Amazing Facts About Greece

If we believe the ancients then the poetically beautiful and splendid country of Greece had once been the home of the gods. Mount Olympus used to be the Throne of Zeus where he lived with his wife and children. The historical and cultural heritage of this country is such that till date, one can witness its impression even on modern day art, literature, politics, philosophy and architecture. After all, the Greeks were the ones who came up with the governance system called democracy. Not only that, the land has given birth to a number of legendary personas which have been crucial in moulding the history of this world. This place is a heaven for nature lovers as the assortment of landscapes which is found here is unparalleled and cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. The beaches here are mesmerizing and the backdrop amazing! The beauty of Greece enthrals the senses and it is quite evident from the tourist footfalls it registers. The amazingly interesting facts mentioned below manifest more of the beauty (as described above) of Greece.

Fast Facts

Capital:Athens
Official Language: Greek
Other Languages: English and French
Demonym: Hellenic or Greek
Religion: Greek Orthodox, Muslims, Others
Legislature: Unicameral
Independence: 25^th March 1821 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Republic: 11^th June 1975
Area: 131,957 sq km
Population: 11.4 million (UN, 2011)
Currency: Euro
National Bird:Phoenix
National Animal: Dolphin

Interesting And Fun Facts About Greece

• The amazing country is divided into three part based on the geographical features of the area, namely the mainland, the islands and Peloponnese or the southern peninsula of the mainland.
• Greece boasts of the longest coastline among all European countries, being the southernmost country of the European continent.
• The mainland of Greece is covered with undulating mountains, lush green forests and deep blue lakes.
• Greece is famous for numerous islands which are dotted amidst three main water bodies: Agean Sea on the east, Mediterranean Sea on south and Ionian Sea on west.
• The terrain here is rugged and consist of a wide variety of geographical features like cliffs and gorges etc. In fact, the deepest onshore gorge in the world, the Vikos Gorge is located in this part of the world, plunging down to the depths of 3,600 ft.
• Speaking of heights, the highest point in Greece is the popular Mount Olympus, rising to a height of 9,570 ft. The mountain was popularised by the early Greeks as the home of the gods. Now, the mount and the area around stands as the first national park of Greece.
• There was a time when most of Greece was thickly forested but as things changed, the forests were cut down for firewood, lumber and space. At present, the forests have been receded to Pindus and Rhodope ranges. But still, Greece has ten national parks and efforts are in process to protect the natural and historical heritage of the country.
• The Greek landscapes are covered with little greens, however, the vegetation cover mostly consists of ‘maquis’ which is an assortment of fragrant herbs including, rosemary, oregano, bay and myrtle trees.
• Greece is also a paradise for bird watchers as it has a large population of native as well as migratory birds, including species of geese, ducks and swallows, which stop at its islands while migrating to Europe from Africa.
• The prime civilization which thronged on the face of Greece was the Minoans, who inhabited the island of Crete around 2000 BC. They were conquered and succeeded by the Myceneans, who ruled the main lands during 1450 BC.
• During the earlier times, the country was divided into smaller city-states ruled by noblemen. The largest of these states being Athens, Sparta, Thebes and Corinth. Each of these states used to govern the territory around a single city. However, these states were continually at war with each other. But, Athens rose to power and became the most powerful of these Greek states in 508 BC. It was then that a new form of governance was instituted for the first time and it was called democracy, though power to vote was vested with men only.
• The well known Olympic Games were organized for the first time in Greece, in the southern city of Olympia in 776 BC, hence the name – Olympics. These games were organized in honour of king of gods, Zeus. The event consisted of a number of sports which included long jump, javelin throw, discus throw, wrestling and chariot racing, but only men could take part in this. These games were banned by the Romans in 393 AD but were restarted in the year 1896.
• Greece has witnessed a long period of foreign rule; it was under foreign rule for 2000 years, Romans were the first to rule after defeating the Greeks in the second century. Later on, the Turks ruled the land for over 400 years.
• Greeks believe in joint family system and hence the children don’t leave the family even after they are married.
• The life expectancy of an average Greek is quite long. It is thought that this is because of their diet which includes olives, olive oil, lamb, fish, squid and a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Interestingly, olives are of great importance to the Greeks. The fruit has been cultivated for past six thousand years. Every village is supposed to have its own olive grove.
• It was in the year 1981 that Greece became a part of the European Union (EU).
• A major chunk of Greece’s national income comes from tourism and shipping.