Greek coat of arms

Greek national flower

violet is the greek national flower

Greek geography

The total area of Greece is 131,957 km² and consists of three main geographic areas:

• a peninsular mainland (that extends from the region of Central Greece on the South to the region of Thrace on the North) being the biggest geographic feature of the country
• the Peloponnese peninsula that is separated from the mainland by the canal of the Corinth Isthmus,
• and around 6.000 islands and islets, scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Sea, most of them grouped in clusters, that constitute the unique Greek archipelago. Crete, Rhodes,Corfu, the Dodecanese and the Cyclades are some of the famous and popular islands and island clusters in Greece.

Eighty percent of the country consists of mountains or hills, making Greece one of the most mountainous countries of Europe; furthermore, it has 16.000 kilometres of coastline of which 7500 are found around the thousands islands of the Greek archipelago, a truly unparalleled phenomenon on the European continent.

Greece is located in south-eastern Europe, on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula (Haemus peninsula); it lies at the meeting point of three continents – Europe, Asia and Africa. Greece borders to the North on Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M.), to the Northwest on Albania, to the Northeast on Turkey; to the West it is washed by the Ionian Sea; to the South by the Mediterranean Sea and to the East by the Aegean Sea.

Greek Map

Why white and blue in the flag??

The flag of Greece (popularly referred to  "blue-white"), officially recognized by Greece as one of its national symbols, 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. According to popular tradition, the nine stripes represent the nine syllables of the phrase  ("Freedom or Death"), the five blue stripes for the syllables  and the four white stripes . The nine stripes are also said to represent the letters of the word "freedom" . There is also a different theory, that the nine stripes symbolize the nineMuses, the goddesses of art and civilization (nine has traditionally been one of the numbers of reference for the Greeks

Motto

The greek motto is : "freedom or death"

Tradicional Food

Greek cuisine  is a Mediterranean cuisine  that share characteristics with the cuisine of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cuisinemakes extensive use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, cerealsand bread, wine, fish and various meats, including poultry, rabbitand pork. Also important are the olives, cheese, eggplant, zucchini and yogurt. Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use pastry edge.

Traditional clothes

Foustanella/Tsolias Worn by diplomats and warriors, this costume was declared the national costume for men; it is found in mountainous areas and was worn mainly in the Central and Southern parts of Greece.

The costume derives its name from the pleated white skirt  made by triangular shaped pieces of cloth called "langolia" which are together diagonally. The Foustanella skirt consists of 400 pleats symbolizing the years during which Greece was under Ottoman rule. The Greek Fighters of the 1821 revolution wore the Foustanella while fighting the Turks. Today it serves as the official uniform of the Evzones, the Presidential Guard, who keep their vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. The remainder of the costume is composed of a white shirt with a very wide flowing sleeve, and embroidered woolen vest called the "fermeli" and has panels hanging from the back. The vest can be blue, black or maroon, the latter worn by the captain of the guard. A sash is worn around the waist, and pointed shoes which have large pompons known as Tsarouhia which were worn for mountain climbing.

Vraka This costume, which is worn with some variations on all the Aegean islands, is the classical type of male dress with vraka. It consists of a panavaki (white undergarment), white shirt, karamani (baggy trousers), koumbouri (sleeveless crossed waistcoat), sash, zaka (outer jacket)) and megalo fesi (tasseled cap). Karagouna The Karagouna is the famous female costume from Thessaly in Central Greece. The Karagouna costume is a wedding dress with bright colors symbolizing the wealth of the valley of Thessaly. The name came out of the way the women could move only their heads because of the weight of the costume and their jewelry. This costume consists of an undergarment which is a white dress with a thick black fringe edge, a wool coat with handmade tufts at the edges of sleeves and embroidery at the hemline, a white sleeveless coat ''sayias'' with decorated trim, a short red wool felt richly embroidered waistcoat, and velvet arm bands with black or multicolored fringe. Worn around the waist is a red felt apron with bands of embroidered gold thread and finally the black embroidered head kerchief scarf wrapped and then twisted around the head and decorated with gold coins across the forehead. Distinctive features of this costume, symbolizing the wealth of the bride, are the many rows of chains of coins that are worn across the bosom. The apron is also decorated with a brooch and silver or gold chain piece.