Athens, Greece

Geography: Greece is located in southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey.

Currency:  Euro

National Symbols: Greek cross (white cross on blue field with arms equal length)

National Anthem: " Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)

Language: Greek

Area Comparison: Greece is slightly smaller than Alabama.

Distance from Pittsburgh: 8363 km or 5196 miles

Terrain: Greece is mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands.

Highest Point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m

Weather You Should Expect: The climate is temperate which is mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

Historical Fact: Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations.

Science Fact: Greece is  a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands.

One of the Oldest Cities in the World: Its origins date back to 3000BC.  Athens prides itself for being considered as the "Cradle of Civilization" since it was the birthplace of democracy, western philosophy, the Olympic games, political science, western literature and major mathematical principles and theater. 

Home of the Gods: Ancient greeks believed that world was ruled by many different gods, each having their own story and special powers. Mount Olympus was their home from where they ruled mankind. There is a story that says Athena and Poseidon competed to who will become guardian of Athens. Poseidon gave the city the gift of water but Athena's olive tree won the favor of the other gods, making olive trees to be considered sacred in Greece. 


First Olympic Games: The first Olympic games were held in Athens in 776 BC. People would come from all over Greece to watch the games where the winners were given olive wreaths.  Greeks were so serious about these games that athletes who backed out where fined with cowardice.  


Origins of the Theater:  Greek tradegies were played in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine. Comedies on the other hand were about low class characters.  Only boys were allowed to act on the plays, they had to wear large masks so the audience could tell the part they were playing.


The Acropolis: The name comes from the word "Acro" meaning "high" and "Polis" meaning "city." It refers to the sacred hill where ancient Greeks built many temples honoring their gods.  The Acropolis survived all kinds of natural disasters, wars and invasions over 20 centuries.  


Everything You Need to Know About the Flag:

The flag has nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. A blue square bearing a white cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner. The cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country. There is no agreed upon meaning for the nine stripes or for the colors. Also the exact shade of blue has never been set by law and has varied from a light to a dark blue over time.