Greece was the birthplace of European civilisation. The period from 700BC saw the rise of the great city states of Athens, Corinth and Sparta, frequently engaged in long struggles for supremacy, and uniting only when faced with the common threat
of invasion by the Persian Empire. The zenith was reached in the fifth century BC when Athens became the cultural and artistic
centre of the Mediterranean, producing magnificent works of architecture, sculpture, drama and literature.
Greece today offers the traveller the comforts of modern Europe in close proximity to the stark beauty of the ancient world. There is no denying that the historical and cultural heritage of Greece continues to resonate throughout the modern Western world - in its literature, art, philosophy and politics. Reminders
of the country’s glory are all over Greece - from Athens’ Parthenon and Delphi’s Temple of Apollo, to the ruins on Crete of the Minóan city of Knossós, a civilisation reaching even further back
into history.
Scattered throughout the calm blue waters of the Aegean are Greece’s 1,400 islands, the largest of which is Crete, each with its own special story. The serenity of islands like Skópelos contrasts with the hedonistic party islands such as Mykonos and Páros where the worship of Dionysus, the god of revelry, continues to the beat of garage and house music.
Athens’s previous glory in sports was restored when the Olympic Games returned home in 2004.
Since Greece won her independence in 1830 from the Turkish Ottoman Empire, there have been problems in the relationship between
the two neighbours. Achieving a political settlement in Cyprus remains a key concern of Greece’s foreign policy. The situation
seems to have improved following the accession of Greek-controlled Cyprus to the EU in 2004. Greece has now explicitly backed
Turkey’s own EU application.
Author
Juliet Ferguson
eneral Information
Area
131,957 sq km (50,949 sq miles).
Population
11.1 million (National Statistical Service of Greece, 2005).
Greek (Ellenika). Most people connected with tourism and those of a younger generation will speak some English, French, German
or Italian.
Religion
98% Greek Orthodox, with Muslim, Roman Catholic and Jewish minorities.
Time
Social Conventions
Visitors to Greece will find the Greeks to be well aware of a strong historical and cultural heritage. Traditions and customs
differ throughout Greece, but overall a strong sense of unity prevails. The Greek Orthodox Church has a strong traditional
influence on the Greek way of life, especially in more rural areas. The throwing back of the head is a negative gesture. Dress
is generally casual. Smoking is prohibited on public transport and in public buildings.
Overview 
