Patras, Corfu and the Cyclades islands of Syros, Paros, Tinos and Naxos. Moreover, there are also some Protestants and some Jews, who concentrated in Thessaloniki.
Modern Greek is the first language of the majority of Greek population. Modern Greek uses the same alphabet that was used for the Greek language spoken in ancient times. In the 9th century, Greek scholars attempted to purify the modern language to make it more similar to ancient Greek. These Scholars introduced the formal Ktharevousa form of Greek, which was differs in grammar, syntax and vocabulary from Demotike, the spoken vernacular. In 1976, Demotike was made the country's official language. English and German are widely spoken in Greece. Moreover, different ethnic minorities of Greece also speak Turkish, Slavic Macedonian, Vlach, Albanian and Pomak.
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