The document provides information about Greece, including: - The official language is Greek and the currency is the Euro. The capital is Athens, which has over 4 million people. - Popular tourist attractions in Greece include Santorini, the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, Mykonos, Meteora, Delphi Theatre, and beaches like Myrtos. - Greek culture has evolved over thousands of years and been influenced by various empires. Traditional Greek cuisine includes dishes like moussaka, souvlaki, feta cheese, baklava, and honey.

2. BASIC FACTS
 LANGUAGE - The official language of Greece is Greek,
spoken by 99% of the population. In addition, a number of
non-official, minority languages and some Greek dialects
are spoken as well. The most common foreign languages
learned by Greeks are English, German, French, Spanish,
and Italian.
 CURRENCY - Greece's monetary unit is the Euro

3.  CAPITAL - Athens - Capital of Greece
 Athens the capital city of Greece is one of the great cities
of the world, it is known as the cradle of western
civilization, the birthplace of democracy and no city on
earth can match Athens when it comes to history
and archaeological sites. The Greek capital has a
population of over 4 million people, which is over a third
of the population of Greece and the third largest city in
the EU.

4.  FLAG - The flag of Greece has nine horizontal stripes of blue
and white, alternating, with blue on the top and bottom. In the
canton is a white cross on a blue background. The nine stripes
of the Greek flag represent the syllables in the Greek saying,
“Freedom or Death” (Eleftheria i thanatos) and the nine letters
in the Greek word for “freedom” (eleftheria). Another theory for
the significance of the nine stripes is the traditional nine
Greek Muses.
The blue and white cross in the canton represents the Greek
religion, Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The exact shade of
blue used in the Greek flag has varied over history, but
recently is typically a deeper blue.
Blue and white have long been associated with Greece,
referencing the sky and sea and the nation's cultural heritage.
The colors may have been used to represent Greek gods and
goddesses, like Achilles and Athena. They may have also been
used during Byzantine and Ottoman rule.

5.  GOVERNMENT - Athens is the capital of Greece and has a
population of about 4.5 million people in the greater Athens
area. Greece is a small country with a total population of
about 10 million people.
The government of Greece is a parliamentary democracy. The
people elect 300 parliamentary deputies who form the
parliament which conducts the legislative duties of the
government. The political party which can collect 151 seats
or more in the parliament assumesthe duties of the
administration. The party president automaticaly becomes
Prime Minister and he then appoints people to become cabinet
ministers.
There is a President but he is not elected by the people. Instead,
he is elected by the parliamentary deputies for 5 year terms
at a time.

6. TRIVIA
 The world’s third leading producer of olives, the Greeks have
cultivated olive trees since ancient times. Some olive trees planted
in the thirteenth century are still producing olives.
 According to Greek mythology, Athena and Poseidon agreed that
whoever gave the city the best gift would become guardian over the
city. Though Poseidon gave the gift of water, Athena’s gift of an
olive tree was deemed by the other gods to be more valuable.f
 Thousands of English words come from the Greek language,
sometimes via the Roman adaptation into Latin and then to
English. Common English words from Greek include “academy,”
“apology,” “marathon,” “siren,” “alphabet,” and “typhoon.”b

7.  In Greece, the dead are always buried because the Greek
Orthodox Church forbids cremation. Five years after a burial,
the body is exhumed and the bones are first washed
with wine and then placed in an ossuary. This is done in
part to relieve the shortage of land in Greek cemeteries.
 Greece has more international airports than most countries
because so many foreign tourists want to visit.
 Continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years, Athens is one
of the oldest cities in Europe. It is also the birthplace of
democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games,
political science, Western literature, historiography, major
mathematical principles, and Western theories of tragedy
and comedy.g

8.  BY AIR -

9.  Transport in Greece has
undergone significant changes in
the past two decades, vastly
modernizing the country's
infrastructure. Although ferry
transport between islands
remains the prominent method
of transport between the
nation's islands, improvements
to the road infrastructure, rail,
urban transport, and airports
have all led to a vast
improvement in transportation.
These upgrades have played a
key role in supporting Greece's
economy, which in the past
decade has come to rely heavily
on the construction industry.

10.  All major islands in the sea
belong to Greece. They are
collectively referred to as
the Ionian Islands, the major
ones
being Corfu, Zakynthos, Keph
alonia, Ithaca, and Lefkada.
There are ferry routes
between Patras and Igoumeni
tsa, Greece,
and Brindisi and Ancona,
Italy, that cross the east and
north of the Ionian Sea, and
from Piraeus westward.

11.  Santorini- Santorini is a
volcanic island in the
Cyclades group of the Greek
islands. It is famous for its
dramatic views, stunning
sunsets, the white-washed
houses, and its very own
active volcano. Fira, the capital
of Santorini, is a marriage of
Venetian and Cycladic
architecture, whose white
cobblestone streets bustle with
shops, tavernas, hotels and
cafes, while clinging on the
edge of the 400 meter (1,300
ft) high cliffs.

12.  Parthenon, Acropolis - The
Parthenon on top of the
Acropolis is one of the most
famous Greece tourist
attractions and a visit
to Athens is not complete
without visiting this temple.
The construction of the
Parthenon started in 447
BC, replacing and older
temple that was destroyed
by the Persians, and
completed in 432 BC.
During its long life the
Parthenon has served as a
temple, fortress, a church, a
mosque and even as a
powder magazine.

13.  Mykonos - is famed as a
cosmopolitan destination
amongst the Greek islands
and widely recognized as
one of the best tourist
attractions in Greece.
Mykonos Town (Chora) is a
stunningly picturesque
Cycladic town with a maze
of tiny streets and
whitewashed steps lanes. It
is also known for its sandy
beaches and diverse and
intense nightlife as
evidenced by a vast number
of bars and nightclubs.

14.  Meteora - (“suspended in the
air”) in central Greece is a
collection of six monasteries
spectacular situated on top
of several rock pillars. The
first monastery
in Metéora was founded in
the 14th century. Access to
the monasteries was
deliberately difficult,
requiring either long
ladders or large nets used to
haul up both goods and
people. This required quite a
leap of faith – the ropes were
replaced only “when the
Lord let them break”.

15.  Delphi Theatre - In ancient
times Delphi was the most
important site in ancient
Greek religion, home to the
sanctuary and oracle of
Apollo. The ancient theatre
of Delphi was built on a hill
giving spectators a view of
the entire sanctuary and
the spectacular landscape
below. It was originally
built in the 4th and could
seat 5,000 spectators. Today
it is one of the top tourist
attractions in Greece.

16.  Myrtos Beach - Located in
the north-west of Kefalonia,
Myrtos Beach is world-
famous for the magical
colors of the water. The blue
and turquoise colors of the
sea contrast sharply with
the bright white of the
smooth marble pebbles of the
beach. The steep mountains
and tall cliffs behind
Myrtos beach only add to
its beauty. For all these
reasons Myrtos has
previously been voted 12
times as the best beach in
Greece.

17.  Samaria- The Samariá
Gorge is a 16 km (10
miles) long canyon in
southwest Crete. Walking
the Samariá Gorge is
extremely popular and more
than a quarter million
tourists do so each year. The
walk takes 4 to 7 hours
and passes through forests
of ancient cypresses and
pines, then cuts between
vertical cliffs through the
mountains to emerge at
Agia Roumeli on the
Libyan sea.

18.  Lindos- Lindos is a
medieval village on the
island of Rhodes that is
made up of a network of
cobbled streets amid
whitewashed houses.
Above the town rises the
acropolis of Lindos,
offering spectacular views
of the surrounding
harbors and coastline.
Lindos beach and Saint
Pauls beach are only a
short distance from the
town center.

19.  Mystras - Situated near
ancient Sparta, Mystras
served as the capital of the
Peloponnesus in the 14th
and 15th centuries, ruled
by relatives of the
Byzantine emperor. The
site remained inhabited
throughout the Ottoman
period but was abandoned
in 1832, leaving only the
breathtaking medieval
ruins, standing in a
beautiful landscape.

20.  Mount Athos - Mount Athos
is a mountain and a
peninsula in northern
Greece. The peninsula, the
easternmost “leg” of the
larger Halkidiki peninsula
houses some 1,400 monks
in 20 Eastern Orthodox
monasteries. An
autonomous state under
Greek sovereignty, entry
into Mount Athos is
strictly controlled and only
males are allowed entrance.

21.  UNIQUE CULTURE - The culture of Greece has
evolved over thousands of years, beginning in
Mycenaean Greece, continuing most notably
into Classical Greece, through the influence of the
Roman Empire and its successor the Byzantine
Empire. Other cultures and states such as the Persian
Empire, Latin and Frankish states, the Ottoman
Empire, the Venetian Republic, Genoese Republic,
and British Empire have also left their influence on
modern Greek culture, but historians credit the Greek
War of Independence with revitalising Greece and
giving birth to a single entity of its multi-faceted
culture.-

22.  In theancient Greek world, religion was
personal, direct, and present in all areas of
life. With formal rituals which included
animal sacrifices and libations, myths to
explain the origins of mankind and give
the gods a human face, temples which
dominated the urban
landscape, city festivals and national
sporting and artistic competitions,
religion was never far from the mind of
an ancient Greek. Whilst the individual
may have made up their own mind on the
degree of their religious belief and some
may have been completely sceptical,
certain fundamentals must have been
sufficiently widespread in order for Greek
government and society to function: the
gods existed, they could influence human
affairs, and they welcomed and responded
to acts of piety and worship.

23.  Orthodox Easter - Easter
is by far the biggest event
of the year, celebrated
everywhere with candlelit
street processions,
midnight fireworks and
spit-roasted lamb. Some
islands are renowned for
their unique Easter
festivities.

24.  Apokreas (Carnival
season)-
Some say that Carnival the
world over has its roots in
Greece’s ancient worship of
wild, wonderful Dionysus,
the god of winemaking,
fertility and theatre. Today,
Greece’s Carnival season is
related to the Greek
Orthodox religion, and
kicks off three weeks prior
to the fasting of Lent (from
mid-January to late
February or early March).

25.  Hellenic Festival -
Imagine the open, dark Greek
summer sky overhead and
the marble tiers of an
ancient Greek theatre filled
with a rapt audience
watching art in the
making. The most
prominent Greek summer
festival, the Hellenic
Festival features a top line-
up of local and
international music, dance
and drama.

26.  Navy Week
- Celebrating Greece’s long
relationship with the sea,
fishing villages and ports
throughout the country host
historical re-enactments
and parties in late June.
Navy Week
in Crete honours the
island’s maritime
tradition with music,
dancing, swimming and
sailing;

27.  August Moon Festival
Considered the brightest and
most beautiful moon of the
year, the August moon
inspires towns across
Greece to host special
nighttime events and
parties. In Athens,
stunning historical venues
such
as the Acropolis or Roman
Agora open for free moonlit
performances of theatre and
dance. Each year the
program changes, so check
locally when you arrive.

28.  Taramasalata - mainstay of
any Greek meal are classic
dips such as tzatziki (yogurt,
cucumber and
garlic), melitzanosalata (aube
rgine), and fava (creamy split
pea purée). But the
delectable taramasalata (fish
roe dip) is a must. This
creamy blend of pink or white
fish roe with either a potato or
bread base is best with a
drizzle of virgin olive oil or a
squeeze of lemon.

29.  Moussaka -
Variations on moussaka are
found throughout the
Mediterranean and
Balkans, but the iconic
Greek baked dish is based
on layering: sautéed
aubergine, minced meat
fried pureed tomato, onion,
garlic and spices like
cinnamon and allspice, a
bit of potato, and then a
final fluffy topping of
cheese and béchamel sauce.

30.  Grilled meat -
Greeks are master of
charcoal-grilled and spit-
roasted meats. Souvlaki
is still Greece’s favourite
fast food, both the gyros
and skewered meat
versions wrapped in pitta
bread, with tomato, onion
and lashings of tzatziki.
At the taverna, local free-
range lamb and pork
dominate, though kid
goat is also a favourite.

31.  Feta & cheeses -
When in Greece, be sure
to sample the vast array
of fresh cheeses. Ask
behind market counters
for feta kept in big
barrels, creamy and
delicious (nothing like
the one in plastic tubs in
markets outside of
Greece).

32.  Honey & baklava -
Greeks love their sweets,
often based on olive oil and
honey combinations, with
flaky filo pastry. The
classic baklava is a start,
layering honey, filo and
ground nuts. Or
try galaktoboureko, a
sinful custard-filled
pastry. Simply, pour a
lovely dollop of local thyme
honey over fresh Greek
yogurt.