Greece is the place where democracy was born. But democracy in ancient Athens was significantly different from modern democracies. It was both more participatory and exclusive, and there were no political parties in Athenian democracy.
Did you know that Greece hosts 50% of the brown bear population in western & southern Europe.
No part of Greece is more than 137km from the sea.
Did you know that most days of the year are sunny in Greece? 250, to be exact.
Did you know that Greece is the third largest producer of olive oil in the world? Greeks have cultivated olive trees since antiquity. Some of the olive trees that are still producing olives, date back to the thirteenth century.
Olympus (2,917m), the mountain of Gods and Muses is the highest mountain of Greece and the 2nd in the Balkans.
Greece is a leading producer of sea sponges.
Continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years, Athens is one of the oldest cities in Europe.
700 plant species of Greece are endemic, meaning that they may be found only in Greece; approximately 20% of those are aromatic or medicinal plants.
Did you know that Epirus is the most mountainous territory of Greece and the poorest in the EU; however it has a unique natural wealth!
Greek is one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe since it has been spoken for more than 3.000 years.
Do you know what rakomelo is? It is a Cretan hot cocktail! A delicious mixture of honey, spices and the alcoholic beverage tsikoudia. Bottoms up!
In Greece, people celebrate the “name day” of the saint that bears their name in a similar way to their own birthday.
On Anafi Island, lies the rock of Kalamos, the second highest monolithic limestone after Gibraltar; a must-see for climbers who will enjoy a great challenge here.
The first philosopher is considered to be Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – 425 B.C.). He is credited as giving the first explanation for the origin of the world that was not mythological.
Greece' s official name is Hellenic Republic. However Greeks call their country Hellas or Hellada.
Did you know that Greece has around 6,000 islands, islets and rocky islets? 2,000 of them are islands and only 107 of them are inhabited!
The species and subspecies of the native plants in Greece are about 6,000, almost as much as 50% of the native plants of Europe!
Greece has historically engaged in wine making. Take for example Dionysus, the son of Zeus, the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine. His face is seen today on the sommelier’s pin which is a symbol of respect to wine’s contribution throughout history.
Crete's history as well as the inhabitants' personality were affected by the island's mountainous landscape.