|RNature and climate:|N Very mountainous country in southern Europe by the Mediterranean Sea. The Pindus mountains run from north to south and the coast is very indented. The highest peak is Olympos reaching 2917 m.a.s.l. There are more than 2000 islands, but only 169 of them are inhabited.
Earthquakes are common.
Greece used to be forested but clear-felling and extensive stockraising have devastated the forests. Most areas are now moors.
Most animals disappeared with the forests but tortoise are common.
Average temperature in January 8°C and in July 28°C.
Percipitation 1300 mm in the western and 350 mm in the eastern parts.
|RPeople:|N 98% Greeks and small minorities of Turks, Slavs and Albanians.
|REconomy:|N 28% of the labour force is occupied in agriculture, 29% in industry and 42% in different services.
Most important crops are grains, corn, rice, cotton, tobacco, olives, citrus fruits, winegrapes, raisins and figs.
The Greek soil is not very fertile, the farms are fairly small, the landscape is hilly, but the good climate makes agriculture very important. So is stockraizing and fishing.
Greece have quite a few minerals such as bauxite, lignite, oil, manganese, iron, chromium and marble. In the sea there is plenty of natural sponge.
Most important industries are textiles, chemicals, metals, wine, foodprocessing and cement.
Greece imports three times as much as it exports and the deficit is covered by an extensive international shipping, by a important tourism and by the money the many Greek workers abroad send home to their families.
|RHistory:|N The area was inhabited very early and about 5000 BC farmers from Asia Minor invaded and settled here.
In the 2nd centennial BC the Jonic and the Archaic tribes invaded from the north. In the 12th century BC the Dores invaded most of Greece.
At about 1000 BC the characteristic townstates emerged and grew powerful. From this time we know of Athens, Spartacus, Thebe, Corinthe, Argos and Miletos.
These townstates were ruled by kings and later by the nobility.
In spite of numerous wars between these towns the people "felt" like one people with one language and one religion.
From 750 BC trade all over the Mediterranean Sea increased in importance. Many of the towns of Greece were overcrowded and explorers and traders founded colonies all over the Mediterranean area. Marseille, Naples, Syracuse, Istanbul are some of the wellknown Greek colonies founded in this era.
In the middle of the 6th century BC the Persians conquered vast areas in Asia Minor and in 490 BC the Persians tried to conquer the Greek mainland but were defeated in the battle of Marathon. The Persians came back 480 BC and after numerous battles they finally withdrew 449 BC.
During this long war the Greek townstates united and Athens took the lead. The union was a union of independent towns with a common foreign policy and defence.
Internal struggle for power in Athens resulted in full democracy for all free men in the 460:s BC and this way of government was implemented in all the other towns as well.
However, when the Persians were beaten, old antagonism between the Greek towns increased and in 431 the Peloponesian war started between Spartacus and Athens and their allies. This war ended in 404 BC when Athens was brutally beaten. But the 30 years of war had ruined and weakened all the towns and in 338 king Philip of Macedonia conquered the whole area. His son Alexander the Great, king 336 to 323, conquered vast areas in Europe and Asia and towns like Alexandria and Antiokia were founded.
Now Greek language and culture dominated the "whole" world and trade was extensive. But soon internal fighting between the Greek towns weakened the empire and in 146 BC the whole Greece was conquered by the Roman emperors.
When the Roman empire was divided in 395 AD Greece came to the East Roman Empire and in 1453 AD it was made a Turkish province.
Inspired both by old Greek tradition and the French revolution a liberation movement was started in the late 18th century. In 1821 an uprising started with help from Britain, France and Russia and in 1829 independence was internationally recognized.
A German prince became king, but was forced to abdicate in 1862 and a Danish prince was elected king in 1863. In his reign vast areas were incorporated.
In the three Balkan wars 1912, 1913 and 1914 Greece expanded to approximately its present size.
In 1924 republic was established under harsh military rule, but monarchy was reestablished in 1935.
In World War II 1940 Greece was attached by Italy, but successfully defended itself until Hitler sent troops to help Italy. The king and government moved abroad.
Two different liberation movements were formed during the war. One supporting the king and the government, and the other one a communist guerilla supported by the Soviet Union.
After WWII there was a bloody civil war and not until 1949 the communists were defeated with British and American help.
When the king in 1964 forced the prime minister to resign a period of political manoeuvres started and came to an end in the 1967 military coup. A countercoup by the king the same year failed and the king and his family left the country.
This harsh military regime collapsed in 1974 when an attempt to intervene in Cyprus failed.
