Introduction
A deep respect for tradition, a deep love of good times. Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations were staying up late enough to want souvlaki, Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy. But don't expect a visit there to be a sober study of the ancient world - the Greek propensity for partying dates back to Dionysos.
From sometimes smoggy Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the navel of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even - as some might believe - the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini.
Geography:
The peninsula that constitutes mainland Greece is surrounded by more than 1400 islands, of which 169 are inhabited. The islands are divided into six groups: the Cyclades, the Ionians, the Dodecanese, the islands of the Northeastern Aegean, the Sporades and the Saronic Gulf islands. The two largest islands, Crete and Evia, do not belong to any group. Roughly four-fifths of Greece is mountainous, with most land lying over 1500m (4920ft) above sea level. Epiros and Macedonia, in northern Greece, still have extensive forests, but goat grazing, felling and forest fires have seriously denuded the rest of the country.
Destination Facts
Capital: Athens
President: Karolos Papoulias
Prime Minister: Kostas Karamanlis
Government: parliamentary republic
Time zone: GMT +2
Area: 131940
Population: 10668000
People: By far the greatest number of people in Greece are ethnic Greeks, but there is growing migrant foreign population with thriving communities from Albania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania. Many recently arrived African migrants are also visible in larger Greek towns and cities. North-eastern Greece is home to a sizeable Turkish-speaking Muslim community and smaller Slav-speaking communities along the borders with Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Languages: Modern (demotic) Greek is the official language of the State. It derives from Ancient Greek yet it has a much simplified grammar. It has absorbed many words from its linguistic and cultural neighbours. Modern Greek differs substantially from the purist 'Katharevousa', or cleansing Greek, an artificially contrived variant which is closer to Ancient Greek that was used at varying times in recent Greek history. While Katharevousa is no longer used in everyday speech it still evident on street signs and can cause occasional confusion for the tourist.
98% Greek Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, 0.7% other
Currency: Euro (€)
GDP: Approx. €236800000000
Major industries: Tourism, shipping, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, mining and petroleum products
Major Trading Partners: Germany, Italy, Russia, France, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Country Dialing Code: 30
Getting there and away
Flying is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way of getting to Greece from northern Europe. What's more, scheduled flights are so competitively priced that it's hardly worth hunting around for charter cheapies. Overland travel (buses and trains) between northern Europe and Greece is virtually a thing of the past. All too often, direct travel from this region is prohibitively expensive and difficult. If you fancy arriving by water there are ferries to Patra from Trieste, Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi, stopping at Corfu or Igoumenitsa on the way. In summer you can get ferries from Bari and Brindisi to Kefallonia.
Getting around
Greece is an easy place to travel around thanks to a comprehensive public transport system. Buses are the mainstay of land transport, with a network that reaches out to the smallest villages. Trains are a good alternative, where available. To most visitors, though, travelling in Greece means island-hopping on the multitude of ferries that crisscross the Adriatic and the Aegean. If you're in a hurry, Greece also has an extensive domestic air network.
Weather
Greece generally has mild wet winters and hot dry summers. Winter temperatures can be severe in the mountains and even Athens can get viciously cold. Maximum temperatures on the islands hover around 30 ° C (87 ° F) in summer, but the heat is often tempered by the northerly wind known as the meltemi.
Places of Interest
Follow the footsteps of the gods to divine beaches and ancient wonders. Whether you come to Greece for history or hedonism - or both - will depend on your temperament. Its stunning ancient sites stand alongside the legacies of foreign occupiers: towering Venetian, Frankish and Turkish castles and crumbling mosques. Then there's 1400 islands to explore...Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations were staying up late enough to want souvlaki, Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy. But don't expect a visit there to be a sober study of the ancient world - the Greek propensity for partying dates back to Dionysos. From sometimes smoggy Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the navel of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even - as some might believe - the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini.
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A deep respect for tradition, a deep love of good times. Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations were staying up late enough to want souvlaki, Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy. But don't expect a visit there to be a sober study of the ancient world - the Greek propensity for partying dates back to Dionysos.
From sometimes smoggy Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the navel of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even - as some might believe - the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini.
Geography:
The peninsula that constitutes mainland Greece is surrounded by more than 1400 islands, of which 169 are inhabited. The islands are divided into six groups: the Cyclades, the Ionians, the Dodecanese, the islands of the Northeastern Aegean, the Sporades and the Saronic Gulf islands. The two largest islands, Crete and Evia, do not belong to any group. Roughly four-fifths of Greece is mountainous, with most land lying over 1500m (4920ft) above sea level. Epiros and Macedonia, in northern Greece, still have extensive forests, but goat grazing, felling and forest fires have seriously denuded the rest of the country.
Capital: Athens
President: Karolos Papoulias
Prime Minister: Kostas Karamanlis
Government: parliamentary republic
Time zone: GMT +2
Area: 131940
Population: 10668000
People: By far the greatest number of people in Greece are ethnic Greeks, but there is growing migrant foreign population with thriving communities from Albania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania. Many recently arrived African migrants are also visible in larger Greek towns and cities. North-eastern Greece is home to a sizeable Turkish-speaking Muslim community and smaller Slav-speaking communities along the borders with Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Languages: Modern (demotic) Greek is the official language of the State. It derives from Ancient Greek yet it has a much simplified grammar. It has absorbed many words from its linguistic and cultural neighbours. Modern Greek differs substantially from the purist 'Katharevousa', or cleansing Greek, an artificially contrived variant which is closer to Ancient Greek that was used at varying times in recent Greek history. While Katharevousa is no longer used in everyday speech it still evident on street signs and can cause occasional confusion for the tourist.
98% Greek Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, 0.7% other
Currency: Euro (€)
GDP: Approx. €236800000000
Major industries: Tourism, shipping, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, mining and petroleum products
Major Trading Partners: Germany, Italy, Russia, France, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Country Dialing Code: 30
Flying is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way of getting to Greece from northern Europe. What's more, scheduled flights are so competitively priced that it's hardly worth hunting around for charter cheapies. Overland travel (buses and trains) between northern Europe and Greece is virtually a thing of the past. All too often, direct travel from this region is prohibitively expensive and difficult. If you fancy arriving by water there are ferries to Patra from Trieste, Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi, stopping at Corfu or Igoumenitsa on the way. In summer you can get ferries from Bari and Brindisi to Kefallonia.
Greece is an easy place to travel around thanks to a comprehensive public transport system. Buses are the mainstay of land transport, with a network that reaches out to the smallest villages. Trains are a good alternative, where available. To most visitors, though, travelling in Greece means island-hopping on the multitude of ferries that crisscross the Adriatic and the Aegean. If you're in a hurry, Greece also has an extensive domestic air network.
Greece generally has mild wet winters and hot dry summers. Winter temperatures can be severe in the mountains and even Athens can get viciously cold. Maximum temperatures on the islands hover around 30 ° C (87 ° F) in summer, but the heat is often tempered by the northerly wind known as the meltemi.
Follow the footsteps of the gods to divine beaches and ancient wonders. Whether you come to Greece for history or hedonism - or both - will depend on your temperament. Its stunning ancient sites stand alongside the legacies of foreign occupiers: towering Venetian, Frankish and Turkish castles and crumbling mosques. Then there's 1400 islands to explore...Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations were staying up late enough to want souvlaki, Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy. But don't expect a visit there to be a sober study of the ancient world - the Greek propensity for partying dates back to Dionysos. From sometimes smoggy Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the navel of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even - as some might believe - the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini.
Related posts: Croatia Country, Bulgaria Country, Austria Country
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