GREECE/HELLASName of country: Greece/HellasPeople: almost 11000000 Greek/Hellenes (46% men, 54% women) Size: 131.940 sq. km (land 99%, sea 1%) Language: Greek (Ellinika)Capital: Athens Highest mountain: Mt Olympus, 2917 m Borders to: Albania, F Y RO M, Bulgaria, TurkeyNatural resources: petroleum, marble, hydropower, magnetite, lignite, bauxite and gold.Natural hazards: earthquakes

3. History4. Olympics5. Great Greeks6. Islands7. Mainland8. Mount Athos9. Easter Traditions10. Leisure11.Economy

HISTORY

A brief outline of Greek history•Paleolithic period (120,000-10,000 B.C.)•Neolithic period (7,000 - 3,000 B.C.)•Bronze and Iron Age (3,000-1100 B.C.) •The Classic Period (5th-4th centuries BC )•Alexander the Great (356–323 BC)

•The Roman Period (146 B.C. - 330 AD) •The Byzantine Period ( 330 -1453 AD)•The Turkish Period (1453 – 1821)

•Revolution of 1821•Asia Minor Catastrophe (1922)

•World War II •Civil War (1944-49)•The Junta (1967-1974)•Cyprus occupation (1974-•Newest Democracy (1974-•European Union (1981)

•Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (2001-

OLYMPICSThe first Olympic Games were held in Greece in 776 BC and reached their height of popularity in 576 BC. The first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens on Easter Sunday, 5 April 1896.The 2004 Summer Olympic Games were also held in Athens with the motto Welcome Home.

Great Greeks

In a TV program produced andbroadcast by Greek Skai TV, based on a respective BBC show, Alexander the Great was voted as the Greatest Greek of all time, while Georgios Papanikolaou (pap test), was voted second. Other great Greeks in the list were: Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Pericles, Th. Kolokotronis, K. Karamanlis, E. Venizelos, I. Kapodistrias, M. Theodorakis, C. Caratheothori, Maria Kallas, C. Cavafis, Vangelis, D. Nanopoulos, Homer, A. Onassis, El Greco, etc.

IslandsSurrounded by the Aegean and the Ionian Sea, Greece has the 10th longest coastline in the world- 13,676 km. Greece is known for its large number of islands. There are over 6,000 islands and islets, 227 of which are inhabited. The islands are divided into seven groups or clusters (from north to south):The Aegean Islands, The Sporades, Evia , The Saronic Islands, The Cyclades (a group of 56 islands), The Dodecanese, Crete, and the Ionian Islands. Every island differs from the other for its unique beauty and charm. The largest Greek island by area is Crete, 260 km long. The second largest island is Evia, 150 km long. Peloponnese is not an island as it has been connected to the mainland by the small isthmus of Corinth land bridge.

MAINLANDMainland Greece comprises of Attica, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, and Central Greece, Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace.

The Rio-Antirrio bridge is a cable-stayed bridge crossing the Gulf of Corinth near Patras, linking the town of Rio on the Peloponnese to Antirrio on mainland Greece (picture 1)Athens International Airport El Venizelos is 25 to 30 Km outside Athens. Metro, tram, buses and taxis all serve the Venizelos. In the airport you can see a small museum on the second floor (picture 2).

MAINLANDAncient Theatre of Epidaurus (Peloponnese)Meteor a (Central Greece)Thessaloniki (Northern Greece)The Greek Parliament (Athens)

Mount Athos is situated in the third, eastern peninsula of Khalkidhiki, called the peninsula of Athos. It is the only place in Greece that is completely dedicated to prayer and worship of God. For this reason, it is called the Holy Mount. It is also a World Heritage Site.

The Holy Mount is a self- governed part of the Greek state, subject to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its political aspect and to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as regards its religious aspect. It has been divided into twenty self- governed territories. Each territory consists of a cardinal monastery and some other monastic establishments that surround it (cloisters, cells, cottages, seats, hermitages).

EASTER TRADITIONSThe Procession of the Epitaphios of Christ on Good Friday that has survived from Homeric times, mourns the death of Christ on the Cross

with the symbolic decorated coffin carried through the streets by the faithful.

The most traditional of Greek Easter foods is the whole lamb roasted over a charcoal fire. Served in honor of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed and rose again on Easter.

The dyed red Easter eggs that are found on the Resurrection Table become pieces of a traditional game. Each person takes an egg and challengers attempt to crack each others' eggs. The breaking of the eggs is meant to symbolize Christ breaking from the Tomb. The person whose egg lasts the longest is assured good luck for the rest of the year.

LEISUREAn Ouzeri is an eating and drinking place that specializes in serving Ouzo and a wide range of mezethes, the little plates of foods that accompany Ouzo, wines, and other spirits. Ouzo, the traditional Greek aperitif, is an anise-flavored spirit that is widely consumed in Greece. It is similar to pastis (France), sambuca (Italy), mastika (Chios), raki (Turkey), salmiakki (Finland) and arak (Middle East). It is consumed plain, with water added or ice cubes. Usually it is enjoyed with traditional delicacies such as fish, octopus and squid. Music . . . Dancing . . . Singing . . . The Greeks call it Kefi when the music is playing and you want to jump, dance and yell OPA!

ECONOMYThe shipping industry is a key element of Greek economic activity dating back to ancient times. Today,

shipping is one of the country's most important industries. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism, and forms the backbone of world shipping.

Greece attracts more than 16 million tourists each year, thus contributing 15% to the nation's Gross Domestic Product Economy. Greece has been an attraction for international visitors since antiquity for its rich and long history and more recently for its glorious Mediterranean coastline and beaches.

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