Fun Facts about Greece

One of the most popular tourist destination in Europe, Greece is known for its rich cultural heritage. The population of Greece is approximately 10,610,000. Every year, a minimum of 12 million tourists visit this nation. From the Greek Gods to the Olympics, Greece has offered the world many interesting traditions, influenced the cultural life of Europe and also has great tradition of philosophers and thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, etc. You would find the information on ancient Greek Olympics to be interesting.

Greece Fun Facts

The fun facts about Greece presented below should make us aware of the culture, traditions and related information about this country.

• The Greek culture started to flourish around 2,500 years ago.
• Greece is known for its cultural heritage and the different types of arts form a part of this tradition. The number of folk dances which originate from this country are 63 in number.
• The total area of Greece is 51,000 sq.miles. The coastline which makes Greece a great tourist destination is 9,300 miles.
• The modern-day regions such as southern Italy, few North African colonies, coastal regions in Turkey, colonies in Spain & southern France were part of Greece in ancient times.
• This country, in today's world is known to have a merchant fleet which is considered to be largest in the whole world.
• Great importance is given to the different Gods and Goddesses in Greek mythology. The powers and attributes associated with these Gods had a great influence on the culture of this nation.
• Hellenic Republic is the original name of Greece.
• The highest mountain in Greece is Mount Olympus. This mountain is 2,919 m high. According to Greek mythology, this mountain served as the home for ancient Greek Gods.
• Greece is primarily a mountainous country. As much as 80% land is covered with mountainous topography. Forests and a barren land forms the remaining part of this nation.
• An interesting tradition followed by the Greeks was to celebrate name days. It is a common practice in the world to celebrate birthdays. The above mentioned Greek tradition is therefore, interesting.
• There are about 7000 limestone caves found in Greece. Interesting fact about these caves is that altogether, a 24,000 km long network of underground galleries is found.
• According to Greek mythology, the two Gods, Poseidon and Athena were in the race of becoming the guardian of the city of Athens. Athena gifted this city with olive tree, while Poseidon offered water. Athena was therefore, was assigned the status of guardian.
• The population of Greece even in today's globalized world is largely dominated by ethnic Greeks who account for a 98%. The other ethnic groups in this country are Turks, Macedonians, Albanians, Armenians, Bulgarians and Gypsies. The Turks are amongst largest of the minority groups in this country.
• There are more than 2000 Greek islands; Crete being the largest with an area of 3,189 sq. miles.

The facts enlisted above help us understand that Greece is not just a traditional country with historical sites or a nation influenced by mythology. There is much more to this country than just culture and tradition. As stated earlier, tourism is one of the main business activities. Islands (an in turn the beaches) add to the beauty of this great nation.

The fun facts about Greece presented in this write-up, should help you understand more about this country. There are many things which can be said about this country. However, the facts presented above should cover the important points.