Greece is a country of Southeast Europe. Located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Greece is a passage open to changes and, at the same time, a country with a deep, rich and influential cultural basis. Greece is characterized by its contradictions as it combines mountainous landscapes with idyllic beaches. Eighty percent of Greece is mountainous, with Mount Olympus (the home of Gods) being the highest peak at 2,918 meters. Furthermore, Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km in length, featuring many islands, of which 227 are inhabited. Mythical and vibrant, Greek islands constitute the absolute destination for those who want to get a taste of the Greek culture and lifestyle.

Of course, the homeland of Socrates and Alexander the Great, also provides researchers from all over the world with the opportunity to discover the Greek spirit at its birthplace. Being the land where Western philosophy, Historiography, Mathematics, Theatre and the Olympic Games saw the light of the day, Greece is fairly considered the cradle of Western civilization.    

Concerning the country’s political status, Greece is a unitary parliamentary republic and a member of the European Union. The country has also been part of the Eurozone since 2001.

Basic facts

Official name: Hellenic Republic

Location: South Eastern Europe

Climate: Mediterranean

Area: 131,957 km²

Population: 10.7 million

Capital: Athens

Main cities: Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, Larissa, Volos

Official language: Greek

Languages widely spoken: English, French, German

National day: 25^th of March

Main religion: Christian Orthodox

Government:  Unitary Parliamentary Republic

Membership: European Union, Schengen Area, UN, WTO, OECD & NATO

Telephone country code: +30

Internet TLD: .gr

Time zone: GMT + 2 hours

Currency: Euro (€)

GDP (PPP): $31,616 per capita

Central Airports: Athens International Airport, Eleftherios Venizelos / Thessaloniki Airport

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece)