Greek Traditions 2 An introduction to Greek Culture and Civilization Chatzigiannaki Sofia
The geographical position of Greece in the world map https://maps.google.sk/maps?oe=utf- 8&client=firefox- a&channel=sb&q=greece+maps&ie=UTF- 8&hq=&hnear=0x135b4ac711716c63:0x363a1775dc9a 2d1d,%CE%95%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%B4%CE%B1&gl =sk&ei=YOgFU7HNHoiMswbA4ICgAQ&ved=0CDYQ8gE wAA Greece is located on: the south-east end of Europe the south end of the Balkan Peninsula the point where Europe meets Asia and Africa
Neighbor-countries Albania FYROM Bulgaria Turkey
PHYSICAL BORDERS Evros River (Turkey) Rhodope Mountain Range (Bulgaria) Doiran Lake (FYROM) Big Prespa Lake (FYROM-Albania) Small Prespa Lake (Albania) Ionian Sea (Italy) Mediterranean Sea (Libya & Egypt) Aegean Sea (Turkey)
Characteristics of the Greek landscape Total area: 132.049 km2, of which 0,86% is WATER Approximately half of the total area is covered by ISLANDS Most of the mainland of Greece is mountainous Fishery, “international” trade (besides agriculture and cattle-breeding) Colonization all around the Mediterranean Sea
Geographical regions of Greece Greece is divided in 9 geographical regions: Thrace Macedonia Thessaly Epirus Central Greece Peloponnese Aegean Islands Ionian Islands Crete …& 51 prefectures
Characteristics of the Greek population of which 91,6% are Greek, 4% Albanians and 2% other ethnic groups Official Language: Greek Religion: Orthodox (88,1%) Muslims (5,3%) others (0,5%) Atheists (6,1%) (2015) Lingual & religious homogeneity
Characteristics of the Greek state Polity: Presidential Parliamentary Republic Member of the United Nations Member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (1951) Member of the European Union (EU) (1979- 1981) Member of the Euro Zone – Replacement of drachma with euro (2001)