Home > Europe > Greece
Greece flag
Hellenic Republic
Ellinikí Dimokratía
   Greece has a thousand-year history and has heavily influenced history and culture in the centuries preceding the advent of Christ. From a geographical point of view the most characteristic aspect is given by the presence of over 3,000 islands, divided into various archipelagos, which expand the real territorial coverage of Greece, the lowland areas are rather limited, in fact mountainous reliefs and valleys prevail.
Government type Parliamentary republic
Area 131,957 km² (50,949 sq mi)
Population 10,482,000 inh. (2021 census)
Population 10,366,000 inh. (2024 est.)
Population density 79 inh/km² (203 inh/mi²)
Capital Athens (643,000 pop., 3,309,000 urban aggl.)
Currency Euro
Human development index 0.887 (33rd place)
Languages Greek (official)
Life expectancy M 80 years, F 85 years
Location in Europe

Boundaries:

Albania NORTH-EAST
North Macedonia and Bulgaria NORTH
Turkey EAST
Ionian Sea WEST
Mediterranean Sea SOUTH
Aegean Sea EAST

GEOGRAPHY DATA OF GREECE


Largest cities
Athens 643,000 pop., 3,309,000 urban aggl.
Thessaloniki 319,000 pop., 844,000 urban aggl.
Patras 174,000 pop.
Piraeus 168,000 pop.
Heraklion 157,000 pop.
Larissa 149,000 pop.
Highest mountains
Mount Olympus 2,904 m (9,528 ft)
Longest rivers
Evros 514 km (319 mi) total, 204 km (127 mi) in Greece
Aliákmonas 297 km (185 mi)
Acheloos 220 km (137 mi)
Largest lakes
Great Prespa Lake 274 km² (106 sq mi) total, 48 km² (18.5 sq mi) in Greece
Lake Trichonida 96 km² (37 sq mi)
Lake Volvi 70 km² (27 sq mi)
Largest islands
Crete 8,265 km² (3,191 sq mi)
Euboea 3,652 km² (1,410 sq mi)
Lesbos 1,631 km² (630 sq mi)

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS OF GREECE

   Greece is divided into 13 periféries (regions), some of which consist only of islands, to which must be added the autonomous monastic region of Mount Athos; Central Macedonia, which has Thessaloniki as its capital, is the largest region, while it is preceded by Attica in terms of population.

   44 urban centers exceed 50,000 inhabitants, but only Athens and Thessaloniki are relevant cities; the distribution of the inhabitants is quite balanced, apart from the islands, which do not have any medium-large cities, with the exception of Crete and Rhodes.



Athens



Photos


(click to enlarge)

Athens, Parthenon
Athens, Parthenon

Zakynthos
Zakynthos

Karpathos
Karpathos

» See the full album
(15 photos)


Useful links

Hellenic Statistical Authority
Visit Greece