Geography:

Greece (in Greek, Hellas), officially known as the Hellenic Republic (Elliniki Dimokratia), extends in south-eastern Europe, occupying the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula and numerous islands.A member of the UN, the EU, NATO, the Western European Union , and the Council of Europe , Greece is a signatory of the Schengen Agreement on European border controls .

The total area is 131,957 sq. km (50,949 sq. mi), of which about one fifth is composed of islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas. Athens is the capital and largest city.

Greece is famous for its natural beauty. The land is mountainous and rugged and, as the ancient Greek geographer Strabo wrote, “the sea presses in upon the country with a thousand arms”. Although a small country, Greece has a very diverse topography. The most important physiographic divisions of the country are the central mountains; the damp, mountainous region in the west; the dry, sunny plains and lower mountain ranges in eastern Thessaly, Macedonia, and Thrace; Central Greece, the south-eastern finger of the mainland that cradled the city-states of Greece; the mountainous region of the Peloponnisos; and the islands, most of which are in the Aegean.

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Currency 

Since March 2002 the monetary unit of Greece is the EURO. . Major credit-cards are widely accepted although cash is preffered in most shops, especially the smaller ones.
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Climate

One of the greatest advantages of Greece is it's unique climate. Although largely diverting from region to region it is in general characterized by the hot and dry summers , the mild winters and the absence of extreme weather phenomena. With a mean annual temperature in Athens of about 17° C (63° F), slight variations are observed moving to the northern mountainous part of the country, where mean temperatures are somewhat lower and precipation considerably higher.On the other hand, the southernmost part of the country, the Aegean islands and the island of Crete present their visitors with a fine average of more than 280 days of sunlight annually.
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Transportation

Greece has about 116,150 km (72,170 mi) of roads, of which over 90 per cent is paved. Almost all of the country’s 2,497 km (1,552 mi) of operated railway track is part of the government-run rail system. The leading Greek seaports are Piraeus, Patrai, Thessaloniki, and Elefsis. A wide steamship and airlines network assures the connections of the mainland to the numerous ports of the Greek islands.The national airline is state-owned Olympic Airways, which provides domestic and international services. International airports serve Athens , Thessaloniki,the island of Corfu, Heraklion in the island of Crete and the island of Rhodes.
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Communications

A modern telecomunications network provided by the state owned O.T.E. retains the telephone communications of the country. Semi-state owned Cosmote and private companies Panaphon and Telestet have established a very widely spread cellular telecommunication system providing coverage throughout the entire country. Internet services show a considerable increase and are supported in national level by numerous I.S.P.'s like OTEnet, Forthnet and Hellas on Line. Internet roaming services are supported by the leading I.S.P's for the major worldwide networks as MSN, AOL or Compuserve. Internet infrastructure support is provided in many of the major hotel complexes of the country. Foreign press is available in points of sales with one day's delay. Satellite and local TV is provided in most hotels and lodging complexes.
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Culture and History

Visit the pages of the Ministry of Culture for extensive information as well as information on museums, monuments and sites you should not miss during your visit.
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Formalities

As a member of the EU, Greece does not require any travel documents for travellers that are citizens of the EU. For travellers outside EU passport and visa are required.
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