About Greece

Greece is a large peninsula country, with a mountainous terrain. It is located in Southern Europe and borders the Aegean, Ionian and the Mediterranean Seas from the coast of Albania to Turkey.

Approx Land boundaries of 1,205 kms include:The borders with: Albania 280 kms. Bulgaria 490 kms. Macedonia 230 kms. and Turkey 205 kms.

The coastline around Greece is approximately: 13,675 kms.

Estimated Population: 12.5 million.

Religions: Approximately 95% of the Greek population choose the Orthodox Church. The remainder are divided between the Roman Catholic, Muslim and Jewish faiths.

Currency

The currency in Greece and the Greek Islands is now the Euro (EUR).

On 01 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the Euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions of all member countries;

On 01 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions with the member countries.

Some retail outlets may still display the costs in Drachmas, to help with conversion to Euros.

Language

The Official language for 99% of the population is Greek, but English, French & German are widely understood and spoken, especially in most areas with tourism.

Weather

The general weather conditions in Greece are mostly consistent throughout the country. Mainland Greece is known for its mild conditions in winter and long hot summers.

Both winter & summer temperatures are cooled by prevailing winds during each season. but the Summers benefit from long periods of good sunshine and very little rainfall, which guarantees tourists a good vacation. Further details about the weather in Greece can be found at: http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/

Wine

Greek wines have never enjoyed much of a reputation. Red wine has often been undrinkable to some Europeans that are more familiar with French, English and New World wines. Popular red wines Boutari & Rotonda and white wines Lac des Roches and Achaia Claus are generally OK.

Some Greek Islands have their own distinctive labels. Crete, Santorini and Kefalonia and are just 3 examples. Retsina is commonly nown as Greece's best wine, with a distinctive taste of 'pine' inherited from pine plugs which were originally used to seal wine jars.

Try Ouzo, as many tourists have done for years, its a popular clear aniseed drink, similar to raki, and not too bad when you get used to it. Locals tend to love Greek brandy like Metaxa or Botrys  which are slightly sweet and, mixed with cola, its recently becoming a popular drink in bars.