Greece

Greece (Ελλάδα)  

A State in Southern Europe with a population of over 11.3 million people and an area - 131,957 square kilometers. Modern Greece - heiress culture of Ancient Greece, which is considered the cradle of Western civilization and birthplace of democracy and Western philosophy, basic principles of physical and mathematical sciences, theater and modern Olympic Games. Rich cultural heritage and geographical location make Greece one of the most visited countries in the world. Basic kinds of tourism in Greece - a pilgrimage, beach holiday, spa and wellness vacation, shopping tours, active leisure.

General information

The location, grounds and landscape 

Located on the Balkan Peninsula and numerous islands. It is washed by the Aegean and Thracian Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea in the west, in the south - the Mediterranean and the Cretan Sea. Has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria, to the north-east and east - with Turkey.

The country's territory is 131,957 км². Takes ninety-sixth place in the world by area.

Greek landscape - is the alternation of rocky, generally treeless mountains, densely populated valleys, numerous islands, straits and bays. Spectacular cliffs, beaches, exotic caves provide great opportunities for sea and mountain tourism. Widespread limestones, especially in the western part of the country, led to the formation of sinkholes, caves, giving the landscape a kind of wild look and attract fans to try their hand at caving. 

Mountain ranges occupy almost a quarter of the surface of the country. This is mainly medium mountains (up to 1200-1800 m). The highest point in Greece - Mount Olympus (2917 m). Above 2000 meters also raises Pind, Parnassus, a mountain range in central Greece and Taygetos. There are only few plains, concentrated in the eastern half of the country, with the exception of the Peloponnese, where plains prevail on the west coast.

Population: more than 10 million 750 thousand people. Occupies seventy-fifth in the world by population.

Capital: Athens (Greek. Αθήνα, population 655 thousand people).

Biggest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras.

Languages: the official language - Greek.

Religion: about 98% of the population are Orthodox Christians.

Time zone: UTC +2, in summer UTC +3.

Calling code: +30.

Currency: euro (EUR), 1 euro is equal to 100 cents. In circulation are banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros and coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.

Credit card payment systems: Visa, MasterCard, American Express.