Greek mythology, philosophy, architecture, art—it’s impossible to look at the history of mankind without seeing the influence of this proud and distinguished civilization. Greek has been a dominant force in the development of culture and ideas, and there are so many things that the world owes to its thinkers, artists and philosophers.

The Greek civilization was one of the earliest advanced societies. The Minoans, and later the Mycenaeans, were the ones who established the foundations of the current language. No other country has been able to produce such philosophical, political, and cultural advancements. For example, the Greek arts were very much the inspiration of the Renaissance, and can still be seen in the Art Deco movement. The Greek tragedy and drama was influential in theatre. Greek literature is still studied in schools today, and philosophy owes so much to Plato, Aristotle and the pre-Socratics. Thus, even if Greece is a relatively small country, it is a giant in terms of cultural contributions.

Greece officially carries the name of the Hellenic Republic. It is roughly about 51,000 square miles. The capital, Athens, is the largest city and is both the capital and largest population center with about 3.5 million inhabitants. Second to Athens is which has just over one million people. The total population is more than 10.96 million.

Greek terrain is characterized by mountains and islands. The mountainous area lies in the north, while to the south are rolling plains. There are also a lot of islands. The weather is very pleasant. The winters see very mild rains while the summers, which are hot and dry, are best spent on the beaches.

The people of Greece are known as Greeks, and the official language is Greek. The educational system is very good and claims to lead to a literacy of 95%. School is free. Greeks enjoy good health and life expectancy is 76 for males and 81 for women.