Greece Guide
Greece – country information
| Country name | Greece |
| Official name | Hellenic Republic |
| Capital | Athens |
| Continent | Europe |
| Area | 131,957 km2 |
| Population | 10,815,197 (2011) |
| Foundation of a state | 1/1/1829 |
| The highest mountains | Ólimbos (Olympus) 2917 m |
| Longest rivers | Aliakmon 297 km |
| State system | a pluralist republic with a unicameral parliament |
| The biggest cities | Athens (capital) 3,200,000, Thessaloniki 435,000, Piraiévs (Piraeus) 175,000 |
| Official language | Greek |
| Ethnicity/National Composition | Greeks 96%, Macedonians 1.5%, Turks 0.7%, Albanians 0.6%, others 1.2% |
| Religious affiliation | orthodox 96%, muslim 1%, other 3% |
| Currency | 1 euro = 100 cents |
| gross domestic product (GDP) | US$24,260 (2012) |
| Average life expectancy of the population | 79.24 years (2006) |
| Structure of GDP | agriculture and fishing 15.5%, mining 1.5%, industry 19.5%, construction 6.5%, services 57% |
Greece – neighboring states
| State | Capital | Area | Population |
| Albania | Tirana | 28,748 km2 | 2,821,977 |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | 110,912 km2 | 7,282,041 |
| Macedonia | Skopje | 25,713 km2 | 2,062,294 |
| Turkey | Ankara | 783,562 km2 | 76,667,864 |
Country overview
According to Abbreviationfinder, the tremendous flowering of art, literature and thought that took place in the city-states of Greece between the 8th and 5th centuries. BC, had a great influence on the development of European culture and civilization. Even today, the country lives on from its rich cultural heritage, preserved mainly in the form of architectural monuments and statues, as well as from the unique beauty of the island’s Mediterranean nature.
Country data
Location: Southern Europe
Time zone: CET + 1
Total area: 131,957 km²
Land area: 130,647 km²
Water area: 1,310 km²
Length of the state border: 1,110 km
Bordering countries:
Albania: 212 km
Bulgaria: 472 km
Macedonia: 234 km
Turkey: 192 km
Coastline: 13,676 km
Capital: Athens
Prefectures: 14
Agion Oros, Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki, Attiki, Dytiki Ellada, Dytiki Makedonia, Ionia Nisia, Ipeiros, Kentriki Makedonia, Kriti, Notio Aigaio, Peloponnisos, Sterea Ellada, Thessalia, Voreio Aigaio
Electric current: 220 V / 50 Hz
Telephone code: 00 30 (Source: Allcitycodes)
Highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m
Population
Population: approx. 10.8 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)
Population growth: 0% per year
Population density (residents per km²): 82
Life expectancy: 78 (male), 83 (female)
Official language: Greek
Religions:
- 98% Greek Orthodox
- 2% other
Climate
The Mediterranean climate of Greece has many characteristic features in the northern and western parts of the country.
The long summers from April to October are warm, with temperatures between 28 and 35 ° C in the shade. There is very little rain.
The winters in central and southern Greece are short and rainy.
Winter temperatures drop to as low as -20 ° C in the northern and eastern regions.
Currency / finance
Currency unit: € / Euro (EUR)
Division: 1 € = 100 cents
ATMs: Available in major cities.
International credit cards: These are only accepted by larger hotels and shops. Outside of the larger cities, payments are usually made in cash.
Regulations: Foreign and national currencies can be imported and exported in unlimited amounts.
If you are carrying amounts of money with a total value of more than 10,000 euros, you must declare them upon entry.
There are currently strict exchange controls by the Greek Central Bank.
Many ATMs are out of order because they are not filled or they only pay out small amounts of money.
Customs regulations
The following may be carried duty-free:
- 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco
- 2 liters of alcoholic beverages
- small amounts of perfume
(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)
Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.
The export of antiques from Greece is only allowed with a permit from the appropriate Athens Archeology Society. If this cannot be presented when leaving the country, there is a risk of very high fines.
Travel advice
When traveling to Greece, you should bring the required amounts of money with you in cash, as the capital controls of the government repeatedly restrict the supply of cash.
Economy
About 25% of the country’s residents work in agriculture. However, since there are many small businesses and family businesses here, effective commercial cultivation is not possible.
The service sector is the largest and most important economic sector in Greece, which generates around two thirds of the Greek economic output.
Industries: mining, chemistry, tobacco, textiles, tourism
Natural resources: bauxite, brown coal, petroleum, magnesium
Land use:
- Usable land: 19%
- Grain cultivation: 8%
- Pasture area: 41%
- Forests: 20%
- other: 12%
Plants
The mainland is very mountainous. Some regions are barren and others are very heavily forested. There are many different Mediterranean landscapes on the islands.
Most plants and grass species grow below 1,000 meters.
Animals
The flora and fauna were placed under protection in ten national parks and two other marine national parks.
The lagoon and wetlands in particular have produced a particularly high wealth of bird and small animal species.
