Greece has a population of over 11 million people and is located in Southern Europe, bordering Turkey, Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. The government is a democracy led by a president and prime minister. Like many countries, Greece has struggled with economic issues in recent years including high unemployment and declining GDP. Greek culture is strongly influenced by its Orthodox Christian religion and is characterized by direct communication, strong emotions, and social dining. Popular recreational activities include nightclubs, festivals, and Mediterranean cuisine. Tourism is a major industry in Greece.

1. GREECE:
A Cultural Exploration
By Luke Guyant

2. Population:
• As of 2010, the country of Greece has an estimated population of
11,306,183 people.
Greek Land and Climate:
• Located in the Southern part of Europe, bordering Turkey,
Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. It also has a prominent
Mediterranean coastline.
• Greece’s climate is strongly influenced by its location along the
Mediterranean, with mildly warm temperatures and some rain.
The average temperature this time of year would be around
60 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Greek Government and Economy
• The government is set up as a democracy with a president head of
state, as well as a prime minister; Karolos Popoulias is the current
president, and and Lucas Papademis is the current minister.
• The Capitol of Greece is Athens
Popoulias Papademis

5. Greek Economy and Government (cont’d)
• Like the U.S. and other countries, Greece has faced a steady
economic downturn over the past few years. The recession has hit
the country extremely hard, with lack of employment, government
debt, and gross domestic product steadily dropping
• Greece’s current economic state has been a prominent global news
story

6. Communication Style, Presentation, and
Language
• Very direct communicators; lots of eye contact, standing physically
close to one’s listener, and flamboyant displays of emotion
• Strong emotions are seen as positive
• Greater focus is put on what is spoken versus text
• 99 percent of the language spoken is Greek; the other 1 percent is
English and French

7. Religion and Holidays
• The major religion of Greece, at 98 percent, is Greek Orthodox
• Greek Orthodox is a division of the Catholic Church that does not
recognize the Pope as its head
• Significant holidays in Greece include:
• Independence day (March 25 th)
• Christmas
• Easter

8. Work and Lifestyle
• A large amount of Greeks are involved in the flourishing tourism
business
• Greece has a very high unemployment rate
• Golf, skiing, sailing, fishing, and hunting are all popular forms of
Greek recreational activities
• Nightclubs and festivals are a large part of Greek life
• The Greek diet is substantiated by vegetables, fish, meat, and salads
• The “Mediterranean Diet” is not nearly as popular as it once was in
Greece, and Greek children are some of the most overweight in
Europe
• Greek dining etiquette includes sharing meals, eating with one’s
hands, and being social at mealtime

9. Travel in Greece
• Popular forms of transportation in Greece include:
• Flying (there are 44 airports in the country)
• Boats – All the Greek islands are connected by a ship system
• Train
• Buses
• A road system that has been upgraded and modernized

10. Education and Public Health
• The Greek education system is set up in three segments: primary,
secondary, and tertiary
• There are public and private schools, but no private universities (per
Greece’s constitution)
• Literacy rate of 97.8 percent
• Greece’s Public Healthcare system has been strongly affected by
the nation’s economic struggles; the government has made
significant healthcare cuts, limiting the supplies and effectiveness
of hospitals
• Other factors affecting Greece’s healthcare system are overworked
doctors, and the refusal of any payment form except cash from
patients

11. A Video Overview of the Beauty of Greece
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmDdxC_GgDw

12. Works Cited
• Text Sources:
• http://www.visitgreece.gr/
• http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp4
4rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie46bFNtqa3TbOk63nn5Kx95uXxjL6qrUmtqK5JsZazUrCruEqzls5l
pOrweezp33vy3%2b2G59q7T7Omt062qbc%2b6tfsf7vb7D7i2Lt5t96kjN%2fdu1nMnN%2bG
u66zTLSus0qynOSH8OPfjLvc84Tq6uOQ8gAA&hid=21
• http://greece.angloinfo.com/lifestyle/
• http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OUDHzzbdEFQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=
modern+greece&ots=jYCToSKXsX&sig=i2WJQrjlAt3BN6cL7s3Z04jNwU8
• http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp4
4rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie46a9Ir6y0S7Sk63nn5Kx95uXxjL6qrUmtqK5JsZazUq%2bsuEm2ls
5lpOrweezp33vy3%2b2G59q7Sbantkuzra5Pr5zqeezdu33snOJ6u97ogKTq33%2b7t8w%2b
3%2bS7T6%2btt0qyra4%2b5OXwhd%2fqu37z4uqM4%2b7y&hid=21
• http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Greek-Business-Communication-Style.html
• http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/world/europe/greeks-reeling-from-health-care-
cutbacks.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

13. Works Cited (Cont’d)
• Picture Sources: (in order of their appearances in the presentation)
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/The_Parthenon_in_Athe
ns.jpg/400px-The_Parthenon_in_Athens.jpg
• http://www.hellasnews.com/images/map/greece-map.gif
• https://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/1532190341/Screen_shot_2011-09-
06_at_9.15.51_PM.png
• http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4eb8fab56bb3f7f66800004d/lucas -
papademos.png
• http://www.globalresearch.ca/articlePictures/market2.gif
• http://www.dailyforex.com/files/Greece%20Financial%20Crisis_January%202012 -s.jpg
• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-
vM1spLgRokw/T2_S6FmwXWI/AAAAAAAAAEs/mGf6ACEN2EA/s1600/image.jpg
• http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/original700/greece-christmas-2009-12-11-14-11-12.jpg
• http://timsandell.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/dsc00220.jpg
• http://www.marjoriegraham.com/images/Crete2007_01_small.jpg
• http://www.greek-islands.us/athens/greece-train/greece-train.jpg