1. G REEK TRADITIONS 2 An introduction to Greek Culture and Civilization

2. T HE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF G REECE 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

3. N EIGHBOR - COUNTRIES o Albania o FYROM o Bulgaria o Turkey

4. PHYSICAL BORDERS o Evros River (Turkey) o Rhodope Mountain Range (Bulgaria) o Doiran Lake (FYROM) o Big Prespa Lake (FYROM-Albania) o Small Prespa Lake (Albania) o Ionian Sea (Italy) o Mediterranean Sea (Libya & Egypt) o Aegean Sea (Turkey)

5. C HARACTERISTICS OF THE G REEK LANDSCAPE o Total area: 131.957 km 2, of which 0,86% is WATER o Approximately half of the total area is covered by ISLANDS o Most of the mainland of Greece is mountainous o Fishery, “international” trade (besides agriculture and cattle-breeding) o Colonization all around the Mediterranean Sea

6. G EOGRAPHICAL REGIONS OF G REECE Greece is divided in 9 geographical regions:  Thrace  Macedonia  Thessaly  Epirus  Central Greece  Peloponnese  Aegean Islands  Ionian Islands  Crete …& 51 prefectures

7. C HARACTERISTICS OF THE G REEK POPULATION o Population: 10.815.197 (2011), of which 94% are Greek, 4% Albanians and 2% other ethnic groups o Official Language: Greek o Religion: Orthodox (98%) Muslims (1,3%) others (0,7%) o Lingual & religious homogeneity

8. C HARACTERISTICS OF THE G REEK 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)