[bradford1Merrill]

Greece's terrain is generally rugged, with mountain ranges and their spurs running northwest to southeast through much of the mainland. Altogether, mountains cover four-fifths of Greece. The Rhodope Mountains in northern Greece rise to over 1,800 meters (7,000 feet) in many places. Their highest peak is Mount Órvilos, at 2,212 meters (7,287 feet). The Pindus Mountains, Greece's major mountain range, belong to the Dinaric mountain system that also spans Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Albania. In central Greece, the range is divided into three segments by the Métsovon Pass and, farther south, by Mount Timfristós. Its spurs extend into the eastern part of central Greece, separated by structural depressions. The mountain spur north of Thessaly is home to Greece's highest peak, the legendary Mount Olympus, mythic home of the Greek gods. The Pindus range extends southeastward through the mainland peninsula to the Gulf of Corinth, where Mount Parnassus is located. A series of ridges extending southward into the Peloponnese give the peninsula its distinctive "four-fingered" shape. [links]

[hypertux]

Coastline: 13,676 kilometers (8,498 miles)

[Aluminus]

Greece is located at the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula in southern Europe. Several seas surround the mainland: the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Ionian Seas. In addition, one-fifth of the country is made up of hundreds of islands, many of them uninhabited, that lie in all three of these bodies of water. With a total area of 131,940 square kilometers (50,942 square miles), Greece is almost as large as the state of Alabama. Greece is divided into fifty-one prefectures.

[emmamarko112]

Lake Korónia and Lake Vólvi mark the northern end of the Chalkidhiki Peninsula. Lake Vistonis in western Thrace, although called a lake, is actually a lagoon. Another major lake is Lake Trichonida near the southern end of the Pindus Mountains. here

[Psychoactive]

Greece has relatively few rivers. Those it does have are short, and none are commercially navigable. In the north, the Evros (Maritsa), Néstos, Struma, and Vardar flow across the plains of Thrace and Macedonia and into the northern Aegean Sea. With a total length of 480 kilometers (300 miles), the Evros is the country's longest river. It forms part of Greece's border with Bulgaria in the north as well as its border with Turkey in the east. The rivers of central Greece are the Aliákman, Arakhthos, Akhelóos, Piniós, and Sperkhiós. The Aliákman (320 kilometers/200 miles) is the longest river located entirely in Greece. The major rivers of the Peloponnese are the Alpheus (Alfiós) and Evrótas. here

[BitterTea]

The Athens Metro subway system is another construction project that is being renovated and expanded in 2000-01, as well as new roadways, railroads, and bridges. Under the terms of the EU, Greece must be open to international bidding for major projects, which provides tough competition for the Greek construction industry. more

[TG12]

The service industry is the most important sector of the Greek economy. In 1998, the service sector provided 64.4 percent of Greece's GDP, and accounted for nearly 60 percent of Greece's labor force . A variety of businesses are included in this sector: street vendors, the hotel and lodging industry, telecommunications, and public administration. more

[KanyT]

The tourism industry has grown significantly since the 1960s, and is a major source of foreign exchange, but this sector has suffered from poor infrastructure and a strong drachma. European tourists visiting Greece tripled from the early 1970s to the late 1980s, and reached 11.5 million visitors in 2000. Most tourists visiting Greece hail from Great Britain and Germany; however, droves of visitors come from Italy, the former Yugoslavia, France, and the Netherlands. The number of American tourists declined during the 1990s. Lodging options have increased significantly between the 1970s and 1990s due to an expansion of hotels. In 1998, tourist revenues were high as Greece benefited from problems in neighboring countries and an economic recovery in the EU. Today Greece faces tough competition from Turkey, which has become a popular vacation destination, but improvement in the tourism sector does hold promise. more

[r1b]

Housing and building construction have always played a key role in Greece's industrial sector and have long been a major source of income. Today, construction activity accounts for approximately 7.5 percent of the GDP and is expected to rise due to new infrastructure projects financed by EU funds. more

[spidr_mnky]

The geographical location enables it to Greececonsidered the most maritime power of the Old World. Its coast of the Balkan Peninsula, and two thousand islands are washed by the Mediterranean Sea. It is divided into several parts, and to understand what the sea washes Greece should take a look at the map. more

[h4ck3rk1ng]

What the sea in Greece is not designated more onmaps? The list is also impressive: the Ligurian and the Cretan, Cretan and Balearic, Tyrrhenian and Alboran. Today is considered to be their only parts of the Mediterranean, and because these names were in the distant historical past of Greece. more

[Kybertek]

For tourism businesses play a vital roleGreece sea, washing the resort areas. For example, the Ionian Sea - the cradle of the islands of Corfu and Ithaca, where the first bathers open season in late May. The water temperature in summer is kept at around 25 degrees, making water treatment pleasant and refreshing.
Beach Resort Chalkidiki washed by the Aegean Sea,whose magical beaches - a dream of many fans of bronze tan. In these places the highest number of awards for cleanliness and environmental friendliness, and infrastructure, and endless opportunities for sailing and diving attract the Aegean Sea in Greece a huge number of active travelers. seawater temperature during high season here is kept at around 24 degrees.
Mediterranean Sea - a resort islands and CreteRhodes, where the nice soft sand beaches alternate with shingle, allowing you to select any genre and level of comfort for relaxing. The water temperature in this area ranges from 22 degrees at the start of the season to 26 in peak days. The tides in the Mediterranean are expressed vaguely, so you can spend the whole day on the beach, without changing the places of deployment. more

[nikileshsa]

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[psi36]

The road to Porto Katsiki, one of Lefkada’s most famous beaches, is winding and beautiful, descending steeply to this remote and secluded beach. Tall white cliffs provide plenty of drama, and the swimming is magnificent- you can even explore caves in the water. here

[Dark Shikari]

Would you like to visit a new beach? Not new as in newly fashionable, but new as in freshly created, by a landslide in 2008! ‘Erimitis’ means ‘hermit’ in Greek, and the name suits this secluded natural wonder, sheltered by towering cliffs. here

[Jenniferle]

Where did Prince Charles and Princess Diana swim in Crete? From what we hear, Balos. Back then, it felt like the edge of the world, accessible only by private yacht or on foot via a hot but beautiful hike. Now you can visit this impossibly dreamy, remote lagoon on a day excursion by boat.

[Drifter]

One of the loveliest of the Dodecanese Islands, Karpathos is known for its fantastic beaches. Wild and remote Apella beach, a cove without facilities and best reached by boat, rewards the adventurous with its white sands and crystal clear waters.

[Sultan]

Whatever your idea of a perfect beach is, Greece is sure to have it. Do you like watersports and plenty of socializing? Or family-friendly waters and complete facilities? Or maybe you have a sense of adventure and are looking for a secret, hard to reach cove. This list of the best beaches on the Greek Islands includes some rare geological wonders, some wildly popular stretches of silken sand, and some remote, secluded gems. Here’s a list to get you started on finding your dream beach.