| Overview
of Greece for Travelers by Richard Monk
From the Olympics to My Fat
Greek Wedding, Greece has always been a cultural centerpiece in the history
of man. Summing up its contribution requires a small library, but here
is an overview.
Overview of Greece for
Travelers
Greece was home to some of
the earliest advanced civilizations. From the Minoans of the second BC
millennium to Mycenaeans who established the basis of the current language,
the country has produced cultural, philosophical, political and sport advancements
unrivaled by others.
The modern Greek state obtained
independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. It has carried on what seems
like a constant conflict with Turkey and was also involved in both World
Wars. In 1981, Greece joined the European Community that eventually evolved
into the European Union.
The official name of Greece
is the Hellenic Republic. Greece covers an area of roughly 51,000 square
miles. Athens is both the capital and largest population center with roughly
3.5 million inhabitants. Thessaloniki is the second largest population
area with just over one million people. The terrain of Greece ranges from
mountains in the north to flat plains in the south and beautiful islands
off the coast. Winters are mild while summers are hot and dry making Greece
a huge tourist destination.
The people of Greece are
known as Greeks. They total more than 10.96 million. Population growth
exists, but it is just above .2 percent annually. Greek is the official
language. From a religious perspective, 99 percent of Greeks claim Greek
Orthodox as their religion. Literacy rate is 95 percent and all levels
of education are absolutely free. Life expectancy is 76 for males and 81
for women.
Greece is a relatively small
country, but has accounted for a remarkable number of developments in the
trek of mankind through history. Whether you are going to see the culture
or loaf on the islands, Greece is a top travel destination for a good reason.
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About the Author: Richard
Monk is with FactsMonk.com-
a site with facts about everything. Visit us to read more about Europe.
More
Travel Reading on Greece
Holidays
in Corfu by Simon Johnson
Featured
Corfu Self-Catering / Vacation Rentals
At the beautiful Corfu Island,
you can enjoy the beautiful beaches and indulge in some extravagant shopping
in the maze of its tapered streets. As a tourist, you can explore Corfu
either by foot or rent a vehicle and go around this beautiful town named
Corfu too, after the Island. The natural beauty of the island is just breathtaking
and you can also get to know more about the history that the island encloses.
This beautiful island has lots to offer, from resorts and innumerable beaches
to some of the best and stunning sand sweeps.
Spending holidays in Corfu:
Corfu offers some of the
best beaches for its tourists with plenty of options to enjoy under the
sun. The second biggest water park in Europe is at Corfu where you can
enjoy a number of slides and other activities. So you can enjoy the water
sports riding the banana boat, jet-skis, windsurfing, and scuba-diving.
Enjoy the game of golf in the lush green surroundings of the town, horse
riding around the town as well as the beach, and also experience the excitement
with mountain biking.
Food, Drink, and Night
Life:
From the restaurants, caterers
to night clubs and bars, Corfu caters to the needs of everybody. After
dinner, you can enjoy a relaxing time with drinks at some of the local
bars.
Pelekas Café
You can enjoy the cool ambiance of the café and enjoy a wide variety
of coffees from Espresso, Frappe, Cappucino and the most famous amongst
the visitors, the Greek coffee. You can enjoy some great variety of beers,
both local and imported ones. As the day transforms into the night, the
party here at Pelekas Café is ready to come alive.
Staying at Corfu:
Corfu offers some of the
best villas that offer packaged villa holidays and only villa holidays
accommodation. From countryside farmhouses and holiday villas with pools
to a cottage with nice view of the blue sea water, you name it and Corfu
has it. Tourists can arrange their personal travel arrangements while staying
here.
Shopping:
There is a lot to shop at
Corfu. The local artists have their proficiency in making the olive wood
statues. Goods made exclusively by leather, gold, and pottery items are
very famous in Corfu. There is a mixture of French, Venetian and British
architecture backdrop to some of the dissimilar street markets. You can
easily bargain about the prices with the traders but that is not needed
much as the prices here are already so low.
Language:
Indo-European language or
Greek language is the oldest and the most spoken one here.
Featured
Corfu Holiday / Vacation Rentals
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