GREECE

Geography

Map of Greece

Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Western Asia, and Africa and shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north and Turkey to the northeast. The country consists of nine geographic regions:Macedonia, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands (including the Dodecanese and Cyclades), Thrace, Crete, and the Ionian Islands. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km  featuring a vast number of islands. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of whichMount Olympus is the highest, at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).

Traditions

This rich and tumultuous past greatly influences contemporary lifestyle, the Greek perspective on the world, Greek music, food, customs and traditions, even the way Greeks do business. Greeks as a whole are extremely proud of their history, their cultural heritage and their contribution to literature, art, philosophy and politics. They speak with intense passion of their country as the cradle of European civilization.

Tsolias

The Greek Orthodox Church is an integral part of life in Greece where the most important holidays are religious in nature and the national religion is practiced by the majority of the population. Greece and Orthodoxy are closely connected due to the country’s historical past. During several occupations, and especially during the 400 years of Ottoman rule, the Orthodox religion played a vital role in maintaining the Greek ethnic and cultural identity. Today the Church is more important in political, civic, and governmental affairs than in many other secular countries.

Music

The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its history. Greek music separates into two parts: Greek traditional music and Bysantine Byzantin period and Greek antiquity; there is a continuous development which appears in the language, the rhythm, the structure and the melody. Music is a significant aspect of Hellenic culture, both within Greece and in the diaspora.

Mpouzouki

Greek musical history extends far back into ancient Greece, since music was a major part of ancient Greek theater. Later influences from the Roman Empire, Eastern Europe and the Byzantine Empire changed the form and style of Greek music. In the 19th century, opera composers, like Nikolaos Mantzaros (1795–1872), Spyridon Xyndas (1812–1896) and Spyridon Samaras (1861–1917) and symphonists, like Dimitris Lialios and Dionysios Rodotheatos revitalized Greek art music. However, the diverse history of art music in cGreece, which extends from the Cretan Renaissance and reaches modern times, exceeds the aims of the present article, which is, in general, limited to the presentation of the musical forms that have become synonymous to 'Greek music' during the last few decades; that is, the 'Greek song' or the 'song in Greek verse'.

Greek Parliament

Sights

Acropolis

Acropolis

The Acropolis is the most important ancient site in the Western world. Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost everywhere within the city. Its monuments of Pentelic marble gleam white in the midday sun and gradually take on a honey hue as the sun sinks, while at night they stand brilliantly illuminated above the city. A glimpse of this magnificent sight cannot fail to exalt your spirit.

Knossos

Knossos

The palace in Knossos in the greek island of Crete stands out as a very interesting sights.Evans’ reconstruction brings to life the palace’s most significant parts, including the reconstructed columns; painted deep brown-red with gold-trimmed black capitals, they taper gracefully at the bottom. Vibrant recreations of frescoes add another dramatic dimension to the palace ruins. The Minoans’ highly sophisticated society is further revealed by details like the advanced drainage system and the clever placement of rooms to passages, light wells, porches and verandahs that kept rooms cool in summer and warm in winter.

Ancient Delphi

Ancient Delphi

 In ancient times, pilgrims flocked to Delphi to consult the oracle, who sat at the mouth of a fume-emitting chasm. Wars, voyages and business transactions were undertaken on the strength of these prophecies. From the entrance, take the Sacred Way up to the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle supposedly sat. From here the path continues to the theatre and stadium.

Plateia Miaoulis

Plateia Miaoyli

This great square is perhaps the finest urban space in the Cyclades. Once situated immediately upon the seahore, today it sits well inland and is dominated by the dignified neoclassical town hall , designed by Ernst Ziller. Flanked by palm trees and lined along its south side with cafes and bars, the square and accompanying statue are named for Hydriot naval hero Andreas Miaoulis.

Hobbies and Sports

Team Greece

Greece has risen to prominence in a number of sporting areas in recent decades. Football in particular has seen a rapid transformation, with theGreek national football team winning the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship. Many Greek athletes have also achieved significant success and have won world and olympic titles in numerous sports during the years, such as basketball, wrestling, water polo, athletics, weightlifting, with many of them becoming international stars inside their sports. The successful organisation of the Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games led also to the further development of many sports and has led to the creation of many World class sport venues all over Greece and especially in Athens. Greek athletes have won a total 146 medals for Greece in 15 different Olympic sports at the Summer Olympic Games, including the Intercalated Games, an achievement which makes Greece one of the top nations globally, in the world's rankings of medals per capita.

TRADITIONAL FOOD

Mastixa Xiou

Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, sharing numerous characteristics with Middle Eastern[citation needed] cuisines of the region. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including lamb, poultry, rabbit and pork. Also important are olives, cheese, eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette), and yogurt. Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo pastry.

Baklavas

Mezés (μεζές) is a collective name for a variety of small dishes, typically served with wines or anise-flavored liqueurs as ouzo or homemade tsipouro. Orektika is the formal name for appetizers and is often used as a reference to eating a first course of a cuisine other than Greek cuisine. Dips are served with bread loaf or pita bread. In some regions, dried bread (paximadhi) is softened in water.

References :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece

http://www.visitgreece.gr/el#&slider1=2

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/sights

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/athens/sights

http://www.touropia.com/tourist-attractions-in-greece/

http://www.historvius.com/features/tourist-attractions-in-greece/

http://www.greeka.com/greece-culture/traditions/

http://www.novinite.com/articles/115027/Greek+Culture+and+Traditions+-+Where+the+West+Meets+the+East

http://www.in2greece.com/blog/2008/01/modern-greece-culture-greek-traditions.html

http://family.lovetoknow.com/greek-family-traditions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_cuisine

http://greekfood.about.com/od/discovergreekfood/tp/25-Classic-Greek-Favorites.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Greece