Greece is a country in southern Europe which is bordered to the east by Turkey and to the north by Albania, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Macedonia. It has miles of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, the Ionian Sea and the Aegean Sea. There are also many Greek islands including Rhodes, Crete and various islands in the Dodecanese, Cyclades and Peloponnese.

Greece is a Parliamentary Republic, having abolished the monarchy in 1974. Long before that the country had to free itself from the yoke of the Ottoman Empire in 1829. Today the unitary state has both a President and a Prime Minister in charge. With the 10th largest coastline in the world, Greece is an incredibly popular tourist destination which welcomes more than 15 million visitors annually. However government corruption has meant that other parts of its economy have struggled and the country recently needed a massive EU bailout. 

Greece enjoys amazing weather all year around and it has incredible ancient sites and superb beaches. That means that visitors to Greece regularly outstrip its actual population of about 10 million people. Tourists are usually a mixture of sun worshippers and those who want to explore the country’s fascinating archaeological sites. The capital Athens is an amazing blend of classical Greek and modern architecture, while cities such as Sparta played a fascinating role in ancient history. Indeed Greece is considered to be the birthplace of modern democracy and shaped the views of famous thinkers including Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. Greece prides itself on welcoming visitors with a friendly manner and lots of food.

Ethnic Greeks make up 93% of the population in Greece and 99% them speak Greek. The overriding religion is Greek Orthodox, though 4% of the population are Muslims. Just over 4% of the population is Albanian and 2% are of other nationalities.