Greece is a European country with 11 million people and an important history dating back to ancient Greece. It was the birthplace of democracy and Western philosophy, with great thinkers like Plato and Aristotle. Greece has many historical monuments from ancient times, like the Parthenon in Athens. It is also the origin of the Olympic Games, which began in Olympia and have been held every four years for over 3000 years. The capital and largest city is Athens, and the official language is Greek. Beyond its cities, Greece has a mountainous landscape and many beautiful islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas.