State Greece located in the southern part of Europe. It occupies the Balkan Peninsula and part of the adjacent islands. From the north it shares borders with Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania, from the northeast - with Turkey. Greece is surrounded on three sides by the seas: Cretan, Ionian, Aegean and Mediterranean.
This is the great land with which all Western civilization began. According to 2011 estimates, the population of Greece is 10,787,690. Greeks - the bulk of the population of the state (93%). Other diasporas (Turks, Bulgarians, Gypsies, Armenians, Arabs, Serbs and Jews) are few.
The state language is Greek, one of the most widespread and richest languages in the world.
In Greece, the euro is used as the country is an official member of the European Union and NATO.
Orthodoxy is recognized as the predominant religion. This is a historical fact, which was due to the politics of ancient Constantinople, which at one time was the center of civilization and culture. In addition to Orthodox Christianity, in Greece there are Muslims and Jews.
Greece - the capital and major cities
The capital of Greece is the ancient city of Athens, rich not only in cultural traditions, but also in modern achievements of technological progress. Athens has a population of 3,361,806, according to 2001 data.
The best monuments of ancient culture and architecture are concentrated here. Many objects are among the world values protected by UNESCO.
Athens is considered the birthplace of Western philosophical thought, the ancestral home of European democracy, the beginning of the formation of the exact sciences and, above all, mathematics.
Tourists from all over the world come here to get in touch with eternal values and feel greatness and power from contemplation of the remains of a powerful empire - Ancient Greece.
Other densely populated metropolitan areas of Greece are the cities of Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Patras, Volos and Larisa.
Greece - holidays and tours
The statistics of 2009 indicate that the tourism business has become one of the leading industries in Greece, accounting for 15% of the country's GDP. On average, about 17.5 million tourists come to Greece in a year.
According to Europeans, the island of Rhodes was recognized as the best resort area. The Russian-speaking population visits Greece every year more and more. This is due to the creation of comfortable conditions for recreation and the hiring of Russian-speaking staff.
The most popular places to visit are Athens, as well as the cities of Delphi, the islands of Crete and Corfu. For beach lovers, the most convenient islands of the resort destination are Mykonos, Paros, Santorini and the Halkidiki Peninsula.
In addition to rest, people go to Greece for a specific purpose - to buy a new thing from fur. The so-called "fur coats" have become an integral part of trips, since here you can buy a fur beauty much cheaper than in stores in your country.
Greece - Attractions
Among the most visited places in Greece are monuments of ancient architecture. The championship belongs, of course, to the Acropolis of Athens. It is located on a rocky hill on the outskirts of the city. According to legend, the founder of this architectural masterpiece was the first king of Athens - Kekrops.
The temple of the goddess Athena, located inside the Acropolis, on its territory housed magnificent works of ancient art. But many monuments were destroyed during the wars. Now the preserved exhibits standing in the open air are replaced by copies, and the originals are distributed in the historical museums of Greece and other countries of the world.
The National Archaeological Museum of Athens has collected more than 20 thousand valuable exhibits from different eras. Collections of ceramic products, sculptures, bronzes are recognized as the richest in the world. The building itself was repeatedly rebuilt, complementing and expanding the number of rooms for new expositions.
Sights of interest to tourists are also museums:
• Acropolis,
• Theater (Athens),
• Eleftherios Venizelos,
• Ancient Agora,
• Greek children's art,
• Greek folk art,
• Greek folk musical instruments,
• Islamic art.
Greece - weather
The entire territory of Greece, according to the type of climatic zone, can be divided into three parts: with a temperate, Mediterranean and alpine climate.
In the west of the country, due to the presence of the mountain range, a lot of rainfall occurs. Their number is much larger than on the eastern slopes of Pinda.
An example of a typical Mediterranean climate is the island of Thira. It is warm and sunny. Winter in these areas is wet and mild. The Dodecanese, Cyclades and Crete, as well as the central part of Greece, also belong to the Mediterranean zone.
Alpine climate is typical for mountainous territories: Western Macedonia, Epirus, Arcadia and parts of Thessaly.
The temperate climate is characterized by East Macedonia and Thrace. It has rather cold winters and hot summers, without much rainfall.
The capital - Athens, is located on the border of climatic zones, therefore, manifestations of the Mediterranean and temperate types of climate are possible here.
Weather in Greece now:
Greece - cuisine
Greek cuisine is in many ways similar to cooking methods in Albania, Italy and Bulgaria. But unlike these countries, the Greeks often add spices to their dishes, although in general the cuisine can not be called too spicy.
The abundance of vegetable oil (olive) is a distinctive feature of the Greek menu. Oil is used for each dish, it is fried, baked, it is added to salads. Another essential ingredient is lemon.
Another culinary achievement of the Greeks is cheese. It is produced in more than 50 varieties. 25 kg of this product per person per year, which suggests that the Greeks eat cheese almost daily, and it is a favorite product on the table. The popular "Greek" salad, with the addition of Feta cheese, in Greece itself was called "village".
From meat, Greeks most of all love lamb, pork and goat meat. Fish and seafood are also often present on the Greek table. It’s easy for any European to adapt to the local cuisine.
Greece - interesting facts
Everyone knows that Greece is the founder of the Olympic Games. Over the period of the new history, competitions were held here three times (in 1896, 1906 and 2004).
Basketball and football are favorite sports in Greece. Volleyball, athletics and water polo have also become respected in recent years.
In general, sports in this country are very fond of, so it is no coincidence that, in addition to relaxing on the beach, tourists are offered various active entertainment in the form of water skiing, horseback riding. In addition, almost all beaches are equipped with playgrounds for playing in the sand.
Greece - visa application
To travel to Greece, a visa is required. This country is part of the Schengen area. A visa is issued with the right to stay in the territory for six months, but not more than 90 days. The exact date is indicated in the document.
Visas can have a different status: business, guest, tourist, workers. For a residence permit, you must apply in person to the Consulate of Greece.
The usual visa application period is 3 business days. The price of registration varies from 65 to 75 euros.
Greece - Embassy
In Moscow, the Consulate General is located at 14. Spiridonovka Street 14. Tel: 739-22-09 (visa department), 739-21-99 (consul reception), 988-93-58 (call center).
Map of greece
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