Dream DestinationA Presentation by: Ivy Joselle Ubias

Greece

General

InformationGreece, officially the Hellenic Republic and known since ancient times as Hellas, is a country in Southern Europe. According to the 2011 census, Greece's population is around 11 million. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city.

Etymology

The names for the nation of Greece and the Greek people differ from the names used in other languages, locations and cultures. Although the Greeks call the country Hellas or Ellada and its official name is the Hellenic Republic, in English it is referred to as Greece, which comes from the Latin term Graecia as used by the Romans, which literally means 'the land of the Greeks', and derives from the Greek name Γραικός. However, the name Hellas is sometimes used in English as well.

Greece is strategically

located at the crossroads

of Europe, Asia and

Africa. It also shares land

borders with Albania to

the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia

and Bulgaria to the north

and Turkey to the northeast.

Location

National FlagThe flag of Greece (popularly referred to as the "sky-blue-white" or the "blue-white"), is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There is a blue canton in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the established religion of the Greek people of Greece and Cyprus. The official flag ratio is 2:3.

LocationThe country consists of nine geographic regions: 1. Macedonia2. Central Greece3. the Peloponnese4. Thessaly5. Epirus6. the Aegean Islands (including

the Dodecanese and Cyclades)7. Thrace8. Crete9. Ionian Islands

*The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

MottoEleftheria i thanatos ("freedom or death") is the motto of Greece. It arose during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, where it was a war cry for the Greeks who rebelled against Ottoman rule. It was adopted after the Greek War of Independence. It is still in use today, and is a popular theory regarding the use of 9 stripes (for the nine syllables of the motto) in the Greek flag. The motto symbolized and still symbolizes the resolve of the people of Greece against tyranny and oppression.

Hymn to Liberty

The Hymn to Liberty or Hymn to Freedom is a poem written by Dionýsios Solomós in 1823 that consists of 158 stanzas, which is used as the national anthem of Greece and Cyprus. It was set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros, and is the longest national anthem in the world by length of text.

Click to listen to audio

PoliticsGreece is a

parliamentary republic. The nominal head of state is the President of the Republic, who is elected by the Parliament for a five-year term. The current Constitution was drawn up and adopted by the Fifth Revisionary Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975 after the fall of the military junta of 1967–1974.

Coat of Arms of Greece

PoliticsIt has been revised three

times since, in 1986, 2001 and 2008. The Constitution, which consists of 120 articles, provides for a separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and grants extensive specific guarantees (further reinforced in 2001) of civil liberties and social rights. Women's suffrage was guaranteed with an amendment to the 1952 Constitution.

EconomyThe economy of Greece is the

34th or 42nd largest in the world at $299 or $304 billion by nominal gross domestic product or purchasing power parity (PPP) respectively, according to World Bank statistics for the year 2011. Additionally, Greece is the 15th largest economy in the 27-member European Union.[98] In terms of per capita income, Greece is ranked 29th or 33rd in the world at $27,875 and $27,624 for nominal GDP and PPP respectively.

Natural Resources• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing - Less than one-third of the land area is cultivable, with the remainder consisting of pasture, scrub, and forest. Only in the plains of Thessalía, Makedonía, and Thráki is cultivation possible on a reasonably large scale. There corn (maize), wheat, barley, sugar beets, peaches, tomatoes, cotton (of which Greece is the only EU producer), and tobacco are grown.

Natural Resources

• Resources and power - The country has small deposits of silver ore and marble, which are mined. About nine-tenths of Greece’s electrical power needs were supplied by fossil fuels, and nearly one-tenth by hydroelectric power.

Religion in GreeceReligion in Greece, is

dominated by the Church of Greece, which is part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church. It represents the majority of the population and Greek Orthodoxy is constitutionally recognised as the "prevailing religion" of Greece (making it one of the few European countries with a state religion). Other major religions include Catholicism, Hellenic Neopaganism, Judaism, Protestantism and Islam.

Culture of Greece

TheatreTheatre was born in Greece. The city-state of Classical

Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was institutionalised as part of afestival called the Dionysia, which honoured the god Dionysus. Tragedy (late 6th century BC), comedy (486 BC), and the satyr play were the three dramatic genres to emerge there.

Sophocles

PhilosophyMost western philosophical

traditions began in Ancient Greece in the 6th century BC. The first philosophers are called "Presocratics," which designates that they came before Socrates, whose contributions mark a turning point in western thought. The Presocratics were from the western or the eastern colonies of Greece and only fragments of their original writings survive, in some cases merely a single sentence.

Socrates

MythologyThe numerous gods of the

ancient Greek religion as well as the mythical heroes and events of the ancient Greek epics (The Odyssey and The Iliad) and other pieces of art and literature from the time make up what is nowadays colloquially referred to as Greek mythology. Apart from serving a religious function, the mythology of the ancient Greek world also served a cosmological role as it was meant to try to explain how the world was formed and operated.

MythologyThe principal gods of the ancient Greek religion were the Dodekatheon, or the Twelve Gods, who lived on the top of Mount Olympus. The most important of all ancient Greek gods was Zeus, the king of the gods, who was married to Hera, who was also his sister. The other Greek gods that made up the Twelve Olympians were Demeter, Hades, Ares, Poseidon, Athena, Dionysus, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hephaestus and Hermes. Apart from these twelve gods, Greeks also had a variety of other mystical beliefs, such as nymphs and other magical creatures.

Famous land & water formations in Greece

Land & Water

Formations

Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece and the second highest mountain in the Balkans. It is located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia. The mountain has 52 peaks, deep gorges, and exceptional biodiversity.

Olympus was notable in Ancient Greek Mythology as the home of the Twelve Olympians, on the Mytikas peak. Mount Olympus is also noted for its very rich flora with several species. 

Pindus National ParkPindus National Park, also known as Valia-Kalda, is a national park in mainland Greece, situated in an isolated mountainous area at the periphery of West Macedonia and Epirus, in the northeastern part of the Pindus mountain range.The park's core zone, 3,360 hectares (8,300 acres), covers the greatest part of the Valia Kalda valley and the slopes of the surrounding peaks.

HaliacmonThe Haliacmon is the longest river in Greece, with a total length of 297 km (185 mi).It flows through the Greek regions of West Macedonia (Kastoria, Grevena and Kozani regional units) and Central Macedonia (Imathia and Pieria regional units).

Nestos RiverThe Nestos formerly the Mesta

Karasu (Ottoman Turkish), is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. It rises in the Rila Mountains and flows into the Aegean Sea near the island of Thasos. It plunges down towering canyons toward the Aegean Sea through mostly metamorphic formations. At the end, the main stream spreads over the coastal plain of Chrysoupolis and expands as a deltaic system with freshwater lakes and ponds forming the Nestos delta.The length of the river is 230 km, of which 126 km in Bulgaria and the rest in Greece. It forms some gorges in Rila and Pirin.

AlfeiosAlfeiós is the longest river in the

Peloponnese, in Greece. The river is 110 km long, flowing through the regional units of Arcadia and Elis. Its source is near the village Dorizas, about halfway between Tripoli and Megalopoli in the highlands of Arcadia. It flows southwest toward Megalopoli, where it has been diverted around open pit lignite mines. At Thoknia it receives its right tributary Elissonas, and continues north towards Karytaina. Below Karytaina the Lousios flows into the Alfeios, and the Alfeios continues northwest, passing north of Andritsaina. Near Tripotamia the rivers Ladon and Erymanthos flow into the Alfeios. The Alfeios then flows west along Olympia and empties into the Ionian Sea south of Pyrgos.

SmolikasMount Smolikas is a mountain

in the Ioannina regional unit, northwestern Greece. At a height of 2,637 metres above sea level, it is the highest of the Pindus Mountains, and the second highest mountain in Greece after Mount Olympus. The mountain consists of ophiolite rocks.The last glaciers of this area retreated around 11,500 years ago. Nearby mountain ranges are Tymfi to the south, Gramos to the northwest, Vasilitsa to the southeast and Voio to the northeast.

NedaThe Neda is a river in the

western Peloponnese in Greece. It begins on the southern slope of Mount Lykaion, near the village of Neda in northern Messenia. It flows to the west through a varied landscape of barren rock and forests. From near Figaleia until its mouth it forms the border of Messenia and Elis. There is a well known waterfall near the village Platania. The Neda flows into the Gulf of Kyparissia, a bay of the Ionian Sea, near the village Giannitsochori.

Vikos–Aoös National Park

The Vikos–Aoös National Park is a national park in the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece. It is one of ten national parks in mainland Greece and is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of the city of Ioannina in the northern part of the Pindus mountain range. It is named after the two major gorges of the area and encompasses 12,600 hectares (31,135 acres) of mountainous terrain, with numerous rivers, lakes, caves, deep canyons, dense coniferous and deciduous forest.

Mount AthosMount Athos is a mountain

and peninsula in Greece. A World Heritage Site and autonomous polity in the Hellenic Republic, Athos is home to 20 stavropegial Eastern Orthodox monasteries under the direct jurisdiction of the patriarch of Constantinople. Today Greeks commonly refer to Mount Athos as the "Holy Mountain" .In Classical times, while the mountain was called Athos, the peninsula was called Akté.

Special Features &

Landmarks

Acropolis of AthensThe Acropolis of Athens is

an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and containing the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as "The Acropolis" without qualification.

ParthenonThe Parthenon is a temple on the

Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered the zenith of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy and western civilization, and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a program of selective restoration and reconstruction to ensure the stability of the partially ruined structure.

MeteoraThe Metéora (lit. "middle of

the sky", "suspended in the air" or "in the heavens above" — etymologically related to "Meteorite") is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars.

Syntagma SquareSyntagma Square is the

central square of Athens. The Square is named after the Constitution that the first King of Greece Otto was obliged to grant, after a popular and military uprising on September 3, 1843. It is located in front of the 19th century Old Royal Palace, housing the Greek Parliament since 1934. Syntagma Square is the most important square of modern Athens from both a historical and social point of view, at the epicentre of commercial activity and Greek politics.

Temple of Hephaestus

The Temple of Hephaestus or Hephaisteion or earlier as the Theseion is a well-preserved Greek temple; it remains standing largely as built. It is a Doric peripteral temple, and is located at the north-west side of the Agora of Athens, on top of the Agoraios Kolonos hill. From the 7th century until 1834, it served as the Greek Orthodox church of St. George Akamates.

Theatre of DionysusThe Theatre of

Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major open-air theatre and one of the earliest preserved in Athens. It was used for festivals in honor of the god Dionysus. Greek theaters in antiquity were in many instances of huge proportions but, under ideal conditions of occupancy and weather, the acoustical properties approach perfection by modern test. 

Myrtos BeachMyrtos Beach is in the region

of Pylaros, in the north-west of Kefalonia island, in the Ionian Sea of Greece. Myrtos beach lies between the feet of two mountains, Agia Dynati and Kalon Oros (901m). Myrtos has been described as "one of the most dramatic beaches in Greece", with its "mile-and-a-half long arc of dazzling white pebbles”. It was used as the location for the mine explosion episode in the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Myrtos has been voted 12 times the best Greek beach while it regularly features in best beaches lists.

Mount LycabettusMount Lycabettus is a

Cretaceous limestone hill in Athens, Greece. At 277 meters (908 feet) above sea level, the hill is the highest point in the city that surrounds it. Pine trees cover its base, and at its two peaks are the 19th century Chapel of St. George, a theatre, and a restaurant.

AchilleionAchilleion is a palace

built in Corfu by Empress of Austria Elisabeth of Bavaria, also known as Sisi, after a suggestion by Austrian Consul Alexander von Watzberg. The palace was designed with the mythical hero Achilles as its central theme. Achilleion's location provides a panoramic view of Corfu city to the north, and across the whole southern part of the island.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a colossal ruined temple in the centre of the Greek capital Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods.

Philopappos monument

The Philopappos Monument is an ancient Greek mausoleum and monument dedicated to Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos or Philopappus,, a prince from the Kingdom of Commagene. It is located on Mouseion Hill in Athens, Greece, southwest of the Acropolis.

AND MORE!!!!!

Reflections

Why Greece?

When I was young, I was already exposed to Greek Mythology. Since then, I had the desire to go there because I want to see Mount Olympus and find out if the gods and goddesses really exist. And now that I am growing older, I’m always seeing beautiful photos of Greece beaches and white houses. It made my desire to travel to that place stronger.

Why Greece?

Also, I have been reading this series called “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”. This book made me see Poseidon in a handsome way so I want to go to Greece to see a statue of him and have a selfie with it.

If you could go to Greece, what would you do

there?

I would visit museums!!! See all the beaches and mountains and rivers and visit everything that I’ve put in this presentation.

Would you go alone or you’ll bring

company?

I would bring my family or my friends or my special someone. It’s just okay if I’ll go alone. Travelling alone means never having to worry about your companion/s. But it will be safer for me to travel if I’ll have someone with me.

Do you have any real plans of going to

Greece?

Yes, I do! Been planning it for a long time already. I will travel after I finish college, when I already have work (because I will use my own money).

If you could, would you stay there for

good?

No. I could stay there for months or a few years but for good? No, thanks. Philippines is my home.

About making this presentation

Making this presentation helped me a lot in knowing more things about the place I like. Before, I only knew like 15% of Greece and now I feel like I already know half of it. (except maybe for the history)

Thank you, Mr. Ho!

Sources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece• http://

www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/244154/Greece/26457/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing

• http://www.visitgreece.gr/