GREECE, Hellas, officially known as the "Hellenic Republic" is the southeastern most country in Europe, occupying the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Albania, X-Yugoslavia (the Republic of Skopje) and Bulgaria from the north, and the European part of Turkey from the northeast. From the east by the Aegean Sea, from the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and from the west the Ionian Sea, including more than 400 islands, which occupy more than one fifth of its total land territory the total area of the country is 131,957 square kilometers (50,949 square miles). The mainland portion of Greece comprises the regions of Thraki and Macedonia in the north; Epirus, Thessaly, and Central Greece in the central section; and in the south Peloponnisos, a peninsula which is connected to the rest of the mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth. The remainder of Greece consists of more than 400 islands, (only 149 are inhabited.) These are Evia, Crete, or Kriti, the Northern Sporades, the Cyclades, the Dodecanisa, Chios, Limnos, Lesvos, Samos, Samothraki, and Thassos, all of which are spread out in the Aegean Sea. In the west, the Ionian Sea, is where the Eptanisa are found, a group of seven inhabited major islands and three small uninhabited ones. The coastal waters of the country are relatively shallow and penetrate far inland. Despite its indented coastline, Greece has fine natural harbors, namely its main harbor of Piraeus, the second largest in the Mediterranean Sea, after Marseilles in France. Piraeus is considered an excellent harbor in the East Mediterranean waters.

Greece is famous for its natural beauty. The land is mountainous and rugged, but Greece is relatively poor in natural resources. Although a small country, Greece has a very diverse topography. The most important divisions of the country are the central mountains; the damp, mountainous regions in the west; the dry, sunny plains and lower mountain ranges in eastern Thessaly, Macedonia, and Thraki; Central Greece, the southeastern "point" (peninsula) of the mainland that cradled the city-states of the country, the mountainous regions of Peloponnisos; and the islands, most of which are in the Aegean Sea. The central mountain area, the Pindus Mountains, which extends from a northern to a southern direction, is one of the most rugged, isolated, and sparsely populated parts of the country. Mount Olympus (2,917m/9,570ft), Greece's highest peak, was considered in ancient times to be home to the 12 gods. Its western slopes, which extend through Epirus down to the Ionian Sea, are lower and more hospitable. The southeastern extremity of Central Greece, Attica, is broken into many isolated valleys and plains by mountain ridges, where the Athenian Plain, with Athens in the center, is located.
Thessaly, a plain ringed by mountains, is one of the most fertile parts of the country. Macedonia has the largest plains in Greece. Thraki, east of Macedonia, has a varied topography of mountains, valleys and several coastal plains. Peloponnisos, is mountainous, but to a lesser degree than Central Greece. It is shaped like a giant hand with impassable mountain ridges extending like fingers into the sea. Between the mountains are narrow valleys, which are isolated from one another, but which open onto the water. The western section of Peloponnisos is less mountainous than its eastern parts. The islands of the Aegean Sea are generally high, rugged, stony and dry, and consequently their contribution to economic life of the country is limited. They are important however, because of their great beauty, historical importance, potential for tourism and strategic military value

Conditions are perfect between Easter and mid-June - beaches and ancient sites are relatively uncrowded; public transport operates on close to full schedules; and accommodation is cheaper and easier to find than in the mid-June to end of August high season. Conditions are once more ideal from the end of August until mid-October, as the season winds down. Winter is pretty much a dead loss outside the major cities as most of the tourist infrastructure goes into hibernation from the middle of October till the beginning of April. This is slowly changing, however; on the most touristy islands, a few restaurants, hotels and bars remain open year-round, while the ski resorts on the mainland do thriving business

The largest and most important city is Athens, the capital, with a population of 748,110. Piraeus, seaport of Athens, is the largest port of Greece (second largest in the Mediterranean Sea after Marseilles in France) with a population of 169,622. Thessaloniki, (sometimes referred to as the co-capital) with a population of 377,951, is a seaport and an important textile center. Patra, located on the northwestern part of Peloponnese, is a major seaport with 155,180 inhabitants. Other sizable cities are Heraklion, Crete (117,167) and Larisa (113,426).

Macedonia is the largest of the ten geographic regions of Greece. The region is bordered by the Aegean Sea and by Thessaly to the south, by western Thrace to the east, by Epirus to the west and by Bulgaria, Albania and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to the north. It contains the self-governing, monastic republic of Mount Athos and Thessaloniki, the northern capital of Greece. The landscape varies a lot, since Western and Eastern Macedonia are, in general, mountainous with the exception of certain sizeable, fertile valleys, whereas Central Macedonia contains the plain of Thessaloniki, the second largest one in Greece.
Epirus constitutes the northwestern part of continental Greece and is bordered by Albania to the north and by Central Greece to the south. The region is almost entirely mountainous and the Pindos Mountains form the region's eastern boundary separating it from Macedonia and Thessaly. The main pole of attraction is in the northern part of the region, the so-called Vikos National Park, where one can find waterfalls, gorges, rivers, picturesque villages and dense forests. Thessaly lies in the middle of continental Greece. The area also includes the island complex of the Northern Sporades and its main geographical feature is the plain of Thessaly, surrounded by several mountains, the most famous of which is Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece (2,917 m.).

The Archipelago of the Aegean is made up by hundreds of islands and islets. All the islands are mountainous or semi-mountainous and they enjoy a warm climate. As far as rainfall is concerned, the climate of the region is the driest in Greece, with the islands of the eastern Aegean and the Dodecanese being the most humid.
Ionian islands region forms the smallest geographical area in Greece and consists of seven main islands strung along the west coast of Greece. The islands have a mild and relatively humid climate and receive a great amount of rain. As a result, the vegetation is abundant with forests reminiscent of North Europe. The Ionian islands differ from other island groups not only on account of the climate, but also because they retain certain influences from Mediterranean Europe.

Ancient Greece is a period in Greek history that lasted for around one thousand years. It is generally considered to be the foundational culture of Western Civilization. Greek culture was a powerful influence in the Roman Empire, which carried a version of it to many parts of Europe. The civilization of the Ancient Greeks has been immensely influential on the language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science, and arts, giving rise to the Renaissance in Western Europe and again resurgent during various neo-Classical revivals in 18th and 19th century Europe and the Americas

The official language of Greece is Modern Greek, which is also spoken by the majority of the people. The vernacular Modern Greek and language of popular literature is Demotiki or Kathomiloumeni, as opposed to Katharevousa, a more formal Modern Greek or Purist Greek. Demotiki became the official language of the country by an act of parliament in 1976. It is used by the government, the newspapers, the media, and educational institutions. Great differences exist between the language of the educated classes and that used by the majority of the people. English and French are widely spoken.