Map of Greece

Where is Greece? • Greek Travel and Tourism

Greece, officially known as the Hellenic Republic, is located on the Balkan Peninsula in southern Europe. It is bordered by Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria to the north, by Turkey and the Aegean Sea to the east, by the Ionian Sea to the west, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece occupies 50,942 square miles, and much of this area consists of islands. The country's coastline, including island coastlines, is a total of 8,498 miles long! The capital city of Greece is Athens, situated along the country's south coast. Located here is the ancient Acropolis, Greece's most popular tourist attraction.

Greece Map > Relief Map of Greece • Greece Travel Destinations

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Geography of Greece

Almost a fifth of Greece is made up of islands. Most of these islands are east of the main peninsula in the Aegean Sea, but some are also located in the Ionian Sea to the west. Amazingly, only about 10 percent of these thousands of islands are inhabited! Much of Greece's land is used for grazing and farmland. Poultry, sheep, and cattle, as well as pigs and goats, are commonly raised in Greece; popular crops include barley, wine grapes, dried fruits, and olives plus potatoes, sugar beets, and wheat.

Greece's Climate

If you enjoy visiting places where the sun shines, then the east coast of Greece is almost a sure bet. The area enjoys more than 2,700 hours of sunshine per year, and receives about half the rainfall of Greece's western region. Greece's mountain climate is colder and harsher, and the higher slopes get some snow in winter. Greece's low-lying areas are known for their hot, dry summers and mild, moist winters.

Leading Greek Cities

The city of Athens, with its historic archaeological ruins, is known for its parks, urban gardens, outdoor cafes, and pedestrian streets. Located on the Saronic Gulf, Athens was the cultural and artistic center of ancient Greece, and remains one of the country's most popular hubs. Often visited attractions in Athens include the Parthenon, the Erechtheum, and the Theatre of Dionysus. Unfortunately, overcrowding in the city, as well as pollution, are damaging some of these historical sites. In addition, many tourists to Greece prefer to visit less populated areas that show more of traditional Greek life and culture.

Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, is a cultural treasure house featuring impressive monuments from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Archaeological remnants from the ancient Greek civilization may also be found in Greek cities such as Sparta, Corinth, and Olympia.

Greece Travel Information

The famous Mount Olympus of Greek mythology is Greece's highest point, rising to 9,570 feet (2,917 meters). The Greek Archipelago includes thousands of islands and islets spread out in the Ionian and Aegean Seas. Most spectacular is Santorini, with its black sand beaches and impressive lava-layered cliffs, which rise from the beautiful blue sea.

Greek Tourism

Greece is a magnet to tourists because of its breathtaking scenery and beautiful climate, as well as its rich cultural history. For more information about visiting Greece, visit the Greek Culture website and the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) website, a travel guide published by the Ministry of Tourism.

Greece Resources

CIA - The World Factbook - Greece - Government almanac provides maps, geography and statistics for Greece.
Greece in the Yahoo! Directory - Find resources about Greece and Athens. Explore the history, browse through the local guides and learn about the regions.
Wikipedia - Greece - This free online encyclopedia includes information about regions in Greece and Greek history.

Greece News

Inside Europe: Market Frenzy Over Greece Is Disturbingly Familiar
The feeding frenzy in bond markets over highly indebted southern euro states recalls the runs on European currencies in the 1990s, before the euro was created.
By Paul Taylor. International Herald Tribune. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:31:33 GMT.
Greek Debt Crisis: How Goldman Sachs Helped Greece to Mask its True Debt
Goldman Sachs helped the Greek government to mask the true extent of its deficit with the help of a derivatives deal that legally circumvented the EU Maastricht deficit rules. ...
Spiegel Online. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:55:54 +0100.
As U.S. stocks fall again, should Greece's debt worry us?
WASHINGTON — Stock trading was volatile on Wall Street and across the globe Monday from fear that a debt crisis is gathering steam in parts of Europe and the Mediterranean.
McClatchy. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:32 EST.
The mess the pigs are in will affect the world
Is Spain too big to fail? Or Greece? Or Portugal? It's a question that is wearily familiar when applied to the banks, but it hasn't been asked very much about sovereign nations. Until now. The "Pigs" - the nations that ...
New Zealand Herald. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:00:49 +1200.
Greece to restructure public sector
ATHENS, Greece -- Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou says the government will unveil a bill this week aimed at restructuring the public ...
Southeast European Times. 2010-02-08.