Greece has one of the most interesting cultural heritage in the world, and is often described as the cradle of civilization. The ancient cultural heritage, the sunny climate and the Greek archipelago with its whitewashed houses against a clear blue sea, attract half a million Swedes to Greece every year.
| Capital: | Athens |
| Biggest city: | Athens |
| State: | republic within the EU |
| Language: | Greek |
| Religion: | orthodox christian |
| Surface: | 131,940 km |
| Population: | 11.1 million (2013) |
| Population density: | 81 residents per km² |
| Life expectancy: | 80 years |
| Illiteracy: | 4% |
| Currency: | euro (EUR) 1 euro = 9.76 kr |
| GDP per capita: | $ 29,400 (2010) |
| Time difference: | +1 hour |
| Electricity: | 220 V AC, 50Hz |
| National Day: | March 25th |
| Country area code: | 30 |
| 2-Letter country abbreviation: | GR (See more abbreviations on Abbreviationfinder) |
| Business: | service sector 62%, industry 24%, agriculture 14% |
| Climate: | temperate; mild, humid winters and hot, dry summers |
Greece is located in southeastern Europe, and is slightly larger in area than Lapland. The combination of mainland, peninsula and thousands of islands has given Greece a special character. The country has a coastline of over 15,000 km, with thousands of bays and fjords.
There are over 2,000 islands here, but less than 170 of them are inhabited. The islands are divided into eight archipelagos spread over three different seas; Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea.
It was in Greece that the immortal philosophers and scientists of antiquity lived and worked in their day. It was also here that the first form of parliamentary democracy was created. This, together with a sunny climate and lots of beaches, has made tourism today one of Greece’s most important sources of income. It is estimated to account for a fifth of the country’s GDP and employ an equal share of the workforce.
Olympos is Greece’s highest mountain peak. In Greek mythology, Olympos is the home of the gods. It was here that Zeus and his brothers built their home after winning the war over the Titans.
The films “The Big Blue”, “Mamma Mia!”, “Patton”, “Bourne Identity” and the James Bond film “From a Deadly Perspective” are all largely shot in Greece.
WORLD HERITAGE
The following objects in Greece are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The year in which the item was added to the list is indicated in parentheses.
- Temple of Apollo at Bassae (1986)
- Acropolis of Athens (1987)
- Delphi Archaeological Site (1987)
- The medieval part of the city of Rhodes (1988)
- Meteora (1988)
- Athosberget (1988)
- The Byzantine monuments in Thessaloniki (1988)
- Epidaurus Archaeological Site (1988)
- Olympia Archaeological Site (1989)
- Mystras (1989)
- Delos Archaeological Site (1990)
- The monasteries of Dafni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni on Chios (1990)
- Pithagorio and Heraion on Samos (1992)
- The ancient site of Vergina, the first capital of Macedonia (1996)
- Archaeological sites Mycenae and Tiryns (1999)
- St. John’s Monastery and the Apocalypse Cave on the island of Patmos (1999)
- Old Town of Corfu Town (2007)
ELECTRICAL OUTLET
Electricity and electrical outlets in Greece
Voltage: 220 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Type of plug: C, E, F
Need an adapter: No, you do not need an adapter.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Weather in Athens
| Climate | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Christmas | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average temperature °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
| Day °C | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 23 | 18 | 14 |
| Night °C | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 40 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | 60 | 70 |
| Rainy days | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 |
| Soltim / day | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Athens
According to Countryaah, Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece with 4.2 million residents (2002). About 40 percent of the country’s population lives in the greater Athens area. The city grew incredibly much from World War II until 1980. As a result, there has been increased concern about overpopulation and air pollution, for which the city has also become famous in recent years. This is something the city is fighting hard against, and the state has spent a lot of money and energy to overcome the problems.
The most central part of Athens is Syntagma, the Constitution Square, where, among others, the Greek Parliament, Vouli ton Ellinon, is located. Syntagma is also one of the tourists’ favorite destinations, as it also offers a lot of cultural monuments. The area also has several museums, the ancient city of Plaka and Athens and the world’s most famous cliff, the Acropolis with the Parthenon at the top, as well as the Athens Agora, Areios Pagos, Pnyka, Theseion, the Temple of Olympus Zeus, the Herod Atticus Theater as well as the Dionysus Theater, the pan Athenian Stadium (marble stadium where the first Olympic Games in modern times were held in 1896), Zappeion, the National Garden and more.
The Syntagma metro station, in the middle of Syntagma Square, is adorned with finds from prehistoric, ancient and classical times from the site’s metro excavations, which gives the impression of a museum. The same applies to other metro stations in the central parts of Athens.
Corfu
Corfu is the capital of the Greek island of Corfu, located approximately in the middle of the island, on the east coast. The city’s biggest attraction is the old town, located between the old and new fort. Corfu municipality is the largest on the island with about 40,000 residents. It is an administrative, financial and commercial center. Within the city limits there are most services such as port, airport, museum, churches and much more.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloníki is Greece’s second largest city and the largest city in the Central Macedonia region. In addition to Greece’s other industrial, commercial, financial and cultural centers, the city is also the most important trade and transport hub of south-eastern Europe; this is especially true of the port of the city through which the majority of the supplies of the Balkan countries are transported. Thessaloniki is also one of the most important university cities in southern Europe with a large proportion of students.
The city is also home to a large number of ancient Christian and Byzantine monuments that in 1998 were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Most of the Byzantine churches are from the 300s and 700s, such as St. Demetrius Cathedral (built in 323 AD) and Hagia Sophia Church (built in the 300s). In 1997, Thessaloniki was the European Capital of Culture.