Greece

Greece country profile

Greece is a state of southern Europe, including the lower part of the Balkan Peninsula, the archipelagos of the Ionian and Aegean and the island of Crete. It borders to the NW with Albania, to the North with the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria and to the East with Turkey; it is washed to the west by the Ionian Sea and to the east by the Aegean.

The greek islands occupies 1/5 of the entire surface. The name Greece ( Grecia ) was used only by the Romans,  the Greeks are using the term Hellas for the country and Hellenes for their ethnicity.

According to some, this depends on the fact that the Romans first came into contact with the Greek world through the populations of Epirus who called themselves with the local name Greki, according to others, however, the name would be related to that of the inhabitants of a city in Euboea or Boeotia, named Grea, who would have taken part in the colonization in Italy. The Romans called all Hellenes Greci and this name became established in Western culture.

Geography

Greece, like the other states of the Balkan region, it does not represent a homogeneous geographical unit, but a set of minor regional units, albeit not very differentiated. Due to the presence of numerous islands and the marked peninsularity of the continental part, it is an eminently maritime country.

The coasts are very indented and therefore acquire a very remarkable linear development. The Ionian coast is irregular, with deep inlets (Gulf of Corinth), coastal plains (around the Gulf of Árta) and lagoons (Missolungi). The eastern coasts, facing the Aegean Sea, rocky and steep, show a rather regular trend, excluding the Chalkidiki Peninsula.

From the Gulf of Magnesia, through the Tríkeri channel, a real inland sea develops between Euboea and the mainland, which constitutes an excellent communication route between the northern and southern G. route that continues westward through the Saronic Gulf and the Isthmus of Corinth, cut by the canal of the same name that puts the Aegean and Ionian seas in more direct communication.

The morphology finds a sort of ‘knot’ in the Pindos massif, from which two buttresses branch off at the east and delimit the Thessaly basin; the northern one culminates in Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in the whole country. A third offshoot, towards the South east, culminates in Mount Oiti and slopes down towards the Gulf of Lamia; from the Oiti massif other reliefs extend towards the south such as the Parnassus and the Helicon overlooking the Gulf of Corinth.

These reliefs and the southernmost ones of the Kitheronas and Panon enclose another typical regional unit divided into several basins.

In Peloponnese the Pindus continues in the mountains of Achaia and Arcadia; finally, the buttresses that form the four great peninsulas in which the Peloponnese is divided at the south, extend from the central massifs. A limestone strip with a typically karst morphology extends near the Ionian Sea, which forms the coastal reliefs of Acarnania and Aetolia, and continues to the North west in the bare limestone plateaus of Epirus.

In Macedonia there are extensive alluvial plains crossed by the rivers Mesta, Struma, Axios, Mariza. The Aliakmon with 312 km is the largest in terms of course length, and the Piniod  216 km flow into the Gulf of Thessaloniki. Frequent, along the Ionian coast, alluvial deposits, delta systems and lagoon formations, absent along the Aegean coast.
The extension of limestone soils and karst phenomena, especially in Attica and in the region around Athens, favors the development of an underground hydrographic network, and the presence of some temporary lakes.

Climate

Climate Regional differences are also evident in climatic conditions. Greece is a country with a typically Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, but the great Pindos chain determines a clear climatic differentiation between the western side of the peninsula and the eastern one (cold winters with little rainfall, characterized by a dry and serene atmosphere). Precipitation is around 400 mm per year. In the west, the annual thermal averages are slightly higher and the rainfall is abundant, essentially distributed during the winter. The presence of the relief creates in the interior (especially along the Pindos chain) a third zone with a distinctly alpine climate.

Flora and fauna

The vegetation is very varied in relation to the nature of the soil and climatic differences. Three regions can be distinguished, one lower, one montano-subalpine and one alpine: the first, comprising the coast, the great plains and most of the islands, presents the formation of low or frigana fruit trees and the maquis, which also extends up to 1000 m in height.

The second region, from 1000 to 1800 m, is occupied by deciduous forests, often associated with evergreen trees, such as holm oak and thorny oak. The Alpine region ranges from 1500-1800 m up to the highest peaks: juniper and fir trees grow in the lower level and above there are meadows and pastures, in which endemic herbaceous species abound, mixed with plants from the Alps and central Europe.

Local cuisine

Greek cuisine is mainly Mediterranean, it has some characteristics in common with the traditional cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey and the Levant (part of the Middle East).

Modern Greek cooking makes extensive use of vegetables, olive oil, grains, fish, wine and meat (white & red). Also, other important products are olives, cheese, eggplants, zucchini, and yogurt. The main characteristics of Greek sweets are nuts and honey, while various fruits are often used, mainly for the so-called spoon sweets.

Another important aspect of Greek cuisine is mezes which is a collective name for a variety of small meals, usually served with wine, ouzo or tsipouro in mezedo shops, ouzo and tsipouro shops but also served to a guest who may have someone in his home.

Beaches and coasts

Greece has one of the longest coastlines in the world – approximately 16,000 km – branching out into countless beaches , beautiful little coves , charming coves and bays . The Aegean Archipelago , the Ionian Sea and the Libyan Sea form a water “hug”, in which the mainland ends and the vastness of the Greek islands spreads out .

The Greek coasts are world-famous and extremely popular as they are famous for their cleanliness , the clarity of their waters and their unique diversity . In our country you will enjoy beaches, open, with a length of several kilometers, windless small bays and coves, sandy shores with sand dunes, pebbly shores, coastal caves carved into steep rocks, beaches paved with the characteristic dark sand of volcanic soils.

Population

The population of the country is, from an ethnic point of view, remarkably homogeneous, even though it has undergone a long and complex series of changes internally. The last of these dates back to the period of the Greek-Turkish war (1921-23), which was followed by an exchange of populations for which over 1,200,000 Greeks from Asia Minor were welcomed within the Greek borders, while 600,000 between Turks and Muslim Bulgarians left the country.

This story gave rise to some reform measures in Macedonia and Thrace, where refugees were mainly accommodated, which concerned the traditional structure of landed property and interventions to enhance the productive sense of agricultural land.

The population generally lives centralized, albeit in small nuclei; the village is the characteristic center of the countryside and mountainous areas. A concentration of inhabitants and means of production occurred along the median axis that unites the two main cities of the country, Athens and Thessaloniki, even if, in the country, urbanism has manifested itself as a rather recent phenomenon, closely linked to the events that followed the conquest of independence.

The slowdown in natural dynamics (the birth rate at 9.6 ‰ fell to values ​​just below those of mortality) made the migratory flow towards foreign countries modest, which for some time has been equalized or overtaken by returns and immigration . On the other hand, internal movements are lively, as a result of which the less favored regions, such as western Macedonia, the Peloponnese and some of the smaller islands, are losing population to the advantage of the more dynamic and more urbanized areas; however, the urban population stands at 61% (2008), a modest value for a European country.

The vast agglomeration of Greater Athens firmly maintains its share of the total population at around 30% of the national total, while Thessaloniki (second agglomeration and largest port in the country), Patras, Volo and Lárissa, the only other cities that exceed 100,000 inhab. , have seen their respective urban areas grow. The religion practiced by the vast majority is Greek Orthodox (91.8%).

Economy

The Greek economy, traditionally poor and generally endowed with scarce structures and of an antiquated level, has shown a consistent trend towards development and progressive modernization only since 1950: this has been possible thanks to the help of other countries. , among which above all the United States, Great Britain and Germany.

Between 1962 and 1967 there were significant improvements in agriculture and industry; but especially starting from 1974, after the period of the dictatorship, efforts increased for a radical transformation that would affect every sector of the economic system. In Greece there are still serious social and regional imbalances.

In the 1990s the Greek government promoted an austerity policy, with the aim of meeting the parameters established by the Maastricht Treaty by 1997 and allowing the country to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The results of this policy, which caused severe social tensions, are measured by the reduction of the public sector deficit from 9.9% of GDP (1994) to 1.8% (2000), of the public debt from 160% of GDP. GDP (1990) to 90.1% (2008), inflation from 11% (1990) to 4.4% (2008). On the basis of these results, Greece managed to enter EMU, albeit late, on 1 January 2001.

Greece has shown good administration in using the funds obtained from the European Union for the construction of transport infrastructures, partly planned for the 2004 Olympics, but still essential for the modernization of the country, the new airport and Athens metropolitan railways, motorways, oil pipelines and refineries.

Finally, investments abroad (especially in the Near and Middle East) have experienced a phase of growth. However, the economic structure is still far from the typical structures of European Community, within which the country remains one of the two most backward members (the other is Portugal), and has been heavily affected by the global crisis of 2008-09 with a considerable increase in public debt, inflation and unemployment.

The number of employees in the primary sector (12.4% of the active population in 2005) is quite high both in absolute terms and in relation to its contribution to GDP (3.5% in 2008), especially since agriculture has not suitable for fully competitive production models.

Industrial reconversion is proceeding with difficulty (however, the modernization of the chemical, petrochemical and electromechanical sectors should be noted) and the production of consumer goods is dangerously exposed to competition from other EU countries.

The tertiary sector is dominated by tourism (11% of both employment and GDP, over 16,039,000 visitors in 2005), on which the country’s economy is largely dependent and which suffers the repercussions of fluctuations in annual flows, while the excessive tourist pressure has produced environmental damage in many areas of particular attraction.

Added to this are the problems deriving from the serious territorial imbalances of the country due to the persistent backwardness of the southern regions (the Peloponnese and many of the smaller islands, especially the more eastern ones), which cannot count on other forms of development besides those related to tourism. and who have suffered from the prolonged state of tension with Turkey.

Greece  suffered heavily from the 2008-09 global crisis. Prime Minister Papandreou already in 2009 had feared the possibility of bankruptcy for the country, the government was unable to cope with unemployment, corruption and public debt, which continues to grow.
In 2010, Europe allocated an aid package worth 110 billion euros over three years; however, in 2011 the situation did not improve and the government drew up an austerity program that includes massive cuts in public spending and massive privatisations.

These measures have sparked protests from the civilian population; general strikes and demonstrations of dissent were organized which often resulted in clashes with the police. The Greek economic and social crisis has worried the international community; to ensure the stability of the euro area, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund have envisaged a new aid plan, which is however bound to the implementation of austerity measures and privatisations.

Trades and markes

The country Greece uses the euro

The euro is divided into 100 cents.

The official symbol of the euro is €, and the ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol for euro cents.

Banknotes: Euro banknotes have the same design in all countries.
Stantard coins: All euro countries issue euro coins with a distinctive national design on one side and a common design on the other side. The coins can be used in every Eurozone country, regardless of the design they depict. (eg a one euro coin from Finland can be used in Portugal).

Commemorative two-euro coins : These differ from regular two-euro coins in their “national” side, and are legal tender. Each country can mint a certain number of them, and sometimes “pan-European” two-euro commemorative coins are minted for important events (eg the anniversary of an important treaty).
Other commemorative coins: Commemorative coins of other denominations (eg ten euros or more) are rarer, and have a distinctive design, often containing some amount of gold, silver or platinum. While they are technically legal tender, their collector value is greater than their face value, and thus you are unlikely to encounter them in the everyday market.

Arts and culture

Since the early 1980s, the Greek cultural world has been animated by a new vitality, fueled by the desire to overcome the delays and troubles produced by the dictatorship between 1967-1974. The reform of the school system was decisive, with the definitive rehabilitation of the demotic language, and the introduction (1982) of the simplified system of spelling (abolition of the accent on monosyllables, elimination of spirits and maintenance of the acute accent only), as well as the increase in university studies, also obtained through the foundation of new universities in the peripheral offices.

Numerous magazines were born, places for debate and literary experimentation. The public’s receptivity to the new literature was immediate, also thanks to the promotion and support exercised by the media. Many books, especially fiction, have become as many best sellers. A prominent place is occupied by female writers, even if there is a lack of literature that deals with the specific feminine in a coherent and problematic way, as demonstrated by the protagonists of E. Sotiropùlu and the sensitivity of minimalist taste that emerges from the stories of  Kolliakou, Drakopoulou and Kastrinaki.

Significant was the contribution offered by writers who have privileged the reflection on recent events or starting from their own experience of political persecution, or setting their novels in the urban reality divided between contestation and loss of ideals, many of them continue to propose the themes of civil commitment, solidarity or disdain for denied values.
The attention to history is however present in the work of many authors, a parallel side lies the great family saga of Nikos Bakolas, which began in 1966 and ended in 1990, full of bitter reflections on the present. Overall, the parodic form is the one preferred by writers born between the years 1940-1960 who intend to tell the uneasiness of the contemporary individual and the crisis affecting the family.

Greek diversity

Firstly, there is the fact that Greece is extremely diverse. No matter what your personal vacation preference might be, you are sure to be able to tailor you trip to Greece to meet your specific requirements.

If you’re looking to stay in a vibrant city which you can explore on foot, then head to somewhere like Athens, and lose yourself in the ancient history of this city. However, if you’d rather relax on a quiet getaway, then visit a secluded Greek island, such as Paros, and soak up the traditional culture and impressive marble architecture.
Greece is also a destination which is noted for its ability to cater for visitors on a range of budgets.

From the comfort of their own room, there are number of very comfortable hotels available right throughout Greece. The Cycladic island of Mykonos, in particular, is known for its range of luxurious villas and boutique hotels.

On the other hand, there are a number of other less expensive options. From B&B accommodation to budget hostels, you can still stay somewhere with all the basic amenities for a relatively low cost, and you’re still more than likely to receive an exceptionally warm welcome.

Lastly, if you love to enjoy good food and drink whilst on holiday, then you won’t be disappointed by a trip to Greece. If you’re a fan of eating fish, then Greece’s many fishing towns mean you’ll always be offered an extensive choice of delicious fresh fish. However, wherever you choose to stay, you’ll soon find out just why this country is renowned for it’s impressive cuisine, and there’s sure to be something to suit every taste.

About our Guides

Our website www.in2greece.com offers all kind of useful information about Greece, that contains things to do and see, frequently asked questions, food and wine, facts about the country, climate and weather., and many other practical information such as history and mythology. In more than 2.000 pages you will find articles about places to visit in Greece the Greek islands and the Greek mainland like Meteora and Thessaloniki, check our map of Greece of almost every prefecture and island of Greece. 500 pages dedicated to the Greek History and mythology of Greece including almost all the main personalities of the Greek antiquity like PlatoSocratesAlexander the Great , mythological heroes like Odysseus and Heracles. In our blog living in Greece we keep on updating with articles about the life in Greece, education, day trips, holiday destinations, pictures, winter resorts, Greek family life and information about living in Greece.

Many pages about the Greek Orthodox religion and the Saints of the Greek Orthodox church. Articles about the Greek music and culture, the Greek television and the Greek films. In our site among others are articles about the Greek names the Greek language and Alphabet, the Greek flag,

Greek phrases, facts about Greece and a job forum for those who want to work in Greece. A great part is dedicated to Athens the capital of Greece. Many articles cover the trees plants and animals of Greece, the Greek Geography, lakes, mountains and rivers of Greece. Our site is written in English, Swedish and Italian and we have started to create our site written in the Greek language.