In southern Europe is the Hellenic Republic. As of 2010, the country is inhabited by more than 11 million people. The area of Greece is 131,900 square meters. km
The official language is Greek. The capital is Athens. The state is divided into 13 regions. In the form of government, Greece is a parliamentary republic. In addition, it is a unitary country.
Since the country is located on a peninsula, it is washed by the seas. On land it borders with 4 states.
More than 90% of the population considers themselves Orthodox. The state inherits the mentality of ancient Greece, as a result of which its culture and geography are at their best, which contributes to the development of tourism.
The economy is developing. GDP is about $ 294 billion. The state currency is the euro.
The republic became independent in 1821. At the same time, the borders of Greece were finally formed.
Greece
Greeks do not use the name "Greece" in communication with each other. As a rule, it appears in the lexicon if there is a conversation with a foreigner. The word "Hellas" is still considered the official self-name.
The area of Greece is small, but there are 52 areas in it. Power is chosen by direct vote of the population. The current constitution was adopted in June 1975.
World War II played into the hands of the republic. After its completion, the so-called Greek economic miracle happened. It was at that time that the government made all attempts to improve the state of the financial sector. After joining the Eurozone, the state increased its annual GDP growth.
The current economy is supported only by tourism and the service sector. It is this area that brings the most profit.
Greece population
Greece, whose population and area as a whole have relatively high rates, has a poor population growth compared to other European countries. Mortality is much higher than fertility.
Women in the state more than men, an average of 50%. The maximum average age is 40 years.
AIDS and HIV are not widespread in the republic. The incidence rate has not increased since 2001 (0.2%).
Greece (the country's area does not include the territory of sea waters) is unevenly populated. More than half of the population lives in cities.
The main nation that settled here are the Greeks. You can meet the Albanians. They settled in the state a long time ago because of attacks from the Turks and Arnauts. No less common are the Slavs of Macedonian descent, Armenians, Arabs, Serbs and Jews.
Territory of Greece
20% of the entire country is occupied by adjacent islands. In total there are about 2000 of them. They themselves are divided into groups and subgroups, and that is why Greece is divided into three parts: mainland, Peloponnese and Lesbos.
The landscape of this state involves the alternation of rocks, mountains, valleys, islands, bays and straits. Here limestones are common, which formed many caves, funnels. Almost the entire area of Greece is occupied by mountain ranges. Basically, their peaks rarely reach 2000 m. Only a few have a height of 2500-2900 m.
Earthquakes are also common in the Hellenic Republic. The state is located in three climatic zones, which is why life in different parts of the country varies significantly.
State borders
The country borders on land with countries such as Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania and Turkey. It is washed by the Thracian, Aegean, Ionian, Cretan and Mediterranean seas. Although formally the borders were established in 1947, and since then they have not changed, in ancient times there were constant discussions about them and wars started.
Currently, the coordinates of Greece: 39 ° 0 '0 "north latitude, 22 ° 0' 0" east longitude.
Athens - the capital of the state
As the capital, Athens is the center of culture and economics. The city is located in the central part of Greece. The name was given in honor of Athena - the goddess of war. At one time, several centuries ago, the capital developed so rapidly that it became an example for many countries in Europe. She established many European trends.
Tourism
As already mentioned, tourism brings the greatest income to the country. More than 20 million people come here every year. This gives more than 15% of domestic profit. Often people come here thanks to culture, development and historical sites. Beach tourism also does not lag behind in attendance. In Athens alone, more than 7 million visitors were registered.
Although the whole area of Greece is beautiful and unusual, Rhodes, Crete and the Peloponnese are most attracted to travelers. Rhodes is pleased that the service sector is best developed here, and the country's hospitality is shown in the best possible way. There is a cape on Crete from which the whole island is visible. The best beach is considered a place in the Peloponnese.
The Greek islands of Santorini and Mykonos are very popular in the world. More recently, in 2008, more than 19 million tourists were recorded here.
Over time, the total number of travelers has grown, and income has grown with it ($ 38 billion). Due to the fact that the government uses this money to build entertainment centers and develop the tourism sector, there is no doubt that someday this country will become a paradise and a magnet for all people on the planet.
Animal and plant world
There are few wildlife in Greece. Populations of all species are negligible. This was the result of the fact that for more than 8 thousand years the population destroyed plants and killed animals. The most common here are mouse, badger, hare and porcupine.
Often you can meet the jackal, fox, lynx, bear and wild boar. Caretta (turtle) and monk seal are listed in the Red Book. From birds there are ducks, partridges, owls and kites. Fish is what the country can be proud of. It dwells quite a lot in the waters of local rivers.
But there are few plants: 5 thousand species over the entire area.
The culture of the country has been formed since ancient times. The Ottoman yoke had the greatest influence on it. This country was so developed and successful in this field that even during the revolution, musicians, artists, sculptors created masterpieces that became known throughout the world.
Considerable efforts were also made by Christians. At the moment, you can see that in some way the culture of the Hellenic Republic intersects with religious heritage.
Philosophy, language and literature are the main areas in which the state has succeeded. For example, more than 15 million people from different parts of the Earth now speak Greek. It is considered one of the most ancient and successful languages of the world. Literature is divided into three eras, they are all rich in brilliant creations. And the philosophers of Greece gave the world many clever judgments and hypotheses.