2. Greece (official name: Hellenic Republic) is a country of southeastern
Europe, located at the southernmost end of the Balkan peninsula.
3. Greece
• Capital: Athens
• Official language: Greek
• EU Member State: since 1 January 1981
• Currency: EUR
4. According to the 2021 census, its population is
10,432,481 inhabitants. It is bordered t by Albania,
North Macedonia and Bulgaria and by sea with Turkey.
Population- Borders
5. History
• Bronze Age
Excavations show that the first settlement
dates from the Palaeolithic era (11,000-
3,000 BC). During the second millennium
BC, Greece gave birth to the great stone
and bronze civilizations: the Minoans (2600-
1500 BC), the Mycenaeans (1500-1150 BC),
and the Cycladic civilization. These were
the first important civilizations in Greek
history but also in world history.
6. History
• The Classical Period (6th-4th century BC) is
very famous worldwide.
•
The peak of the classical period is the 5th
century BC when the foundations of western
civilization were created in Athens. This city-
state became the greatest naval power of
Greece at that time and developed all
domains of science and culture, including
mathematics, physics, philosophy,
architecture, music, drama, rhetoric, and
even a new regime called democracy.
It is not exaggerating to say that this period
changed the history of the world.
7. History
• Byzantine Period
While the Western Roman Empire was gradually conquered
by barbaric North-European tribes, the Eastern Roman
Empire with Constantinople (Byzantium) as its capital
developed and was turned into the Byzantine Empire which
lasted for about 1,000 years.
At this point in history, Christianity becomes the official
religion of the new empire, new territories are occupied
and new state laws are formed. These laws will later
constitute the first laws of the modern Greek state, as it
will be formed in the 19th century.
8. History
• Ottomans period and Independence war
n 1453 AD, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople and gradually the
rest of Greece, which had already partly been dominated by the Venetians
and the Knights of Saint John.
The country suffered a lot under the Ottoman occupation and frequent
rebellions would rise. As these revolutions were unorganized, they were all
suspended by the Ottoman army, until March 1821 when the Greek War of
Independence broke out. This year is a cornerstone of the history of the
country.
After many fights, massacres, and seizes, the country finally got its
freedom in 1829, when the first independent Greek state was formed and
Ioannis Kapodistrias, a Greek diplomat in the Russian courtyard, was set as
governor.
The first Greek state included Peloponnese, Sterea, and the Cyclades
islands.
9. History
• Twentieth century
In the early 20th century, Macedonia, Crete, and the Eastern Aegean
islands were also attached to the Greek state after the First World War.
This was the time when the figure of an important Greek politician was
raised, Eleftherios Venizelos, the most famous prime minister of modern
history. The year 1922 was troublesome for Greece as many Greek
refugees from Asia Minor came to the mainland, as part of a population
exchange with Turkey. Although at first, it was very difficult for refugees
to adapt to their new lives, they gradually contributed a lot to the
development of the country. During World War II, Greece resisted a lot of
the Axis forces, but eventually, most of the Greek territory was conquered
by the Germans and some parts by the Italians. After the Second World
War, the Dodecanese islands, which were still under Italian occupation
since the early 20th century, also became part of the Greek state. Three
decades of political turmoil followed, including a military junta from 1967
to 1974.
Since 1975, the regime of Greece is the Parliamentary Republic.
10. Historical Heritage
Greece has a rich
historical heritage, which
is reflected in the 18
UNESCO World Heritage
Sites located in its
territory.
12. Historical Heritage
Throughout its history it has
interacted culturally mainly with
peoples of the Middle East and
Europe. Ancient Greek civilization
is the cornerstone of Western
civilization· in ancient Greece, the
constitution of democracy, complex
philosophical thought, sporting
events such as the Olympic Games
and theatrical genres such as
drama, comedy and tragedy were
first established.
16. Nature
• The Greek countryside is rich in diversity; mountains, forests,
gorges, rivers, lakes, caves, volcanoes, lagoons, you name it! Its
landscape, mainly mountainous, is home to a large variety of
flora and fauna, making it ideal for travelling amongst the green
embrace of nature, with a wide range of experiences for you to
explore. It's no wonder that Greece remains a popular destination
for nature lovers from all around the world.
18. Greek islands
Greece has a multitude of
islands amounting to
2,500, depending on the
criteria for calculation,
with 165 to 227 of them
habitable. As such, it is
placed 11th in the ranking
of the countries with the
longest coastline, at
13,676 km.
19. Culture
• Music in Greece has a long history dating from ancient times, during
which poetry, dancing, and music were inseparable and played an
important part in ancient Greek everyday life and culture.
• Greek cuisine is famous for its impressively healthy products and the
amazing taste of its food and wines. Some dishes can be found across
Greece, whereas hundreds more are local culinary specialities.
• Many cultural events take place in Greece all year round. Particularly
famous is the Athens Epidaurus Greek Festival, with events in the
Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the Herodeion Theatre in Athens and
other venues.
