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Greece - Wikipedia

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1Name

2History

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2.1Prehistory and early history

2.2Ancient Greece

2.3Roman province (146 BC – 4th century AD)

2.4Medieval period (4th–15th century)

2.5Venetian possessions and Ottoman rule (15th century – 1821)

2.6Modern nation-state

2.6.1Greek War of Independence (1821–1832)

2.6.2Kingdom of Greece

2.6.3Expansion, disaster, and reconstruction

2.6.4Dictatorship, World War II, and reconstruction

2.6.5Third Hellenic Republic

3Geography

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3.1Islands

3.2Climate

3.3Biodiversity

4Politics

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4.1Political parties

4.2Foreign relations

4.3Military

4.4Law and justice

4.5Administrative divisions

5Economy

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5.1Introduction

5.2Debt crisis (2010–2018)

5.3Agriculture

5.4Energy

5.5Maritime industry

5.6Tourism

5.7Transport

5.8Telecommunications

5.9Science and technology

6Demographics

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6.1Cities

6.2Religion

6.3Languages

6.4Migration

6.5Education

6.6Healthcare system

7Culture

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7.1Visual arts

7.2Architecture

7.3Theatre

7.4Literature

7.5Philosophy

7.6Music and dances

7.7Cuisine

7.8Cinema

7.9Sports

7.10Mythology

7.11Public holidays and festivals

8See also

9Notes

10References

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10.1Citations

10.2Bibliography

11External links

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Greece

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Coordinates: 39°N 22°E / 39°N 22°E / 39; 22

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Country in Southeast Europe

For other uses, see Greece (disambiguation).

"Hellenic Republic" redirects here. For other uses, see Hellenic Republic (disambiguation).

It has been suggested that Third Hellenic Republic be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2024.

This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. When this tag was added, its readable prose size was 19,400 words. Please consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding subheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page. (June 2023)

Hellenic RepublicΕλληνική Δημοκρατία (Greek)Ellinikí Dimokratía

Flag

Coat of arms

Motto: Ελευθερία ή ΘάνατοςElefthería í Thánatos(English: "Freedom or Death")Anthem: Ύμνος εις την ΕλευθερίανÍmnos is tin Eleftherían(English: "Hymn to Liberty")Show globeShow map of EuropeLocation of Greece (dark green)– in Europe (light green & dark grey)– in the European Union (light green)Capitaland largest cityAthens37°58′N 23°43′E / 37.967°N 23.717°E / 37.967; 23.717Official languageand national languageGreekReligion (2017)

93% Christianity

90% Greek Orthodoxy (official)a

3% other Christian

4% no religion2% Islam1% other[1]Demonym(s)GreekHelleneGovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic• President Katerina Sakellaropoulou• Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis• Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas

LegislatureHellenic ParliamentEstablishment history• Independence declared from the Ottoman Empire 25 March 1821 (traditional starting date of the Greek War of Independence), 15 January 1822 (official declaration)• Recognised 3 February 1830• Third Hellenic Republic 24 July 1974• Current constitution 11 June 1975

Area • Total131,957 km2 (50,949 sq mi)[2] (95th)• Water (%)1.51 (2015)[3]Population• 2023 estimate 10,413,982 (1 January 2023)[4] (90th)• 2021 census 10,432,481[5]• Density78.9/km2 (204.4/sq mi) (105th)GDP (PPP)2023 estimate• Total $416.969 billion[6] (54th)• Per capita $39,864[6] (52nd)GDP (nominal)2023 estimate• Total $242.385 billion[6] (53rd)• Per capita $23,173[6] (44th)Gini (2022) 31.4[7]mediumHDI (2021) 0.887[8]very high (33rd)CurrencyEuro (€) (EUR)Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)• Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)Date formatdd.mm.yyyy (AD)bDriving siderightCalling code+30ISO 3166 codeGRInternet TLD.grc.ελ

The Church of Greece is recognized by the Greek Constitution as the prevailing religion in Greece,[9] and is the only country in the world where Eastern Orthodoxy is clearly recognized as a state religion.[10]Other short formats: dd-mm-yyyy, dd/mm/yyyyThe .eu domain is also used, as in other European Union member states.

Greece,[a] officially the Hellenic Republic,[b] is a country in Southeast Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, featuring thousands of islands. It has a population of nearly 10.3 million.[11][c] Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki and Patras.

Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, theatre, and the Olympic Games. From the eighth century BC, the Greeks were organised into various independent city-states known as poleis (singular polis) that spanned the Mediterranean and Black seas. Philip II of Macedon united most of present-day Greece in the fourth century BC, with his son Alexander the Great rapidly conquering much of the known ancient world from the eastern Mediterranean to northwestern India. The subsequent Hellenistic period saw the height of Greek culture and influence in antiquity. Greece was annexed by Rome in the second century BC, becoming an integral part of the Roman Empire and its continuation, the Byzantine Empire, which was predominately Greek in culture and language. Modern Greek identity began taking shape with the emergence of the Greek Orthodox Church in the first century AD, which transmitted Greek traditions to the wider Orthodox world. Following the gradual decline and fragmentation of the Byzantine Empire, Greece came under Ottoman rule in the mid-15th century.

Greece emerged as a modern nation state in 1830 following a protracted war of independence. The Kingdom of Greece embarked on an ambitious nationalist project that vastly expanded its territory over the next century. Persistent social division, civil strife, and political instability were exacerbated by the Balkan Wars, World War I, and the Greco-Turkish War. A short-lived republic was established in 1924 but fell to a royalist dictatorship in 1936, which collapsed after Italy and German invaded during World War II. The subsequent military occupation gave way to civil war and military dictatorship. Greece nonetheless achieved record economic growth from 1950 through the 1970s, and democracy was restored in 1975, leading to the current parliamentary republic.

Greece is a democratic and developed country with an advanced high-income economy, the second largest in the Balkans, where it is an important regional investor. A founding member of the United Nations, Greece was the tenth member to join what is today European Union and has been part of the eurozone since 2001. It is also a member of numerous other international institutions, including the Council of Europe, NATO, the OECD, the WTO, and the OSCE. Greece has a unique cultural heritage, large tourism industry, and prominent shipping sector. The country's rich historical legacy is reflected in part by its 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Name

Main article: Name of Greece

The native name of the country in Modern Greek is Ελλάδα (Elládaⓘ, pronounced [eˈlaða]). The corresponding form in Ancient Greek and conservative formal Modern Greek (Katharevousa) is Ἑλλάς (Hellas, classical: [hel.lás], modern: [eˈlas]). This is the source of the English alternative name Hellas, which is mostly found in archaic or poetic contexts today. The Greek adjectival form ελληνικός (ellinikos, [eliniˈkos]) is sometimes also translated as Hellenic and is often rendered in this way in the formal names of Greek institutions, as in the official name of the Greek state, the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, [eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a]).[12]

The English names Greece and Greek are derived, via the Latin Graecia and Graecus, from the name of the Graeci (Γραικοί, Graikoí; singular Γραικός, Graikós), who were among the first ancient Greek tribes to settle Magna Graecia in southern Italy. The term is possibly derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵerh₂-, "to grow old",[13][14] more specifically from Graea (ancient city), said by Aristotle to be the oldest in Greece, and the source of colonists for the Naples area.[15]

History

Main article: History of Greece

Prehistory and early history

Main articles: Neolithic Greece, Pelasgians, Cycladic culture, Minoan civilization, and Mycenaean Greece

The entrance of the Treasury of Atreus (13th century BC) in Mycenae

The Apidima Cave in Mani, in southern Greece, has been suggested to contain the oldest remains of anatomically modern humans outside of Africa, dated to 210,000 years ago.[16] However, this has been contested, with other authors suggesting the remains represent archaic humans.[17] All three stages of the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic) are represented in Greece, for example in the Franchthi Cave.[18] Neolithic settlements in Greece, dating from the 7th millennium BC,[19] are the oldest in Europe by several centuries, as Greece lies on the route via which farming spread from the Near East to Europe.[20]

Greece is home to the first advanced civilizations in Europe and is considered the birthplace of Western civilisation,[21][22] beginning with the Cycladic civilization on the islands of the Aegean Sea at around 3200 BC,[23] the Minoan civilization in Crete (2700–1500 BC),[24][25] and then the Mycenaean civilization on the mainland (1600–1100 BC).[25] These civilizations possessed writing, the Minoans using an undeciphered script known as Linear A, and the Mycenaeans writing the earliest attested form of Greek in Linear B. The Mycenaeans gradually absorbed the Minoans, but collapsed violently around 1200 BC, along with other civilizations, during the regional event known as the Late Bronze Age collapse.[26] Though the unearthed Linear B texts are too fragmentary for the reconstruction of the political landscape and can't support the existence of a larger state, contemporary Hittite and Egyptian records suggest the presence of a single state under a "Great King" based in mainland Greece.[27][28]

Ancient Greece

Main article: Ancient Greece

See also: Greek Dark Ages, Archaic Greece, Classical Greece, and Hellenistic Greece

Greek territories and colonies during the Archaic period (750–550 BC)

The collapse of the Mycenean civilization ushered in a period known as the Greek Dark Ages, from which written records are absent. The end of the Dark Ages is traditionally dated to 776 BC, the year of the first Olympic Games.[29] The Iliad and the Odyssey, the foundational texts of Western literature, are believed to have been composed by Homer in the 7th or 8th centuries BC.[30][31] With the end of the Dark Ages, there emerged various kingdoms and city-states across the Greek peninsula, which spread to the shores of the Black Sea, Southern Italy (the so-called "Magna Graecia") and Asia Minor. These states and their colonies reached great levels of prosperity that resulted in an unprecedented cultural boom, that of classical Greece, expressed in architecture, drama, science, mathematics and philosophy. In 508 BC, Cleisthenes instituted the world's first democratic system of government in Athens.[32][33]

The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens, icon of classical Greece

By 500 BC, the Persian Empire controlled the Greek city states in Asia Minor and Macedonia.[34] Attempts by some of the Greek city-states of Asia Minor to overthrow Persian rule failed, and Persia invaded the states of mainland Greece in 492 BC, but was forced to withdraw after a defeat at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. In response, the Greek city-states formed the Hellenic League in 481 BC, led by Sparta, which was the first historically recorded union of Greek states since the mythical union of the Trojan War.[35][36] A second invasion by the Persians followed in 480 BC. Following decisive Greek victories in 480 and 479 BC at Salamis, Plataea, and Mycale, the Persians were forced to withdraw for a second time, marking their eventual withdrawal from all of their European territories. Led by Athens and Sparta, the Greek victories in the Greco-Persian Wars are considered a pivotal moment in world history,[37] as the 50 years of peace that followed are known as the Golden Age of Athens, the seminal period of ancient Greek development that laid many of the foundations of Western civilization.

Lack of political unity within Greece resulted in frequent conflict between Greek states. The most devastating intra-Greek war was the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), won by Sparta and marking the demise of the Athenian Empire as the leading power in ancient Greece. Both Athens and Sparta were later overshadowed by Thebes and eventually Macedon, with the latter uniting most of the city-states of the Greek hinterland in the League of Corinth (also known as the Hellenic League or Greek League) under the control of Philip II.[38] Despite this development, the Greek world remained largely fragmented and would not be united under a single power until the Roman years.[39]

Alexander the Great, whose conquests led to the Hellenistic Age

After Philip's assassination in 336 BC, his son and king of Macedon, Alexander, set himself the leader of a Panhellenic campaign against the Persian Empire and abolished it. Undefeated in battle, he marched, until his untimely death in 323 BC, to the banks of the Indus,[40] in the process creating one of the largest empires in history. Alexander's empire fragmented after his death, inaugurating the Hellenistic period. After fierce conflict among them, the generals that succeeded Alexander and their successors founded large personal kingdoms in the areas he had conquered, such as that of the Ptolemies in Egypt, the Seleucids in Syria, Mesopotamia and Iran,[41] the Greco-Bactrians in central Asia, and the Indo-Greek kingdom. Many Greeks migrated to Alexandria, Antioch, Seleucia, and the many other new Hellenistic cities in Asia and Africa.[42] As a result of the settlement of Greeks in newly founded poleis of these kingdoms as members of a ruling minority, during the centuries that followed a vernacular form of Greek, known as koine, and Greek culture was spread, while the Greeks adopted Eastern deities and cults.[43] Greek science, technology, and mathematics are generally considered to have reached their peak during the Hellenistic period.[44] After a period of confusion following Alexander's death, the Antigonid dynasty, descended from one of Alexander's generals, established its control over Macedon and most of the Greek city-states by 276 BC.[45] Aspiring to maintain their autonomy and independence from the Antigonid kings of the Macedonians, who sought to control them, many of the poleis of Greece united in koina or sympoliteiai (i.e. federations), while after the establishment of economic relations with the East, a stratum of wealthy euergetai dominated their internal life.[46]

Roman province (146 BC – 4th century AD)

Main article: Roman Greece

See also: Roman Empire

The Antikythera mechanism (c. 100 BC) is considered to be the first known mechanical analog computer (National Archaeological Museum, Athens).

From about 200 BC the Roman Republic became increasingly involved in Greek affairs and engaged in a series of wars with Macedon.[47] Macedon's defeat at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC signalled the end of Antigonid power in Greece.[48] In 146 BC, Macedonia was annexed as a province by Rome, and the rest of Greece became a Roman protectorate.[47][49]

The process was completed in 27 BC when the Roman emperor Augustus annexed the rest of Greece and constituted it as the senatorial province of Achaea.[49] Despite their military superiority, the Romans admired and became heavily influenced by the achievements of Greek culture, hence Horace's famous statement: Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit ("Greece, although captured, took its wild conqueror captive").[50] The epics of Homer inspired the Aeneid of Virgil, and authors such as Seneca the Younger wrote using Greek styles. Roman heroes such as Scipio Africanus, tended to study philosophy and regarded Greek culture and science as an example to be followed. Similarly, most Roman emperors maintained an admiration for things Greek in nature. The Roman emperor Nero visited Greece in AD 66, and performed at the Ancient Olympic Games, despite the rules against non-Greek participation. Hadrian was also particularly fond of the Greeks.[51] Before becoming emperor, he served as an eponymous archon of Athens.[52]

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, built in 161 AD

Greek-speaking communities of the Hellenised East were instrumental in the spread of early Christianity in the 2nd and 3rd centuries,[53] and Christianity's early leaders and writers (notably St. Paul) were mostly Greek-speaking, though generally not from Greece itself.[54] The New Testament was written in Greek, and some of its sections (Corinthians, Thessalonians, Philippians, Revelation of St. John of Patmos) attest to the importance of churches in Greece in early Christianity. Nevertheless, much of Greece clung tenaciously to paganism, and ancient Greek religious practices were still in vogue in the late 4th century AD,[55] when they were outlawed by the Roman emperor Theodosius I in 391–392.[56] The last recorded Olympic games were held in 393,[57] and many temples were destroyed or damaged in the century that followed.[58] In Athens and rural areas, paganism is attested well into the sixth century AD[58] and even later.[59] The closure of the Neoplatonic Academy of Athens by the Emperor Justinian in 529 is considered by many to mark the end of antiquity, although there is evidence that the academy continued its activities for some time after that.[58] Some remote areas such as the southeastern Peloponnese remained pagan until well into the 10th century AD.[60]

Medieval period (4th–15th century)

Main articles: Byzantine Greece and Frankokratia

See also: Byzantine Empire and Fourth Crusade

Dome of Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki (8th century), one of the 15 UNESCO's Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of the city

The Roman Empire in the east, following the fall of the Empire in the west in the 5th century, is conventionally known as the Byzantine Empire (but was simply called "Kingdom of the Romans" in its own time) and lasted until 1453. With its capital in Constantinople, its language and culture were Greek and its religion was predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christian.[61]

From the 4th century the Empire's Balkan territories, including Greece, suffered from the dislocation of barbarian invasions.[62] The raids and devastation of the Goths and Huns in the 4th and 5th centuries and the Slavic invasion of Greece in the 7th century resulted in a dramatic collapse in imperial authority in the Greek peninsula.[63] Following the Slavic invasion, the imperial government retained formal control of only the islands and coastal areas, particularly the densely populated walled cities such as Athens, Corinth and Thessalonica, while some mountainous areas in the interior held out on their own and continued to recognise imperial authority.[63] Outside of these areas, a limited amount of Slavic settlement is generally thought to have occurred, although on a much smaller scale than previously thought.[64][65] However, the view that Greece in late antiquity underwent a crisis of decline, fragmentation and depopulation is now considered outdated, as Greek cities show a high degree of institutional continuity and prosperity between the 4th and 6th centuries AD (and possibly later as well). In the early 6th century, Greece had approximately 80 cities according to the Synecdemus chronicle, and the period from the 4th to the 7th century AD is considered one of high prosperity not just in Greece but in the entire Eastern Mediterranean.[66]

The Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire after the death of Basil II in 1025

Until the 8th century almost all of modern Greece was under the jurisdiction of the Holy See of Rome according to the system of Pentarchy. Byzantine Emperor Leo III moved the border of the Patriarchate of Constantinople westward and northward in the 8th century.[67]

The Byzantine recovery of lost provinces during the Arab–Byzantine wars began toward the end of the 8th century and most of the Greek peninsula came under imperial control again, in stages, during the 9th century.[68][69] This process was facilitated by a large influx of Greeks from Sicily and Asia Minor to the Greek peninsula, while at the same time many Slavs were captured and re-settled in Asia Minor and the few that remained were assimilated.[64] During the 11th and 12th centuries the return of stability resulted in the Greek peninsula benefiting from strong economic growth – much stronger than that of the Anatolian territories of the Empire.[68] During that time, the Greek Orthodox Church was also instrumental in the spread of Greek ideas to the wider Orthodox world.[70][full citation needed]

The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, originally built in the late 7th century as a Byzantine citadel and beginning from 1309 used by the Knights Hospitaller as an administrative centre

Following the Fourth Crusade and the fall of Constantinople to the "Latins" in 1204, mainland Greece was split between the Greek Despotate of Epirus (a Byzantine successor state) and French rule[71] (known as the Frankokratia), while some islands came under Venetian rule.[72] The re-establishment of the Byzantine imperial capital in Constantinople in 1261 was accompanied by the empire's recovery of much of the Greek peninsula, although the Frankish Principality of Achaea in the Peloponnese and the rival Greek Despotate of Epirus in the north both remained important regional powers into the 14th century, while the islands remained largely under Genoese and Venetian control.[71] During the Paleologi dynasty (1261–1453) a new era of Greek patriotism emerged accompanied by a turning back to ancient Greece.[73][74][75]

As such prominent personalities at the time also proposed changing the imperial title to "Emperor of the Hellenes",[73][75] and, in late fourteenth century, the emperor was frequently referred to as the "Emperor of the Hellenes".[76] Similarly, in several international treaties of that time the Byzantine emperor is styled as "Imperator Graecorum".[77]

In the 14th century much of the Greek peninsula was lost by the Byzantine Empire at first to the Serbs and then to the Ottomans.[78] By the beginning of the 15th century, the Ottoman advance meant that Byzantine territory in Greece was limited mainly to its then-largest city, Thessaloniki, and the Peloponnese (Despotate of the Morea).[78] After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, the Morea was one of the last remnants of the Byzantine Empire to hold out against the Ottomans. However, this, too, fell to the Ottomans in 1460, completing the Ottoman conquest of mainland Greece.[79] With the Turkish conquest, many Byzantine Greek scholars, who up until then were largely responsible for preserving Classical Greek knowledge, fled to the West, taking with them a large body of literature and thereby significantly contributing to the Renaissance.[80]

Venetian possessions and Ottoman rule (15th century – 1821)

Main articles: Ottoman Greece and Stato da Màr

Further information: Phanariotes and Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

See also: Kingdom of Candia and Ionian Islands under Venetian rule

The Byzantine castle of Angelokastro successfully repulsed the Ottomans during the first great siege of Corfu in 1537, the siege of 1571, and the second great siege of Corfu in 1716, causing them to abandon their plans to conquer Corfu.[81]

While most of mainland Greece and the Aegean islands was under Ottoman control by the end of the 15th century, Cyprus and Crete remained Venetian territory and did not fall to the Ottomans until 1571 and 1670 respectively. The only part of the Greek-speaking world that escaped long-term Ottoman rule was the Ionian Islands, which remained Venetian until their capture by the First French Republic in 1797, then passed to the United Kingdom in 1809 until their unification with Greece in 1864.[82]

While some Greeks in the Ionian Islands and Constantinople lived in prosperity, and Greeks of Constantinople (Phanariotes) achieved positions of power within the Ottoman administration,[83] much of the population of mainland Greece suffered the economic consequences of the Ottoman conquest. Heavy taxes were enforced, and in later years the Ottoman Empire enacted a policy of creation of hereditary estates, effectively turning the rural Greek populations into serfs.[84]

The Greek Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople were considered by the Ottoman governments as the ruling authorities of the entire Orthodox Christian population of the Ottoman Empire, whether ethnically Greek or not. Although the Ottoman state did not force non-Muslims to convert to Islam, Christians faced several types of discrimination intended to highlight their inferior status in the Ottoman Empire. Discrimination against Christians, particularly when combined with harsh treatment by local Ottoman authorities, led to conversions to Islam, if only superficially. In the 19th century, many "crypto-Christians" returned to their old religious allegiance.[85]

The White Tower of Thessaloniki, one of the best-known Ottoman structures remaining in Greece

The nature of Ottoman administration of Greece varied, though it was invariably arbitrary and often harsh.[85] Some cities had governors appointed by the Sultan, while others (like Athens) were self-governed municipalities. Mountainous regions in the interior and many islands remained effectively autonomous from the central Ottoman state for many centuries.[86][page needed]

Prior to the Greek Revolution of 1821, there had been a number of wars which saw Greeks fight against the Ottomans, such as the Greek participation in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the Epirus peasants' revolts of 1600–1601 (led by the Orthodox bishop Dionysios Skylosophos), the Morean War of 1684–1699, and the Russian-instigated Orlov Revolt in 1770, which aimed at breaking up the Ottoman Empire in favour of Russian interests.[86][page needed] These uprisings were put down by the Ottomans with great bloodshed.[87][88] On the other side, many Greeks were conscripted as Ottoman citizens to serve in the Ottoman army (and especially the Ottoman navy), while also the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, responsible for the Orthodox, remained in general loyal to the empire.

The 16th and 17th centuries are regarded as something of a "dark age" in Greek history, with the prospect of overthrowing Ottoman rule appearing remote with only the Ionian islands remaining free of Turkish domination. Corfu withstood three major sieges in 1537, 1571 and 1716 all of which resulted in the repulsion of the Ottomans. However, in the 18th century, due to their mastery of shipping and commerce, a wealthy and dispersed Greek merchant class arose. These merchants came to dominate trade within the Ottoman Empire, establishing communities throughout the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and Western Europe. Though the Ottoman conquest had cut Greece off from significant European intellectual movements such as the Reformation and the Enlightenment, these ideas together with the ideals of the French Revolution and romantic nationalism began to penetrate the Greek world via the mercantile diaspora.[89] In the late 18th century, Rigas Feraios, the first revolutionary to envision an independent Greek state, published a series of documents relating to Greek independence, including but not limited to a national anthem and the first detailed map of Greece, in Vienna. Feraios was murdered by Ottoman agents in 1798.[90][91]

Modern nation-state

Main article: History of modern Greece

Greek War of Independence (1821–1832)

Main article: Greek War of Independence

See also: Modern Greek Enlightenment, Greek Declaration of Independence, and First Hellenic Republic

The sortie (exodus) of Messolonghi, depicting the third siege of Missolonghi, painted by Theodoros Vryzakis

The Battle of Navarino in 1827 secured Greek independence.

In the late eighteenth century, an increase in secular learning during the Modern Greek Enlightenment led to the emergence among Westernized Greek-speaking elites of the diaspora of the notion of a Greek nation tracing its existence to ancient Greece, distinct from the other Orthodox peoples, and having a right to political autonomy. One of the organizations formed in this intellectual milieu was the Filiki Eteria, a secret organization formed by merchants in Odessa (Odesa) in 1814.[92] Appropriating a long-standing tradition of Orthodox messianic prophecy aspiring to the resurrection of the eastern Roman empire and creating the impression they had the backing of Tsarist Russia, they managed amidst a crisis of Ottoman trade, from 1815 onwards, to engage traditional strata of the Greek Orthodox world in their liberal nationalist cause.[93] The Filiki Eteria planned to launch revolution in the Peloponnese, the Danubian Principalities and Constantinople. The first of these revolts began on 6 March 1821 in the Danubian Principalities under the leadership of Alexandros Ypsilantis, but it was soon put down by the Ottomans. The events in the north spurred the Greeks of the Peloponnese into action and on 17 March 1821 the Maniots declared war on the Ottomans.[94]

By the end of the month, the Peloponnese was in open revolt against the Ottomans and by October 1821 the Greeks under Theodoros Kolokotronis had captured Tripolitsa. The Peloponnesian revolt was quickly followed by revolts in Crete, Macedonia and Central Greece, which would soon be suppressed. Meanwhile, the makeshift Greek navy was achieving success against the Ottoman navy in the Aegean Sea and prevented Ottoman reinforcements from arriving by sea. In 1822 and 1824 the Turks and Egyptians ravaged the islands, including Chios and Psara, committing wholesale massacres of the population.[94] Approximately three-quarters of the Chios' Greek population of 120,000 were killed, enslaved or died of disease.[95][96] This had the effect of galvanizing public opinion in western Europe in favour of the Greek rebels.[97]

Tensions soon developed among different Greek factions, leading to two consecutive civil wars. Meanwhile, the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II negotiated with Mehmet Ali of Egypt, who agreed to send his son Ibrahim Pasha to Greece with an army to suppress the revolt in return for territorial gain.[98] Ibrahim landed in the Peloponnese in February 1825 and had immediate success: by the end of 1825, most of the Peloponnese was under Egyptian control, and the city of Missolonghi—put under siege by the Turks since April 1825—fell in April 1826. Although Ibrahim was defeated in Mani, he had succeeded in suppressing most of the revolt in the Peloponnese, and Athens had been retaken.[99]

After years of negotiation, three great powers, France, Russian Empire, and the United Kingdom, decided to intervene in the conflict and each nation sent a navy to Greece.[100] Following news that combined Ottoman–Egyptian fleets were going to attack the Greek island of Hydra, the allied fleet intercepted the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet at Navarino. A week-long standoff ended with the Battle of Navarino (20 October 1827) which resulted in the destruction of the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet. A French expeditionary force was dispatched to supervise the evacuation of the Egyptian army from the Peloponnese, while the Greeks proceeded to the captured part of Central Greece by 1828. As a result of years of negotiation, the nascent Greek state was finally recognised under the London Protocol in 1830.[101]

Kingdom of Greece

Main article: Kingdom of Greece

The Entry of King Otto in Athens, painted by Peter von Hess in 1839

In 1827, Ioannis Kapodistrias, from Corfu, was chosen by the Third National Assembly at Troezen as the first governor of the First Hellenic Republic. Kapodistrias established a series of state, economic and military institutions. Soon tensions appeared between him and local interests. Following his assassination in 1831 and the subsequent London conference a year later, the Great Powers of Britain, France and Russia installed Bavarian Prince Otto von Wittelsbach as monarch.[102] Otto's reign was despotic, and in its first 11 years of independence Greece was ruled by a Bavarian oligarchy led by Joseph Ludwig von Armansperg as Prime Minister and, later, by Otto himself, who held the title of both King and Premier.[102] Throughout this period Greece remained under the influence of its three protecting great powers, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, as well as Bavaria.[103] In 1843 an uprising forced Otto to grant a constitution and a representative assembly.

Despite the absolutism of Otto's reign, the early years proved instrumental in creating institutions (improving those established by Ioannis Kapodisrias) which are still the bedrock of Greek administration and education.[104] Important steps were taken in areas including the education system, maritime and postal communications, effective civil administration and, most importantly, the legal code.[105] Historical revisionism took the form of de-Byzantinification and de-Ottomanisation, in favour of promoting the country's Ancient Greek heritage.[106] In this spirit, the national capital was moved from Nafplio, where it had been since 1829, to Athens, which was at the time a smaller town.[107] Religious reform also took place, and the Church of Greece was established as Greece's national church, although Otto remained a Catholic. 25 March, the day of Annunciation, was chosen as the anniversary of the Greek War of Independence to reinforce the link between Greek identity and Orthodoxy.[106] Pavlos Karolidis called the Bavarian efforts to create a modern state in Greece as "not only appropriate for the peoples' needs, but also based on excellent administrative principles of the era".[105]

Otto was deposed in the 23 October 1862 Revolution. Multiple causes led to his deposition and exile, including the Bavarian-dominated government, heavy taxation, and a failed attempt to annex Crete from the Ottoman Empire.[102] The catalyst for the revolt was Otto's dismissal of Konstantinos Kanaris from the Premiership.[104] A year later, he was replaced by Prince Wilhelm (William) of Denmark, who took the name George I and brought with him the Ionian Islands as a coronation gift from Britain. A new Constitution in 1864 changed Greece's form of government from constitutional monarchy to the more democratic crowned republic.[108][109][110] In 1875 the concept of parliamentary majority as a requirement for the formation of a government was introduced by Charilaos Trikoupis,[111] curbing the power of the monarchy to appoint minority governments of its preference.

The territorial evolution of the Kingdom of Greece from 1832 to 1947

Corruption, coupled with Trikoupis' increased spending to fund infrastructure projects like the Corinth Canal,[112] overtaxed the weak Greek economy and forced the declaration of public insolvency in 1893. Greece also accepted the imposition of an International Financial Commission to enforce the repayment of the country's debtors.

All Greeks were united, however, in their determination to liberate the Hellenic lands under Ottoman rule. Especially in Crete, a prolonged revolt in 1866–1869 had raised nationalist fervour. When war broke out between Russia and the Ottomans in 1877, Greek popular sentiment rallied to Russia's side, but Greece was too poor and too concerned about British intervention, to officially enter the war. Nevertheless, in 1881, Thessaly and small parts of Epirus were ceded to Greece as part of the Treaty of Berlin, while frustrating Greek hopes of receiving Crete.[113]

Greeks in Crete continued to stage regular revolts, and in 1897, the Greek government under Theodoros Deligiannis, bowing to popular pressure, declared war on the Ottomans. In the ensuing Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the badly trained and equipped Greek army was defeated by the Ottomans. Through the intervention of the Great Powers, however, Greece lost only a little territory along the border to Turkey, while Crete was established as an autonomous state under Prince George of Greece. With state coffers empty, fiscal policy came under International Financial Control.[114] Alarmed by the abortive Ilinden uprising of the autonomist Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) in 1903, the Greek government, aiming to quell Komitadjis (IMRO bands) and detach the Slavophone peasants of the region from Bulgarian influence, sponsored a guerrilla campaign in Ottoman-ruled Macedonia, led by Greek officers and known as the Macedonian Struggle, which ended with the Young Turk Revolution in 1908.[115]

Expansion, disaster, and reconstruction

See also: Greece in the Balkan Wars, Greece in World War I, National Schism, Asia Minor Campaign, and Second Hellenic Republic

Hellenic Army formation in the World War I Victory Parade in Arc de Triomphe, Paris, July 1919

Amidst general dissatisfaction with the seeming inertia and unattainability of national aspirations under the premiership of the cautious reformist Theotokis, a group of military officers organised a coup in August 1909 and shortly thereafter called to Athens Cretan politician Eleftherios Venizelos, who conveyed a vision of national regeneration. After winning two elections and becoming Prime Minister in 1910,[116] Venizelos initiated wide-ranging fiscal, social, and constitutional reforms, reorganised the military, made Greece a member of the Balkan League, and led the country through the Balkan Wars. By 1913, Greece's territory and population had almost doubled, annexing Crete, Epirus, and Macedonia. In the following years, the struggle between King Constantine I and charismatic Venizelos over the country's foreign policy on the eve of First World War dominated the country's political scene and divided the country into two opposing groups. During parts of WW1, Greece had two governments: A royalist pro-German one in Athens and a Venizelist pro-Entente one in Thessaloniki. The two governments were united in 1917, when Greece officially entered the war on the side of the Entente.

Map of Greater Greece after the Treaty of Sèvres, when the Megali Idea seemed close to fulfillment, featuring Eleftherios Venizelos as its supervising genius

In the aftermath of World War I, Greece attempted further expansion into Asia Minor, a region with a large native Greek population at the time, but was defeated in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, contributing to a massive flight of Asia Minor Greeks.[117][118] These events overlapped, with both happening during the Greek genocide (1914–1922),[119][120][121][122] a period during which, according to various sources,[123] Ottoman and Turkish officials contributed to the death of several hundred thousand Asia Minor Greeks, along with similar numbers of Assyrians and a rather larger number of Armenians. The resultant Greek exodus from Asia Minor was made permanent, and expanded, in an official Population exchange between Greece and Turkey. The exchange was part of the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne which ended the war.[124]

The following era was marked by instability, as over 1.5 million propertyless Greek refugees from Turkey had to be integrated into Greek society. Cappadocian Greeks, Pontian Greeks, and non-Greek followers of Greek Orthodoxy were all subject to the exchange as well. Some of the refugees could not speak the language and were from what had been unfamiliar environments to mainland Greeks, such as in the case of the Cappadocians and non-Greeks. The refugees also made a dramatic post-war population boost, as the number of refugees was more than a quarter of Greece's prior population.[125]

Following the catastrophic events in Asia Minor, the monarchy was abolished via a referendum in 1924 and the Second Hellenic Republic was declared.[126] In 1935, a royalist general-turned-politician Georgios Kondylis took power after a coup d'état and abolished the republic, holding a rigged referendum, after which King George II returned to Greece and was restored to the throne.

Dictatorship, World War II, and reconstruction

See also: 4th of August Regime, Balkans campaign, Axis occupation of Greece, Hellenic State, and Greek Civil War

An agreement between Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas and the head of state George II followed in 1936, which installed Metaxas as the head of a dictatorial regime known as the 4th of August Regime, inaugurating a period of authoritarian rule that would last, with short breaks, until 1974.[127] Although a dictatorship, Greece remained on good terms with Britain and was not allied with the Axis.

The Axis occupation of Greece.  Italian   German   Bulgarian  Dodecanese, Italian possession since 1912

On 28 October 1940, Fascist Italy demanded the surrender of Greece, but the Greek administration refused, and, in the following Greco-Italian War, Greece repelled Italian forces into Albania, giving the Allies their first victory over Axis forces on land. The Greek struggle and victory against the Italians received exuberant praise at the time.[128][citation not found] French general Charles de Gaulle was among those who praised the fierceness of the Greek resistance. In an official notice released to coincide with the Greek national celebration of the Day of Independence, De Gaulle expressed his admiration for the Greek resistance:In the name of the captured yet still alive French people, France wants to send her greetings to the Greek people who are fighting for their freedom. The 25 March 1941 finds Greece in the peak of their heroic struggle and in the top of their glory. Since the Battle of Salamis, Greece had not achieved the greatness and the glory which today holds.[128] The country would eventually fall to urgently dispatched German forces during the Battle of Greece, despite the fierce Greek resistance, particularly in the Battle of the Metaxas Line.

People in Athens celebrate the liberation from the Axis powers, October 1944. Postwar Greece would soon experience a civil war and political polarization.

The Nazis proceeded to administer Athens and Thessaloniki, while other regions of the country were given to Nazi Germany's partners, Fascist Italy and Bulgaria. The occupation brought about terrible hardships for the Greek civilian population. Over 100,000 civilians died of starvation during the winter of 1941–1942, tens of thousands more died because of reprisals by Nazis and collaborators, the country's economy was ruined, and the great majority of Greek Jews (tens of thousands) were deported and murdered in Nazi concentration camps.[129][130] The Greek Resistance, one of the most effective resistance movements in Europe, fought vehemently against the Nazis and their collaborators. The German occupiers committed numerous atrocities, mass executions, and wholesale slaughter of civilians and destruction of towns and villages in reprisals. In the course of the concerted anti-guerrilla campaign, hundreds of villages were systematically torched and almost 1 million Greeks left homeless.[130] In total, the Germans executed around 21,000 Greeks, the Bulgarians executed 40,000, and the Italians executed 9,000.[131]

Following liberation and the Allied victory over the Axis, Greece annexed the Dodecanese Islands from Italy and regained Western Thrace from Bulgaria. The country almost immediately descended into a bloody civil war between communist forces and the anti-communist Greek government, which lasted until 1949 with the latter's victory. The conflict, considered one of the earliest struggles of the Cold War,[132] resulted in further economic devastation, mass population displacement and severe political polarisation for the next thirty years.[133]

Although the post-war decades were characterised by social strife and widespread marginalisation of the left in political and social spheres, Greece nonetheless experienced rapid economic growth and recovery, propelled in part by the U.S.-administered Marshall Plan.[134] In 1952, Greece joined NATO, reinforcing its membership in the Western Bloc of the Cold War.[135]

King Constantine II's dismissal of George Papandreou's centrist government in July 1965 prompted a prolonged period of political turbulence, which culminated in a coup d'état on 21 April 1967 by the Regime of the Colonels. Under the junta, civil rights were suspended, political repression was intensified, and human rights abuses, including state-sanctioned torture, were rampant. Economic growth remained rapid before plateauing in 1972. The brutal suppression of the Athens Polytechnic uprising on 17 November 1973 set in motion the events that caused the fall of the Papadopoulos regime, resulting in a counter-coup which overthrew Georgios Papadopoulos and established brigadier Dimitrios Ioannidis as the new junta strongman. On 20 July 1974, Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus in response to a Greek-backed Cypriot coup, triggering a political crisis in Greece that led to the regime's collapse and the restoration of democracy through Metapolitefsi.[136]

Third Hellenic Republic

Main article: Third Hellenic Republic

Signing at Zappeion by Constantine Karamanlis of the documents for the accession of Greece to the European Communities in 1979

The former prime minister Konstantinos Karamanlis was invited back from Paris where he had lived in self-exile since 1963, marking the beginning of the Metapolitefsi era. The first multiparty elections since 1964 were held on the first anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising. A democratic and republican constitution was promulgated on 11 June 1975 following a referendum which chose to not restore the monarchy.

Meanwhile, Andreas Papandreou, George Papandreou's son, founded the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) in response to Karamanlis's conservative New Democracy party, with the two political formations dominating in government over the next four decades. Greece rejoined NATO in 1980.[d][137] Greece became the tenth member of the European Communities (subsequently subsumed by the European Union) on 1 January 1981, ushering in a period of sustained growth. Widespread investments in industrial enterprises and heavy infrastructure, as well as funds from the European Union and growing revenues from tourism, shipping, and a fast-growing service sector raised the country's standard of living to unprecedented levels. In 1981, the election of Andreas Papandreou resulted in significant reforms during the entire 1980s. Among others, he recognised the national resistance during WW2, the civil marriage, the dowry was abolished, while education system and foreign policy doctrines changed as well. However, Papandreou's tenure has been associated as well with corruption, double digit inflation, stagnation, budget deficits that caused problems in the Greek economy later on.[138]

In the nineties, as well the 2000s, Greek influence in the Balkan countries was on its apogee.[139] The country adopted the euro in 2001 and successfully hosted the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.[140]

Beginning in 2010, Greece suffered substantially from the Great Recession and the related European sovereign debt crisis. Due to the adoption of the euro, when Greece experienced a financial crisis, it could no longer devalue its currency to regain competitiveness. Youth unemployment was especially high during this period.[141] In the two elections of May and June 2012, there was a major change in the political landscape of Greece, with new parties emerging out of the collapse of popularity of the two main parties of the past, PASOK and New Democracy.[142] In January 2015, Alexis Tsipras was elected as prime minister, being the first prime minister of Greece outside the two political parties.[143] This Greek government-debt crisis, and subsequent austerity policies, resulted in protests and social strife. The crisis is generally considered to have ended around 2018, with the end of the bailout mechanisms and the return of economic growth.[144]

Simultaneously, in June 2018, the leaders of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, and North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, signed the Prespa Agreement, solving the naming dispute that strained the relations of the two countries and eased the latter's way to become a member of the EU and NATO.[145]

In July 2019, Kyriakos Mitsotakis became Greece's new prime minister, after his centre-right New Democracy party had won the election over ruling leftist Syriza.[146] In March 2020, Greece's parliament elected a non-partisan candidate, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, as the first female President of Greece.[147] During the 2020s, the Greek economy continues to rebound, as a result of post-COVID economic recovery, robust investments, and an increase in tourist revenues and consumer spending.[148]

On 15 February 2024 Greece becomes the first Christian Orthodox country to recognise same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.[149]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Greece

Topographic map of Greece

Navagio (shipwreck) bay, Zakynthos island

Located in Southern[150] and Southeast Europe,[151] Greece consists of a mountainous, peninsular mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the Balkans, ending at the Peloponnese peninsula (separated from the mainland by the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth) and strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa.[e] Due to its highly indented coastline and numerous islands, Greece has the 11th longest coastline in the world with 13,676 km (8,498 mi);[157] its land boundary is 1,160 km (721 mi). The country lies approximately between latitudes 34° and 42° N, and longitudes 19° and 30° E, with the extreme points being:[158]

North: Ormenio village

South: Gavdos island

East: Strongyli (Kastelorizo, Megisti) island

West: Othonoi island

Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains or hills, making the country one of the most mountainous in Europe. Mount Olympus, the mythical abode of the Greek Gods, culminates at Mytikas peak 2,918 metres (9,573 ft),[159] the highest in the country. Western Greece contains a number of lakes and wetlands and is dominated by the Pindus mountain range. The Pindus, a continuation of the Dinaric Alps, reaches a maximum elevation of 2,637 m (8,652 ft) at Mt. Smolikas (the second-highest in Greece) and historically has been a significant barrier to east–west travel.

The Pindus range continues through the central Peloponnese, crosses the islands of Kythera and Antikythera and finds its way into southwestern Aegean, in the island of Crete where it eventually ends. The islands of the Aegean are peaks of underwater mountains that once constituted an extension of the mainland. Pindus is characterised by its high, steep peaks, often dissected by numerous canyons and a variety of other karstic landscapes. The spectacular Vikos Gorge, part of the Vikos-Aoos National Park in the Pindus range, is listed by the Guinness book of World Records as the deepest gorge in the world.[160] Another notable formation are the Meteora rock pillars, atop which have been built medieval Greek Orthodox monasteries.[161]

Northeastern Greece features another high-altitude mountain range, the Rhodope range, spreading across the region of East Macedonia and Thrace; this area is covered with vast, thick, ancient forests, including the famous Dadia Forest in the Evros regional unit, in the far northeast of the country.

Extensive plains are primarily located in the regions of Thessaly, Central Macedonia and Thrace. They constitute key economic regions as they are among the few arable places in the country. Rare marine species such as the pinniped seals and the loggerhead sea turtle live in the seas surrounding mainland Greece, while its dense forests are home to the endangered brown bear, the Eurasian lynx, the roe deer and the wild goat.

Islands

Main article: List of islands of Greece

The Greek mainland and several small islands seen from Nydri, Lefkada

Greece features a vast number of islands—between 1,200 and 6,000, depending on the definition,[162] 227 of which are inhabited—and is considered a non-contiguous transcontinental country. Crete is the largest and most populous island; Euboea, separated from the mainland by the 60 m-wide Euripus Strait, is the second largest, followed by Lesbos and Rhodes.

The Greek islands are traditionally grouped into the following clusters: the Argo-Saronic Islands in the Saronic gulf near Athens; the Cyclades, a large but dense collection occupying the central part of the Aegean Sea; the North Aegean islands, a loose grouping off the west coast of Turkey; the Dodecanese, another loose collection in the southeast between Crete and Turkey; the Sporades, a small tight group off the coast of northeast Euboea; and the Ionian Islands, located to the west of the mainland in the Ionian Sea.

Climate

Further information: Climate of Greece

Greece's Köppen Climate Types

The climate of Greece is primarily Mediterranean (Köppen: Csa),[163] featuring mild to cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers.[164] This climate occurs at most of the coastal locations, including Athens, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Crete, the Peloponnese, the Ionian Islands and parts of mainland Greece. The Pindus mountain range strongly affects the climate of the country, as areas to the west of the range are considerably wetter on average (due to greater exposure to south-westerly systems bringing in moisture) than the areas lying to the east of the range (due to a rain shadow effect),[165] resulting to some coastal areas in the south falling to the hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) category, such as parts of the Athens Riviera and some of the Cyclades, as well as some areas in the north featuring a cold equivalent climate (Köppen: BSk), such as the cities of Thessaloniki and Larissa.

The mountainous areas and the higher elevations of northwestern Greece (parts of Epirus, Central Greece, Thessaly, Western Macedonia) as well as in the mountainous central parts of Peloponnese – including parts of the regional units of Achaea, Arcadia and Laconia – feature an Alpine climate (Köppen: D, E) with heavy snowfalls during the winter. Most of the inland parts of northern Greece, in Central Macedonia, the lower elevations of Western Macedonia and East Macedonia and Thrace feature a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with cold, damp winters and hot, moderately dry summers with occasional thunderstorms. Snowfalls occur every year in the mountains and northern areas, and brief periods of snowy weather are possible even in low-lying southern areas, such as Athens.[166]

Biodiversity

Main article: Wildlife of Greece

Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece and mythical abode of the Gods of Olympus.

Phytogeographically, Greece belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and is shared between the East Mediterranean province of the Mediterranean Region and the Illyrian province of the Circumboreal Region. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature and the European Environment Agency, the territory of Greece can be subdivided into six ecoregions: the Illyrian deciduous forests, Pindus Mountains mixed forests, Balkan mixed forests, Rhodope montane mixed forests, Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests, and Crete Mediterranean forests.[167] It had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.6/10, ranking it 70th globally out of 172 countries.[168]

Politics

Main article: Politics of Greece

The building of the Hellenic Parliament (Old Royal Palace) in central Athens

Count Ioannis Kapodistrias, first governor, founder of the modern Greek State, and distinguished European diplomat

Greece is a unitary parliamentary republic.[169] The current Constitution was drawn up and adopted by the Fifth Revisionary Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975 after the fall of the military junta of 1967–1974. It has been revised four times since: in 1986, 2001, 2008 and 2019. The Constitution, which consists of 120 articles, provides for a separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and grants extensive specific guarantees (further reinforced in 2001) of civil liberties and social rights.[170][171] Women's suffrage was guaranteed with an amendment to the 1952 Constitution.

The nominal head of state is the President of the Republic, who is elected by the Parliament for a five-year term.[169] According to the Constitution, executive power is exercised by the President and the Government.[169] However, the Constitutional amendment of 1986 curtailed the President's duties and powers to a significant extent, rendering the position largely ceremonial; most political power is thus vested in the Prime Minister, Greece's head of government.[172] The position is filled by the current leader of the political party that can obtain a vote of confidence by the Parliament. The president of the republic formally appoints the prime minister and, on their recommendation, appoints and dismisses the other members of the Cabinet.[169]

Legislative powers are exercised by a 300-member elective unicameral Parliament.[169] Statutes passed by the Parliament are promulgated by the President of the Republic.[169] Parliamentary elections are held every four years, but the President of the Republic is obliged to dissolve the Parliament earlier on the proposal of the Cabinet, in view of dealing with a national issue of exceptional importance.[169] The President is also obliged to dissolve the Parliament earlier if the opposition manages to pass a motion of no confidence.[169] The voting age is 17.[173]

According to a 2016 report by the OECD, Greeks display a moderate level of civic participation compared to most other developed countries; voter turnout was 64 percent during recent elections, lower than the OECD average of 69 percent.[174]

Political parties

Main article: Political parties of Greece

Since the restoration of democracy, the Greek party system was dominated by the liberal-conservative New Democracy (ND) and the social-democratic Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).[f] Other parties represented in the Hellenic Parliament include the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Greek Solution and MeRA25.

PASOK and New Democracy largely alternated in power until the outbreak of the government-debt crisis in 2009. From that time, the two major parties, New Democracy and PASOK, experienced a sharp decline in popularity.[176][177][178][179][180] In November 2011, the two major parties joined the smaller Popular Orthodox Rally in a grand coalition, pledging their parliamentary support for a government of national unity headed by former European Central Bank vice-president Lucas Papademos.[181] Panos Kammenos voted against this government and he split off from ND forming the right-wing populist Independent Greeks.[182]

The coalition government led the country to the parliamentary elections of May 2012. The power of the traditional Greek political parties, PASOK and New Democracy, declined from 43% to 13% and from 33% to 18%, respectively. The left-wing SYRIZA became the second major party with an increase from 4% to 16%. No party could form a sustainable government, which led to the parliamentary elections of June 2012. The result of the second elections was the formation of a coalition government composed of New Democracy (29%), PASOK (12%) and Democratic Left (6%) parties.[183]

SYRIZA has since overtaken PASOK as the main party of the centre-left .[184] Alexis Tsipras led SYRIZA to victory in the general election held on 25 January 2015, falling short of an outright majority in Parliament by just two seats.[185] The following morning, Tsipras reached an agreement with Independent Greeks party to form a coalition and was sworn in as Prime Minister of Greece.[186] Tsipras called snap elections in August 2015 after resigning from his post, which led to a month-long caretaker administration headed by judge Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou, Greece's first female prime minister.[187] In the September 2015 general election, Alexis Tsipras led SYRIZA to another victory, winning 145 out of 300 seats[188] and re-forming the coalition with the Independent Greeks.[189] However, he was defeated in the July 2019 general election by Kyriakos Mitsotakis who leads New Democracy.[190] On 7 July 2019, Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Greece. He formed a centre-right government after the landslide victory of his New Democracy party.[191]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Greece

Representation through:[192]  embassy  embassy in another country  general consulate  no representation  Greece

Greece's foreign policy is conducted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its head, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, currently Nikos Dendias. Officially, the main aims of the Ministry are to represent Greece before other states and international organizations;[193] safeguard the interests of the Greek state and of its citizens abroad;[193] promote Greek culture;[193] foster closer relations with the Greek diaspora;[193] and encourage international cooperation.[193] Greece is described as having a special relationship with Cyprus, Italy, France, Armenia, Australia, the State of Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom.[194][195][196][197][198][199]

Following the resolution of the Macedonia naming dispute with the Prespa agreement in 2018, the Ministry identifies two remaining issues of particular importance to the Greek state: Turkish challenges to Greek sovereignty rights in the Aegean Sea and corresponding airspace and the Cyprus dispute involving the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus.[200]

There is a long-standing conflict between Turkey and Greece over natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey does not recognize a legal continental shelf and exclusive economic zone around the Greek islands.[201]

Additionally, due to its political and geographical proximity to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Greece is a country of significant geostrategic importance, which it has leveraged to develop a regional policy to help promote peace and stability in the Balkans, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.[202] This has accorded the country middle power status in global affairs.[203]

Greece is a member of numerous international organizations, including the Council of Europe, the European Union, the Union for the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Organisation internationale de la francophonie and the United Nations, of which it is a founding member.

Military

Main article: Military of Greece

An F-16 Fighting Falcon, the main combat aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force, during an airshowA Leopard 2A6 HEL of the Hellenic Army on parade in Athens

The Hellenic Armed Forces are overseen by the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (Greek: Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Άμυνας – ΓΕΕΘΑ), with civilian authority vested in the Ministry of National Defence. It consists of three branches:[204]

Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES)

Hellenic Navy (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN)

Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA)

Moreover, Greece maintains the Hellenic Coast Guard for law enforcement at sea, search and rescue, and port operations. Though it can support the navy during wartime, it resides under the authority of the Ministry of Shipping.

Greek military personnel total 364,050, of whom 142,700 are active and 221,350 are reserve. Greece ranks 28th in the world in the number of citizens serving in the armed forces. Mandatory military service is generally one year for 19 to 45 year olds.[205] Additionally, Greek males between the ages of 18 and 60 who live in strategically sensitive areas may be required to serve part-time in the National Guard.

As a member of NATO, the Greek military participates in exercises and deployments under the auspices of the alliance, although its involvement in NATO missions is minimal.[206] Greece spends over US$7 billion annually on its military, or 2.3 percent of GDP, the 24th-highest in the world in absolute terms, the seventh-highest on a per capita basis, and the second-highest in NATO after the United States. Moreover, Greece is one of only five NATO countries to meet or surpass the minimum defence spending target of 2 percent of GDP.

Law and justice

Main articles: Judicial system of Greece and Law enforcement in Greece

The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and comprises three Supreme Courts: the Court of Cassation (Άρειος Πάγος), the Council of State (Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) and the Court of Auditors (Ελεγκτικό Συνέδριο). The Judiciary system is also composed of civil courts, which judge civil and penal cases and administrative courts, which judge disputes between the citizens and the Greek administrative authorities.

The Hellenic Police (Greek: Ελληνική Αστυνομία) is the national police force of Greece. It is a very large agency with its responsibilities ranging from road traffic control to counter-terrorism. It was established in 1984 under Law 1481/1-10-1984 (Government Gazette 152 A) as the result of the fusion of the Gendarmerie (Χωροφυλακή, Chorofylaki) and the Cities Police (Αστυνομία Πόλεων, Astynomia Poleon) forces.[207]

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Greece

Since the Kallikratis programme reform entered into effect on 1 January 2011, Greece has consisted of 13 regions subdivided into a total of 325, from 2019 332 (Kleisthenis I Programme), municipalities. The 54 old prefectures and prefecture-level administrations have been largely retained as sub-units of the regions. Seven decentralised administrations group one to three regions for administrative purposes on a regional basis. There is also one autonomous area, Mount Athos (Greek: Agio Oros, "Holy Mountain"),[208] which borders the region of Central Macedonia.[209]

Map

No.

Region

Capital

Area (km2)

Area (sq mi)

Population[210]

GDP (bn)[211]

1

Attica

Athens

3,808.10

1,470.32

3,814,064

€83.469

2

Central Greece

Lamia

15,549.31

6,003.62

508,254

€7.926

3

Central Macedonia

Thessaloniki

18,810.52

7,262.78

1,795,669

€23.850

4

Crete

Heraklion

8,259

3,189

624,408

€8.654

5

East Macedonia and Thrace

Komotini

14,157.76

5,466.34

562,201

€6.709

6

Epirus

Ioannina

9,203.22

3,553.38

319,991

€3.843

7

Ionian Islands

Corfu

2,306.94

890.71

204,532

€3.064

8

North Aegean

Mytilene

3,835.91

1,481.05

194,943

€2.412

9

Peloponnese

Tripoli

15,489.96

5,980.71

539,535

€7.683

10

South Aegean

Ermoupoli

5,285.99

2,040.93

327,820

€5.888

11

Thessaly

Larissa

14,036.64

5,419.58

688,255

€9.006

12

West Greece

Patras

11,350.18

4,382.33

648,220

€7.847

13

West Macedonia

Kozani

9,451

3,649

254,595

€3.849

(14)

Mount Athos

Karyes

390

151

1,746

—

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Greece and List of Greek subdivisions by GDP

Introduction

GDP per capita development

A proportional representation of Greek exports, 2019

According to World Bank statistics for the year 2013, the economy of Greece is the 43rd largest by nominal gross domestic product at $242 billion[212] and 53rd largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) at $284 billion.[213] Additionally, Greece is the 15th largest economy in the 27-member European Union.[214] In terms of per capita income, Greece is ranked 41st or 47th in the world at $18,168 and $29,045 for nominal GDP and PPP respectively. The Greek economy is classified as advanced[215][216][217][218][219] and high-income.[220][218]

Greece is a developed country with a high standard of living and a high ranking in the Human Development Index.[221][222][223] Its economy mainly comprises the service sector (85.0%) and industry (12.0%), while agriculture makes up 3.0% of the national economic output.[224] Important Greek industries include tourism (with 14.9 million[225] international tourists in 2009, it is ranked as the 7th most visited country in the European Union[225] and 16th in the world[225] by the United Nations World Tourism Organization) and merchant shipping (at 16.2%[226] of the world's total capacity, the Greek merchant marine is the largest in the world),[226] while the country is also a considerable agricultural producer (including fisheries) within the union.

In October 2021 unemployment stood at 12.9% and youth unemployment at 33.2%, compared with respectively 7% and 15.9% in the EU and in the Euro zone.[227]

Greece has the largest economy in the Balkans,[228][229][230] and an important regional investor.[228][229] Greece is the number-two foreign investor of capital in Albania, the number-three foreign investor in Bulgaria, at the top-three of foreign investors in Romania and Serbia and the most important trading partner and largest foreign investor of North Macedonia. Greek banks open a new branch somewhere in the Balkans on an almost weekly basis.[231][232][233] The Greek telecommunications company OTE has become a strong investor in other Balkan countries.[231]

Greece was a founding member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). In 1979 the accession of the country in the European Communities and the single market was signed, and the process was completed in 1982. Greece was accepted into the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union on 19 June 2000, and in January 2001 adopted the euro as its currency, replacing the Greek drachma at an exchange rate of 340.75 drachma to the Euro.[234] Greece is also a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization, and is ranked 24th on the KOF Globalization Index for 2013.

Debt crisis (2010–2018)

Main article: Greek government-debt crisis

Greece's debt percentage since 1977, compared to the average of the eurozone

The Greek economy had fared well for much of the 20th century, with high growth rates and low public debt.[235] Even until the eve of the financial crisis of 2007–2008, it featured high rates of growth, which, however, were coupled with high structural deficits, thus maintaining a (roughly unchanged throughout this period) public debt to GDP ratio of just over 100%.[235] In 2009, after an election and change in government, it was revealed that Greece's budget deficit had for years been considerably higher than the officially reported figures.[236] In the years before the crisis, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and numerous other banks had developed financial products which enabled the governments of Greece, Italy, and many other European countries to hide their levels of borrowing.[237][238][239] Dozens of similar agreements were concluded across Europe whereby banks supplied cash in advance in exchange for future payments by the governments involved; in turn, the liabilities of the involved countries were "kept off the books".[240][241][242] These conditions had enabled Greece as well as other European governments to spend beyond their means, while still technically meeting the deficit targets set out in the Maastricht Treaty.[243][239][244]

The Greek crisis was triggered by the turmoil of the 2007–2009 Great Recession, which caused Greece's GDP to contract by around 2.5% in 2009.[245] Simultaneously, the higher-than-believed budget deficits in the preceding years were revealed to have been allowed to reach 10.2% and 15.1% of GDP in 2008 and 2009, respectively. This caused Greece's debt to GDP ratio (which had been high but stable at just over 100% until 2007, as calculated after all corrections) to spike to 127%.[246] In addition, being a member of the eurozone, the country had essentially no autonomous monetary policy flexibility.

Consequently, Greece was "punished" by the markets which increased borrowing rates, making it impossible for the country to finance its debt since early 2010.

In May 2010, the Greece's deficit was again revised and estimated to be 13.6%[247] the second highest in the world relative to GDP.[248] Public debt was forecast to reach up to 120% of GDP in the same year,[249] causing a crisis of confidence in Greece's ability pay back loans.

To avert a sovereign default, Greece, the other eurozone members, and the International Monetary Fund agreed on a rescue package which involved giving Greece an immediate €45 billion in loans, with additional funds to follow, totaling €110 billion.[250][251] To secure the funding, Greece was required to adopt harsh austerity measures to bring its deficit under control.[252] A second bail-out amounting to €130 billion ($173 billion) was agreed in 2012, subject to strict conditions, including financial reforms and further austerity measures.[253] A debt haircut was also agreed as part of the deal.[253] Greece achieved a primary government budget surplus in 2013, while in April 2014, it returned to the global bond market. Greece returned to growth after six years of economic decline in the second quarter of 2014,[254] and was the eurozone's fastest-growing economy in the third quarter.[255] A third bailout was agreed in July 2015, after a confrontation with the newly elected government of Alexis Tsipras.

Partly due to the imposed austerity measures,[236] Greece experienced a 25% drop GDP between 2009 and 2015.[256] This had a critical effect: the debt-to-GDP ratio, a key factor defining the severity of the crisis, would jump from its 2009 level of 127% to about 170%, solely due to the shrinking economy.[citation needed] In a 2013 report, the IMF admitted that it had underestimated the effects of so extensive tax hikes and budget cuts on the country's GDP and issued an informal apology.[257][258][259] The Greek programmes imposed a very rapid improvement in structural primary balance (at least two times faster than for other eurozone bailed-out countries).[260] The policies have been blamed for worsening the crisis,[261][262] while Greece's president, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, stressed the creditors' share in responsibility for the depth of the crisis.[263][264] Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, asserted that errors in the design of the first two programmes which led to a loss of 25% of the Greek economy due to the harsh imposition of excessive austerity.[265]

Between 2009 and 2017 the Greek government debt rose from €300 bn to €318 bn, i.e. by only about 6% (thanks, in part, to the 2012 debt restructuring);[246][266] however, during the same period, the critical debt-to-GDP ratio shot up from 127% to 179%[246] basically due to the severe GDP drop during the handling of the crisis.[235]

Greece's bailouts successfully ended (as declared) on 20 August 2018.[144]

Agriculture

Main article: Agriculture in Greece

Sun-drying of Zante currant on Zakynthos

In 2010, Greece was the European Union's largest producer of cotton (183,800 tons) and pistachios (8,000 tons)[267] and ranked second in the production of rice (229,500 tons)[267] and olives (147,500 tons),[268] third in the production of figs (11,000 tons),[268] almonds (44,000 tons),[268] tomatoes (1,400,000 tons),[268] and watermelons (578,400 tons)[268] and fourth in the production of tobacco (22,000 tons).[267] Agriculture contributes 3.8% of the country's GDP and employs 12.4% of the country's labor force.

Greece is a major beneficiary of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. As a result of the country's entry to the European Community, much of its agricultural infrastructure has been upgraded and agricultural output increased. Between 2000 and 2007, organic farming in Greece increased by 885%, the highest change percentage in the EU.

Energy

Main article: Energy in Greece

Solar-power generation potential in Greece

Electricity production in Greece is dominated by the state-owned Public Power Corporation (known mostly by its acronym ΔΕΗ, transliterated as DEI). In 2009 DEI supplied for 85.6% of all electric energy demand in Greece,[269] while the number fell to 77.3% in 2010.[269] Almost half (48%) of DEI's power output is generated using lignite, a drop from the 51.6% in 2009.[269]

Twelve percent of Greece's electricity comes from hydroelectric power plants[270] and another 20% from natural gas.[270] Between 2009 and 2010, independent companies' energy production increased by 56%,[269] from 2,709 gigawatt hour in 2009 to 4,232 GWh in 2010.[269]

In 2012, renewable energy accounted for 13.8% of the country's total energy consumption,[271] a rise from the 10.6% it accounted for in 2011,[271] a figure almost equal to the EU average of 14.1% in 2012.[271] 10% of the country's renewable energy comes from solar power,[272] while most comes from biomass and waste recycling.[272] In line with the European Commission's Directive on Renewable Energy, Greece aims to get 18% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.[273]

In 2013, according to the independent power transmission operator in Greece (ΑΔΜΗΕ) more than 20% of the electricity in Greece has been produced from renewable energy sources and hydroelectric powerplants. This percentage in April reached 42%. Greece currently does not have any nuclear power plants in operation; however, in 2009 the Academy of Athens suggested that research in the possibility of Greek nuclear power plants begin.[274]

Maritime industry

Main articles: Greek shipping and List of ports in Greece

See also: Economy of Greece » Maritime industry

Greek companies control 21% of the world's total merchant fleet[275] making it the largest in the world. They are ranked in the top 5 for all kinds of ships, including first for tankers and bulk carriers.

The shipping industry has been a key element of Greek economic activity since ancient times.[276] Shipping remains one of the country's most important industries, accounting for 4.5 percent of GDP, employing about 160,000 people (4 percent of the workforce), and representing a third of the trade deficit.[277]

According to a 2011 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Greek Merchant Navy is the largest in the world at 16.2 percent of total global capacity,[226] up from 15.96 percent in 2010[278] but below the peak of 18.2 percent in 2006.[279] The country's merchant fleet ranks first in total tonnage (202 million dwt),[226] fourth in total number of ships (at 3,150), first in both tankers and dry bulk carriers, fourth in the number of containers, and fifth in other ships.[280] However, today's fleet roster is smaller than an all-time high of 5,000 ships in the late 1970s.[276] Additionally, the total number of ships flying a Greek flag (includes non-Greek fleets) is 1,517, or 5.3 percent of the world's dwt (ranked fifth globally).[278]

During the 1960s, the size of the Greek fleet nearly doubled, primarily through the investment undertaken by the shipping magnates, Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos.[281] The basis of the modern Greek maritime industry was formed after World War II when Greek shipping businessmen were able to amass surplus ships sold to them by the U.S. government through the Ship Sales Act of the 1940s.[281]

Greece has a significant shipbuilding and ship maintenance industry. The six shipyards around the port of Piraeus are among the largest in Europe.[282] In recent years, Greece has also become a leader in the construction and maintenance of luxury yachts.[283]

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Greece

Santorini, a popular tourist destination, is ranked as the world's top island in many travel magazines and sites.[284][285]

Tourism has been a key element of the economic activity in the country and one of the country's most important sectors, contributing 20.6% of the gross domestic product as of 2018.[286] Greece was the 9th most visited country in the world in 2022, hosting 27.8 million visitors.[287] Greece welcomed over 31.3 million visitors in 2019,[288] and around 28 million in 2016,[289] which is an increase from the 26.5 million tourists it welcomed in 2015 and the 19.5 million in 2009,[290] and the 17.7 million tourists in 2007,[291] making Greece one of the most visited countries in Europe in the recent years.

The vast majority of visitors in Greece in 2007 came from the European continent, numbering 12.7 million,[292] while the most visitors from a single nationality were those from the United Kingdom, (2.6 million), followed closely by those from Germany (2.3 million).[292] In 2010, the most visited region of Greece was that of Central Macedonia, with 18% of the country's total tourist flow (amounting to 3.6 million tourists), followed by Attica with 2.6 million and the Peloponnese with 1.8 million.[290] Northern Greece is the country's most-visited geographical region, with 6.5 million tourists, while Central Greece is second with 6.3 million.[290]

In 2010, Lonely Planet ranked Greece's northern and second-largest city of Thessaloniki as the world's fifth-best party town worldwide, comparable with cities such as Dubai and Montreal.[293] In 2011, Santorini was voted as "The World's Best Island" in Travel + Leisure.[294] Its neighboring island Mykonos, came in fifth in the European category.[294] There are 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Greece,[295] and Greece is ranked 17th in the world in terms of total sites. Thirteen further sites are on the tentative list, awaiting nomination.[295]

Panoramic view of the old Corfu City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as seen from the Old Fortress. The Bay of Garitsa is to the left and the port of Corfu is just visible on the top right. Spianada Square is in the foreground.

Transport

Main articles: Transport in Greece and Highways in Greece

The Rio–Antirrio bridge connects mainland Greece to the Peloponnese

Map of Greece's motorway network as of 2022. Black=Completed routes, Blue=Under Construction, Grey=Planned routes

Since the 1980s, the road and rail network of Greece has been significantly modernised. With a total length of about 2320 km as of 2020, Greece's motorway network is the most extensive in Southeastern Europe and one of the most advanced in Europe.[296] Important works include the A2 (Egnatia Odos) east-west motorway, that connects northwestern Greece (Igoumenitsa) with northern Greece (Thessaloniki) and northeastern Greece (Kipoi); the Rio–Antirrio bridge, the longest suspension cable bridge in Europe (2,250 m (7,382 ft) long), connecting the Peloponnese (Rio, 7 km (4 mi) from Patras) with Aetolia-Akarnania (Antirrio) in western Greece; and the Aktio-Preveza Undersea Tunnel that passes under the mouth of Ambracian Gulf.

Also completed are the A5 (Ionia Odos) motorway that connects northwestern Greece (Ioannina) with western Greece (Antirrio); the last sections of the A1 motorway, connecting Athens to Thessaloniki and Evzonoi in northern Greece; the A8 motorway (part of the Olympia Odos) in the Peloponnese, connecting Athens to Patras; and the A7 motorway connecting Corinth to Kalamata and Sparta. The remaining section of Olympia Odos, connecting Patras with Pyrgos, is under planning.

Other important projects that are currently underway, include the construction of the Thessaloniki Metro, and the Northern Crete Motorway.[297]

The Athens Metropolitan Area in particular is served by some of the most modern and efficient transport infrastructure in Europe, such as the Athens International Airport, the privately run A6 (Attiki Odos) motorway network and the expanded Athens Metro system.

Most of the Greek islands and many main cities of Greece are connected by air mainly from the two major Greek airlines, Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines. Maritime connections have been improved with modern high-speed craft, including hydrofoils and catamarans.

Railway connections play a somewhat lesser role in Greece than in many other European countries, but they too have also been expanded, with new suburban/commuter rail connections, serviced by Proastiakos around Athens, towards its airport, Kiato and Chalkida; around Thessaloniki, towards the cities of Larissa and Edessa; and around Patras. A modern intercity rail connection between Athens and Thessaloniki has also been established, while an upgrade to double lines in many parts of the 2,500 km (1,600 mi) network is underway; along with a new double track, standard gauge railway between Athens and Patras (replacing the old metre-gauge Piraeus–Patras railway) which is currently under construction and opening in stages.[298] International railway lines connect Greek cities with the rest of Europe, the Balkans and Turkey.

Given Greece's long coastline and large number of islands, maritime transport is particularly important in Greece. All major islands are served by ferries to the mainland. Piraeus, the port of Athens, was the third busiest passenger port in Europe as of 2021. In total, 37 million passengers traveled by boat in Greece in 2019, the second-highest number in Europe.[299]

Greece has 39 active airports, 15 of which serve international destinations.[300] Athens International Airport served 25 million passengers in 2019.[301] Most major islands are served by airports, with direct connections to other airports in Europe.

Telecommunications

Main article: Telecommunications in Greece

Modern digital information and communication networks reach all areas. There are over 35,000 km (21,748 mi) of fiber optics and an extensive open-wire network. Broadband internet availability is widespread in Greece: there were a total of 2,252,653 broadband connections as of early 2011[update], translating to 20% broadband penetration.[302] According to 2017 data, around 82% of the general population used the internet regularly.[303]

Internet cafés that provide net access, office applications and multiplayer gaming are also a common sight in the country, while mobile internet on 3G and 4G- LTE cellphone networks and Wi-Fi connections can be found almost everywhere.[304] 3G/4G mobile internet usage has been on a sharp increase in recent years. Based on 2016 data 70% of Greek internet users have access via 3G/4G mobile.[303] As of July 2022, 5G service is accessible in most of major Greek cities. The United Nations International Telecommunication Union ranks Greece among the top 30 countries with a highly developed information and communications infrastructure.[305]

Science and technology

Main article: List of Greek inventions and discoveries

Thessaloniki Science Center and Technology Museum

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development and Competitiveness is responsible for designing, implementing and supervising national research and technological policy. In 2017, spending on research and development (R&D) reached an all-time high of €2 billion, equal to 1.14 percent of GDP.[306]

Georgios Papanikolaou, a pioneer in cytopathology and early cancer detection

Although lower than the EU average of 1.93 percent, between 1990 and 1998, total R&D expenditure in Greece enjoyed the third-highest increase in Europe, after Finland and Ireland. Greece was ranked 42nd in the Global Innovation Index in 2023.[307]

Greece has several major technology parks with incubator facilities and has been a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2005.[308] Cooperation between ESA and the Hellenic National Space Committee began in 1994 with the signing of the first cooperation agreement. After applying for full membership in 2003, Greece became the ESA's sixteenth member on 16 March 2005. The country participates in the ESA's telecommunication and technology activities and the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Initiative.[308]

The National Centre of Scientific Research "Demokritos" was founded in 1959 and it is the largest multidisciplinary research center in Greece. Today, its activities cover several fields of science and engineering.[309]

Greece has one of the highest rates of tertiary enrollment in the world,[310] while Greeks are well represented in academia worldwide; numerous leading Western universities employ a disproportionately high number of Greek faculty.[311] Greek scientific publications have grown significantly in terms of research impact, surpassing both the EU and global average from 2012 to 2016.[312]

Notable Greek scientists of modern times include Georgios Papanikolaou (inventor of the Pap test), mathematician Constantin Carathéodory (known for the Carathéodory theorems and Carathéodory conjecture), astronomer E. M. Antoniadi, archaeologists Ioannis Svoronos, Valerios Stais, Spyridon Marinatos, Manolis Andronikos (discovered the tomb of Philip II of Macedon in Vergina), Indologist Dimitrios Galanos, botanist Theodoros G. Orphanides, and scientists such as Michael Dertouzos, Nicholas Negroponte, John Argyris, John Iliopoulos (2007 Dirac Prize for his contributions on the physics of the charm quark), Joseph Sifakis (2007 Turing Award, the "Nobel Prize" of Computer Science), Christos Papadimitriou (2002 Knuth Prize, 2012 Gödel Prize), Mihalis Yannakakis (2005 Knuth Prize) and physicist Dimitri Nanopoulos.

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of Greece and Greeks

According to the official statistical body of Greece, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), the country's total population in 2021 was 10,482,487.[313] Eurostat places the current population at 10.6 million in 2022.[314]

Greece population density, 2000

Greek society has changed rapidly over the last several decades, coinciding with the wider European trend of declining fertility and rapid aging. The birth rate in 2003 stood at 9.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, significantly lower than the rate of 14.5 per 1,000 in 1981. At the same time, the mortality rate increased slightly from 8.9 per 1,000 inhabitants in 1981 to 9.6 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2003. Estimates from 2016 show the birth rate decreasing further still to 8.5 per 1,000 and mortality climbing to 11.2 per 1,000.[315]

The fertility rate of 1.41 children per woman is well below the replacement rate of 2.1, and is one of the lowest in the world, considerably below the high of 5.47 children born per woman in 1900.[316] Subsequently, Greece's median age is 44.2 years, the seventh-highest in the world.[317] In 2001, 16.71 percent of the population were 65 years old and older, 68.12 percent between the ages of 15 and 64 years old, and 15.18 percent were 14 years old and younger.[318] By 2016, the proportion of the population age 65 and older had risen to 20.68 percent, while the proportion of those aged 14 and younger declined to slightly below 14 percent.

Marriage rates began declining from almost 71 per 1,000 inhabitants in 1981 until 2002, only to increase slightly in 2003 to 61 per 1,000 and then fall again to 51 in 2004.[318] Divorce rates have seen an increase from 191.2 per 1,000 marriages in 1991 to 239.5 per 1,000 marriages in 2004.[318]

As a result of these trends, the average Greek household is smaller and older than in previous generations. The economic crisis has exacerbated this development, with 350,000–450,000 Greeks, predominantly young adults, emigrating since 2010.[319]

Cities

See also: List of cities in Greece

Almost two-thirds of the Greek people live in urban areas. Greece's largest and most influential metropolitan centres are those of Athens (population 3,744,059 according to 2021 census) and Thessaloniki (population 1,092,919 in 2021) that latter commonly referred to as the symprotévousa (συμπρωτεύουσα, lit. 'co-capital').[320] Other prominent cities with urban populations above 100,000 inhabitants include Patras, Heraklion, Larissa, Volos, Rhodes, Ioannina, Agrinio, Chania, and Chalcis.[321]

The table below lists the largest cities in Greece, by population contained in their respective contiguous built up urban areas, which are either made up of many municipalities, evident in the cases of Athens and Thessaloniki, or are contained within a larger single municipality, case evident in most of the smaller cities of the country. The results come from the preliminary figures of the population census that took place in Greece in May 2011.

 vte Largest cities or towns in GreeceHellenic Statistical Authority 2021 census [322]

Rank

Name

Region

Pop.

Rank

Name

Region

Pop.

AthensThessaloniki

1

Athens

Attica

3,090,508

11

Serres

Central Macedonia

58,287

PatrasPiraeus

2

Thessaloniki

Central Macedonia

824,676

12

Alexandroupoli

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

57,812

3

Patras

Western Greece

173,600[323]

13

Xanthi

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

56,122

4

Piraeus

Attica

168,151

14

Katerini

Central Macedonia

55,997

5

Heraklion

Crete

156,842[324]

15

Kalamata

Peloponnese

54,100

6

Larisa

Thessaly

148,562[325]

16

Kavala

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

54,027

7

Volos

Thessaly

85,803[326]

17

Chania

Crete

53,910

8

Ioannina

Epirus

65,574

18

Lamia

Central Greece

52,006

9

Trikala

Thessaly

61,653

19

Komotini

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

50,990

10

Chalcis

Central Greece

59,125

20

Rhodes

South Aegean

49,541

Religion

Main articles: Religion in Greece, Greek Orthodox Church, and Church of Greece

See also: Muslim minority of Greece, Hellenismos, Ancient Greek religion, and Romaniote Jews

Religiosity in Greece (2017):[1]

  Eastern Orthodoxy (90%)  Other Christians (exc.Catholics) (3%)  Irreligion (4%)  Islam (2%)  Other religions (inc.Catholics) (1%)

The Greek Constitution recognises Eastern Orthodoxy as the 'prevailing' faith of the country, while guaranteeing freedom of religious belief for all.[169][327] The Greek government does not keep statistics on religious groups and censuses do not ask for religious affiliation. According to the U.S. State Department, an estimated 97% of Greek citizens identify themselves as Eastern Orthodox, belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church,[328] which uses the Byzantine rite and the Greek language, the original language of the New Testament. The administration of the Greek territory is shared between the Church of Greece and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In a 2010 Eurostat–Eurobarometer poll, 79% of Greek citizens responded that they "believe there is a God".[329] According to other sources, 15.8% of Greeks describe themselves as "very religious", which is the highest among all European countries. The survey also found that just 3.5% never attend a church, compared to 4.9% in Poland and 59.1% in the Czech Republic.[330]

Meteora, complex of giant rock pillars with Eastern Orthodox monasteries made on the picks of the sandstone cliffs.

Estimates of the recognised Greek Muslim minority, which is mostly located in Thrace, range around 100,000,[328][331] (about 1% of the population). Some of the Albanian immigrants to Greece come from a nominally Muslim background, although most are secular in orientation.[332] Following the 1919–1922 Greco-Turkish War and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, Greece and Turkey agreed to a population transfer based on cultural and religious identity. About 500,000 Muslims from Greece, predominantly those defined as Turks, but also Greek Muslims like the Vallahades of western Macedonia, were exchanged with approximately 1.5 million Greeks from Turkey. However, many refugees who settled in former Ottoman Muslim villages in Central Macedonia, and were defined as Christian Orthodox Caucasus Greeks, arrived from the former Russian Transcaucasus province of Kars Oblast, after it had been retroceded to Turkey prior to the official population exchange.[333]

Judaism has been present in Greece for more than 2,000 years.

The ancient community of Greek Jews is called Romaniotes, while the Sephardi Jews were once a prominent community in the city of Thessaloniki, numbering some 80,000, or more than half of the population, by 1900.[334] However, after the German occupation of Greece and the Holocaust during World War II, it is estimated to number around 5,500 people.[328][331]

The Roman Catholic community is estimated to be around 250,000[328][331] of which 50,000 are Greek citizens.[328] Their community is nominally separate from the smaller Greek Byzantine Catholic Church, which recognises the primacy of the Pope but maintains the liturgy of the Byzantine Rite.[335] Old Calendarists account for 500,000 followers.[331] Protestants, including the Greek Evangelical Church and Free Evangelical Churches, stand at about 30,000.[328][331] Other Christian minorities, such as Assemblies of God, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and various Pentecostal churches of the Greek Synod of Apostolic Church total about 12,000 members.[336] The independent Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost is the biggest Protestant denomination in Greece with 120 churches.[337] There are no official statistics about Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost, but the Orthodox Church estimates the followers as 20,000.[338] The Jehovah's Witnesses report having 28,874 active members.[339]

Since 2017, Hellenic Polytheism, or Hellenism has been legally recognised as an actively practised religion in Greece,[340] with estimates of 2,000 active practitioners and an additional 100,000 "sympathisers".[341][342][343] Hellenism refers to various religious movements that continue, revive, or reconstruct ancient Greek religious practices.

Languages

Main articles: Greek language, Languages of Greece, and Minorities in Greece

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Regions with a traditional presence of languages other than Greek. Today, Greek is the dominant language throughout the country.[344][345][346][347][348][349]

Greece is today relatively homogeneous in linguistic terms, with a large majority of the native population using Greek as their first or only language. Among the Greek-speaking population, speakers of the distinctive Pontic dialect came to Greece from Asia Minor after the Greek genocide and constitute a sizable group. The Cappadocian dialect came to Greece due to the genocide as well, but is endangered and is barely spoken now. Indigenous Greek dialects include the archaic Greek spoken by the Sarakatsani, traditionally transhument mountain shepherds of Greek Macedonia and other parts of Northern Greece. The Tsakonian language, a distinct Greek language deriving from Doric Greek instead of Koine Greek, is still spoken in some villages in the southeastern Peloponnese.

The Muslim minority in Thrace, which amounts to approximately 0.95% of the total population, consists of speakers of Turkish, Bulgarian (Pomaks)[349] and Romani. Romani is also spoken by Christian Roma in other parts of the country. Further minority languages have traditionally been spoken by regional population groups in various parts of the country. Their use has decreased radically in the course of the 20th century through assimilation with the Greek-speaking majority. Today they are only maintained by the older generations and are on the verge of extinction. The same goes for the Arvanites, an Albanian-speaking group mostly located in the rural areas around the capital Athens, and for the Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians, also known as "Vlachs", whose language is closely related to Romanian and who used to live scattered across several areas of mountainous central Greece. Members of these groups usually identify ethnically as Greek[350] and are today all at least bilingual in Greek.

Near the northern Greek borders there are also some Slavic–speaking groups, locally known as Slavomacedonian-speaking, most of whose members identify ethnically as Greeks. It is estimated that after the population exchanges of 1923, Macedonia had 200,000 to 400,000 Slavic speakers.[351] The Jewish community in Greece traditionally spoke Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), today maintained only by a few thousand speakers. Other notable minority languages include Armenian, Georgian, and the Greco-Turkic dialect spoken by the Urums, a community of Caucasus Greeks from the Tsalka region of central Georgia and ethnic Greeks from southeastern Ukraine who arrived in mainly Northern Greece as economic migrants in the 1990s.

Migration

Main articles: Greek diaspora and Immigration to Greece

A map of the fifty countries with the largest Greek diaspora communities

Throughout the 20th century, millions of Greeks migrated to the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany, creating a large Greek diaspora. Net migration started to show positive numbers from the 1970s, but until the beginning of the 1990s, the main influx was that of returning Greek migrants or of Pontic Greeks and others from Russia, Georgia, Turkey the Czech Republic, and elsewhere in the former Soviet Bloc.[352]

A study from the Mediterranean Migration Observatory maintains that the 2001 census recorded 762,191 persons residing in Greece without Greek citizenship, constituting around 7% of the total population. Of the non-citizen residents, 48,560 were EU or European Free Trade Association nationals and 17,426 were Cypriots with privileged status. The majority come from Eastern European countries: Albania (56%), Bulgaria (5%) and Romania (3%), while migrants from the former Soviet Union (Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, etc.) comprise 10% of the total.[353] Some of the immigrants from Albania are from the Greek minority in Albania centred on the region of Northern Epirus. In addition, the total Albanian national population which includes temporary migrants and undocumented persons is around 600,000.[354]

The 2011 census recorded 9,903,268 Greek citizens (91.56%), 480,824 Albanian citizens (4.44%), 75,915 Bulgarian citizens (0.7%), 46,523 Romanian citizenship (0.43%), 34,177 Pakistani citizens (0.32%), 27,400 Georgian citizens (0.25%) and 247,090 people had other or unidentified citizenship (2.3%).[355] 189,000 people of the total population of Albanian citizens were reported in 2008 as ethnic Greeks from Southern Albania, in the historical region of Northern Epirus.[352]

The greatest cluster of non-EU immigrant population are the larger urban centers, especially the Municipality of Athens, with 132,000 immigrants comprising 17% of the local population, and then Thessaloniki, with 27,000 immigrants reaching 7% of the local population. There is also a considerable number of co-ethnics that came from the Greek communities of Albania and the former Soviet Union.[352]

Greece, together with Italy and Spain, is a major entry point for illegal immigrants trying to enter the EU. Illegal immigrants entering Greece mostly do so from the border with Turkey at the Evros River and the islands of the eastern Aegean across from Turkey (mainly Lesbos, Chios, Kos, and Samos). In 2012, the majority of illegal immigrants entering Greece came from Afghanistan, followed by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.[356] In 2015, arrivals of refugees by sea had increased dramatically mainly due to the ongoing Syrian civil war. There were 856,723 arrivals by sea in Greece, an almost fivefold increase to the same period of 2014, of which the Syrians represent almost 45%.[357] The majority of refugees and migrants use Greece as a transit country, while their intended destinations are northern European Nations such as Austria, Germany and Sweden.[358][359]

Education

Main article: Education in Greece

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(Learn how and when to remove this template message)The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy and the highest research establishment in the country.

The Ionian Academy in Corfu, the first academic institution of modern Greece

The new National Library of Greece at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre

Greeks have a long tradition of valuing and investing in paideia (education), which was upheld as one of the highest societal values in the Greek and Hellenistic world. The first European institution described as a university was founded in fifth-century Constantinople and continued operating in various incarnations until the city's fall to the Ottomans in 1453.[360] The University of Constantinople was Christian Europe's first secular institution of higher learning,[361] and by some measures was the world's first university.[360]

Compulsory education in Greece comprises primary schools (Δημοτικό Σχολείο, Dimotikó Scholeio) and gymnasium (Γυμνάσιο). Nursery schools (Παιδικός σταθμός, Paidikós Stathmós) are popular but not compulsory. Kindergartens (Νηπιαγωγείο, Nipiagogeío) are now compulsory for any child above four years of age. Children start primary school aged six and remain there for six years. Attendance at gymnasia starts at age 12 and lasts for three years.

Greece's post-compulsory secondary education consists of two school types: unified upper secondary schools (Γενικό Λύκειο, Genikό Lykeiό) and technical–vocational educational schools (Τεχνικά και Επαγγελματικά Εκπαιδευτήρια, "TEE"). Post-compulsory secondary education also includes vocational training institutes (Ινστιτούτα Επαγγελματικής Κατάρτισης, "IEK") which provide a formal but unclassified level of education. As they can accept both Gymnasio (lower secondary school) and Lykeio (upper secondary school) graduates, these institutes are not classified as offering a particular level of education.

According to the Framework Law (3549/2007), Public higher education "Highest Educational Institutions" (Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα, Anótata Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata, "ΑΕΙ") consists of two parallel sectors:the university sector (Universities, Polytechnics, Fine Arts Schools, the Open University) and the Technological sector (Technological Education Institutions (TEI) and the School of Pedagogic and Technological Education). There are also State Non-University Tertiary Institutes offering vocationally oriented courses of shorter duration (2 to 3 years) which operate under the authority of other Ministries. Students are admitted to these Institutes according to their performance at national level examinations taking place after completion of the third grade of Lykeio. Additionally, students over twenty-two years old may be admitted to the Hellenic Open University through a form of lottery. The Capodistrian University of Athens is the oldest university in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Greek education system also provides special kindergartens, primary, and secondary schools for people with special needs or difficulties in learning. There are also specialist gymnasia and high schools offering musical, theological, and physical education.

Seventy-two percent of Greek adults aged 25–64 have completed upper secondary education, which is slightly less than the OECD average of 74 percent. The average Greek pupil scored 458 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is lower than the OECD average of 486. On average, girls outperformed boys by 15 points, much more than the average OECD gap of two points.[362]

Healthcare system

Main article: Health care in Greece

Greece has universal health care. The system is mixed, combining a national health service with social health insurance (SHI). Per a 2000 World Health Organization report, its health care system ranked 14th in overall performance of 191 countries surveyed.[363] In a 2013 Save the Children report, Greece was ranked the 19th out of 176 countries for the state of mothers and newborn babies.[364] In 2010, there were 138 hospitals with 31,000 beds, but in 2011, the Ministry of Health announced plans to decrease the number to 77 hospitals with 36,035 beds to reduce expenses and further enhance healthcare standards.[365] However, as of 2014, there were 124 public hospitals, of which 106 were general hospitals and 18 specialised hospitals, with a total capacity of about 30,000 beds.[366]

Greece's healthcare expenditures as a percentage of GDP were 9.6% in 2007, just above the OECD average of 9.5%.[367] By 2015, spending declined to 8.4% of GDP (compared with the EU average of 9.5%), a decline of one-fifth since 2010. Nevertheless, the country maintains the highest doctor-to-population ratio of any OECD country[367] and the highest doctor-to-patient ratio in the EU.[368]

Life expectancy in Greece is among the highest in the world; a 2011 OECD report placed it at 80.3 years, above the OECD average of 79.5,[367] while a more recent 2017 study found life expectancy in 2015 to be 81.1 years, slightly above the EU average of 80.6.[368] The island of Icaria has the highest percentage of nonagenarians in the world; approximately 33% of islanders are 90 or older.[369] Icaria is subsequently classified as a "Blue Zone", a region where people allegedly live longer than average and have lower rates of cancer, heart disease, or other chronic illnesses.[370]

The 2011 OECD report showed that Greece had the largest percentage of adult daily smokers of any of the 34 OECD members.[367] The country's obesity rate is 18.1%, which is above the OECD average of 15.1%, but considerably lower than the American rate of 27.7%.[367] In 2008, Greece had the highest rate of perceived good health in the OECD, at 98.5%.[371] Infant mortality, with a rate of 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, was below the 2007 OECD average of 4.9.[367]

Culture

Main articles: Culture of Greece, Greeks, and List of Greeks

The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, still used for theatrical plays

The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Mycenaean Greece and continuing most notably into Classical Greece, through the influence of the Roman Empire and its Greek Eastern continuation, the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire. Other cultures and nations, such as the Latin and Frankish states, the Ottoman Empire, the Venetian Republic, the Genoese Republic, and the British Empire have also left their influence on modern Greek culture, although historians credit the Greek War of Independence with revitalising Greece and giving birth to a single, cohesive entity of its multi-faceted culture.

In ancient times, Greece was the birthplace of Western culture.[372][373] Modern democracies owe a debt to Greek beliefs in government by the people, trial by jury, and equality under the law. The ancient Greeks pioneered in many fields that rely on systematic thought, including logic, biology, geometry, government, geography, medicine, history,[374] philosophy,[375] physics, and mathematics.[376] They introduced such important literary forms as epic and lyrical poetry, history, tragedy, comedy and drama. In their pursuit of order and proportion, the Greeks created an ideal of beauty that strongly influenced Western art.[377]

Visual arts

See also: Greek art, Byzantine art, and Modern Greek art

Close-up of the Charioteer of Delphi, a celebrated statue from the 5th century BC

Artistic production in Greece began in the prehistoric pre-Greek Cycladic and the Minoan civilizations, both of which were influenced by local traditions and the art of ancient Egypt.[378]

There were several interconnected traditions of painting in ancient Greece. Due to their technical differences, they underwent somewhat differentiated developments. Not all painting techniques are equally well represented in the archaeological record. The most respected form of art, according to authors like Pliny or Pausanias, were individual, mobile paintings on wooden boards, technically described as panel paintings. Also, the tradition of wall painting in Greece goes back at least to the Minoan and Mycenaean Bronze Age, with the lavish fresco decoration of sites like Knossos, Tiryns and Mycenae. Much of the figural or architectural sculpture of ancient Greece was painted colourfully. This aspect of Greek stonework is described as polychrome.[379]

Ancient Greek sculpture was composed almost entirely of marble or bronze; with cast bronze becoming the favoured medium for major works by the early 5th century. Both marble and bronze are easy to form and very durable. Chryselephantine sculptures, used for temple cult images and luxury works, used gold, most often in leaf form and ivory for all or parts (faces and hands) of the figure, and probably gems and other materials, but were much less common, and only fragments have survived. By the early 19th century, the systematic excavation of ancient Greek sites had brought forth a plethora of sculptures with traces of notably multicolored surfaces. It was not until published findings by German archaeologist Vinzenz Brinkmann in the late 20th century, that the painting of ancient Greek sculptures became an established fact.[380]

The art production continued also during the Byzantine era. The most salient feature of this new aesthetic was its "abstract", or anti-naturalistic character. If classical art was marked by the attempt to create representations that mimicked reality as closely as possible, Byzantine art seems to have abandoned this attempt in favour of a more symbolic approach. The Byzantine painting concentrated mainly on icons and hagiographies. The Macedonian art (Byzantine) was the artistic expression of Macedonian Renaissance, a label sometimes used to describe the period of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire (867–1056), especially the 10th century, which some scholars have seen as a time of increased interest in classical scholarship and the assimilation of classical motifs into Christian artwork.

Post Byzantine art schools include the Cretan School and Heptanese School. The first artistic movement in the Greek Kingdom can be considered the Greek academic art of the 19th century (Munich School). Notable modern Greek painters include Nikolaos Gyzis, Georgios Jakobides, Theodoros Vryzakis, Nikiforos Lytras, Konstantinos Volanakis, Nikos Engonopoulos and Yannis Tsarouchis, while some notable sculptors are Pavlos Prosalentis, Ioannis Kossos, Leonidas Drosis, Georgios Bonanos and Yannoulis Chalepas.

Architecture

See also: Ancient Greek architecture, Byzantine architecture, and Modern Greek architecture

Towerhouses of Vatheia in Mani peninsula

The architecture of ancient Greece was produced by the ancient Greeks (Hellenes), whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland, the Aegean Islands and their colonies, for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest remaining architectural works dating from around 600 BC. The formal vocabulary of ancient Greek architecture, in particular the division of architectural style into three defined orders: the Doric Order, the Ionic Order and the Corinthian Order, was to have profound effect on Western architecture of later periods.

Byzantine architecture is the architecture promoted by the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, which dominated Greece and the Greek speaking world during the Middle Ages. The empire endured for more than a millennium, dramatically influencing Medieval architecture throughout Europe and the Near East, and becoming the primary progenitor of the Renaissance and Ottoman architectural traditions that followed its collapse.

After the Greek Independence, the modern Greek architects tried to combine traditional Greek and Byzantine elements and motives with the western European movements and styles. Patras was the first city of the modern Greek state to develop a city plan. In January 1829, Stamatis Voulgaris, a Greek engineer of the French army, presented the plan of the new city to the Governor Kapodistrias, who approved it. Voulgaris applied the orthogonal rule in the urban complex of Patras.[381]

Two special genres can be considered the Cycladic architecture, featuring white-coloured houses, in the Cyclades and the Epirotic architecture in the region of Epirus.[382][383] Important is also the influence of the Venetian style in the Ionian islands and the "Mediterranean style" of Florestano Di Fausto (during the years of the fascist regime) in the Dodecanese islands.[384]

After the establishment of the Greek Kingdom, the architecture of Athens and other cities was mostly influenced by the Neoclassical architecture. For Athens, the first King of Greece, Otto of Greece, commissioned the architects Stamatios Kleanthis and Eduard Schaubert to design a modern city plan fit for the capital of a state. As for Thessaloniki, after the fire of 1917, the government ordered for a new city plan under the supervision of Ernest Hébrard. Other modern Greek architects include Anastasios Metaxas, Lysandros Kaftanzoglou, Panagis Kalkos, Ernst Ziller, Xenophon Paionidis, Dimitris Pikionis and Georges Candilis.

There is an emerging need to secure the long-term preservation of the archaeological sites and monuments of Greece against the growing threats of climate change.[385]

Theatre

See also: Theatre of ancient Greece and Modern Greek theatre

Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù, the first theatre and opera house of modern Greece

Theatre in its western form was born in Greece.[386] The city-state of Classical Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was institutionalised as part of a festival called the Dionysia, which honoured the god Dionysus. Tragedy (late 6th century BC), comedy (486 BC), and the satyr play were the three dramatic genres to emerge there.

During the Byzantine period, theatrical art heavily declined. According to Marios Ploritis, the only form that survived was folk theatre (Mimos and Pantomimos), despite the hostility of the state.[387] Later, during the Ottoman period, the main theatrical folk art was the Karagiozis. The renaissance which led to the modern Greek theatre, took place in the Venetian Crete. Significal dramatists include Vitsentzos Kornaros and Georgios Chortatzis.

Modern Greek theatre was born after the Greek War of Independence, in the early 19th century, and initially was influenced by Heptanesean theatre and melodrama, such as the Italian opera. The Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù was the first theatre and opera house of modern Greece and the place where the first Greek opera, Spyridon Xyndas' The Parliamentary Candidate (based on an exclusively Greek libretto) was performed. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the Athenian theatre scene was dominated by revues, musical comedies, operettas and nocturnes and notable playwrights included Spyridon Samaras, Dionysios Lavrangas, Theophrastos Sakellaridis and others.

The National Theatre of Greece was opened in 1900 as Royal Theatre.[388] Notable playwrights of the modern Greek theatre include Gregorios Xenopoulos, Nikos Kazantzakis, Pantelis Horn, Alekos Sakellarios and Iakovos Kambanelis, while notable actors include Cybele Andrianou, Marika Kotopouli, Aimilios Veakis, Orestis Makris, Katina Paxinou, Manos Katrakis and Dimitris Horn. Significant directors include Dimitris Rontiris, Alexis Minotis and Karolos Koun.

Literature

Main articles: Greek literature, Byzantine literature, and Modern Greek literature

Parnassos Literary Society, painted by Georgios Roilos (Kostis Palamas is at the center)

Greek literature can be divided into three main categories: Ancient, Byzantine and modern Greek literature.[389]

Athens is considered the birthplace of Western literature.[390] At the beginning of Greek literature stand the two monumental works of Homer: the Iliad and the Odyssey. Though dates of composition vary, these works were fixed around 800 BC or after. In the classical period many of the genres of western literature became more prominent. Lyrical poetry, odes, pastorals, elegies, epigrams; dramatic presentations of comedy and tragedy; historiography, rhetorical treatises, philosophical dialectics, and philosophical treatises all arose in this period. The two major lyrical poets were Sappho and Pindar. The Classical era also saw the dawn of drama.

Of the hundreds of tragedies written and performed during the classical age, only a limited number of plays by three authors have survived: those of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. The surviving plays by Aristophanes are also a treasure trove of comic presentation, while Herodotus and Thucydides are two of the most influential historians in this period. The greatest prose achievement of the 4th century was in philosophy with the works of the three great philosophers.

Byzantine literature refers to literature of the Byzantine Empire written in Atticizing, Medieval and early Modern Greek, and it is the expression of the intellectual life of the Byzantine Greeks during the Christian Middle Ages. Although popular Byzantine literature and early Modern Greek literature both began in the 11th century, the two are indistinguishable.[391]

Constantine P. Cavafy, whose work was inspired mainly by the Hellenistic past, while Odysseas Elytis (centre) and Giorgos Seferis (right) were representatives of the Generation of the '30s and Nobel laureates in Literature.

Modern Greek literature refers to literature written in common Modern Greek, emerging from late Byzantine times in the 11th century. The Cretan Renaissance poem Erotokritos is considered the masterpiece of this period of Greek literature. It is a verse romance written around 1600 by Vitsentzos Kornaros (1553–1613). Later, during the period of Greek enlightenment (Diafotismos), writers such as Adamantios Korais and Rigas Feraios prepared with their works the Greek Revolution (1821–1830).

Leading figures of modern Greek literature include Dionysios Solomos, Andreas Kalvos, Angelos Sikelianos, Emmanuel Rhoides, Demetrius Vikelas, Kostis Palamas, Penelope Delta, Yannis Ritsos, Alexandros Papadiamantis, Nikos Kazantzakis, Andreas Embeirikos, Kostas Karyotakis, Gregorios Xenopoulos, Constantine P. Cavafy, Nikos Kavvadias, Kostas Varnalis and Kiki Dimoula. Two Greek authors have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature: George Seferis in 1963 and Odysseas Elytis in 1979.

Philosophy

Main articles: Ancient Greek philosophy and Modern Greek Enlightenment

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A statue of Plato in Athens

Most western philosophical traditions began in Ancient Greece in the 6th century BC. The first philosophers are called "Presocratics", which designates that they came before Socrates, whose contributions mark a turning point in western thought. The Presocratics were from the western or the eastern colonies of Greece and only fragments of their original writings survive, in some cases merely a single sentence.

A new period of philosophy started with Socrates. Like the Sophists, he rejected entirely the physical speculations in which his predecessors had indulged, and made the thoughts and opinions of people his starting-point. Aspects of Socrates were first united from Plato, who also combined with them many of the principles established by earlier philosophers, and developed the whole of this material into the unity of a comprehensive system.

Aristotle of Stagira, the most important disciple of Plato, shared with his teacher the title of the greatest philosopher of antiquity. But while Plato had sought to elucidate and explain things from the supra-sensual standpoint of the forms, his pupil preferred to start from the facts given to us by experience. Except from these three most significant Greek philosophers other known schools of Greek philosophy from other founders during ancient times were Stoicism, Epicureanism, Skepticism and Neoplatonism.[392]

Byzantine philosophy refers to the distinctive philosophical ideas of the philosophers and scholars of the Byzantine Empire, especially between the 8th and 15th centuries. It was characterised by a Christian world-view, but one which could draw ideas directly from the Greek texts of Plato, Aristotle, and the Neoplatonists.

On the eve of the Fall of Constantinople, Gemistus Pletho tried to restore the use of the term "Hellene" and advocated the return to the Olympian Gods of the ancient world. After 1453 a number of Greek Byzantine scholars who fled to western Europe contributed to the Renaissance.

In modern period, Diafotismos (Greek: Διαφωτισμός, "enlightenment", "illumination")[393] was the Greek expression of the Age of Enlightenment and its philosophical and political ideas. Some notable representatives were Adamantios Korais, Rigas Feraios and Theophilos Kairis.

Other modern era Greek philosophers or political scientists include Cornelius Castoriadis, Nicos Poulantzas and Christos Yannaras.

Music and dances

Main article: Music of Greece

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Cretan dancers of traditional folk music

Rebetes in Karaiskaki, Piraeus (1933). Left Markos Vamvakaris with bouzouki.

Greek vocal music extends far back into ancient times where mixed-gender choruses performed for entertainment, celebration and spiritual reasons. Instruments during that period included the double-reed aulos and the plucked string instrument, the lyre, especially the special kind called a kithara. Music played an important role in the education system during ancient times. Boys were taught music from the age of six. Later influences from the Roman Empire, Middle East, and the Byzantine Empire also had effect on Greek music.

While the new technique of polyphony was developing in the West, the Eastern Orthodox Church resisted any type of change. Therefore, Byzantine music remained monophonic and without any form of instrumental accompaniment. As a result, and despite certain attempts by certain Greek chanters (such as Manouel Gazis, Ioannis Plousiadinos or the Cypriot Ieronimos o Tragoudistis), Byzantine music was deprived of elements of which in the West encouraged an unimpeded development of art. However, this method which kept music away from polyphony, along with centuries of continuous culture, enabled monophonic music to develop to the greatest heights of perfection. Byzantium presented the monophonic Byzantine chant; a melodic treasury of inestimable value for its rhythmical variety and expressive power.

Along with the Byzantine (Church) chant and music, the Greek people also cultivated the Greek folk song (Demotiko) which is divided into two cycles, the akritic and klephtic. The akritic was created between the 9th and 10th centuries and expressed the life and struggles of the akrites (frontier guards) of the Byzantine empire, the most well known being the stories associated with Digenes Akritas. The klephtic cycle came into being between the late Byzantine period and the start of the Greek War of Independence. The klephtic cycle, together with historical songs, paraloghes (narrative song or ballad), love songs, mantinades, wedding songs, songs of exile and dirges express the life of the Greeks. There is a unity between the Greek people's struggles for freedom, their joys and sorrow and attitudes towards love and death.

Mikis Theodorakis was one of the most popular and significant Greek composers.

The Heptanesean kantádhes (καντάδες 'serenades'; sing.: καντάδα) became the forerunners of the Greek modern urban popular song, influencing its development to a considerable degree. For the first part of the next century, several Greek composers continued to borrow elements from the Heptanesean style. The most successful songs during the period 1870–1930 were the so-called Athenian serenades, and the songs performed on stage (επιθεωρησιακά τραγούδια 'theatrical revue songs') in revues, operettas and nocturnes that were dominating Athens' theater scene.

Rebetiko, initially a music associated with the lower classes, later (and especially after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey) reached greater general acceptance as the rough edges of its overt subcultural character were softened and polished, sometimes to the point of unrecognizability. It was the base of the later laïkó (song of the people). The leading performers of the genre include Vassilis Tsitsanis, Grigoris Bithikotsis, Stelios Kazantzidis, George Dalaras, Haris Alexiou and Glykeria.

Regarding the classical music, it was through the Ionian islands (which were under western rule and influence) that all the major advances of the western European classical music were introduced to mainland Greeks. The region is notable for the birth of the first school of modern Greek classical music (Heptanesean or Ionian School, Greek: Επτανησιακή Σχολή), established in 1815. Prominent representatives of this genre include Nikolaos Mantzaros, Spyridon Xyndas, Spyridon Samaras and Pavlos Carrer. Manolis Kalomiris is considered the founder of the Greek National School of Music.

In the 20th century, Greek composers have had a significant impact on the development of avant garde and modern classical music, with figures such as Iannis Xenakis, Nikos Skalkottas, and Dimitri Mitropoulos achieving international prominence. At the same time, composers and musicians such as Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis, Eleni Karaindrou, Vangelis and Demis Roussos garnered an international following for their music, which include famous film scores such as Zorba the Greek, Serpico, Never on Sunday, America America, Eternity and a Day, Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner, among others. Greek American composers known for their film scores include also Yanni and Basil Poledouris. Notable Greek opera singers and classical musicians of the 20th and 21st century include Maria Callas, Nana Mouskouri, Mario Frangoulis, Leonidas Kavakos, Dimitris Sgouros and others.

During the dictatorship of the Colonels, the music of Mikis Theodorakis was banned by the junta and the composer was jailed, internally exiled, and put in a concentration camp,[394] before finally being allowed to leave Greece due to international reaction to his detention. Released during the junta years, Anthrope Agapa, ti Fotia Stamata (Make Love, Stop the Gunfire), by the pop group Poll is considered the first anti-war protest song in the history of Greek rock.[395] The song was echoing the hippie slogan "make love, not war" and was inspired directly by the Vietnam War, becoming a "smash hit" in Greece.[396]

Greece participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 35 times after its debut at the 1974 Contest. In 2005, Greece won with the song "My Number One", performed by Greek-Swedish singer Elena Paparizou. The song received 230 points with 10 sets of 12 points from Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Albania, Cyprus, Serbia & Montenegro, Sweden and Germany and also became a smash hit in different countries and especially in Greece. The 51st Eurovision Song Contest was held in Athens at the Olympic Indoor Hall of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex in Maroussi, and hosted by Maria Menounos and Sakis Rouvas.

Cuisine

Main articles: Greek cuisine and Greek wine

A Greek salad, with feta and olives

Greek cuisine is characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, which is epitomised by dishes of Crete.[397] Greek cuisine incorporates fresh ingredients into a variety of local dishes such as moussaka, pastitsio, classic Greek salad, fasolada, spanakopita and souvlaki. Some dishes can be traced back to ancient Greece like skordalia (a thick purée of walnuts, almonds, crushed garlic and olive oil), lentil soup, retsina (white or rosé wine sealed with pine resin) and pasteli (candy bar with sesame seeds baked with honey). Throughout Greece people often enjoy eating from small dishes such as meze with various dips such as tzatziki, grilled octopus and small fish, feta cheese, dolmades (rice, currants and pine kernels wrapped in vine leaves), various pulses, olives and cheese. Olive oil is also an incredibly widespread addition.[398]

Some sweet desserts include melomakarona, diples and galaktoboureko, and drinks such as ouzo, metaxa and a variety of wines including retsina. Greek cuisine differs widely from different parts of the mainland and from island to island. It uses some flavorings more often than other Mediterranean cuisines: oregano, mint, garlic, onion, dill and bay laurel leaves. Other common herbs and spices include basil, thyme and fennel seed. Many Greek recipes, especially in the northern parts of the country, use "sweet" spices in combination with meat, for example cinnamon and cloves in stews.[399][398]

Koutoukia are an underground restaurant common in Greece.[400]

Cinema

Main article: Greek cinema

Cinema first appeared in Greece in 1896, but the first actual cine-theatre was opened in 1907 in Athens. In 1914, the Asty Films Company was founded and the production of long films began. Golfo (Γκόλφω), a well known traditional love story, is considered the first Greek feature film, although there were several minor productions such as newscasts before this. In 1931, Orestis Laskos directed Daphnis and Chloe (Δάφνις και Χλόη), containing one of the first nude scene in the history of European cinema;[401] it was also the first Greek movie which was played abroad.[402] In 1944, Katina Paxinou was honoured with the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for For Whom the Bell Tolls.[403]

Theodoros Angelopoulos, winner of the Palme d'Or in 1998, notable director in the history of the European cinema

The 1950s and early 1960s are considered by many to be a "golden age" of Greek cinema.[404] Directors and actors of this era were recognised as important figures in Greece and some gained international acclaim: George Tzavellas, Irene Papas, Melina Mercouri, Michael Cacoyannis, Alekos Sakellarios, Nikos Tsiforos, Iakovos Kambanelis, Katina Paxinou, Nikos Koundouros, Ellie Lambeti and others. More than sixty films per year were made, with the majority having film noir elements. Some notable films include The Drunkard (1950, directed by George Tzavellas), The Counterfeit Coin (1955, by Giorgos Tzavellas), Πικρό Ψωμί (1951, by Grigoris Grigoriou), O Drakos (1956, by Nikos Koundouros), Stella (1955, directed by Cacoyannis and written by Kampanellis), Woe to the Young (1961, by Alekos Sakellarios), Glory Sky (1962, by Takis Kanellopoulos) and The Red Lanterns (1963, by Vasilis Georgiadis)

Cacoyannis also directed Zorba the Greek with Anthony Quinn which received Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film nominations.[405] Finos Film also contributed in this period with movies such as Λατέρνα, Φτώχεια και Φιλότιμο, Madalena, I theia ap' to Chicago, Το ξύλο βγήκε από τον Παράδεισο and many more.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Theo Angelopoulos directed a series of notable and appreciated movies. His film Eternity and a Day won the Palme d'Or and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.[406][407][408]

There are also internationally renowned filmmakers in the Greek diaspora, such as the Greek-French Costa-Gavras and the Greek-Americans Elia Kazan, John Cassavetes and Alexander Payne.

More recently Yorgos Lanthimos (film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter) has received four Academy Award nominations for his work, including Best Foreign Language Film for Dogtooth (2009), Best Original Screenplay for The Lobster (2015), and Best Picture and Best Director for The Favourite (2018).[409]

Sports

Main article: Sports in Greece

Spyridon Louis entering the Panathenaic Stadium at the end of the marathon; 1896 Summer Olympics

Angelos Charisteas scoring Greece's winning goal in the UEFA Euro 2004 Final

Greece is the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games, first recorded in 776 BC in Olympia, and hosted the modern Olympic Games twice, the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics. During the parade of nations, Greece is always called first, as the founding nation of the ancient precursor of modern Olympics. The nation has competed at every Summer Olympic Games, one of only four countries to have done so. Having won a total of 110 medals (30 gold, 42 silver and 38 bronze), Greece is ranked 32nd by gold medals in the all-time Summer Olympic medal count. Their best ever performance was in the 1896 Summer Olympics, when Greece finished second in the medal table with 10 gold medals.

The Greece national football team, ranking 12th in the world in 2014 (and having reached a high of 8th in the world in 2008 and 2011),[410] were crowned European Champions in Euro 2004 in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.[411] The Greek Super League is the highest professional football league in the country, comprising fourteen teams. The most successful are Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, and AEK Athens.

The Greek national basketball team has a decades-long tradition of excellence in the sport, being considered among the world's top basketball powers. As of 2012[update], it ranked 4th in the world and 2nd in Europe.[412] They have won the European Championship twice in 1987 and 2005,[413] and have reached the final four in two of the last four FIBA World Championships, taking the second place in the world in 2006 FIBA World Championship, after a 101–95 win against Team US in the tournament's semi-final. The domestic top basketball league, A1 Ethniki, is composed of fourteen teams. The most successful Greek teams are Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Aris Thessaloniki, AEK Athens and P.A.O.K. Greek basketball teams are the most successful in European basketball the last 25 years, having won 9 Euroleagues since the establishment of the modern era Euroleague Final Four format in 1988, while no other nation has won more than 4 Euroleague championships in this period. Besides the 9 Euroleagues, Greek basketball teams (Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Aris Thessaloniki, AEK Athens, P.A.O.K, Maroussi) have won 3 Triple Crowns, 5 Saporta Cups, 2 Korać Cups and 1 FIBA Europe Champions Cup. After the 2005 European Championship triumph of the Greek national basketball team, Greece became the reigning European Champion in both football and basketball.

The Greek national basketball team in 2008. Twice European champions (1987 and 2005) and second in the world in 2006.

The Greece women's national water polo team have emerged as one of the leading powers in the world, becoming World Champions after their gold medal win against the hosts China at the 2011 World Championship. They also won the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the gold medal at the 2005 World League and the silver medals at the 2010 and 2012 European Championships. The Greece men's national water polo team became the third best water polo team in the world in 2005, after their win against Croatia in the bronze medal game at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Canada. The domestic top water polo leagues, Greek Men's Water Polo League and Greek Women's Water Polo League are considered amongst the top national leagues in European water polo, as its clubs have made significant success in European competitions. In men's European competitions, Olympiacos has won the Champions League,[414] the European Super Cup and the Triple Crown in 2002[415] becoming the first club in water polo history to win every title in which it has competed within a single year (National championship, National cup, Champions League and European Super Cup),[416] while NC Vouliagmeni has won the LEN Cup Winners' Cup in 1997. In women's European competitions, Greek water polo teams (NC Vouliagmeni, Glyfada NSC, Olympiacos, Ethnikos Piraeus) are amongst the most successful in European water polο, having won 4 LEN Champions Cups, 3 LEN Trophies and 2 European Supercups.

The Greek men's national volleyball team has won two bronze medals, one in the European Volleyball Championship and another one in the Men's European Volleyball League, a 5th place in the Olympic Games and a 6th place in the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship. The Greek league, the A1 Ethniki, is considered one of the top volleyball leagues in Europe and the Greek clubs have had significant success in European competitions. Olympiacos is the most successful volleyball club in the country having won the most domestic titles and being the only Greek club to have won European titles; they have won two CEV Cups, they have been CEV Champions League runners-up twice and they have played in 12 Final Fours in the European competitions, making them one of the most traditional volleyball clubs in Europe. Iraklis have also seen significant success in European competitions, having been three times runners-up of the CEV Champions League.

In handball, AC Diomidis Argous is the only Greek club to have won a European Cup.

Apart from these, cricket is relatively popular in Corfu.

Mythology

Main article: Greek mythology

The numerous gods of the ancient Greek religion as well as the mythical heroes and events of the ancient Greek epics (The Odyssey and The Iliad) and other pieces of art and literature from the time make up what is nowadays colloquially referred to as Greek mythology. Apart from serving a religious function, the mythology of the ancient Greek world also served a cosmological role as it was meant to try to explain how the world was formed and operated.

The principal gods of the ancient Greek religion were the Dodekatheon, or the Twelve Gods, who lived on the top of Mount Olympus. The most important of all ancient Greek gods was Zeus, the king of the gods, who was married to his sister, Hera. The other Greek gods that made up the Twelve Olympians were Ares, Poseidon, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Hermes. Despite her humble status within the hierarchy of the Olympians, Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and sacred flame, was likely the most prayed to of all gods. It is believed that essentially all home offering ceremonies and most public festival offerings began and ended with an invocation and offering to Hestia. Apart from these 13 gods, the Greek pantheon was filled with dozens of other gods, demigods, and mortal and immortal beings which varied by local and over the evolution of Greek culture. A variety of other mystical beliefs and nature spirits such as nymphs and other magical creatures were foundational to the ancient Greek understanding of the world around them.[citation needed]

Public holidays and festivals

Main article: Public holidays in Greece

Procession in honor of the Assumption of Virgin Mary (15 August)

According to Greek law, every Sunday of the year is a public holiday. Since the late '70s, Saturday also is a non-school and not working day. In addition, there are four mandatory official public holidays: 25 March (Greek Independence Day), Easter Monday, 15 August (Assumption or Dormition of the Holy Virgin), and 25 December (Christmas). 1 May (Labour Day) and 28 October (Ohi Day) are regulated by law as being optional but it is customary for employees to be given the day off. There are, however, more public holidays celebrated in Greece than are announced by the Ministry of Labour each year as either obligatory or optional. The list of these non-fixed national holidays rarely changes and has not changed in recent decades, giving a total of eleven national holidays each year.

In addition to the national holidays, there are public holidays that are not celebrated nationwide, but only by a specific professional group or a local community. For example, many municipalities have a "Patron Saint" parallel to "Name Days", or a "Liberation Day".[417] On such days it is customary for schools to take the day off.

Notable festivals, beyond the religious fests, include Patras Carnival, Athens Festival and various local wine festivals. The city of Thessaloniki is also home of a number of festivals and events. The Thessaloniki International Film Festival is one of the most important film festivals in Southern Europe.[418]

See also

Greece portalAncient Greece portal

Outline of Greece

Outline of ancient Greece

Index of Greece-related articles

Notes

^ Greek: Ελλάδα, romanized: Elláda, [eˈlaða] or Ελλάς, romanized: Ellás, [eˈlas]

^ Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, romanized: Ellinikí Dimokratía, [eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a]

^ As of 2024.

^ On 14 August 1974 Greek forces withdrew from the integrated military structure of NATO in protest at the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus; Greece rejoined NATO in 1980.

^ See:[152][153][154][155][156]

^ For a diachronic analysis of the Greek party system,[175] who distinguishes three distinct types of party system which developed in consecutive order, namely, a predominant-party system (from 1952 to 1963), a system of polarised pluralism (between 1963 and 1981), and a two-party system (since 1981).

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^ John Van Antwerp Fine (1983). The Ancient Greeks: A Critical History. Harvard University Press. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-674-03314-6. This Hellenic League – the first union of Greek states since the mythical times of the Trojan War – was the instrument through which the Greeks organised their successful resistance to Persia.

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^ Richard M. Rothaus (2000). Corinth, the First City of Greece: An Urban History of Late Antique Cult and Religion. BRILL. p. 10. ISBN 978-90-04-10922-3.

^ Geanakoplos, Deno John (1984). Byzantium: Church, Society, and Civilization Seen Through Contemporary Eyes. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226284606.

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^ a b Vasiliev, Alexander A. (1964). History of the Byzantine Empire, 324–1453. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 582. ISBN 978-0299809256.

^ Moles, Ian (1969). "Nationalism and Byzantine Greece". Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies: 102. Greek nationalism, in other words, was articulated as the boundaries of Byzantium shrank... the Palaeologian restoration that the two words are brought into definite and cognate relationship with 'nation' (Έθνος).

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Main article: Bibliography of Greece

"Minorities in Greece – Historical Issues and New Perspectives". History and Culture of South Eastern Europe. An Annual Journal. München (Slavica) 2003.

The Constitution of Greece (PDF). Paparrigopoulos, Xenophon; Vassilouni, Stavroula (translators). Athens: Hellenic Parliament. 2008. ISBN 978-960-560-073-0. Retrieved 21 March 2011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

Clogg, Richard (1992). A Concise History of Greece (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 10–37. ISBN 978-0-521-37228-2. Retrieved 23 March 2016., 257 pp.

Clogg, Richard (2002) [1992]. A Concise History of Greece (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-00479-4..

Dagtoglou, PD (1991). "Protection of Individual Rights". Constitutional Law – Individual Rights (in Greek). Vol. I. Athens-Komotini: Ant. N. Sakkoulas.

Fine, John Van Antwerp (1991). The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-08149-3. Retrieved 23 March 2016., 376 pp.

Gehrke, Hans-Joachim (1995). Geschichte des Hellenismus. Oldenbourg Grundriss der Geschichte (in German). München: Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag.

Hatzopoulos, Marios (2009). "From resurrection to insurrection: 'sacred' myths, motifs, and symbols in the Greek War of Independence". In Beaton, Roderick; Ricks, David (eds.). The making of Modern Greece: Nationalism, Romanticism, and the Uses of the Past (1797–1896). Ashgate. pp. 81–93.

Kalaitzidis, Akis (2010). Europe's Greece: A Giant in the Making. Palgrave Macmillan., 219 pp. The impact of European Union membership on Greek politics, economics, and society.

Koliopoulos, John S.; Veremis, Thanos M. (2002). Greece: The Modern Sequel. From 1831 to the Present. London: Hurst & Co.

Kostopoulos, Tasos (2011). "La guerre civile macédonienne de 1903–1908 et ses représentations dans l'historiographie nationale grecque". Cahiers Balkaniques. 38–39: 213–226. doi:10.4000/ceb.835.

Kremmydas, Vassilis (1977). Η οικονομική κρίση στον ελλαδικό χώρο στις αρχές του 19ου αιώνα και οι επιπτώσεις της στην Επανάσταση του 1821 [The economic crisis in Greek lands in the beginning of 19th century and its effects on the Revolution of 1821]. Μνήμων (in Greek). 6: 16–33. doi:10.12681/mnimon.171.

Kremmydas, Vassilis (2002). Προεπαναστατικές πραγματικότητες. Η οικονομική κρίση και η πορεία προς το Εικοσιένα [Pre-revolutionary realities. The economic crisis and the course to '21]. Μνήμων (in Greek). 24 (2): 71–84. doi:10.12681/mnimon.735.

Livanios, Dimitris (1999). "Conquering the souls: nationalism and Greek guerrilla warfare in Ottoman Macedonia, 1904-1908". Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies. 23: 195–221. doi:10.1179/byz.1999.23.1.195. S2CID 162410083.

Mavrias, Kostas G (2002). Constitutional Law (in Greek). Athens: Ant. N. Sakkoulas. ISBN 978-960-15-0663-0.

Mazower, Mark (1992). "The Messiah and the Bourgeoisie: Venizelos and Politics in Greece, 1909- 1912". The Historical Journal. 35 (4): 885–904. doi:10.1017/S0018246X00026200. S2CID 154495315.

Pappas, Takis (April 2003). "The Transformation of the Greek Party System Since 1951". West European Politics. 26 (2): 90–114. doi:10.1080/01402380512331341121. S2CID 153514846.

Story, Louise; Thomas, Landon Jr; Schwartz, Nelson D (14 February 2010). "Wall St. Helped to Mask Debt Fueling Europe's Crisis". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 March 2013..

Trudgill, P (2000). "Greece and European Turkey: From Religious to Linguistic Identity". In Barbour, S; Carmichael, C (eds.). Language and Nationalism in Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press..

Venizelos, Evangelos (2002). "The Contribution of the Revision of 2001". The "Acquis" of the Constitutional Revision (in Greek). Athens: Ant. N. Sakkoulas. ISBN 978-960-15-0617-3.

Walbank, F. W. (1993). The Hellenistic World (Revised ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

"PDF pager" Ἑλλάς - Ἑλληνισμὸς [Greece – Hellenism], Μεγάλη Ἐλληνικὴ Ἐγκυκλοπαιδεῖα (in Greek), Athens: Pyrsos Co. Ltd., vol. 10, 1934

External links

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vteGreece topics

Basic topics

Alphabetical index of topics

HistoryPrehistory (pre-1100 BC)

Neolithic Age

Bronze Age

Pelasgians

Cycladic civilization

Minoan civilization

Helladic period

Mycenaean period

Bronze Age collapse

Antiquity (1100 BC-330 AD)

Greek Dark Ages

Iron Age migrations

Archaic period

Greco-Persian Wars

Classical period

Delian and Peloponnesian League

Peloponnesian War

League of Corinth

Wars of Alexander the Great

Hellenistic period

Wars of the Diadochi

Roman–Greek wars

Roman era

Foundation of Constantinople

Middle Ages (330–1453)

Byzantine period

Persecution of paganism

Migration period

Plague of Justinian

Arab–Byzantine wars

Iconoclasm

Macedonian Renaissance

East–West Schism

Fourth Crusade

Frankokratia

Empire of Nicaea, Despotate of Epirus and Despotate of the Morea

Fall of Constantinople

Early modernand Modern era (post-1453)

Stato da Màr (Venetian Ionian islands, Kingdom of Candia)

Ottoman Greece

Modern Greek Enlightenment

Septinsular Republic

War of Independence

First Republic

Kingdom

Balkan Wars

World War I

National Schism

Greco-Turkish War

Second Republic

4th of August Regime

World War II

Civil war

Military junta

Democratization

Third Republic

By topic

Ancient regions and tribes

Byzantine and Ottoman Greeks

Christianization

Colonization

Coups d'état

Demographic (Modern)

Economic

Geographical name changes

Greek countries and regions

Greek Muslims

Renaissance scholars

Hellenic languages and Proto-Greek

Inventions and discoveries

Language question

Military

Monarchy (Kings and royal family)

Phanariotes

Polis

Population exchange of 1923

GeographyOverview

Borders

Cities (capital and co-capital)

Extreme points

Place names

Regions

Central Greece (Aetolia-Acarnania (Aetolia, Acarnania), Attica, Boeotia, Euboea, Evrytania, Phocis, Phthiotis, Saronic Islands)

Crete (Chania, Heraklion, Rethymno, Lasithi)

Cyclades (Andros, Delos, Kea, Kythnos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Syros, Tinos)

Dodecanese (Agathonisi, Astypalaia, Chalki, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kasos, Kos, Leipsoi, Leros, Nisyros, Patmos, Rhodes, Symi, Tilos, Kastellorizo)

Epirus (Arta, Ioannina, Preveza, Thesprotia)

Ionian Islands (Corfu, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Kythira, Lefkada, Paxi, Zakynthos)

Macedonia (Chalkidiki, Drama, Florina, Grevena, Imathia, Kastoria, Kavala, Kilkis, Kozani, Pella, Pieria, Serres, Thasos, Thessaloniki)

North Aegean islands (Chios, Ikaria, Lemnos, Lesbos, Samos)

Peloponnese (Arcadia, Argolis, Corinthia, Laconia, Messenia, Achaea, Elis)

Thessaly (Karditsa, Larissa, Magnesia, Trikala, Sporades)

Thrace (Evros, Rhodope, Xanthi)

Terrain

Canyons and gorges

Caves

Geology

Islands (Aegean, Ionian, Crete)

Mountains (Olympus, Pindus, Rhodopes)

Peninsulas

Plains

Volcanoes

Water

Coasts

Lakes

Rivers

Mediterranean Sea

Aegean Sea (Sea of Crete, Icarian Sea, Myrtoan Sea, Thracian Sea)

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Libyan Sea

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Climate

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Environmental issues

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National Parks

Protected areas

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Constitutional amendments (1986, 2001, 2008, 2019)

Constitutions (1822, 1827, 1844, 1864, 1911)

Supreme Special Court

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Government (Government Gazette)

President (Presidential Mansion)

Prime Minister (Maximos Mansion)

Legislature

Conference of Presidents

Hellenic Parliament (Speaker)

Parliamentary Committees

Presidium

Elections

Nationality law

Parataxis

Parliamentary constituencies

Pasokification

Political parties

Judicial system

Council of State

Court of Audit

Supreme Court

Security

Police

Capital punishment

Corruption

Crime (Greek mafia)

Life imprisonment

Terrorism

Coast Guard

Foreign relations

Aegean dispute

Cyprus dispute

Council of Europe

European Union

Macedonia naming dispute (Language naming dispute)

NATO

Passport

Treaties

United Nations

Military

Air Force

Alliances

Army

Conscription

Military ranks

Navy

Evzones (Presidential Guard)

National Guard

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Social issues

Abortion

Cannabis

Education (universities)

Healthcare (hospitals, obesity, smoking)

Human rights

Human rights abuses

LGBT rights

Prostitution

Political scandals

Racism

Ideologies

Conservatism (Monarchism)

Fascism (Metaxism)

Liberalism (Republicanism, Venizelism)

Nationalism (Hellenocentrism, Megali Idea, Enosis)

New Social Movements (Environmentalism, Feminism, Pacifism)

Socialism (Laocracy, Trotskyism)

Anarchism

Administrative divisions

Municipalities and communities

Administrative regions

Regional units

Decentralized administrations

Economy

Agriculture

Airports

Athens Stock Exchange (companies)

Banking (Central bank)

Central bank

Brands

Companies (electric power)

Debt crisis (Grexit)

Drachma

Energy (renewable, nuclear)

Euro coins

Greece and the International Monetary Fund

Greek economic miracle

Highways

Laiki agora

Ports

Public pensions

Railways (history)

Rankings

Science and technology

Shipping (Merchant Marine)

Space Agency

Subdivisions by GDP

Taxation

Telecommunications

Thessaloniki International Fair

Tourism

Trade unions

Transportation (Rio–Antirrio bridge, Athens Metro, Thessaloniki Metro)

Water supply and sanitation

SocietyDemographics

Diaspora

Greeks (names of Greece and the Greeks)

Immigration

Minorities (Muslim minority, Jews, Arvanites, Aromanians (Aromanian question), Megleno-Romanians, Slavophones, Roma)

Women

Culture

Anastenaria

Caryatid

Clean Monday

Concept of kingship

Dress (Chiton, Chlamys, Exomis, Fustanella, Himation, Mariner's cap, Peplos, Perizoma, Tsarouchi, Vraka)

Eastern Party

Festivals

Folklore

Greek East and Latin West

Greektown

Hellenization

Hospitality

Carols (Christmas, New Year's, Theophany's)

Mangas

Mountza

Naming customs

Paideia

Philhellenism and Hellenophobia

Plate smashing

Philosophy

Public holidays (Independence Day, Ohi Day)

Rouketopolemos

Souliotic songs

Theophany

Tsiknopempti

Units of measurement

Worry beads

Art

Architecture (Castles)

Cretan and Heptanese School

Modern art (19th century)

Theatre (Ancient)

Religious art

Cuisine

Breads (Daktyla, Kritsini, Lagana, Paximadi, Tsoureki)

Desserts (Diples, Halva, Koulourakia, Kourabiedes, Loukoumades, Melomakarona, Pasteli, Spoon sweets, Vasilopita)

List of dishes

Drinks (Mastika, Metaxa, Ouzo, Rakomelo, Sideritis, Tentura, Tsipouro, Tsikoudia, Frappé coffee)

Cheeses (Anthotyros, Feta, Graviera, Kasseri, Kefalotyri, Ladotyri, Manouri, Metsovone, Mizithra)

Filo (Amygdalopita, Bougatsa, Galaktoboureko, Karydopita, Spanakopita, Tiropita)

Greek salad (Dakos)

Meze

Pasta (Gogges, Flomaria, Hilopites)

Restaurants (Kafenio, Ouzeri, Taverna)

Sauces (Skordalia, Taramosalata, Tirokafteri, Tzatziki)

Souvlaki

Varieties (Heptanesean, Cretan, Epirote, Macedonian)

Wine (Agiorgitiko, Aidini, Assyrtiko, Athiri, Kotsifali, Lesbian, Limnio, Mavrodafni, Mandilaria, Malagousia, Malvasia, Moschofilero, Retsina, Robola, Savatiano, Vilana, Xinomavro)

Languages

Greek alphabet (History, Orthography, Diacritics, Braille, Cyrillization, Romanization (Greeklish) and numerals

Greek language (Demotic, Katharevousa) and dialects (Cappadocian, Cretan, Cypriot, Greco-Australian, Maniot, Pontic, Tsakonian, Yevanic)

Greek Sign Language

History (Mycenaean Greek, Ancient Greek, Koine Greek, Medieval Greek, Modern Greek)

Literature (Ancient, Medieval, Modern)

Minority Languages (Albanian language (Arvanitika), Aromanian, Balkan Romani, Bulgarian, Ladino, Macedonian, Turkish)

Place names and exonyms

Proverbs

Words for love

Media

Cinema

Internet

Newspapers

Television

Media freedom

Corruption

Music

Church music

Dances (Ai Georgis, Angaliastos, Antikristos, Ballos, Dionysiakos, Fisounis, Gaitanaki, Geranos, Hasapiko, Ikariotikos, Kalamatianos, Kangeli, Kastorianos, Kerkiraikos, Kleistos, Koftos, Pidikhtos, Leventikos, Maniatikos, Metsovitikos, Ntames, Palamakia, Partalos, Pentozali, Proskinitos, Pyrrhichios, Rougatsiarikos, Sirtaki, Sousta, Syrtos, Trata, Tsakonikos, Tsamikos, Zeibekiko, Zervos)

Éntekhno

Folk music (Cretan, Epirote, Heptanesian, Macedonian, Nisiotika, Peloponnesian, Pontic, Thessalian, Thracian)

Hip Hop

Ionian School

Laïko (Skyladiko)

Musical instruments (Askomandoura, Aulos, Bouzouki, Byzantine lyra (Cretan, Macedonian, Politiki, Pontic), Crotala, Floghera, Gaida, Harp, Laouto, Lyre, Organo, Pan flute, Phorminx, Psaltery, Salpinx, Santouri, Souravli, Tambouras, Tambourine, Trigono, Tsampouna, Tympano, Zilia)

Rebetiko

Rock (Punk)

Religion and lore

Ancient religion (Origins, Modern Revival)

Aerico

Buddhism

Catholicism

Drosoulites

Eastern Orthodox Church (Timeline: Antiquity, Early Middle Ages, Late Middle Ages, Early Modern Era, 19th century, Early 20th century, Late 20th century, Contemporary)

Fairy tales

Gello

Greek Orthodox Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Church of Greece, Flag)

Greek Old Calendarists

Hinduism

Hypertimos

Islam

Judaism (History)

Kallikantzaros

Lamia

Mormo

Mount Athos

Mythology (Primordial deities, Titans, Twelve Olympians, Heracles, Odysseus, Jason, Oedipus, Perseus, Daedalus, Orpheus, Theseus, Bellerephon, Satyr, Centaur)

Nymph

Protestantism

Psychai

Sikhism

Thymiaterion

Name days

Vrykolakas

Wayside shrine

Sport

Ancient Olympics

Baseball

Basketball

Cricket

Football

Hockey

Ice hockey

Modern Olympics (1896, 1906, 2004)

Rugby league

Symbols

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Coat of arms

Flag and national colours

Flags

Motto

Orders and decorations

World Heritage Sites

Category

Portal

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Greece

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Greece

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Introduction & Quick FactsLandReliefCentral Greece: the Píndos MountainsNortheastern Greece: Makedonía and ThrákiEastern Greece: Thessalía and AttikíSouthern Greece: the PelopónnisosWestern Greece: Ípeiros and AkarnaníaThe islands of GreeceDrainageSoilsClimatePlant and animal lifePeopleEthnic groupsLanguagesReligionSettlement patternsDemographic trendsEconomyAgriculture, forestry, and fishingResources and powerManufacturingFinanceTradeServicesLabour and taxationTransportation and telecommunicationsGovernment and societyConstitutional frameworkLocal governmentJusticePolitical processSecurityHealth and welfareHousingEducationCultural lifeCultural milieuDaily life and social customsThe artsCultural institutionsSports and recreationMedia and publishingHistoryGreece during the Byzantine period (c. 300 ce–c. 1453)Late Roman administrationThe evolution of Byzantine institutionsByzantine recoveryEconomy and societyResults of the Fourth CrusadeDespotate of EpirusThessaly and surrounding regionsAthens, Thebes, and CorinthThe PeloponneseSerbian and Ottoman advancesThe islandsEconomic and social developmentsCultural continuityThe SlavsThe AlbaniansThe Aromani (Aromanians)Emerging Greek identityGreece under Ottoman ruleThe millet systemDisadvantages for non-MuslimsResistance to Ottoman ruleBelief in divine interventionThe role of the Orthodox churchTransformation toward emancipationSigns of Ottoman declineThe PhanariotesThe mercantile middle classThe intellectual revivalFrom insurgence to independenceRigas VelestinlisWestern encroachmentsPhilikí EtaireíaRevolt in the PeloponneseFactionalism in the emerging stateBuilding the nation, 1832–1913Greece under Otto of WittelsbachThe Great IdeaReform, expansion, and defeatPolitical modernizationExtension of Greek bordersRectification of frontiersEmigrationThe early Venizélos yearsThe Goudi coupVenizélos’s reformist programThe Balkan WarsGreek history since World War IFrom the National Schism to dictatorshipThe Metaxas regime and World War IICivil war and its legacyRestoration of democracyGreece’s debt crisis

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Also known as: Ellás, Ellinikí Dhimokratía, Hellenic Republic

Written by

Catherine Delano Smith

Research Fellow, Institute of Historical Research, University of London. Author of Western Mediterranean Europe: A Historical Geography of Italy, Spain and Southern France Since the Neolithic and...

Catherine Delano Smith,

John Frederick Haldon

Professor of Byzantine History, Princeton University. Author of Byzantium in the Seventh Century.

John Frederick Haldon,

Richard Ralph Mowbray Clogg

Associate Fellow, St. Antony's College, University of Oxford. Professor of Modern Balkan History, University of London. Author of A Concise History of Greece and others.

Richard Ralph Mowbray CloggSee All

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Academy of AthensGreeceGreece, the southernmost of the countries of the Balkan Peninsula. Geography has greatly influenced the country’s development. Mountains historically restricted internal communications, but the sea opened up wider horizons. The total land area of Greece (one-fifth of which is made up of the Greek islands) is comparable in size to England or the U.S. state of Alabama.GreeceExploring Athens: A fusion of history and modernityOverview of Athens.(more)See all videos for this articleGreece has more than 2,000 islands, of which about 170 are inhabited; some of the easternmost Aegean islands lie just a few miles off the Turkish coast. The country’s capital is Athens, which expanded rapidly in the second half of the 20th century. Attikí (ancient Greek: Attica), the area around the capital, is now home to about one-third of the country’s entire population.A Greek legend has it that God distributed soil through a sieve and used the stones that remained to build Greece. The country’s barren landscape historically caused the people to migrate. The Greeks, like the Jews and the Armenians, traditionally have been a people of diaspora, and several million people of Greek descent live in various parts of the world. Xeniteia, or sojourning in foreign lands, with its strong overtones of nostalgia for the faraway homeland, has been a central element in the historical experience of the Greek people.Greece is a country that is at once European, Balkan, Mediterranean, and Near Eastern. It lies at the juncture of Europe, Asia, and Africa and is heir to the heritages of Classical Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and nearly four centuries of Ottoman Turkish rule.

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Land Physical features of Greececoastal islands, Aegean Sea, GreeceCoastal islands and bays of the Aegean Sea, Greece.(more)Greece is bordered to the east by the Aegean Sea, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the west by the Ionian Sea. Only to the north and northeast does it have land borders (totaling some 735 miles [1,180 km]), with, from west to east, Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia (see Researcher’s Note: Macedonia: the provenance of the name), Bulgaria, and Turkey. The Greek landscape is conspicuous not only for its rugged beauty but also for its complexity and variety. Three elements dominate: the sea, the mountains, and the lowland. The Greek mainland is sharply indented; arms and inlets of the sea penetrate so deeply that only a small, wedge-shaped portion of the interior is more than 50 miles (80 km) from the coast. The rocky headlands and peninsulas extend outward to the sea where there are many island arcs and archipelagoes. The southernmost part of mainland Greece, the Pelopónnisos (ancient Greek: Peloponnese) peninsula, connects to the mainland only by the narrow isthmus at the head of the Gulf of Korinthiakós (Corinth). Greece’s mountainous terrain covers some four-fifths of the country, much of which is deeply dissected. A series of mainland mountain chains running northwest-southeast enclose narrow parallel valleys and numerous small basins that once held lakes. With riverine plains and thin, discontinuous strips of coastal plain, these interior valleys and basins constitute the lowland. Although it accounts for only about one-fifth of the country’s land area, the lowland has played an important role in the life of the country. Relief Thíra, GreeceThíra (Thera), Greece.(more)Three characteristics of geology and structure underlie these landscape elements. First, northeastern Greece is occupied by a stable block of ancient (Hercynian) hard rock. Second, younger and weaker rocks, the majority of which are of limestone origin, make up western and southern Greece. These were heavily folded during the Alp-building phase of the Paleogene and Neogene periods (about 66 to 2.6 million years ago), when Earth movements thrust the softer sediments east-northeast against the unyielding Hercynian block and produced a series of roughly parallel tectonic zones that gave rise to the mountain-and-valley relief. Third, both the Hercynian block and the Hellenidic (Alpine) ranges were subsequently raised and fractured by tectonic movements. These dislocations created the sunken basins of the Ionian and Aegean seas as well as the jagged edges so typical of Greece’s landscape. Earthquakes are frequent reminders that similar earth movements continue, particularly along the major fault lines. One result of the region’s geologic instability is the widespread presence of marble, which is limestone that has been altered by pressure and heat. Seismic disturbances are sometimes associated with volcanic explosions, especially those involving the island of Thíra (ancient Greek: Thera; also called Santoríni), which was virtually destroyed by a major eruption in the 2nd millennium bce. The vents of the Kaméni islands in the sea-filled explosion crater of Thíra remain active. The island of Mílos (Melos), which rises to 2,465 feet (751 metres) above sea level, is composed of young volcanic rocks.

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Relief and geology provide the basis for describing the Greek landscape in terms of six major regions: central, northeastern, eastern, southern, and western mainland Greece, along with the islands. Central Greece: the Píndos Mountains Pindus Mountains Píndos (Pindus) Mountains, Greece.(more)The central mountain range, the Píndos (ancient Greek: Pindus) Mountains, forms the core of mainland Greece. Following the general northwest-southeast trend of the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula, the Píndos sweep down from the Albanian and North Macedonian frontiers, creating a powerful barrier. The two passes of Métsovon and Mount Timfristós divide the range into three units: a fairly open segment in the north where impervious shales and sandstones have weathered and formed into extensive upland valleys and gently inclining hills; the Píndos proper in the centre, some 20 miles (32 km) wide and predominantly limestone; and an almost uncrossable zone in the south, about 50 miles (80 km) wide, deeply cut by winding rivers and composed of a mixture of limestone, slates, and sandstones. The range’s highest point, Mount Smólikas, 8,652 feet (2,637 metres) high, is found in the north.

Northeastern Greece: Makedonía and Thráki Several topographic regions surround the main mountainous core and are often penetrated by extensions of it. The northernmost part, roughly the regions of Greek Makedonía (Macedonia) and Thráki (Thrace), extends in a long, narrow, east-west band between the Aegean coast and the frontier with the countries of North Macedonia and Bulgaria. It consists of forest-clad, crystalline mountain massifs and plateaus created by the fracturing of the Hercynian block and separated from each other by the alluvial deposits of the five great rivers of northern Greece: the Maritsa (Évros), Néstos, Strymónas (Struma), Vardaráis (Vardar; Axiós;), and Aliákmonos (Aliákmon). The fracturing of the Hercynian also accounts for the odd three-pronged shape of the Chalkidikí (Chalcidice) Peninsula, on whose easternmost prong is located Mount Athos (Holy Mountain), which is the famous site of Greek Orthodox monastic communities. Along and beyond the Bulgarian border rise the Rodópi (Rhodope) Mountains, mainly composed of sharp-edged and sloping plateaus, reaching 7,260 feet (2,213 metres) at Mount Órvilos. The Maritsa River, in its low-lying, marshy valley, marks the Turkish border. From there to the lower Strymónas River extends a succession of plains, some of which are often swampy, such as the deltaic plain of the lower Néstos, and others have been turned into fertile agricultural land, as is the case in the former Lake Akhinós. Inland there are basins of structural origin, such as the Plain of Drámas (Drama). Lakes Koróneia (Korónia) and Vólvi, which separate the Chalkidikí Peninsula from the rest of the coastal region, also occupy structural depressions. Farther west, the large plain drained by the Vardaráis and lower Aliákmonos rivers is being continually extended as the river deltas push out into the Gulf of Thermaïkós (Thérmai). The forested Vérmion (Vérmio) Mountains and, beyond them, the barren inland basins around Lakes Vegorítida (Vegorrítis) and Kardítsa mark the boundary with the Píndos Mountains.

Greece 2024: All You Need to Know Before You Go - Tripadvisor

ce 2024: All You Need to Know Before You Go - TripadvisorSkip to main contentDiscoverTripsReviewUSDSign inExplore GreeceHotelsThings to DoVacation RentalsRestaurantsTravel ForumsHire a Trip DesignerFlightsCruisesRental CarsAdd a PlaceMoreSee all photosEuropeGreeceGreeceGreece TourismGreece HotelsGreece Bed and BreakfastGreece Vacation RentalsFlights to GreeceGreece RestaurantsThings to Do in GreeceGreece Travel ForumGreece PhotosGreece MapHotelsAll Greece HotelsGreece Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in GreeceBy Hotel TypeGreece MotelsGreece HostelsGreece CampgroundsGreece Luxury HotelsGreece Spa ResortsGreece CasinosGreece Green HotelsGreece Beach HotelsGreece Ski-In / Ski-Out HotelsGreece Family HotelsRomantic Hotels in GreeceGreece ResortsGreece Business HotelsBy Hotel Class5-Star Hotels in Greece3-Star Hotels in Greece4-Star Hotels in GreecePopular AmenitiesGreece Hotels with Free ParkingPet Friendly Hotels in GreeceGreece Hotels with PoolsPopular Greece CategoriesFamily Resorts in GreeceResorts on the Beach in GreeceGreece Cheap HotelsGreece Cheap ResortsAll Inclusive Resorts in GreeceRomantic Resorts in GreeceGreece Cheap Beach HotelsGreece Adults Only All Inclusive ResortsGreece Adults Only All Inclusive HotelsGreece 5 Star ResortsPopular Hotel CategoriesPopular All-Inclusive ResortsPopular Beach ResortsPopular Family ResortsPopular All-Inclusive HotelsPopular Hotels With WaterparksPopular Honeymoon ResortsPopular Luxury ResortsPopular All-Inclusive Family ResortsPopular Golf ResortsPopular Spa ResortsPopular Cheap ResortsThings to DoRestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental CarsTripadvisor PlusMoreToursAdd a PlaceTravel ForumAirlinesTravelers' ChoiceHelp CenterPlan Your Trip to Greece: Best of Greece TourismAbout GreeceGreece is one of those rare places where ancient history is still very much a part of modern life. Visitors are as much drawn to the country’s epic intellectual history as its beauty and charm. Make time for the iconic features of the Acropolis of Athens, which include the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Mythology buffs will appreciate Crete, Olympia, Samos, and Naxos for their mythological significance. For a peaceful beach vacation, the island of Santorini is perfect.Essential GreeceWhat to doIconic places and can’t-miss experiences that define the citySee allAthens Half Day Tour, Acropolis, Parthenon, Temple of Olympian Zeus & Hephaistus279Athens, Greecefrom $368 per group2023Meteora5,575Religious Sites, Points of Interest & LandmarksKastraki, GreeceGreek Food Walking Tour in Athens2,052Athens, Greecefrom $77 per adultAll Day Cruise -3 Islands to Agistri,Moni, Aegina with lunch and drinks included2,353Piraeus, Greecefrom $166 per adultElafonissi Beach15,607BeachesCrete, Greece2023Likely To Sell OutSantorini Wine Adventure in 3 Wineries with 12 Tastings and Tapas967Santorini, Greecefrom $100 per adult2023National Archaeological Museum8,052Art Museums, History MuseumsAthens, Greece2023Dias Beekeeping210FarmsKefalonia, Greece2023The Palace of Knossos13,608Ancient Ruins, Historic SitesCrete, Greece2023Mount Lycabettus6,325Mountains, LookoutsAthens, GreeceWhere to stayTop spots to rest up—charming to classic to modernSee all2023Mazoren Art Hotel115Rhodes, Greecefrom $48/night2023Atrium Platinum Luxury Resort Hotel & Spa5,051Rhodes, Greecefrom $161/night2023Apanemo Hotel & Suites1,622Santorini, Greecefrom $151/night2023Perivolas Lifestyle Houses498Santorini, Greecefrom $525/night2023Andronis Boutique Hotel879Santorini, Greecefrom $716/night2023Anastasis Apartments & Spa1,613Santorini, Greecefrom $344/night2023Astro Palace Hotel & Suites1,527Santorini, Greecefrom $238/night2023Atrium Palace Thalasso Spa Resort & Villas6,133Rhodes, Greecefrom $74/night2023Chania Flair Boutique Hotel324Crete, Greecefrom $213/night2023Andronikos Hotel Mykonos1,936Mykonos, Greecefrom $57/nightWhere to eatThe tried-and-trues, plus local faves and hidden gemsSee all2023M-eating2,980$$$$ • MediterraneanMykonos, Greece2023To Kati Allo1,188$ • Mediterranean, Greek, Vegetarian FriendlyAthens, Greece2023Papanikolakis Patisserie & Coffee821$ • Dessert, Greek, CafeCrete, Greece2023MICHELINVezené Athens771$$$$ • Mediterranean, European, GreekAthens, Greece2023Tholoto Brunch & Restaurant654$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean, Greek, EuropeanSantorini, Greece2023El Toro Steak House1,560$$ - $$$ • Steakhouse, Barbecue, EuropeanRhodes, Greece2023Konstantin Restaurant Cafe1,152$$ - $$$ • Seafood, Mediterranean, EuropeanRhodes, GreeceMICHELINHytra891$$$$ • Greek, Healthy, Vegetarian FriendlyAthens, Greece2023Souvlaki n' Wrap301$ • Quick Bites, Greek, MediterraneanSantorini, Greece2023rízes93$ • Greek, Mediterranean, HealthyMykonos, GreeceGreece Is Great ForUnwind2023Ikos Oceania5,214Nea Moudania, Greece2023Stella Island Luxury Resort & Spa1,471Crete, Greece2023Ikos Dassia3,647Corfu, Greece2023Ikos Olivia4,504Gerakini, Greece2023Creta Maris Resort6,007Crete, GreeceElafonissi Beach15,607BeachesCrete, Greece2023Sani Beach5,934Sani, GreeceMitsis Selection Alila3,820Rhodes, Greece2023Balos Lagoon10,873BeachesCrete, Greece$ USDUnited States© 2024 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.Terms of UsePrivacy and Cookies StatementCookie consentSite MapHow the site worksContact usThis is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. 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10 best places to visit in Greece - Lonely Planet

est places to visit in Greece - Lonely PlanetLonely PlanetDestinationsPlanningInspirationShopSearch SavesOpen main menuTravel StoriesGreeceIf you’re planning a trip to Greece in 2024, visit these 10 top destinationsLoginSave Helen IatrouMar 4, 2024 • 6 min readFrom iconic islands to major cities to the lesser-known, wild region of Epiros, our list of essential Greek destinations has a bit of everything © Georgios Tsichlis / ShutterstockIf you’re planning a trip to Greece in 2024, visit these 10 top destinationsLoginSave Mar 4, 2024 • 6 min readBack to TopShareAs its mythical Sirens were reputed to do, Greece has long lured travelers to its scintillating shores.

Across an expansive island archipelago, traditional whitewashed villages, azure seas and waterfront tavernas enchant visitors. Greece’s mountainous mainland, rich in UNESCO World Heritage–listed ancient sites, treasure-filled museums and spirited cities, is no less fascinating. As you contemplate your dream Greece itinerary, consider these 10 favorite places to add to it.

Athens teems with ancient monuments – and with urban life © Luca Tonelli / Shutterstock

1. Athens

Wherever you walk in Greece’s storied capital, the ancients have walked before – whether you see the evidence or not. From the Acropolis (whose jewel in the crown is the fifth-century BCE Parthenon) to the underground metro (where some stations feature archaic finds), Athens is teeming with historical sites, monuments and museums. A combo card affords entry to the Acropolis and six more sites; the Acropolis Museum is also a must-see.

Easy to tackle on foot, Athens is also one of Europe’s liveliest metropolises – and strolls through neighborhoods like old-town Plaka, flea market–famous Monastiraki and hip Pangrati are highlights. By night, catch a live band in gritty Gazi, catch a movie at an outdoor cinema in Thission or go bar-hopping off the main commercial street Ermou.

Local tip: Book tickets online for a reinvented Greek tragedy or dance troupe performance at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheater as part of the Epidaurus Festival, which takes place each summer.

Milos is as beautiful under the water as it is above the surface © Breva Colmeiro / Getty Images

2. Milos

A collection of over 70 beaches, sea caves hidden beneath limestone cliffs and technicolor traditional boat houses are just some of the reasons why mineral-rich Milos has won the hearts of many travelers. Evidence of its volcanic origins can be seen in the almost lunar landscape of Sarakiniko, where the more daring dive into a jade-colored Aegean. Arrive early at Gerondas beach to nab the generous shade of caves and enjoy floating silently in still waters.

Planning tip: Save a couple of days to spend on Kimolos, a small island northeast of Milos reachable by ferry. One of its most impressive beaches is Prassa, where coarse, blindingly white sand shows off shallow, aquamarine waters to full effect.

The restored buildings of Rhodes Town will transport you to the Middle Ages © Franz Marc Frei / Getty Images

3. Rhodes

Rhodes has long been the Dodecanese’s biggest draw thanks to its atmospheric UNESCO World Heritage–listed medieval old town. Transformed in the Middle Ages by the Knights of the Order of St John into a formidable fortified city, it fell to the Ottomans, who erected mosques, baths and houses, many of which have been restored. Youngsters might envision armored men on horseback thundering down the cobblestoned Street of the Knights.

Make sure you visit the Palace of the Grand Master, which features stunning Roman and Early Christian floor mosaics, and the Church of Our Lady of the Castle.

Planning tip: Book a state-licensed tour guide to show you around the old town for a full picture of its long and fascinating history.

Santorini is the Greece you’ll see on postcards – and it’s a dream for couples © Amriphoto / Getty Images

4. Santorini

Whether you’re coupled up or not, it’s hard not to fall for Santorini’s charms. Whitewashed and pastel-hued, cube-shaped homes cling to steep cliffsides above a cobalt Aegean and the island’s famed caldera, formed by volcanic eruptions over millennia.

Weave your way through the narrow alleyways of the postcard-perfect village of Oia amid blue-domed churches. Bathe in thermal springs warmed by an active volcano, splay out on black-sand beaches and don’t miss the prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri, which features an advanced drainage system.

Planning tip: Book a private tour of Santorini’s smaller wine estates, whose new generation of vintners is breathing new life into traditional wines like mezzo and Nychteri.

Mountainous Epiros feels a world away from the rest of Greece © Justin Foulkes / Lonely Planet

5. Epiros

In Greece’s west lies Epiros, a remote region of soaring mountain peaks, fast-flowing rivers and hidden rock canyons. Hike to the alpine heights of Mt Tymfi’s Dragon Lake, which freezes over in winter, or traverse the thick forests, inclines and descents of spectacular Vikos Gorge. Whitewater rafting thrills and spills await in the Voidomatis or Arachthos rivers, while canyoning enthusiasts can choose from routes of varying difficulty.

Serene Serifos can show you a different side of Greece © Freeartist/Getty Images

6. Kythnos and Serifos

If peaceful sandy shores, unassuming waterfront tavernas and sleepy villages are more your style, the low-key West Cyclades isles of Kythnos and Serifos are worth a stop. Kythnos has deep, sheltered bays and tamarisk-dotted silver-sand beaches, among them Lefkes and Naousa.

Wallet-friendly tavernas line the laid-back fishing settlements of Loutro and Meriha, while wind-whipped Serifos, a two-hour ferry ride from Piraeus, features sweeping sandy beaches, sheltered bays, ghostly mining relics and a jewel-like hilltop capital whose neoclassical town hall stands sentinel over the buzzy main square.

Anyone who loves food will love Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city © Heracles Kritikos / Shutterstock

7. Thessaloniki

At the crossroads of East and West, where the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans have held sway over the centuries, Thessaloniki tempts serious foodies. Bougatsa, a phyllo pastry pie usually filled with semolina custard, spinach or mince meat, makes for a hearty breakfast. Pick up olives and spices at the olfactory-awakening open-air markets and Pontic cheeses from indoor food hub Modiano, which dates back to 1922. In the former oil merchant district of Ladadika, mezedopolia serve dishes revealing strong Anatolian and Middle Eastern influences, customarily with the fiery clear spirit tsipouro.

Planning tip: Thessaloniki is also renowned for its fish and seafood, served with fervor and pride whether it’s a backstreet taverna or an upscale restaurant. Bookings are recommended for the latter.

Corfu is one of the best places to sail in Greece © Shutterstock / Georgios Tsichlis

8. Corfu

Tranquil, turquoise seas, fir-studded hillsides and a regal capital make Corfu one of the most beautiful parts of the country to go sailing. The Ionian isle is the ideal starting point for novices who can take a sailing course and gain certification.

Afterward, join a flotilla for a leisurely cruise around Corfu, dropping anchor at Kalami Bay (of The Durrells fame) and lush Paleokastritsa. In Corfu Town, admire Venetian fortresses, the French-designed Liston Arcade and The Palace of St Michael and St George, built during the island’s British administration.

Planning tip: Few venture to Erikousa island, northwest of Corfu, which is blessed with pristine beaches and shallow cerulean seas.

Crete, Greece’s largest island, brims with culture © Shutterstock / Tom Jastram

9. Crete

Greece’s largest island, Crete abounds in historical sites, well-preserved monuments and modern museums. A wander through the Minoan-era palaces of Knossos, Malia, Phaestos and Kato Zakros won’t disappoint any fan of classical culture.

Stroll along the Venetian Harbour in Hania, lined with Ottoman monuments such as the Kioutsouk Hasan Mosque. Trek up to Byzantine and Venetian fortresses such as the Fortezza in Rethymno and Kastelli in Hania. In the east, the 16th-century Venetian fortress on Spinalonga islet reveals a harrowing, more recent past as a leper colony.

Among noteworthy museums are the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Chania’s Maritime Museum of Crete, and the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna in Rethymno.

In addition to world-famous parties, Mykonos has stunning beaches © da-kuk / Getty Images

10. Mykonos

In the 1960s and 70s, Mykonos hosted roving hippies, celebrities and moneyed jet-setters who flirted and danced till the sun came up. While new five-star hotels and swanky brand-name restaurants may have altered the landscape and driven up prices, the fabled Cycladic isle still reigns supreme when it comes to summer nightlife in the Mediterranean.

Revelers can choose from the thumping bars lining Little Venice in Hora, as well as beach bars, cabaret restaurants and iconic clubs like seaside Cavo Paradiso, where illustrious music DJs fire up the crowd.

Planning tip: August is Mykonos’ busiest month. It’s also when you can witness the hottest DJs and surprise appearances by music artists, including prominent hip-hop names.

This article was first published July 2021 and updated March 2024Explore related storiesRead more articlesDestination Practicalities13 things to know before you go to Greece and the Greek IslandsMar 6, 2024 • 8 min readThese local tips can help you prepare for the perfect trip to Greece.BeachesHow many Greek islands can I see in a week?Feb 15, 2024 • 4 min readArt and CultureA Total Trip: 5 food-focused days in Athens for around €400Feb 2, 2024 • 7 min readArchaeologyYou’ve probably never been to Thessaloniki, Greece. Here’s why you should goFeb 1, 2024 • 7 min readTips & AdviceHow to travel to Greece using points and miles in 2024Jan 29, 2024 • 12 min readBeaches10 great ideas for European spring break escapes in 2024Jan 19, 2024 • 11 min readTips & AdviceHow to maximize your PTO and take the trip of a lifetime in 2024Jan 17, 2024 • 8 min readDestination PracticalitiesTourist taxes will make these destinations more expensive in 2024Jan 2, 2024 • 8 min readBudget TravelHow to save money on your European trip in 2024? Ask a localJan 1, 2024 • 10 min readDestination PracticalitiesLonely Planet's guide to AthensNov 11, 2023 • 8 min readRead more articlesFor Explorers EverywhereFollow usbecome a memberJoin the Lonely Planet community of travelersLoginCreate accountTop destinationsNew York CityParisItalyCosta RicaJapanUSAAmsterdamPortugalCancúnChicagoEnglandTokyoFranceThailandIrelandRomeLondonLos AngelesMexicoSan FranciscoExplore More DestinationsTravel InterestsAdventure TravelArt and CultureBeaches, Coasts and IslandsFamily HolidaysFestivalsFood and DrinkHoneymoon and RomanceRoad TripsSustainable TravelTravel on a BudgetWildlife and NatureShopDestination GuidesLonely Planet KidsLonely Planet ShopNon-English GuidesAbout UsAbout Lonely PlanetContact UsTrade and AdvertisingPrivacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsWork For UsWrite For UsSitemapCookie SettingsDo Not Sell or Share My Personal Information© 2024 Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures company. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.LanguageEnglishDeutschFrançaisEspañolItalianoČe

Greece - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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AcèhАдыгэбзэАдыгабзэAfrikaansAlemannischአማርኛAnarâškielâअंगिकाÆngliscАԥсшәаالعربيةAragonésܐܪܡܝܐԱրեւմտահայերէնArmãneashtiArpetanAsturianuअवधीAvañe'ẽАварAymar aruAzərbaycancaتۆرکجهBasa BaliBamanankanবাংলাBân-lâm-gúBasa BanyumasanБашҡортсаБеларускаяБеларуская (тарашкевіца)भोजपुरीBikol CentralBislamaБългарскиBoarischབོད་ཡིགBosanskiBrezhonegБуряадCatalàЧӑвашлаCebuanoČeštinaChamoruChavacano de ZamboangaChi-ChewaChiShonaChiTumbukaCorsuCymraegDagbanliDanskالدارجةDavvisámegiellaDeitschDeutschދިވެހިބަސްDiné bizaadDolnoserbskiडोटेलीཇོང་ཁEestiΕλληνικάEmiliàn e rumagnòlEnglishЭрзяньEspañolEsperantoEstremeñuEuskaraEʋegbeفارسیFiji HindiFøroysktFrançaisFryskFulfuldeFurlanGaeilgeGaelgGagauzGàidhligGalegoГӀалгӀай贛語Gĩkũyũگیلکیગુજરાતીगोंयची कोंकणी / Gõychi Konknni客家語/Hak-kâ-ngîХальмг한국어HausaHawaiʻiՀայերենहिन्दीHornjoserbsceHrvatskiIdoIgboIlokanoবিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরীBahasa IndonesiaInterlinguaInterlingueИронIsiXhosaIsiZuluÍslenskaItalianoעבריתJawaKabɩyɛಕನ್ನಡKapampanganКъарачай-малкъарქართულიKaszëbscziҚазақшаKernowekIkinyarwandaIkirundiKiswahiliКомиKongoKotavaKreyòl ayisyenKriyòl gwiyannenKurdîКыргызчаLadinLadinoລາວLatgaļuLatinaLatviešuLëtzebuergeschЛезгиLietuviųLigureLimburgsLingálaLingua Franca NovaLivvinkarjalaLa .lojban.LugandaLombardMagyarMadhurâमैथिलीМакедонскиMalagasyമലയാളംMaltiMāoriमराठीმარგალურიمصرىمازِرونیBahasa Melayuꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯣꯟ閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄MirandésМокшеньМонголမြန်မာဘာသာNederlandsNedersaksiesनेपालीनेपाल भाषा日本語NapulitanoНохчийнNordfriiskNorfuk / PitkernNorsk bokmålNorsk nynorskNouormandNovialOccitanОлык марийOromooOʻzbekcha / ўзбекчаਪੰਜਾਬੀपालिPangasinanPangcahپنجابیPapiamentuپښتوPatoisПерем комиភាសាខ្មែរPicardPiemontèisTok PisinPlattdüütschPolskiΠοντιακάPortuguêsQaraqalpaqshaQırımtatarcaRipoarischRomânăRomani čhibRumantschRuna SimiРусиньскыйРусскийСаха тылаSakizayaGagana Samoaसंस्कृतम्ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤسرائیکیSarduScotsSeediqSeelterskSesotho sa LeboaShqipSicilianuසිංහලسنڌيSiSwatiSlovenčinaSlovenščinaСловѣньскъ / ⰔⰎⰑⰂⰡⰐⰠⰔⰍⰟŚlůnskiSoomaaligaکوردیSranantongoСрпски / srpskiSrpskohrvatski / српскохрватскиSundaSuomiSvenskaTagalogதமிழ்TaclḥitTaqbaylitTarandíneТатарча / tatarçaၽႃႇသႃႇတႆး TayalతెలుగుTetunไทยትግርኛТоҷикӣLea faka-TongaᏣᎳᎩTürkçeTürkmençeTwiTyapУдмуртУкраїнськаاردوئۇيغۇرچە / UyghurcheVahcuenghVènetoVepsän kel’Tiếng ViệtVolapükVõroWalon文言West-VlamsWinarayWolof吴语XitsongaייִדישYorùbá粵語ZazakiZeêuwsŽemaitėška中文Batak TobaTolışiⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵡⴰⵢⵜ

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Hellenic RepublicΕλληνική ΔημοκρατίαEllinikí Dimokratía  (Greek)

Flag

Coat of arms

Motto: «Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος»Elefthería í Thánatos"Freedom or Death"Anthem: «Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν»Ýmnos eis tin Eleftherían"Hymn to Liberty"Location of  Greece  (dark green)– on the European continent  (green & dark grey)– in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend]Capitaland largest cityAthens37°58′N 23°43′E / 37.967°N 23.717°E / 37.967; 23.717National languageGreekReligion Eastern OrthodoxyDemonym(s)GreekGovernmentUnitary parliamentaryrepublic• President Katerina Sakellaropoulou• Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis• Speaker of the Parliament Konstantinos Tasoulas

LegislatureHellenic ParliamentFormation of modern Greece• Independence declared from the Ottoman Empire Not yet (Greek War of Independence have been failed]]), 15 January 1822 (official declaration in the First National Assembly at Epidaurus)• Recognized 3 February 1830• Current constitution 11 June 1975

Area• Total50,949 sq mi (131,960 km2)[1] (95th)• Water (%)0.8669Population• 2021 estimate10,445,365 [2][3]• 2011 census10,816,286[4] (80th)• Density82[5]/km2 (212.4/sq mi) (125th)GDP (PPP)2019 estimate• Total$324 billion[6] (57th)• Per capita$30,252[6] (47th)GDP (nominal)2019 estimate• Total$214 billion[6] (52nd)• Per capita$19,974[6] (38th)Gini (2016) 34.3[7]medium · 60thHDI (2015) 0.866[8]very high · 29thCurrencyEuro (€) (EUR)Time zoneUTC+2 (Eastern European Time)• Summer (DST)UTC+3 (Eastern European Summer Time)Date formatdd/mm/yyyy (AD)Driving siderightCalling code+30ISO 3166 codeGRInternet TLD.gra.ελ

The .eu domain is also used, as in other European Union member states.

Greece (Greek: Ελλάδα [eˈlaða] or Ελλάς [eˈlas]), officially the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία [eliniˈkʲi ðimokraˈtia]),[9] (historically known as Hellas) (Greek: Ελλάς), is a country in Southeastern Europe. Its capital city is Athens.

It borders Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea is to the East and South of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea is to the West. Both are part of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and have many islands. 80% of the country is mountainous, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak.

Ancient Greece created democracy, philosophy, science and mathematics, drama and theater and the Olympic Games. This is why other languages use many Greek words.

Greece is a parliamentary republic, in which the leader of the party with more seats in the parliament is the Prime Minister. The country has a President, but his powers are ceremonial. He is the head of state, not the head of government, much like how Kings and Queens operate in constitutional monarchies and is elected by Parliament and not the people. Its economy is the highest in the Balkans region, though facing financial difficulties due to a Greek government-debt crisis. The country was under control by the Ottoman Empire until 1821.

The official language spoken in Greece is Greek, spoken by 99% of the population, and by 90% of the population of the Republic of Cyprus. It identifies as Christian Orthodox. Many Greeks also understand English, French and German, which are taught in schools. Greece was a founding member of the United Nations, joined NATO in 1952, became a member of the European Union in 1981, and adopted the Euro in 2001. Due to the large tourism industry, powerful shipping sector, and its geostrategic importance, it is sometimes classified as a middle power.

History[change | change source]

Further information: Ancient Greece

The Parthenon in Athens.

Greece's history is one of the richest in the world. The Greeks were one of the most advanced civilizations. Greece is famous for its many philosophers, like Plato and Aristotle, and kings like Alexander the Great and Leonidas. Greece is said to be the birthplace of Democracy, because city-states like Athens, now the capital of Greece, were the first to elect their leaders and not have kings. During the years of Alexander the Great, a huge Greek Macedonian empire was created that stretched from modern-day Greece to Egypt and Iran, until the borders of India. Because of the significant role that Greek culture played during that time, it is called the Hellenistic period (or Greek-dominated period). During that time, the Greek language became the 'lingua franca' of the Middle East, which means the language that people who do not speak the same language use to communicate, like English is used today as an international language.

Greece was then ruled by the Roman Empire, and many argue that Rome conquered Greece with its army, but Greece conquered Rome with its culture. The Roman Empire after the conquest of Greece became a civilization known as the Greco-Roman (or Greek-Roman) civilization. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the Greeks emerged as the ruling class of the Byzantine Empire, and the Greek language became the official language of the empire, which included all the territories around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It was then occupied by the Ottoman Empire for a period of 400 years. Some areas of Greece, like the second-largest city in the country, Thessaloniki, were occupied for 500 years and became part of Greece in the early 20th century.

Greece was bigger in 1920 than it is today.

The Greek War of Independence began in 1821 and Greece was an independent country (a republic) in 1828. In 1832 Greece was made a kingdom by the United Kingdom and Russia, under the German Wittelsbach dynasty.

In 1912, Greece took part in the Balkan Wars, where it gained many of the territories that make up the country now, such as Greek Macedonia and the islands of the Aegean Sea. Greece fought in both World War I and World War II in the side of allies. During World War I, Greece was divided into two countries, the State of Thessaloniki in the north and the State of Athens in the south. Both countries claimed to be the legitimate government of Greece, but the State of Thessaloniki received support from the Allies. The country was reunited in 1917 when the King abdicated. In 1920 Greece expanded again and briefly reached its maximum size. The territories that the country had gained in Turkey were given back to Turkey in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, but Greece kept Western Thrace. The king returned in 1935, and Greece was under a fascist dictatorship from 1936 until 1941, friendly to the Allies when it was invaded by Nazi Germany.

Greece’s Macedonia region is known for its rich history, The ancient kingdom of Macedonia (sometimes called Macedon) was Alexander the Great's empire.

In 1940, Greece was invaded by Italy, but defeated the invasion. This was the first victory of an Allied country against an Axis power. After this, Hitler decided to attack Greece sooner than he had planned. Germany invaded on 6 April 1940 and captured Greece's second-largest city of Thessaloniki on 9 April, while Athens was captured on 27 April. Most fighting ended with the Battle of Crete. Greece suffered major damages in the war.

Between 1946 and 1949, the Greeks fought a civil war. The fighting was between the communists and the people who supported the king, who also had support from the United Kingdom and the United States. The war left the country devastated and the people very poor.

In 1967 the military took control of the country and restricted democracy. Free elections were then held again 7 years later, and the Greeks voted to send the king away and declared a republic in 1974. Greece became a member of the European Union in 1981. Greece had seen rapid growth in the 1990s, but some of the country's economic statistics were modified to appear more correct than they were, as the government had lied with the help of banks from the United States. In 2004, Greece hosted the Olympic Games for a second time. Since 2009, Greece has been in an economic crisis, which is also becoming a political crisis.

The topography of Greece

Politics[change | change source]

The Greek parliament is in Athens.

It is not a federal state like the United States, but a unitary state like the United Kingdom. It is ruled by a parliament, called the Hellenic Parliament (or Greek Parliament in Simple English), which has 300 members. It is a parliamentary republic, which means that, unlike in the United States, the President has very few powers. The person in charge of the government of Greece is the Prime Minister.

Greece was a kingdom for most of its history as an independent nation. It officially became the Third Hellenic Republic (or The Third Republic of Greece in Simple English) in 1975, when the monarchy was abolished by a popular vote.

Greece was under a military dictatorship between 1966 and 1975. Demonstrations by the students of the universities across Greece took place in 1973 but were suppressed by the regime, which forcibly stopped the protests. The dictatorship collapsed after the invasion of Cyprus and handed over power to Constantine Karamanlis.

There are many political parties in Greece, but only seven are in the Greek parliament. Until 2015, only two political parties formed governments, the PASOK party (which is social democratic) and New Democracy (ND, which is conservative). The government ousted in the 2015 election was led by PASOK, DIMAR, AND ND. Other parties include the Communist party, the left-wing SYRIZA party, the nationalist party and others. SYRIZA, led by Alexis Tsipras, won the 2015 parliamentary election held on January 25 of that year, and entered into a coalition government with the small right-wing party Greek Independents.

The New Democracy Party won the 2019 election and the 2023 election.

Divisions[change | change source]

The peripheries to Greece.

The divisions of Greece are called 'Peripheries'. As of January 2011, there are 13 peripheries in Greece.[10] Peripheries are subdivided into 'peripheral units', and previously they were known as 'prefecture', but prefectures were abolished in 2011.[10] The most populated peripheries in Greece are Attica, where the capital city of Greece, Athens, is, and Central Macedonia, where Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, is. All the peripheries, and their capital cities, are:

1. Attica — Athens

2. Central Greece — Lamia

3. Central Macedonia — Thessaloniki

4. Crete — Heraklion

5. East Macedonia and Thrace — Komotini

6. Epirus — Ioannina

7. Ionian Islands — Corfu

8. North Aegean — Mytilene

9. Peloponnese — Tripoli

10. South Aegean — Ermoupoli

11. Thessaly — Larissa

12. West Greece — Patras

13. West Macedonia — Kozani

Demographics[change | change source]

People[change | change source]

Greece is a small country compared to other countries such as the United States, Spain , Italy, the United Kingdom and Russia. The population of Greece is estimated to be over 11 million. Most of the people in Greece are Greek people, and they form 94% of the population of the country.[11] There are also many Albanians in Greece, and they make up 4% of the population.[11] Other nationalities make up for another 2% of the country.[11]

The Greek government recognizes only the Muslim minority in the country, the Turkish one in the region of Western-Thrace. They include Pomak and Xoraxane Roma. The majority of them live in cities like Xanthi and Komotini.[12] The dispute between Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia has resulted in the refusal of Greece to acknowledge the existence of a Macedonian minority. The 2001 population census showed only 747 citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia in Greece.[11] The Republic of North Macedonia says that there are a maximum of 300,000 ethnic Macedonians in Greece, but Greece says that if there is a minority in the country, it would not be more than 30,000 people, in the northern part of the country, near the border with the Republic of North Macedonia. This is also supported by international organizations.[13]

Greek flag[change | change source]

See the main article: Flag of Greece

The Greek flag is blue and white.

The Greek flag was officially adopted in 1828 as a civil and state ensign (a flag for use only on boats and ships) and as a national flag when flown outside of Greece, for example on embassies. A different flag (white cross on a blue field) was used as a land flag within Greece from 1828 until 1969 and from 1975 to 1978. In 1978 the current flag became national flag and the older land flag was abolished.

There are many theories about the origin of the color of the flag. One says that blue represents the color of the sea and the white represents the waves, and others include white for the waves and blue for the sky and white for purity and breaking away from tyranny, and blue for Greece. There are nine stripes on the flag, which according to the legend represent the nine syllables in the phrase “Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος’’ which means “freedom or death.’’ The cross stands for Christianity.

Economy[change | change source]

The money used in Greece is called the euro.

Greece has a capitalist economy, like the United States and France. Greece has the largest number of trading ships (a 'merchant navy') in the world.[14] Tourism is also a major source of income for Greece.[15] Throughout the 20th century Greece had its own currency the Drachma but since 2001 it uses the Euro as most other European Union countries do.[16] From 2000 Greece saw high levels of GDP growth, peaking at 5.8% in 2003 and 5.7% in 2006.[17]

Greece has adopted some welfare state policies, such as public healthcare and free education, like many other European countries. However, the government could not collect enough taxes to fund public services due to extensive tax evasion in the 1990's and 2000's.[18] The pension system also came under immense pressure as the population was aging rapidly.

During the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the global economy entered a recession. This created a very difficult situation for Greece as the country had accumulated a high debt over the previous years.[19] The effects of the global financial crisis triggered a debt crisis in Greece that caused a severe recession and an increase in unemployment in the early 2010's.[20] Government spending was cut and taxation was increased, but these measures worsened the recession and caused economic and social unrest.[21][22] As a result of the economic crisis, the country implemented many reforms to its economy in order to improve productivity, reduce debt and attract foreign investment. Recently, Greece's exports reached an all time record for 2022, due to strong economic recovery.[23]

Tourism[change | change source]

About 30 million tourists visit Greece each year. That is more than the country’s entire population. To serve the many tourists, Greece has many international airports. Tourism also makes up more than 20% of the Greek GDP.[24]

Related pages[change | change source]

Greece at the Olympics

Greece national football team

List of Greek islands

List of rivers of Greece

References[change | change source]

↑ "Country Comparison: Area". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2013.

↑ "World Population Prospects 2022". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.

↑ "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XSLX). population.un.org ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.

↑ Απογραφή Πληθυσμού – Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός [Results of Population-Housing Census 2011 concerning the permanent population of the country] (PDF) (in Greek). 20 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2016.

↑ "Announcement of the results of the 2011 Population Census for the Resident Population" (PDF). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.

↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". World Economic Outlook Database, April 2017. Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund. 12 April 2017. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2017.

↑ "Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income – EU-SILC survey". Luxembourg: Eurostat. 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2017.

↑ "Table 1: Human Development Index and its components". Human Development Reports. Stockholm: United Nations Development Programme. 21 March 2017. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2017.

↑ "World Fatbook - Greece: Government". CIA. www.cia.gov. 2007-03-15. Archived from the original on 2016-08-25. Retrieved 2007-04-07.

↑ 10.0 10.1 "NOMOΣ ΥΠ'ΑΡΙΘ. 3852 Νέα Αρχιτεκτονική της Αυτοδιοίκησης και της Αποκεντρωμένης Διοίκησης − Πρόγραμμα Καλλικράτης. (Law No. 3852 New Architecture of Self Government and Decentralized Administration - Kallikratis Reform.)" (PDF). Government Gazette. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2011.

↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Πίνακας 7: Αλλοδαποί κατά υπηκοότητα, φύλο και επίπεδο εκπαίδευσης - Σύνολο Ελλάδας και Νομοί" (PDF). Greek National Statistics Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.

↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2022-09-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

↑ "Greece – Report about Compliance with the Principles of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (along guidelines for state reports according to Article 25.1 of the Convention)". Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) & Minority Rights Group – Greece (MRG-G). 1999-09-18. Archived from the original on 2003-05-23. Retrieved 2009-01-12.

↑ "Greece Still Leading Global Shipping | Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide". www.hellenicshippingnews.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-05-04.

↑ Βασιλικός, Αλέξανδρος (2019-02-05). "Αλέξανδρος Βασιλικός: Ο τουρισμός είναι υπόθεση όλων μας". Marketing Greece. Archived from the original on 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2023-05-04.

↑ Bank, European Central (2022-12-12). "Our money". European Central Bank. Archived from the original on 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2023-05-04.

↑ "World Development Indicators - Google Public Data Explorer". www.google.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2023-05-04.

↑ "Πτώση της φοροδιαφυγής στο 41,6% από 49% το τελευταίο εξάμηνο | οικονομια | ethnos.gr". 2013-05-12. Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

↑ "Greek debt to reach 120.8 pct of GDP in '10 - draft". Reuters. 2009-11-10. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-05-04.

↑ Skartsis, Labros (2018-01-01). "2010-2018 Greek Debt Crisis and Greece's Past: Myths, Popular Notions and Implications". Archived from the original on 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-05-04. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

↑ "Greek Budget Cuts Quicken Reckoning For Europe". HuffPost. 2011-10-24. Archived from the original on 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-05-04.

↑ "Greek public sector workers hold 24-hour strike". BBC News. 2014-07-08. Archived from the original on 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-05-04.

↑ "Greek Exports - Enterprise Greece". www.enterprisegreece.gov.gr. Archived from the original on 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-05-04.

↑ Chloe Wynne. "Greek tourism sector growing over three times faster than wider economy says new WTTC research". WTTC. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.

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13 things to know before going to Greece - Lonely Planet

hings to know before going to Greece - Lonely PlanetLonely PlanetDestinationsPlanningInspirationShopSearch SavesOpen main menuTravel StoriesGreece13 things to know before you go to Greece and the Greek IslandsLoginSave Alexis AverbuckMar 6, 2024 • 8 min readThese top planning tips can help you prep for a trip to Greece, from health and safety to local etiquette © EMS-FORSTER-PRODUCTIONS / Getty Images13 things to know before you go to Greece and the Greek IslandsLoginSave Mar 6, 2024 • 8 min readBack to TopShareGet out your bucket list; it’s time to cross off a major line item: Greece. 

The fabled land remains tops for culture, food, outdoor travel, art and, of course, beaches and islands. As part of the border-free Schengen Area, it’s also incredibly easy to visit for many travelers worldwide. From advance booking to local etiquette – and health and safety issues when you're there – here's everything you need to know to plan a memorable trip to Greece.

1. Choose your season wisely

Your experience in Greece will be wildly different depending on when you visit. Summer is tops for action, family fun, and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, but prices are at their highest and pre-booking is necessary for everything since it’s all so popular.

The shoulder seasons (spring and autumn) are a delight – prices are lower, and rooms and resources are more readily available. Winter offers a moody and budget-friendly retreat, great for walking, hiking and sedate travels where you will often be the only visitor around. Bear in mind that some businesses will shut down completely during the low season.

2. Prioritize your wishlist and make a plan

Do you want a grand tour, taking in the not-to-be-missed highlights all over Greece, or would you prefer to focus your time on exploring your favorite islands or regions, like the Peloponnese?

The best way to choose from the dizzying array of options on offer is to focus on what is important to you – relaxing on beautiful beaches, learning more about Greece's fascinating history and culture, museums and archaeology, off-the-beaten-track wildlife, or partying until dawn – and plan accordingly.

Try to travel in the shoulder season if you can to avoid the crowds on popular islands like Mykonos ©3. Find the perfect island or region for you

Greece merits multiple trips as every island offers something different, and each of its regions is equally dazzling – you're never going to see everything on your first visit, and you'll ruin your trip if you pressure yourself to do just that. Also, don’t be fooled that the biggies are the only islands worthy of your attention. Though Mykonos, Santorini and the major names have plenty to offer, lesser-known islands (there are hundreds!) like Amorgos or Kythira are also a delight. They've also got the added bonus of smaller crowds and lower prices if that's a key consideration for you.

4. Athens isn't the only gateway to Greece

In many cases, you will find it useful to transit in or out of Greece via Athens, as its airport has connections with numerous international destinations, and the city itself is a gem. However, there are other international airports around the Greek mainland (such as in Thessaloniki) and on some major islands (such as Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu).

If you need any internal flights to get to your destination of choice, it's worth checking the price of these individually. Due to government subsidies, it can work out significantly cheaper to book each part of your Greek itinerary separately from your international flights.

5. Book everything in advance during peak season

In peak season, prices are high, and demand for car hire, accommodations and ferry tickets is even higher – this is not the time for ad hoc bookings on the fly. Greece is an incredibly popular summer destination, and the best options get snapped up well in advance.

Book car hire in advance and beware that Greece's roads are best handled by confident drivers © Milko / Getty Images6. Roads in Greece are for confident drivers

No one who has traveled on Greece’s roads will be surprised to hear that the country’s road fatality rate is one of the highest in Europe. Overtaking is listed as the greatest cause of accidents. Heart-stopping moments aside, your own car is a great way to explore off the beaten track if you are confident in your driving and keep a few key points in mind.

The road network has improved enormously in recent years; many roads marked as dirt tracks on older maps have now been sealed, and a lot of the islands have very little traffic.

There are regular (if costly) car-ferry services to almost all islands.

Greece is not the best place to initiate yourself into motorcycling. If you're not confident on a motorbike, it may be best to park this option until you have more experience.

All the big multinational car-rental companies are represented in Athens, and most have branches in major towns and popular tourist destinations. The majority of islands have at least one outlet.

7. Greece is not very wheelchair-friendly beyond Athens

Access for travelers with disabilities has improved somewhat in recent years, but the majority of accessible sights, hotels and restaurants tend to be located in Athens. While improvements are on the horizon for beach access, much of the rest of Greece remains inaccessible to wheelchairs, and the abundance of stones, marble, slippery cobbles and stepped alleys create frustrating barriers for those with mobility issues. People who have visual or hearing impairments are also rarely catered for.

Careful planning before you go can make a world of difference. There are specific resources online that provide links to local articles, resorts and tour groups catering to tourists with physical disabilities.

8. Pack the right kinds of clothing

Athenians are well-dressed, and the younger crowd is trendy, so keep your smart clothes for the urban catwalk of clubs and bars. Nevertheless, in Athens and other metropolises such as Rhodes, Thessaloniki and Iraklio, everyday attire such as shorts or jeans and casual tops are just fine.

Bars or fashionable restaurants require more effort – the scene is stylish rather than dressy. Think tops and trousers rather than T-shirts and cut-offs. In out-of-the-way places, you can wear casual clothing, and in summer, the heat will make you want to wear the least amount of fabric you can get away with – bring quick-drying tank tops and cool dresses.

Sturdy walking shoes are a must for the cobbled roads, and proper hiking boots are key if you're exploring the countryside on foot. It's respectful to cover up before entering churches.

9. Learn some basic Greek phrases

Greek is a tough language to learn thoroughly, but mastering a few basic greetings and niceties will make a world of difference in how Greek speakers receive you. In touristed areas, many people speak English, so rest assured that you can get by as long as you know some key phrases.

A service charge is usually added to the bill in restaurants in Greece © SolStock / Getty Images10. Carry cash and don't rely on cards or ATMs

As part of the EU, Greece uses the euro. In restaurants, a service charge is normally included in the bill, and while a tip is not expected (as it is in North America), it is always appreciated. Taxi drivers normally expect you to round up the fare, while bellhops who help you carry your luggage to your hotel room or stewards on ferries who take you to your cabin normally expect a small gratuity of between €1 and €3.

ATMs are found in every town large enough to support a bank and in almost all the tourist areas. Be aware that ATMs on the islands can lose their connection for a day or two at a time, making it impossible for anyone (locals included) to withdraw money. It’s useful to keep some backup cash just in case this happens during your visit.

Credit cards are now an accepted part of the commercial scene in Greece, although they’re often not accepted on many of the smaller islands or in small villages. Don't rely on your cards alone, and check in advance when dining or drinking if it's your only option.

11. Make sure you have good travel insurance

Although medical training is of a high standard in Greece, the public health service is underfunded. Hospitals can be overcrowded, and relatives are expected to bring in food for the patient – often a problem for solo travelers. Conditions and treatment are much better in private hospitals, which are expensive. All this means that a comprehensive travel insurance policy is essential.

There is at least one doctor on every island, and larger islands have hospitals. Pharmacies can dispense medicines that are available only on prescription in most European countries. If the situation isn't critical, it's often best to consult a pharmacist first for minor ailments.

Make sure you're carrying water and stay hydrated in the sun © anamejia18 / Getty Images12. Stay hydrated and remember how powerful the sun can be

Tap water isn't safe to drink on many islands – if in doubt, ask. Keeping a supply of bottled water to hand is essential for hydration as well as safety; many tourists underestimate how hot it can get in Greece, and heatstroke and serious sunburn are common on beaches with little shade.

Break up your sun-drenched siestas with time in the shade getting hydrated, and pack plenty of high-factor sunscreen. Mosquitos are an irritant rather than a danger – packing insect repellant is recommended.

13. Pickpocketing and other petty crime is common in busy places

The major risks of theft in Greece are pickpockets in the large cities and theft of belongings when lounging on busy, popular beaches (leave passports behind in hotel safes). Never leave your belongings unattended, and don't leave your bags hanging from the back of your seat where you can't keep an eye on them. 

The tourist police work in cooperation with the regular Greek police. Each tourist police office has at least one member of staff who speaks English. If you need to report a theft or loss of passport, go to the tourist police first, and they will act as interpreters between you and the regular police.

Some unscrupulous taxi drivers will try to charge you extortionate rates from the airports to the city centers. Always make sure the meter is running or pre-negotiate and agree on the price before you get in.

This article was first published March 2022 and updated March 2024Explore related storiesRead more articlesTips & AdviceIf you’re planning a trip to Greece in 2024, visit these 10 top destinationsMar 4, 2024 • 6 min readWho wouldn’t want to visit Greece this year (or any year)? As you plan your trip, here are 10 unmissable places to visit all over the country.BeachesHow many Greek islands can I see in a week?Feb 15, 2024 • 4 min readArt and CultureA Total Trip: 5 food-focused days in Athens for around €400Feb 2, 2024 • 7 min readArchaeologyYou’ve probably never been to Thessaloniki, Greece. Here’s why you should goFeb 1, 2024 • 7 min readTips & AdviceHow to travel to Greece using points and miles in 2024Jan 29, 2024 • 12 min readBeaches10 great ideas for European spring break escapes in 2024Jan 19, 2024 • 11 min readTips & AdviceHow to maximize your PTO and take the trip of a lifetime in 2024Jan 17, 2024 • 8 min readDestination PracticalitiesTourist taxes will make these destinations more expensive in 2024Jan 2, 2024 • 8 min readBudget TravelHow to save money on your European trip in 2024? Ask a localJan 1, 2024 • 10 min readDestination PracticalitiesLonely Planet's guide to AthensNov 11, 2023 • 8 min readRead more articlesFor Explorers EverywhereFollow usbecome a memberJoin the Lonely Planet community of travelersLoginCreate accountTop destinationsNew York CityParisItalyCosta RicaJapanUSAAmsterdamPortugalCancúnChicagoEnglandTokyoFranceThailandIrelandRomeLondonLos AngelesMexicoSan FranciscoExplore More DestinationsTravel InterestsAdventure TravelArt and CultureBeaches, Coasts and IslandsFamily HolidaysFestivalsFood and DrinkHoneymoon and RomanceRoad TripsSustainable TravelTravel on a BudgetWildlife and NatureShopDestination GuidesLonely Planet KidsLonely Planet ShopNon-English GuidesAbout UsAbout Lonely PlanetContact UsTrade and AdvertisingPrivacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsWork For UsWrite For UsSitemapCookie SettingsDo Not Sell or Share My Personal Information© 2024 Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures company. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.LanguageEnglishDeutschFrançaisEspañolItalianoČe

Greece country guide - Lonely Planet | Europe

ce country guide - Lonely Planet | EuropeLonely PlanetDestinationsPlanningInspirationShopSearch SavesOpen main menuGreece Back to topThomas Pickard / Stocksy UnitedGreeceEuropeGreece is ancient sun-bleached ruins piercing blue skies, the balmy Aegean lapping an endless coastline and a culture alive with passionate music, wonderful cuisine and thrill-seeking activities.Best Time to VisitBest Places to VisitLeave the planning to a local expertExperience the real Greece. Let a local expert handle the planning for you.Get startedAttractionsMust-see attractionsMystrasLakoniaSpread over a steep mountainside and surrounded by verdant olive and orange trees, this former Byzantine capital and fortified city is the single most…Ancient MycenaeArgolisOn a hilltop backed by powerful mountains stand the sombre and mighty ruins of Ancient Mycenae, home of Agamemnon, the legendary king who commanded the…Palace of KnossosKnossosCrete’s most famous historical attraction is the Palace of Knossos, the grand capital of Minoan Crete, located 5km south of the city of Iraklio. The…Sanctuary of ApolloDelphiServing as the heart of Ancient Delphi, the hillside Sanctuary of Apollo is where pilgrims would journey to hear prophecies from the god Apollo, voiced…Ancient OlympiaPeloponneseThis is where the Olympic Games took place every four years for over 1100 years, until their abolition by Emperor Theodosius I in AD 393. The Olympic…Acropolis MuseumAcropolis AreaThis dazzling museum at the foot of the Acropolis' southern slope showcases its surviving treasures. The collection covers the Archaic period to the Roman…ParthenonAcropolis AreaDesigned to be the pre-eminent monument of the Acropolis, the Parthenon epitomises the glory of Ancient Greece. Meaning 'virgin's apartment', it's…AcropolisAcropolis AreaThe Acropolis is the most important ancient site in the Western world. Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost…View more attractionsView more attractionsAttractionsTop picks from our travel experts16 of the best things to do in GreeceCurated by Alexis AverbuckOlympia Archaeological MuseumPeloponneseThis superb museum features finds from the adjacent archaeological site of Olympia. Visiting it in conjunction with the ruins helps to put the ancient…Ancient AgoraAthensThe Agora was ancient Athens' heart, the lively hub of administrative, commercial, political and social activity. Socrates expounded his philosophy here;…Tower of the WindsAthensThis Pentelic marble tower within the Roman Agora, likely built in the 2nd century BC, is both beautiful and functional. Devised by Andronicus, a…Kastro – Medieval VillageMonemvasiaAlmost wholly surrounded by ocean, Monemvasia's fortified medieval village is divided into the lower town, bisected by a main cobbled street lined with…Byzantine & Christian MuseumAthensThis outstanding museum, based in the 1848 Villa Ilissia, offers exhibition halls, most of them underground, crammed with religious art. The exhibits go…Palace of KnossosKnossosCrete’s most famous historical attraction is the Palace of Knossos, the grand capital of Minoan Crete, located 5km south of the city of Iraklio. The…FalasarnaHania ProvinceThis broad sweep of beach has magical-looking pink-cream sands and teal waters and is known for its stunning sunsets. Along with superb water clarity,…Sanctuary of ApolloDelphiServing as the heart of Ancient Delphi, the hillside Sanctuary of Apollo is where pilgrims would journey to hear prophecies from the god Apollo, voiced…Northern Pindos National ParkEpirosNorth of Ioannina, this large protected area includes the Vikos-Aoös region around the plunging Vikos Gorge, and the Valia Kalda forest north of Metsovo…Vergina Royal Tombs MuseumMacedoniaA grass-covered tumulus (burial mound) has been converted into a truly spine-tingling museum where visitors can descend to unspoiled royal Macedonian…National Archaeological MuseumAthensHousing the world's finest collection of Greek antiquities in an enormous neoclassical building, this museum is one of Athens' top attractions. Treasures…AcropolisAcropolis AreaThe Acropolis is the most important ancient site in the Western world. Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost…ElafonisiHania ProvinceTucked into Crete’s southwestern corner, this symphony of fine pink-white sand, turquoise water and gentle rose dunes looks like a magical dreamscape. As…EpidavrosArgolisIn its day Epidavros, 30km east of Nafplio, was famed and revered across the Mediterranean as a place of miraculous healing. Visitors came great distances…Temple of DemeterNaxosAbout 2km south of the village of Sangri is the rather unsympathetically restored 6th-century BC Temple of Demeter. The ruins and reconstructions are not…MystrasLakoniaSpread over a steep mountainside and surrounded by verdant olive and orange trees, this former Byzantine capital and fortified city is the single most…Vikos GorgeZagorohoriaThe Voïdomatis ('Good Water' in its Slavic roots) River, a tributary of the Aoös, carved the 12km-long, 900m-deep Vikos Gorge over millions of years. Per…ListonCorfu TownCorfu Town owes the elegant, photogenic Liston, the arcade that lines the northern half of the Spianada, to neither the Venetians nor the British but to…Palaio FrourioCorfu TownThe rocky headland that juts east from Corfu Town is topped by the Venetian-built 14th-century Palaio Frourio. Before that, already enclosed within…Preveli BeachRethymno ProvinceAlso known as Palm Beach, dazzling Preveli is one of Crete’s most celebrated strands. At the mouth of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge, where the river…Ancient OlympiaPeloponneseThis is where the Olympic Games took place every four years for over 1100 years, until their abolition by Emperor Theodosius I in AD 393. The Olympic…Roman AgoraAthensThis was the city’s market area under Roman rule, and it occupied a much larger area than the current site borders. You can see a lot from outside the…Museum of Cycladic ArtAthensThe 1st floor of this exceptional private museum is dedicated to the iconic minimalist marble Cycladic figurines, dating from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. They…Acropolis MuseumAcropolis AreaThis dazzling museum at the foot of the Acropolis' southern slope showcases its surviving treasures. The collection covers the Archaic period to the Roman…Ancient MycenaeArgolisOn a hilltop backed by powerful mountains stand the sombre and mighty ruins of Ancient Mycenae, home of Agamemnon, the legendary king who commanded the…Heraklion Archaeological MuseumIraklioThis state-of-the-art museum is one of the largest and most important in Greece. The two-storey revamped 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase…Planning ToolsExpert guidance to help you plan your tripBest Things to DoFrom diving to the bottom of the sea to hiking to waterfalls, here are the top things to do in Halkidiki.Read article Things to KnowThese local tips can help you prepare for the perfect trip to Greece.Read article TransportationIf you're wondering how to navigate your way around the Greek mainland and islands, here's the scoop on flights, ferries, driving, buses, trains and more.Read article Visa RequirementsGreece is an incredible destination – don't let a fear of admin stop you from getting there. Here's everything you need to know about visas for Greece.Read article Money and CostsHow to save money on a trip to Greece with cheap flights, ferries, trains and buses plus how to get the best deal on hotels, food and drinks.Read article Traveling with KidsGreece is a wonderful family-friendly destination and the locals adore kids. Here's everything you need to know to make your family vacation perfect.Read article Best Road TripsGreece is meant for exploring, and not just by ferry. When you travel by motor vehicle, there's a wealth of history, culture and, yes, beaches to savor. Read article View morePlan with a localExperience the real GreeceLet a local expert craft your dream trip.Get startedArticlesLatest stories from GreeceRead more articlesFilter by interest:All InterestsAdventure TravelArt & CultureBeaches, Coasts & IslandsFood & Drink All Interests Adventure Travel Art & Culture Beaches, Coasts & Islands Food & DrinkDestination Practicalities13 things to know before you go to Greece and the Greek IslandsMar 6, 2024 • 8 min readThese local tips can help you prepare for the perfect trip to Greece.Tips & AdviceIf you’re planning a trip to Greece in 2024, visit these 10 top destinationsMar 4, 2024 • 6 min readBeachesHow many Greek islands can I see in a week?Feb 15, 2024 • 4 min readTips & AdviceHow to travel to Greece using points and miles in 2024Jan 29, 2024 • 12 min readBeachesDiscover where local travel writers vacation in Greece Sep 25, 2023 • 4 min readBeachesWhat is the towel movement taking over Greece's beaches?Aug 22, 2023 • 5 min readBeachesGreece vs Croatia: discover which European country is right for youJul 6, 2023 • 7 min readTips & AdviceDo you need a visa to go to Greece? Jul 5, 2023 • 5 min readBeachesThe best time to go to GreeceJul 3, 2023 • 6 min readTips & AdviceHow to explore glorious Greece with kidsJun 26, 2023 • 9 min readRead more articlesin partnership with getyourguideBook popular activities in GreeceGuidebooksPurchase our award-winning guidebooks

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guidance.Shop Our GuidebooksGo BeyondGreece and beyondBeyond GreeceCreteAthensSyntagma & PlakaGreek IslandsAcropolis AreaCycladesGazi, Keramikos & MetaxourgioDodecaneseBeyond GreeceFor Explorers EverywhereFollow usbecome a memberJoin the Lonely Planet community of travelersLoginCreate accountTop destinationsNew York CityParisItalyCosta RicaJapanUSAAmsterdamPortugalCancúnChicagoEnglandTokyoFranceThailandIrelandRomeLondonLos AngelesMexicoSan FranciscoExplore More DestinationsTravel InterestsAdventure TravelArt and CultureBeaches, Coasts and IslandsFamily HolidaysFestivalsFood and DrinkHoneymoon and RomanceRoad TripsSustainable TravelTravel on a BudgetWildlife and NatureShopDestination GuidesLonely Planet KidsLonely Planet ShopNon-English GuidesAbout UsAbout Lonely PlanetContact UsTrade and AdvertisingPrivacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsWork For UsWrite For UsSitemapCookie SettingsDo Not Sell or Share My Personal Information© 2024 Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures company. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.LanguageEnglishDeutschFrançaisEspañolItalianoČe

Greece - The World Factbook

ce - The World Factbook

Skip to main contentGo to CIA.govWorld Factbook GlyphWFBThe World FactbookCountriesMapsReferencesAboutExplore All CountriesGreeceEuropePage last updated: March 05, 2024Photos of Greeceview 77 photosCountry FlagView DetailsCountry MapView DetailsSpecial Country ProductsCountry SummaryTravel FactsLocator MapView DetailsIntroductionBackgroundGreece won independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 and became a kingdom. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels. The communists were defeated in 1949, and Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a military coup forced the king to flee the country. The ensuing military dictatorship collapsed in 1974, and Greece abolished the monarchy to become a parliamentary republic. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. From 2009 until 2019, Greece suffered a severe economic crisis due to nearly a decade of chronic overspending and structural rigidities. Beginning in 2010, Greece entered three bailout agreements -- the first two with the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF; and the third in 2015 with the European Stability Mechanism -- worth in total about $300 billion. The Greek Government formally exited the third bailout in 2018, and Greece's economy has since improved significantly. In 2022, the country finalized its early repayment to the IMF and graduated on schedule from the EU's enhanced surveillance framework.TipVisit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.Definitions and NotesGeographyLocationSouthern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and TurkeyGeographic coordinates39 00 N, 22 00 EMap referencesEuropeAreatotal: 131,957 sq kmland: 130,647 sq kmwater: 1,310 sq kmcomparison ranking: total 97Area - comparativeslightly smaller than AlabamaArea comparison map:Land boundariestotal: 1,110 kmborder countries (4): Albania 212 km; Bulgaria 472 km; North Macedonia 234 km; Turkey 192 kmCoastline13,676 kmMaritime claimsterritorial sea: 6 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationClimatetemperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summersTerrainmountainous with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islandsElevationhighest point: Mount Olympus 2,917lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 mmean elevation: 498 mnote: Mount Olympus actually has 52 peaks but its highest point, Mytikas (meaning "nose"), rises to 2,917 meters; in Greek mythology, Olympus' Mytikas peak was the home of the Greek godsNatural resourceslignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potentialLand useagricultural land: 63.4% (2018 est.)arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)permanent crops: 8.9% (2018 est.)permanent pasture: 34.8% (2018 est.)forest: 30.5% (2018 est.)other: 6.1% (2018 est.)Irrigated land11,853 sq km (2019)Population distributionone-third of the population lives in and around metropolitan Athens; the remainder of the country has moderate population density mixed with sizeable urban clustersNatural hazardssevere earthquakesvolcanism: Santorini (367 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; although there have been very few eruptions in recent centuries, Methana and Nisyros in the Aegean are classified as historically activeGeography - notestrategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islandsPeople and SocietyPopulation10,497,595 (2023 est.)comparison ranking: 89Nationalitynoun: Greek(s)adjective: GreekEthnic groupsGreek 91.6%, Albanian 4.4%, other 4% (2011 est.)note: data represent citizenship; Greece does not collect data on ethnicityLanguagesGreek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%major-language sample(s): Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.Greek audio sample:ReligionsGreek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est.)Age structure0-14 years: 14.02% (male 758,311/female 713,794)15-64 years: 62.66% (male 3,285,484/female 3,292,524)65 years and over: 23.31% (2023 est.) (male 1,086,188/female 1,361,294)2023 population pyramid:Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 57.7youth dependency ratio: 22.2elderly dependency ratio: 35.5potential support ratio: 2.8 (2021 est.)Median agetotal: 46.2 years (2023 est.)male: 44.3 yearsfemale: 47.9 yearscomparison ranking: total 10Population growth rate-0.35% (2023 est.)comparison ranking: 215Birth rate7.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)comparison ranking: 219Death rate12 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)comparison ranking: 18Net migration rate1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)comparison ranking: 68Population distributionone-third of the population lives in and around metropolitan Athens; the remainder of the country has moderate population density mixed with sizeable urban clustersUrbanizationurban population: 80.7% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization: 0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030Major urban areas - population3.154 million ATHENS (capital), 815,000 Thessaloniki (2023)Sex ratioat birth: 1.07 male(s)/female0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)Mother's mean age at first birth30.7 years (2020 est.)Maternal mortality ratio8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)comparison ranking: 149Infant mortality ratetotal: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)male: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live birthscomparison ranking: total 195Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 81.7 years (2023 est.)male: 79.2 yearsfemale: 84.4 yearscomparison ranking: total population 40Total fertility rate1.4 children born/woman (2023 est.)comparison ranking: 210Gross reproduction rate0.68 (2023 est.)Contraceptive prevalence rateNADrinking water sourceimproved: urban: 100% of populationrural: 100% of populationtotal: 100% of populationunimproved: urban: 0% of populationrural: 0% of populationtotal: 0% of population (2020 est.)Current health expenditure9.5% of GDP (2020)Physicians density6.31 physicians/1,000 population (2019)Hospital bed density4.2 beds/1,000 population (2018)Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 100% of populationrural: 100% of populationtotal: 100% of populationunimproved: urban: 0% of populationrural: 0% of populationtotal: 0% of population (2020 est.)Obesity - adult prevalence rate24.9% (2016)comparison ranking: 54Alcohol consumption per capitatotal: 6.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)beer: 2.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)wine: 2.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)spirits: 1.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)other alcohols: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)comparison ranking: total 66Tobacco usetotal: 33.5% (2020 est.)male: 36.5% (2020 est.)female: 30.5% (2020 est.)comparison ranking: total 18Children under the age of 5 years underweightNACurrently married women (ages 15-49)54.1% (2023 est.)Education expenditures4.4% of GDP (2020 est.)comparison ranking: 103Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 97.9%male: 98.5%female: 97.4% (2018)School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 20 yearsmale: 20 yearsfemale: 20 years (2020)EnvironmentEnvironment - current issuesair pollution; air emissions from transport and electricity power stations; water pollution; degradation of coastal zones; loss of biodiversity in terrestrial and marine ecosystems; increasing municipal and industrial wasteEnvironment - international agreementsparty to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic CompoundsClimatetemperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summersLand useagricultural land: 63.4% (2018 est.)arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)permanent crops: 8.9% (2018 est.)permanent pasture: 34.8% (2018 est.)forest: 30.5% (2018 est.)other: 6.1% (2018 est.)Urbanizationurban population: 80.7% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization: 0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030Revenue from forest resources0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)comparison ranking: 149Revenue from coal0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)comparison ranking: 32Air pollutantsparticulate matter emissions: 14.62 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)carbon dioxide emissions: 62.43 megatons (2016 est.)methane emissions: 9.8 megatons (2020 est.)Waste and recyclingmunicipal solid waste generated annually: 5,477,424 tons (2014 est.)municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,040,711 tons (2014 est.)percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 19% (2014 est.)Total water withdrawalmunicipal: 1.69 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)industrial: 330 million cubic meters (2020 est.)agricultural: 8.11 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)Total renewable water resources68.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)Geoparkstotal global geoparks and regional networks: 8global geoparks and regional networks: Chelmos Vouraikos; Grevena - Kozani; Kefalonia-Ithaca; Lavreotiki;  Lesvos Island; Psiloritis; Sitia; Vikos - Aoos (2023)GovernmentCountry nameconventional long form: Hellenic Republicconventional short form: Greecelocal long form: Elliniki Dimokratialocal short form: Ellas or Elladaformer: Hellenic State, Kingdom of Greeceetymology: the English name derives from the Roman (Latin) designation "Graecia," meaning "Land of the Greeks"; the Greeks call their country "Hellas" or "Ellada"Government typeparliamentary republicCapitalname: Athensgeographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 Etime difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in Octoberetymology: Athens is the oldest European capital city; according to tradition, the city is named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom; in actuality, the appellation probably derives from a lost name in a pre-Hellenic languageAdministrative divisions13 regions (perifereies, singular - perifereia) and 1 autonomous monastic state* (aftonomi monastiki politeia); Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki (East Macedonia and Thrace), Attiki (Attica), Dytiki Ellada (West Greece), Dytiki Makedonia (West Macedonia), Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands), Ipeiros (Epirus), Kentriki Makedonia (Central Macedonia), Kriti (Crete), Notio Aigaio (South Aegean), Peloponnisos (Peloponnese), Sterea Ellada (Central Greece), Thessalia (Thessaly), Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)Independence3 February 1830 (from the Ottoman Empire); note - 25 March 1821, outbreak of the national revolt against the Ottomans; 3 February 1830, signing of the London Protocol recognizing Greek independence by Great Britain, France, and RussiaNational holidayIndependence Day, 25 March (1821)Constitutionhistory: many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975amendments: proposed by at least 50 members of Parliament and agreed by three-fifths majority vote in two separate ballots at least 30 days apart; passage requires absolute majority vote by the next elected Parliament; entry into force finalized through a "special parliamentary resolution"; articles on human rights and freedoms and the form of government cannot be amended; amended 1986, 2001, 2008, 2019Legal systemcivil legal system based on Roman lawInternational law organization participationaccepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdictionCitizenshipcitizenship by birth: nocitizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Greecedual citizenship recognized: yesresidency requirement for naturalization: 10 yearsSuffrage17 years of age; universal and compulsoryExecutive branchchief of state: President Ekaterini SAKELLAROPOULOU (since 13 March 2020)head of government: Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 26 June 2023)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime ministerelections/appointments: president elected by Hellenic Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 January 2020 (next to be held by February 2025); president appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Hellenic Parliamentelection results: 2020: Katerina SAKELLAROPOULOU (independent) elected president by Parliament - 261 of 300 votes; note - SAKELLAROPOULOU is Greece's first woman president2015: Prokopis PAVLOPOULOS (ND) elected president by Parliament - 233 of 300 votesLegislative branchdescription: unicameral Hellenic Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; 280 members in multi-seat and single-seat constituencies and 15 members - including 3 seats for Greek diaspora - in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by open party-list proportional representation vote; members serve up to 4 years);  note - only parties surpassing a 3% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups but can retain that status if the party participated in the last election and received the minimum 3% thresholdelections: last held on 25 June 2023 (next to be held in 2027)election results: percent of vote by party - ND 40.6%, SYRIZA-PS 17.8%, PASOK-KINAL 11.9%, KKE 7.7%, Spartans 4.6%, Greek Solution 4.4%, NIKI 3.7%, Course of Freedom 3.2%, other 6.1%; seats by party - ND 158, SYRIZA-PS 48, PASOK-KINAL 32, KKE 20, Spartans 12, Greek Solution 12, NIKI 10, Course of Freedom 8; composition - men NA, women NA, percent of women NA%Judicial branchhighest court(s): Supreme Civil and Criminal Court or Areios Pagos (consists of 56 judges, including the court presidents); Council of State (supreme administrative court) (consists of the president, 7 vice presidents, 42 privy councilors, 48 associate councilors and 50 reporting judges, organized into six 5- and 7-member chambers; Court of Audit (government audit and enforcement) consists of the president, 5 vice presidents, 20 councilors, and 90 associate and reporting judgesjudge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by presidential decree on the advice of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which includes the president of the Supreme Court, other judges, and the prosecutor of the Supreme Court; judges appointed for life following a 2-year probationary period; Council of State president appointed by the Greek Cabinet to serve a 4-year term; other judge appointments and tenure NA; Court of Audit president appointed by decree of the president of the republic on the advice of the SJC; court president serves a 4-year term or until age 67; tenure of vice presidents, councilors, and judges NAsubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal and Courts of First Instance (district courts)Political parties and leadersCoalition of the Radical Left-Progressive Alliance or SYRIZA-PS [Stefanos KASSELAKIS]Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Dimitrios KOUTSOUMBAS]Course of Freedom [Zoe KONSTANTOPOULOU]Democratic Patriotic Movement-Victory or NIKI [Dimitris NATSIOS]Greek Solution [Kyriakos VELOPOULOS]New Democracy or ND [Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS]PASOK - Movement for Change or PASOK-KINAL [Nikolaos (Nikos) ANDROULAKIS]Spartans [Vassilis STIGAS]International organization participationAustralia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZCDiplomatic representation in the USchief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Theodoros BIZAKIS (since 22 September 2023)chancery: 2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324email address and website: gremb.was@mfa.grhttps://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/the-embassy/consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa (FL), San Franciscoconsulate(s): Atlanta, HoustonDiplomatic representation from the USchief of mission: Ambassador George James TSUNIS (since 10 May 2022)embassy: 91 Vasillisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athensmailing address: 7100 Athens Place, Washington DC  20521-7100telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951FAX: [30] (210) 724-5313email address and website: athensamericancitizenservices@state.govhttps://gr.usembassy.gov/consulate(s) general: ThessalonikiFlag descriptionnine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue square bearing a white cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country; there is no agreed upon meaning for the nine stripes or for the colorsnote: Greek legislation states that the flag colors are cyan and white, but cyan can mean "blue" in Greek, so the exact shade of blue has never been set and has varied from a light to a dark blue over time; in general, the hue of blue normally encountered is a form of azureNational symbol(s)Greek cross (white cross on blue field, arms equal length); national colors: blue, whiteNational anthemname: "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)lyrics/music: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROSnote: adopted 1864; the anthem is based on a 158-stanza poem by the same name, which was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottomans (only the first two stanzas are used); Cyprus also uses "Hymn to Liberty" as its anthemNational heritagetotal World Heritage Sites: 19 (17 cultural, 2 mixed)selected World Heritage Site locales: Acropolis, Athens (c); Archaeological site of Delphi (c); Meteora (m); Medieval City of Rhodes (c); Archaeological site of Olympia (c); Archaeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns (c); Old Town of Corfu (c); Mount Athos (m); Delos (c); Archaeological Site of Philippi (c)EconomyEconomic overviewtourism- and shipping-based EU economy; clientelism economic culture and systemic corruption; new structural reforms for fiscal solvency; high public debts and unemployment; increasing Chinese port control; oil and gas disputes with TurkeyReal GDP (purchasing power parity)$314.427 billion (2021 est.)$289.97 billion (2020 est.)$318.662 billion (2019 est.)note: data are in 2017 dollarscomparison ranking: 55Real GDP growth rate8.43% (2021 est.)-9% (2020 est.)1.88% (2019 est.)comparison ranking: 37Real GDP per capita$29,500 (2021 est.)$27,100 (2020 est.)$29,700 (2019 est.)note: data are in 2017 dollarscomparison ranking: 72GDP (official exchange rate)$209.79 billion (2019 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices)1.22% (2021 est.)-1.25% (2020 est.)0.25% (2019 est.)comparison ranking: 35Credit ratingsFitch rating: BB (2020)Moody's rating: Ba3 (2020)Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2019)note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.GDP - composition, by sector of originagriculture: 4.1% (2017 est.)industry: 16.9% (2017 est.)services: 79.1% (2017 est.)comparison rankings: services 34; industry 171; agriculture 136GDP - composition, by end usehousehold consumption: 69.6% (2017 est.)government consumption: 20.1% (2017 est.)investment in fixed capital: 12.5% (2017 est.)investment in inventories: -1% (2017 est.)exports of goods and services: 33.4% (2017 est.)imports of goods and services: -34.7% (2017 est.)Agricultural productsmaize, olives, wheat, milk, peaches/nectarines, oranges, tomatoes, grapes, milk, potatoesIndustriestourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleumIndustrial production growth rate10.67% (2021 est.)comparison ranking: 25Labor force4.619 million (2021 est.)comparison ranking: 91Unemployment rate14.8% (2021 est.)16.3% (2020 est.)17.31% (2019 est.)comparison ranking: 193Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)total: 36.9% (2021 est.)male: 33.5%female: 41.5%comparison ranking: total 21Population below poverty line17.9% (2018 est.)Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income33.1 (2019 est.)comparison ranking: 122Average household expenditureson food: 17.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)on alcohol and tobacco: 4.9% of household expenditures (2018 est.)Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: 1.7%highest 10%: 26.7% (2015 est.)Remittances0.32% of GDP (2021 est.)0.32% of GDP (2020 est.)0.33% of GDP (2019 est.)Budgetrevenues: $98.523 billion (2019 est.)expenditures: $97.277 billion (2019 est.)Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)0.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)comparison ranking: 35Public debt252.29% of GDP (2020 est.)212.38% of GDP (2019 est.)208.84% of GDP (2018 est.)comparison ranking: 1Taxes and other revenues24.74% (of GDP) (2020 est.)comparison ranking: 51Fiscal yearcalendar yearCurrent account balance-$13.858 billion (2021 est.)-$12.413 billion (2020 est.)-$3.112 billion (2019 est.)comparison ranking: 199Exports$87.521 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars$59.022 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars$81.184 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollarscomparison ranking: 48Exports - partnersItaly 10%, Germany 7%, Turkey 5%, Cyprus 5%, Bulgaria 5% (2019)Exports - commoditiesrefined petroleum, packaged medicines, aluminum plating, cotton, cheese, copper piping (2021)Imports$103.532 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars$71.758 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars$83.192 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollarscomparison ranking: 45Imports - partnersGermany 11%, China 9%, Italy 8%, Iraq 7%, Russia 6%, Netherlands 5% (2019)Imports - commoditiescrude petroleum, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, cars, ships (2019)Reserves of foreign exchange and gold$14.447 billion (31 December 2021 est.)$11.931 billion (31 December 2020 est.)$8.507 billion (31 December 2019 est.)comparison ranking: 74Debt - external$484.888 billion (2019 est.)$478.646 billion (2018 est.)comparison ranking: 25Exchange rateseuros (EUR) per US dollar -Exchange rates:0.845 (2021 est.)0.876 (2020 est.)0.893 (2019 est.)0.847 (2018 est.)0.885 (2017 est.)EnergyElectricity accesselectrification - total population: 100% (2021)Electricityinstalled generating capacity: 21.545 million kW (2020 est.)consumption: 46.18 billion kWh (2020 est.)exports: 967 million kWh (2020 est.)imports: 9.831 billion kWh (2020 est.)transmission/distribution losses: 3.256 billion kWh (2020 est.)comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 151; imports 25; exports 63; consumption 54; installed generating capacity 45Electricity generation sourcesfossil fuels: 56.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)solar: 10.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)wind: 23% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)hydroelectricity: 8.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)biomass and waste: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)Coalproduction: 13.851 million metric tons (2020 est.)consumption: 13.828 million metric tons (2020 est.)exports: 7,000 metric tons (2020 est.)imports: 305,000 metric tons (2020 est.)proven reserves: 2.876 billion metric tons (2019 est.)Petroleumtotal petroleum production: 4,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)refined petroleum consumption: 309,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)crude oil and lease condensate exports: 4,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)crude oil and lease condensate imports: 491,300 bbl/day (2018 est.)crude oil estimated reserves: 10 million barrels (2021 est.)Refined petroleum products - production655,400 bbl/day (2017 est.)comparison ranking: 28Refined petroleum products - exports371,900 bbl/day (2017 est.)comparison ranking: 22Refined petroleum products - imports192,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)comparison ranking: 35Natural gasproduction: 5.748 million cubic meters (2019 est.)consumption: 5,831,987,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)exports: 33.244 million cubic meters (2020 est.)imports: 5,219,409,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)proven reserves: 991 million cubic meters (2021 est.)Carbon dioxide emissions70.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)from coal and metallurgical coke: 13.404 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)from petroleum and other liquids: 46.401 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)from consumed natural gas: 10.358 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)comparison ranking: total emissions 50Energy consumption per capita108.022 million Btu/person (2019 est.)comparison ranking: 51CommunicationsTelephones - fixed linestotal subscriptions: 4,907,123 (2022 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2021 est.)comparison ranking: total subscriptions 29Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 11,494,008 (2021 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2021 est.)comparison ranking: total subscriptions 86Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment: Greece’s telecom market is susceptible to the country’s volatile economy, and, as a result, revenue among the key networks has been variable; broadband subscriptions in Greece are developing steadily; the main networks are concentrating investment on fiber-based next generation networks, enabling them to reach the European broadband targets for 2025; their work is also supported by government ultra-fast broadband projects, largely funded by the EC and aimed at delivering a service of at least 100Mb/s to under served areas; Greece’s well-developed mobile market is dominated by the three MNOs; Networks continue to invest in LTE infrastructure and technologies to provide networks capable of meeting customer demand for data services; after extensive trials of 5G, the MNOs were able to launch commercial services in early 2021 following the December 2020 allocation of frequencies in a range of bands; the rapid rollout of 5G encouraged the shut down of the 3G network (a process expected to be completed by the end of 2021) and reallocate for LTE and 5G. (2023)domestic: 47 per 100 subscribers for fixed-line and 110 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2021)international: country code - 30; landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-3, Adria-1, Italy-Greece 1, OTEGLOBE, MedNautilus Submarine System, Aphrodite 2, AAE-1 and Silphium optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Asia and Australia;  tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat - Indian Ocean region) (2019)Broadcast mediabroadcast media dominated by the private sector; roughly 150 private TV channels, about 10 of which broadcast nationwide; 1 government-owned terrestrial TV channel with national coverage; 3 privately owned satellite channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV services available; upwards of 1,500 radio stations, all of them privately owned; government-owned broadcaster has 2 national radio stationsInternet country code.grInternet userstotal: 7.8 million (2021 est.)percent of population: 78% (2021 est.)comparison ranking: total 78Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 4,257,026 (2020 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 41 (2020 est.)comparison ranking: total 35TransportationNational air transport systemnumber of registered air carriers: 11 (2020)inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 97annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 15,125,933 (2018)annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 21.91 million (2018) mt-kmCivil aircraft registration country code prefixSXAirports81 (2024)comparison ranking: 66Heliports51 (2024)Pipelines1,466 km gas, 94 km oil (2013)Railwaystotal: 2,345 km (2020) 731 km electrifiedcomparison ranking: total 67Roadwaystotal: 117,000 km (2018)comparison ranking: total 43Waterways6 km (2012) (the 6-km-long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km)comparison ranking: 117Merchant marinetotal: 1,215 (2023)by type: bulk carrier 132, container ship 4, general cargo 79, oil tanker 299, other 701comparison ranking: total 20Ports and terminalsmajor seaport(s): Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessalonikioil terminal(s): Agioi Theodoroicontainer port(s) (TEUs): Piraeus (5,311,810) (2021)LNG terminal(s) (import): RevithoussaMilitary and SecurityMilitary and security forcesHellenic Armed Forces: Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES; includes National Guard), Hellenic Navy (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA; includes air defense) (2024)note 1: the police (under the Ministry of Citizen Protection) and the armed forces (Ministry of National Defense) share law enforcement duties in certain border areas; the Greek Coast Guard is under the Ministry of Shipping Affairs and Island Policynote 2: the National Guard was established in 1982 as an official part of the Army to help protect Greece and provide reinforcements and support to the Army in peacetime and in times of mobilization and war; members undergo weekly training run by the Army, which also provides weapons and ammunitionMilitary expenditures3% of GDP (2023 est.)3.9% of GDP (2022 est.)3.7% of GDP (2021)2.9% of GDP (2020)2.5% of GDP (2019)comparison ranking: 31Military and security service personnel strengthsapproximately 120,000 active-duty personnel (85,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 20,000 Air Force); approximately 35,000 National Guard (2023)Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe military's inventory consists of a mix of imported weapons from Europe and the US, as well as a limited number of domestically produced systems; in recent years, France, Germany, and the US have been the top suppliers; Greece's defense industry is capable of producing a range of military hardware, including naval vessels and associated subsystems (2023)note: Greece is in the midst of a significant military modernization program which includes acquisitions of fighter aircraft and naval ships from France and armored vehicles and tanks from Germany; it has also boosted purchases of US equipment, including fighter aircraft upgrades, helicopters, and naval patrol craftMilitary service age and obligation19-45 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 12-month obligation for all services (note - as an exception, the duration of the full military service is 9 instead of 12 months if conscripts, after the initial training, serve the entire remaining time in certain areas of the eastern borders, in Cyprus, or in certain military units); 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2023)note 1: compulsory service applies to any individual whom the Greek authorities consider to be Greek, regardless of whether the individual considers himself Greek, has a foreign citizenship and passport, or was born or lives outside of Greece; Greek citizens living permanently outside of Greece have the right to postpone their conscription; they are permanently exempted from their military obligations when they reach the age of 45 years oldnote 2: up to 50% of the Greek military is comprised of conscriptsnote 3: as of 2020, women comprised approximately 16% of the military's full-time personnelMilitary deploymentsapproximately 1,000 Cyprus; 100 Kosovo (NATO); 140 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2023)Military - notethe Hellenic Armed Forces (HAF) are responsible for protecting Greece’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; the HAF also maintains a presence on Cyprus (the Hellenic Force in Cyprus or ELDYK) to assist and support the Cypriot National Guard; as a member of the EU, NATO, and other international organizations, the HAF participates in multinational peacekeeping and other security missions abroad, taking a particular interest in missions occurring in the near regions, such as the Balkans, the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, the Middle East, and North Africa; areas of focus for the HAF include instability in the Balkans, territorial disputes with Turkey, and support to European security through the EU and NATOGreece’s NATO membership is a key component of its security; it became a NATO member in 1952 and occupies a strategic location in the Eastern Mediterranean on NATO’s southern flank; Greece is host to several NATO facilities, including the Deployable Corps Greece (NDC-GR) headquarters in Thessaloniki, the Combined Air Operations Center in Larissa, the Multinational Peace Support Operations Training Center in Kilkis, the Multinational Sealift Coordination Center in Athens, and the Naval Base, Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre, and NATO Missile Firing Installation at Souda, Crete the Hellenic Army (established 1828) consists of the Active Army, the National Guard, the High Readiness Army Reserves, and the Reserves; the active Army has an army and several corps-level command formations, including a command for the Aegean Islands, a corps in Thrace to guard the Greco-Turkish land border, and the NDC-GR; there are several divisional headquarters and about 20 combat brigades, which include air mobile, airborne, amphibious, armored, helicopter aviation, infantry, and mechanized forces; National Guard units are organized into divisional and brigade-sized commands and typically based in border regions, both on the mainland and on some of Greece’s islandsalso established in 1828, the Navy’s missions include naval presence operations, the protection of Greek sovereign rights, such as the continental shelf, EEZ, and Greek-owned shipping, the security of Greece’s sea lines of communication, and power projection; it has separate commands for frigates, patrol ships, mine warfare, submarines, the Aegean Sea, surveillance, amphibious, aviation, and special operations; its principal warships include 13 frigates and 10 attack submarines, which are supplemented by fast-attack and patrol vessels of varying size and capabilitiesthe Air Force, established in 1911, is organized into wings, squadrons, and groups and has nearly 200 combat aircraft of French and US origin, plus early warning, maritime patrol, reconnaissance, tanker, and transport aircraft, as well as helicopters; it also has air and missile defense units (2023)SpaceSpace agency/agenciesHellenic Space Center (HSC; aka Hellenic Space Agency; established 2018) (2023)Space program overviewhas a relatively new and growing space program focused on building and operating satellites; also researches and develops technologies in a variety of other space sectors, including such areas as remote sensing (RS), telecommunications, defense, environmental studies, and agricultural development; as a member of the European Space Agency (ESA), it contributes to, participates in, and benefits from ESA capabilities and programs; cooperates with space agencies and commercial space sectors of ESA and EU member states, as well as the US; has a robust commercial space sector that researches, develops, and produces a variety of space technologies and capabilities, including satellite components, electronics, sensors, and communications (2023)note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix STerrorismTerrorist group(s)Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Revolutionary Struggle; Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-TTransnational IssuesDisputes - internationalGreece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Greece has a security wall along a portion of its land border with Turkey to deter border crossings by migrants and has announced intentions to extend the wall along the entire borderRefugees and internally displaced personsrefugees (country of origin): 41,594 (Syria), 33,549 (Afghanistan), 14,228 (Iraq), 6,366 (West Bank and Gaza) (mid-year 2022); 27,365 (Ukraine) (as of 31 December 2023)stateless persons: 4,488 (2022)note: 1,287,025 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-February 2024)Illicit drugsa gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis products and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crimeAgencyAbout CIALeadershipOrganizationMission and VisionCIA MuseumCareersCareer OpportunitiesHiring ProcessStudent ProgramsAccommodationsMyLINKResourcesNews & StoriesCenter for the Study of Intelligence (CSI)The World FactbookWorld LeadersThe Langley FilesSpy KidsHelpful LinksPartner with CIAPrepublication ReviewDiversity & InclusionFreedom of Information Act (FOIA)Frequently Asked QuestionsPrivacy PolicyReport InformationReport InformationContact CIAContact CIAConnect with CIAInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedInYouTubeFlickrTelegramSearch CIA.govSite PoliciesPrivacyNo FEAR ActECA NoticeInspector GeneralUSA.govSite

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The best Greece hotels – Where to stay in Greece

The best Greece hotels – Where to stay in Greece

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Top destinations for Greece city trips

Find hotels in some of the most popular cities in Greece

Firostefani

Scenery, Sunsets, Photography

21 hotels

Karterados

Tranquillity, Relaxation, Budget-friendly travel

12 hotels

Artemida

Relaxation, Budget-friendly travel, Sunny weather

2 hotels

Akrotiri

Tranquillity, Scenery, Relaxation

28 hotels

Platis Yialos Mykonos

Beaches, Relaxation, Sunbathing

22 hotels

Pirgos

Tranquillity, Relaxation, Scenery

11 hotels

Delfoi

Archaeology, Ancient landmarks, Scenery

29 hotels

Olympia

Archaeology, Ancient landmarks, Museums

14 hotels

Paradise Beach

Nightlife, Beaches, Clubbing

5 hotels

Spáta

Friendly locals, Adventure, Tranquillity

2 hotels

Hotels in the most popular regions in Greece

Discover Greece by exploring its top regions

Santorini

1770 hotels

Mykonos

1455 hotels

Thasos

1338 hotels

Crete

10010 hotels

Corfu

4213 hotels

Halkidiki

4348 hotels

Zakynthos

1876 hotels

Lefkada

1467 hotels

Kos

423 hotels

Kefalonia

1891 hotels

Skiathos

486 hotels

Rhodes

2265 hotels

Trikala Korinthias

77 hotels

Pelion

1070 hotels

Paros

1120 hotels

Kaimaktsalan

95 hotels

Naxos

1080 hotels

Chania

4256 hotels

Milos

469 hotels

Ios

166 hotels

Hotels in Greece near popular landmarks

Pick your point of interest and find a hotel nearby

Meteora, Kalabaka

19 hotels

Acropolis, Athens

202 hotels

Acropolis Museum, Athens

189 hotels

Ataturk Museum, Thessaloniki

46 hotels

Ermou Street-Shopping Area, Athens

206 hotels

Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens

205 hotels

Golden Hall, Athens

6 hotels

Loutra Pozar, Kato Loutraki

7 hotels

Syntagma Square, Athens

203 hotels

Heraklion Port, Heraklio Town

27 hotels

Explore and find hotels in Greece

Arguably one of the most history and heritage-rich countries in the world, Greece has a legacy few can match. It’s the birthplace of the Olympic Games, democracy and Western philosophy, as well as being home to more than 2,000 islands and over 14,000 km of coastline. Mainland Greece may not have the holiday appeal as the iconic archipelagos, but that’s not to say you should ignore to explore. Athens, the ancient capital, is home to stunning sights such as The Acropolis and Ancient Agora, while Thessaloniki caters for both nightlife and beachfront vibes. Picking just one Greek island to visit is pretty much impossible, so island-hopping trips are the way to go. Each offers something different, whether it’s food (Crete), nightlife (Kos, Corfu, Mykonos, Rhodes), dramatic views (Santorini) or beaches (Zakynthos).

Greek cuisine is second to none, with dishes include feta, fresh fish and anise-flavoured aperitif Ouzo served in every bar and restaurant. Accommodations of all kinds can be found throughout Greece, including beachside resorts, secluded villas and city-centre hotels.

Top picks for hotels in Greece

Try one of these popular and highly-rated Greece hotels

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NLH Mati Seafront - Neighborhood Lifestyle Hotels

Hotel in Mati

9.0

Superb

1,427 reviews

Facing the beachfront, NLH Mati Seafront - Neighborhood Lifestyle Hotels offers 4-star accommodation in Mati and has a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre and shared lounge.

We loved everything…bed was very comfortable with lovely linen.. shower was excellent.. size of room was perfect and also a delicious breakfast! Every single staff member we encountered were friendly and helpful

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Acropolis City Life BH

Hotel in Psiri, Athens

9.1

Superb

1,337 reviews

Well situated in the Athens City Centre district of Athens, Acropolis City Life BH is set 200 metres from Monastiraki Railway Station, 200 metres from Monastiraki Square and 500 metres from Roman...

My 2nd stay here, for sure won’t be the last. It is an absolutely lovely hotel at Monastiraki square area, surrounded by plenty of restaurants and bars. Staff is super professional, friendly, speaks a lots languages. Rooms are spotless clean, everyday changed the shifts snd towels! There is cattle machine with tea and coffee. Cozy, charm, modern rooms. The roof top-garden will be open soon… can’t wait to see it! I was upgraded to the suit on 5th floor due to AC issue in my room, which was a wonderful surprise for me, a sign how professional staff there is. The suit is super spacious, bright, modern. Beds are very comfortable. The balcony is large, fully equipment garden furnitures, the view to Acropolis is amazing especially at night! Quiet nights. Abundant breakfast every morning. The feelings that this hotel lefts are preciously… I love all! Thank you very much staff! See you!

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Kipos Boutique Suites

Hotel in Heraklio Town

9.3

Superb

1,550 reviews

Kipos Boutique Suites provides accommodation in Heraklio Town near Morosini Fountain and Municipal Art Gallery. With free WiFi, this 4-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk and a concierge service.

The bed was fantastic! The whole design, the space, super clean, super confortable. Its new and excellent. Also very close to the center so i can really recommend it!

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No 15 Ermou Hotel

Hotel in Thessaloniki City Centre, Thessaloniki

9.1

Superb

1,520 reviews

No 15 Ermou Hotel has a fitness centre, shared lounge, a restaurant and bar in Thessaloniki. This 5-star hotel features a spa experience, with its sauna and hammam.

Hotel room, location, friendless of the staff, cleanliness

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ON Residence

Hotel in Thessaloniki City Centre, Thessaloniki

9.6

Exceptional

1,427 reviews

ON Residence features a shared lounge, terrace, a restaurant and bar in Thessaloniki. This 5-star hotel offers room service, a 24-hour front desk and free WiFi.

Stunning location at the sea on the corniche. The checkin happened in the bar with a drink offered by the hotel while the hotel manager gave recommendations for our visit to Thessaloniki. Amazing breakfast with special egg options from the chefs. Absolutely a recommended place to stay on a city trip to Thessaloniki.

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The Residence Aiolou Suites & SPA

Hotel in Monastiraki, Athens

9.1

Superb

1,600 reviews

The Residence Aiolou Hotel & Spa is a newly introduced modern boutique hotel housed in two beautiful buildings.

Everything was perfect! Incredible welcome, incredible staff, available and attentive!

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The Port Square Hotel

Hotel in Piraeus City Centre, Piraeus

9.1

Superb

1,991 reviews

Boasting a bar, The Port Square Hotel is set in the centre of Piraeus, 2.1 km from Votsalakia Beach. This 4-star hotel offers a business centre and a concierge service.

Comfortable beds, good size room with fridge, bathroom with lovely hot water and good shower head. Friendly staff, restaurant is part of hotel with breakfast included and open for dinner as well.

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S Hotel Boutique Thessaloniki

Hotel in Thessaloniki City Centre, Thessaloniki

9.5

Exceptional

1,693 reviews

Located in Thessaloniki and with Aristotelous Square reachable within 300 metres, S Hotel Boutique Thessaloniki provides concierge services, allergy-free rooms, a restaurant, free WiFi throughout the...

the staff at check in at night shift and morning were exceptional, very helpful and professional.

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LUX&EASY Signature Syggrou 234

Hotel in Kallithea, Athens

9.1

Superb

1,214 reviews

Situated in Athens, 2.6 km from Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, LUX&EASY Signature Syggrou 234 features accommodation with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, private parking, a terrace and...

Really nice Hotel, new, completely untouched. Friendly personal, value for money. Very nice terrace with nice views! I recommend it

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NLH KERAMEIKOS - Neighborhood Lifestyle Hotels

Hotel in Psiri, Athens

9.0

Superb

1,625 reviews

Conveniently set in the centre of Athens, NLH KERAMEIKOS - Neighborhood Lifestyle Hotels provides air-conditioned rooms, a fitness centre, free WiFi and a terrace.

I loved the hotel in general, it's cozy and central. It's my second time to stay there. It's has a quite surrounding which helps get a goodnight sleep. The staff are extremely helpful and welcoming

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Most booked hotels in Greece in the past month

See all

President Hotel

4 stars

Hotel in Athens

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

8.1

Very good

5,356 reviews

Astor Hotel

4 stars

Hotel in Athens

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

8.3

Very good

3,643 reviews

Grand Hyatt Athens

5 stars

Hotel in Athens

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

8.8

Fabulous

557 reviews

Electra Palace Thessaloniki

5 stars

Hotel in Thessaloniki

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

9.0

Superb

5,852 reviews

The Stanley

4 stars

Hotel in Athens

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

8.4

Very good

8,960 reviews

Mandrino Hotel

3 stars

Hotel in Thessaloniki

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

8.2

Very good

5,950 reviews

Plaza Hotel, Philian Hotels and Resorts

3 stars

Hotel in Thessaloniki

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

8.3

Very good

4,666 reviews

Airotel Galaxy

4 stars

Hotel in Kavala

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

8.1

Very good

6,141 reviews

Electra Metropolis

5 stars

Hotel in Athens

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

9.1

Superb

7,163 reviews

NYX Esperia Palace Hotel Athens by Leonardo Hotels

5 stars

Hotel in Athens

Popular with guests booking hotels in Greece

8.8

Fabulous

890 reviews

Research, refine and make plans for your whole tripHotels on SantoriniEager to start planning your trip to Greece? Take a look at options in Santorini, popular with other visitors to the country.Hotels on CorfuStart planning your trip to Greece.Hotels on CreteStart planning your trip to Greece.Car hire near Elefthérios Venizélos AirportPick up your rental car as soon as you touch down.Car hire near Thessaloniki AirportPick up your rental car as soon as you touch down.Hotels in the United StatesStart planning your next trip.Hotels in FranceAlready thinking about your next trip? Take a look at some of the fantastic accommodation options in France to get you started!Hotels in TurkeyExtend your trip or start planning your next adventure.Hotels in BulgariaExtend your trip or start planning your next adventure.Show more

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