Greece

Greece is officially known as the Hellenic Republic. Which is taken from the ancient Greek name Hellas. The population of Greece is now over approximately 11 million. Over 3 million of the population live in the city of Athens, the capital and largest city. The second largest city is Thessaloniki. The Greek Orthodox Church, is the dominant religion in the country and is followed by the majority of the population.

Greece is located in southern end of Europe, at the Eastern end of the Mediterranean. It shares land borders with Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania, and the Republic of Macedonia. It has one of the oldest histories of any country. It is thought that around 6500BC settlers crossed into Europe. It is considered the birth place of the Western civilizations.

Three quarters of the country is mountains and forests. Mount Olympus is the highest peak at 2,918 metres. There are thousands of beautiful islands sitting in a crystal blue seas. Many of these islands are uninhabited. This gives the country the longest coastline in the Mediterranean. Large areas of the mountains and island have been made into National Parks to protect the Flora and Fauna.

In 1986 Greece joined the European Community and in 2002 the euro was adopted as the official currency. By 2015, unfortunately the country was in the grip of a major recession, with debts of 319.5 billion euros, which has to be repaid by 2057.

Some of the best quality, Olive Oil, in the world, is produced in this country. Spain and Italy buy olive oil from Greece in bulk. Then they blend it with their own olive oil to make that, a higher grade oil. In the New York International Olive Oil Competition, Extra virgin olive oils from Greece won Gold awards and the distinction of “Best in the World” for 2015.

Vines for wine-making were growing in Greece before anyone in France or Spain had ever heard of the plant. Greek wine producers have imported new wine making technology from around the world. Some of the best Greek wines made today, are as good as any fine wines made anywhere.

Shipping in Greece has been an important activity since ancient times. Greece, is one of the world's largest shipping powers and by tradition is a maritime nation. Shipping is one of the country’s most important industries, helping the economy with 6.5% of GDP.

Greece is a major tourist destination, with 26 million visitors in 2015 and a projected 28 million expected to visit in 2016. The income from the tourist industry is very important for the country’s economy, adding nearly 20% to their GDP.