Greece

Geographical Area

Greece is located in the Southern Europe. Greece consists of 13 regions which are called peripheries. Its largest periphery is Macedonia. Peripheries, in their turn, are divided into 52 noms. Each Greek periphery has its own beauty and its own rich history. Greece also features a vast number of islands.

History

Greece is a country with a very rich history and the homeland of many famous personalities throughout centuries. Greece's history stretches back more than 4.000 years ago. The people of the mainland are called Hellenes. Greece has been characterized by many historical facts and one such a fact as the Olympic Games. The Greek historical periods are Stone and Bronze age, the Classical Period which is very famous worldwide, the Roman period, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans period, the Independance and the Twentieth century. It worths to mention that Greece hosted the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.

Culture

The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years ago, beginning in Mycenaean Greece and continuing most notably into the Classical Greece, through the influence of other cultures and nations like the Roman Empire, Greek Eastern, Byzantine Empire, Latin states, the Ottoman Empire, the Venetian Republic and the British Empire. In ancient times, Greece was the birthplace of Western culture. The ancient Greeks introduced such important literary forms like epic and lyric poetry, history, tragedy, and comedy.

Weather

Weather in Greece is fairly uniform throughout the mainland and the Greek islands. Due to its geographical position, Greece has mild winters and warm summers, cooled by different kinds of seasonal winds. The summers are characterized by sunshine and very little rainfall.

Beaches

With numerous beautiful, charming beaches and a gorgeous natural beauty, Greece is a real heaven on earth. Renowned for their fabulous crystal waters, millions of tourists visit Greek beaches every year to enjoy the sea, sand and fresh air.

Gastronomy

Greece is famous for its health and Mediterranean cuisine. Traditional Greek cuisine is based on the pure products given by the Greek Mother Nature. It forms a balanced nutritional model that ensures a better quality of life and physical health. Some of the highly regarded traditional Greek products are olives, olive oil, honey, ouzo, fish, juices, water, nuts, wines, mastic, crocus, sweet preserves and many more. Greek cuisine has a variety of local dishes such as moussaka, Greek salad, fasolada, spanakopita and souvlaki. Some dishes can be traced back to ancient Greece. Throughout Greece people often enjoy eating from small dishes such as meze with various dips.