GREECE

Physical geography

Greece is in the south-east of Europe in the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea where there are almost 6000 islands and islets. Bulgaria and Macedonia are to the north, Turkey to the east. 80% of Greece is mountainous. Olympus is the high point of the country (2917m).

An iconic place

The Parthenon, UNESCO World Heritage site, was built in 447 BC in Athens; it’s a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, protector of the city and goddess of war and wisdom. This huge monument was partly destroyed during the many wars and earthquakes. It's now being repaired, but the cost is too high.

An iconic object

The kombolói, “worry beads,” is a string of beads manipulated with the fingers of one hand, used to relax.

Something the country has done for the world

In Greek mythology, the Olympic Games were created by Heracles in Olympia after he had completed his 12 labours in honor of his father, Zeus. Historically, the first Olympic Games were launched in 776 BC by Iphitos, the king of Elide. Today, the Olympic Games are a major competition for athletes of the world.

Famous historical figure

Socrates was a Greek philosopher; he was one of the founders of Western philosophy. One of his famous sayings is: “I know that I don’t know very much!” Plato was one of his disciples.

Important living person

Alexis Tsipras, the new prime minister of Greece, is the president of Syriza, a left-wing political alliance.

History before 2000

Ancient Greece (birth of democracy in +/- 500 BC); Byzantine Greece (395 to 1453, the Crusades in 1204 and adherence to Orthodoxy); Greece in the Ottoman Empire (15^th to 19^th centuries); Independent Greece (1832 to 1944, Greece gained independence in 1832, but during this period the country was at war very often); 1944 to today, civil war between communists and royalists, membership to NATO and EU.

History after 2000

Because of the economic crisis started in 2009, relations between Greece and the EU have not been easy…

Human geography (demography, wealth distribution, social problems, etc.)

There are 10 million inhabitants. 67% of the population aged 25-67 have a high school diploma. Life expectancy is 81 years (one year older more than OCDE average). Greece’s results in the Better Life Index (www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org) are not good. One of its problems is lack of drinking water.

Language(s) and culture(s)

Modern Greek has been spoken in Greece since 1453. 98% are Greek Orthodox. Its culture is heavily influenced by Ancient Greece (ideas, architecture, etc.).

Politics, place in the EU, economy

The president of Greece is Prokopis Pavlopoulos, elected in May 2015. The economy in Greece has been in a state of crisis since 2009; unemployment continues to rise. Greece has been a member of the EU since 1981.

Youth

Life is hard for youth in Greece because of high unemployment. 

Blog post by Oceanne RAVET

Your guide to Greece below!

Let us to tell you the essentials about Greece, and what you should do and visit during your quick trip to this most beautiful country!

Pythagoras (you must have studied his theorem in Math class, right?) and Aristotle (in Physics class, his ideas are still used) were really clever people. For them, like all the Ancient Greeks, the Gods were important. For example, to have a good wedding, you had to obey many religious rules. The names of their gods are still famous: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, or Dionysus… There are plenty of famous ruined altars and temples dedicated to these gods you can visit.

Greece is also known for its mythology, in particular the extraordinary story of the hero Ulysses (thanks to the Iliad and the Odyssey). One of his best known adventures is the Trojan Wars during which the Greeks conquered Troy thanks to a big wood horse…

Two places which are really famous are Delphi and the Acropolis in Athens.

Delphi is in Phocis and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was very important from the 6^th to the 4^th century BC. It’s a sanctuary of the God Apollo where the Pithy transmitted enigmatic messages from Apollo to those who came to see her. Today, its story fascinates everyone. It is a really beautiful monument.

The Acropolis in Athens, with the famous Parthenon (cf. photo above) is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It forms the greatest architectural and artistic complex of the Ancient Greeks. It is one of the most visited places in the world. Though the centuries, lots of things have been placed in the Acropolis but lots of things have also been destroyed there because of wars. It is made up of lots of beautiful monuments like the Odeon of Herodotus Atticus theatre, still used today during the Epidaurus Festival. We often say that the Acropolis is more than a heritage site, it is truly a national treasure.

The Cyclades: There are three of the many islands of Greece that you really have to visit: Santorin, Paros and Amorgos, part of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea in the southeast of Greece (the Aegean archipelago has around 250 islands). We call them the Cyclades because they form a circle around the sacred island of Delos. The landscapes and the views are extraordinary, awesome, beautiful, wonderful... 

Santorin is the biggest and the more populated island of a group of four islands call the Santorin archipelago. It is very attractive for tourists. It will probably be the most amazing landscape you will ever see in your life! Fira is the beautiful capital. You absolutely have to go in this restful place with its little white houses with blue domes facing the azure sea under the sun. The narrow streets have many cute shops. If you saty in Santorin take a day trip to Thirassia to swim in the hot springs.

Paros is the third biggest island of the Cyclades. See the picturesque fishing harbours like the one at Naoussa. Relax on the long and beautiful beaches or take a meal with your friends in front of the sea during the night in one of the traditional restaurants. If you’ve never had a scuba-diving lesson, take one in Paros. The sea is totally clear and you will see all of the fishes, and turtles: totally amazing!

Amorgos is yet another beautiful island. You could sleep in little camp site near the sea without any canvas, under the stars and that’s magical. I really recommend the Aegiali camp site. You just sleep between the lemon trees and orange trees and the beach is close by. It is very comfortable. You can’t come to Amorgos without visiting the Chozoviotissa monastery which dominates the sea. This huge white building dates from the 11^th century and contains an icon of the virgin of  great value. The visit constitutes one of the strong moments of a visit to Amorgos. Under the monastery, the rocky creek of Agia Anna, in incredibly crystal-clear waters is irresistible.

What to eat in Greece?

Turkey has influenced Greece for a very long time, notably on cooking. Here is what you absolutely have to eat during your trip.

Starters

• Greek Salad (khoriatiki): tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, olive and feta
• Mélitzanosalata: eggplant salad (a lightly burnt taste indicates that it is not industrial).
• Tzatziki: yoghurt, cucumber and crushed garlic, olive oil and mint leaves
• Feta cheese: not only eaten in salad, it can be eaten coated with some sesame seeds and served with honey
• Octopus (khtapodhi): can be eaten as appetizers (mezedes)
• Mussels (mydhia)
• Squid (kalamaria): fried (most of the time) or roasted, the portions are generally more copious than those of the octopus and less expensive

Ready-made meals

• Moussaka: minced meat arranged in layers with eggplant, covered with a béchamel.
• Pastitsio: macaroni instead of eggplant
• Mélitzanès papoutsakia: eggplants stuffed with meat and browned
• Kolokithia tiganita: fried and sliced zucchinis
• Moussaka

Meats

• Souvlaki:  a long skewer of pork or beef
• Brizola: pork or beef chops
• Païdakia: lamb chops
• Bifteki: hamburger perfumed with herbs

Fish

• Glossa: sole
• Barbounia: red mullet
• Tsipourès: mullet
• Xifias: sword fish

Vegetarian meals

• Briam: ratatouille with tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and potatoes
• Imam baïldi:  eggplant, stuffed onions, tomatoes and herbs
• Yémista (orphana): stuffed tomatoes and peppers with rice

Pastries

• Rizogalo: rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon
• Halva: sesame cream
• Revani: spongy semolina pudding

This guide was written by

Eva SCIAUVAUD, Héloïse HOUDELOT & Juliette RICHARD