Category: Greece
Greece is situated in Southeastern Europe towards the southern end of Balkan Peninsula. Athens is the capital of Greece. The country is bordered by Albania, Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey. Greece is surrounded by Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea. Greece is considered as the birthplace of Western civilization, Olympic Games, Western Philosophy, Scientific principles, mathematical principles, Western literature, historiography, university education, Western drama and political science. Ottoman Empire conquered Greece in 1453. The War of Independence was fought against the Ottoman Turks from 1821-1829 and finally, complete independence of the country was recognized under London Protocol of 1830.
Greece is a republic with parliamentary system of government. President is the head of the state and government is headed by Prime Minister. Executive power is vested on the president and the legislative power is exercised by both government and Hellenic Parliament. Judiciary is independent to both executive and legislative powers which consist of 3 supreme courts such as Court of Cassation, Council of State and Court of Auditors. Greece is a developed country with advanced and high-income economy. Tourism sector is the main industry responsible for revenue and foreign earnings. Other major industries are shipping, food, chemicals, textiles, mining, petroleum and metal products.
Shipping industry is also an important sector responsible for the economic growth of Greece even in ancient times. Greece has a total population of 10.74 million. About 94% of the population is ethnic Greeks. About two-thirds of the population is from Balkan countries such as Albania, Romania and Bulgaria. About 10% of the population is the migrants from former USSR. Around 97% of the total population is Orthodox Christians. Other religions are Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Protestants and Jews. The official language of the country is Greek. Other languages spoken in the country are Bulgarian, Romani and Turkish.
Greece is a fascinating tourist spot with its glorious heritage, sandy beaches, archaeological sites, quaint villages, nightlife and shopping destinations. The capital city, Athens is a historic town with numerous places worth visiting. National Archeological Museum, Roman Agora, Tower of the Wind, The Temple of Olympian Zeus, Arch of Hadrian, The Ancient Agora and Acropolis Museum. Rhodes is an island of Greece located in Aegean Sea. The Old Town of Rhodes is declared as the World Heritage site by UNESCO. Some of the tourist spots at Rhodes are Mosque of Suleimaan, The Palace of the Grand Master and Colossus of Rhodes.
Corfu Island situated in Ionian Sea is also known as the green island. Tourists can enjoy outdoor activities such as windsurfing, scuba-diving, kayaking, snorkeling and other such activities in Corfu Island. Delphi is a place where you can find stadium, theatre, traditional temple and archaeological museum. Race Track in Olympia should be visited as the Olympics games between 8th and 4th BC were hosted here. Knossos is a popular historical site where you can visit the Archaeological Museum. There are about 20 caves in Greece and among them Perema Caves is the biggest and fascinating because of the stalactites and stalagmites formations. Lalaria beach is a rocky beach where you can enjoy the day on the clean sand of the beach.