Greece

Location: Greece is situated in Southeast Europe and covers an area of 131.957 sq. km with thousands of islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas. It borders North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, Albania to the northwest, Turkey to the northeast. Greece is a coastal country with the Sea of Crete and Mediterranean Sea located on its south side, the Aegean Sea on its east and Ionian Sea on its west. 

Population: 10,329,363

Ethnic groups: Greek (91.6%), Albanian (4.4%), other (4%)

Religions: Greek Orthodox (81-90%), Muslim (2%), other (3%)

Languages: Greek

Area: Its terrain is mostly mountainous with the highest mountain being mount Olympus with a peak of 2.917m. As Greece has a very long coastline, a big portion of its land area is also made up by peninsulas and islands.

Major cities: Athens is the capital of Greece 3.167 million people residing in its urban area. Thessaloniki (814,000 citizens), Patras (213,984 citizens), Heraklion (200,000 citizens), Piraeus (163,688 citizens) are some of Greece’s major cities and are as well home to their major ports. 

Local time: GMT +2 hours

Climate: Greece has a Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunlight. Summers are hot and dry. In the winter months temperatures are mild and rainfall is limited. 

Government: Presidential Parliamentary Republic; elected every 4 years

Currency: Euro

Religion: Christian Orthodox: 98%, Muslim: 1,3%, other: 0,7%

Official holidays:
1st January: New Year

6th January: Epiphany

10th March: Ash Monday

25th March: National Holiday (Independence Day / Feast of Annunciation)

March/April: Easter 

1st May: Labour Day

16th June: White Monday

15th August: Dormition (Assumption) of The Virgin Mary

28th October: National Holiday

25th, 26th December: Christmas

Transportation: Greece has 37 airports. Athens Venizelos International Airport is the largest. There are also 525 ports with Piraeus being the largest. Its islands are easily accessible through well – connected domestic or international airports and ports. 

Important phone numbers: 

112 – Emergency 

100  – Police 

199 – Fire brigade 

Taxation: 24% VAT 

Electricity: The standard voltage is 230V and 50 Hz frequency. Sockets and plugs are standard European. 

Country code: +30

Housing: Greece offers affordable housing in comparison to other European countries. Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu, and Crete are the most demanded housing markets. 

Working hours: Typical working hours of shops in the large cities are from 9:00 to 21:00 Monday to Saturday. In suburban areas, the working hours are split into shifts. On Sundays, stores do not work.