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Country
Profile
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Contents
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• Introduction
• Geography
• Government
• The Greek People
• Nature
• Economy
• Cultural Life
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Introduction |
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Greece,
officially known as The
Hellenic Republic, is the southernmost country on the European
mainland. With an area of 131.940 square kilometres, Greece is about
the same size as England or New York state. Greece's longest border
is with the sea. Over 2,000 Greek
islands are scattered about the eastern Mediterranean, roughly
200 of them inhabited. The Greek mainland shares land borders with
Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Bulgaria
and Turkey.
The climate is mostly dry and temperate, though it snows in the mountains
and in the north. The mild weather and sheltered valleys of the region,
along with the early development of seafaring, contributed to the
rise of Ancient Greek Civilisation. |
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| Athens,
most powerful of the ancient Greek city-states, was the world's
first democracy. Nearly 40% of the country's population resides
in the capital, the country's largest city and most important
commercial centre |
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Parthenon
- Athens |
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Fact Box |
| Population |
10.9
million |
| Urban
Population |
65.7% |
| Rural
Population |
34.3% |
| Life
Expectancy at Birth |
78.4
years
(Male: 75.9 years, Female: 81.2 years) |
| Population
Density |
80
persons per square kilometer |
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Greece
has a long and eventful history. It was part of each of the great
empires - the Roman, the Byzantine and the Ottoman - that ruled the
region. Greece has strong historical ties with southeastern and western
Europe, Asia and Africa. At the crossroads of so many civilisations,
Greece is gifted with a rich and fascinating cultural heritage. The
country's turbulent history has had remarkably little effect on the
Greek language. Modern Greek is easily recognisable as the language
of Plato. |
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Next:
Geography >> |
 
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