Greece is situated in the Balkan Peninsula and covers 132,000 m2 of surface of which 25,000 m2 consists of the 1,400 islands that belong to the continent. Among these there are a few large islands like Crete, Corfu and Rhodos.
Many people imagine this country as "ancient Greece". But this obsession with antiquity shared by many, obstructs the real image of Greece.
Short name: Greece
Official name: Hellenic Republic
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Area: 131,940 km sq.
Capital: Athens
Independence: 1829 (from Ottoman Empire)
National Day: Independence Day, March 25
Constitution: June 11, 1975, amended in March 1986
Elections: More than 18 years, universal and compulsory
Nationality: Greek 98%, other 2%