Greece
The cradle of Western civilization, scattered across the Aegean and Ionian seas
Greece occupies the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula and thousands of islands scattered across the Aegean and Ionian seas, a sun-bleached land of olive groves, white-washed villages, and the ruins of the civilization that gave the West its philosophy, democracy, and drama. With about 10.4 million people and Athens, the cradle of so much of that legacy, as its capital, Greece has one of the longest coastlines in the world. Its blend of ancient temples, Orthodox monasteries, and dazzling island beaches makes it one of the planet's most visited countries.
Mountains cover roughly four-fifths of the country, with the Pindus range running down the mainland and Mount Olympus, the mythic home of the gods, rising to 2,917 meters as Greece's highest peak. The mainland gives way to the deeply indented coast and the Aegean and Ionian archipelagos, from Crete and Rhodes to the volcanic caldera of Santorini. A Mediterranean climate brings hot, dry summers and mild winters. Shipping, tourism, olive oil, and wine drive an economy long shaped by the sea.
From Minoan Crete and Mycenaean palaces through the classical age of Athens and Sparta, the Hellenistic empires of Alexander, and a thousand years as the heart of Byzantium, Greek civilization shaped the Mediterranean world. Four centuries of Ottoman rule ended with the War of Independence beginning in 1821. The modern republic endured occupation, civil war, and military dictatorship before stabilizing as a democracy. A founding cultural pillar of Europe, Greece joined the EU in 1981 and the eurozone in 2001.