Home to one of the world s oldest civilizations 300s BC conquered by Alexander The Great 146 BC conquered by the Romans AD 400s became a part of the Byzantine Empire (adopted Christianity) Was a part of the Byzantine Empire for over 1,000 years Between the 1,300-1,400s they were fell to the Ottoman Turks (Central Asia & Muslim) Began to lose some of their culture for the first time. Began speaking Turk instead of Greek
Alexander The Great The Romans conquering Greece The Byzantine Empire
1,800s Greek rebellion against the Turks The Greeks defeat and drive out the Ottoman Turks with the help from several other European nations (1829) Known as the Cradle of Democracy Democracy began and thrived there more than 2,500 years ago Home to great thinkers/philosophers of the past like Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates
The Greek Senate and government building the Acropolis
Aristotle Socrates Plato
Home to 10.7 million people today Average life expectancy is around 80 years of age GDP is $18,103 (per family average) (U.S.=$57,467) 98% ethnically Greek Very strong culture and traditions Adopted many different customs and practices from all of the different Empires that ruled over them throughout history
99% of the people speak Greek Greek is one of the oldest spoken languages in all of Europe The language dates back more than 3,500 years to the Minoan civilization Literacy rate is 97%
98% Greek Orthodox 2% Muslim The Greek Orthodoxy dates back to the Byzantine Empire Easter is their most important holiday The church has always been used to preserve their culture and traditions throughout the century's
Still behind in many ways culturally. They are still a very patriarchal society. Enjoy many outdoor events and gatherings during the warmer months and gatherings at the local cafes and coffee shops during the cooler months. Lamb, olive oil, baklava, yogurt, and special blends of seasonings for cooking (Greek) are all a part of the daily diets. Family dinner times are still very important custom
Athens is the capitol and 650,000 people live there with another 2 million or so living just outside of the city limits. 3/5 of Greece's total population live in cities. Old outdated factories cause issues with pollution (air & water) Outside of the cities life is very different. Heavily agricultural, people live in small villages, very isolated from the rest of the population.
Ancient ruins still found in Athens today
The ancient city state of Athens was well known for their love and passion for the arts, drama, and theater. Many ancient ruins are visited by millions each year Many centuries of paintings, sculptures, and writings have survived throughout Greece s history. Classical Era art is still studied today. The Byzantine Empire was known for iconography. A style of writing using symbols and pictures
Gone through many changes in styles and types throughout its history due to the different Empires it has been apart of. Won its independence from the Ottoman Turks in 1829 Monarchs (Kings & Queens) for most of the late 1800s and early 1900s Dictatorship from 1967-1974 (Ruled by a military group known as The Junta) Parliamentary Republic from 1974- present Parliament is called the Vouli and has 300 seats
Today: The president acts as the head of the state and is elected by the Parliament (Prokopis Pavlopoulos) ( 5 year terms) The Prime Minister is the head of Government and is appointed by the president. (Alexi Tsipras) --The President --Since March of 2015 The Prime Minister Since Sept. 2015--
Mixed Market economy Member of the EU---- Went bankrupt 2010-2012 Massive economic turmoil Has one of the largest shipping industries in the world Heavily depends on tourism Main export is olives, chemicals, textiles, and tobacco products
Lag behind all other Western European countries Few natural resources 22% poverty rate 28% unemployment