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Greece Population, Official Language And More.
While this story may be a myth, it reflects the importance of religion and mythology in ancient Greek culture. The Greeks believed that their gods played an active role in their lives and that they needed to honor them through prayer and sacrifice. This belief system helped shape Greek society and culture for centuries to come.
Greece
The Population
According to the latest estimates from the United Nations, the population of Greece is approximately 10.3 million people as of October 2023. The population density is around 80 people per square kilometer. The median age in Greece is 45.5 years.
The Landmarks
Greece is home to many famous landmarks that attract tourists from all over the world. Some of the most popular landmarks include:
- The Parthenon: A temple dedicated to the goddess Athena located on the Acropolis in Athens.
- The Palace of Knossos: A Minoan palace located on the island of Crete.
- The Monasteries of Meteora: A group of monasteries built on top of rock formations in central Greece.
- The Domes of Santorini: White-washed buildings with blue domes located on the island of Santorini.
The Official Language
The official language of Greece is Modern Greek, which is spoken by approximately 99.5% of the population. Other languages spoken in Greece include Albanian, Turkish, Russian, Romani, Bulgarian, and Macedonian.
The Culture
Greek culture has evolved over thousands of years and has been influenced by many different civilizations and cultures. Ancient Greek civilization was known for its contributions to fields such as philosophy, literature, and art. Today, Greece is known for its cuisine, music, and festivals such as Carnival and Easter.
The Economic Stability
Greece’s economy has shown significant resilience despite adverse global economic conditions. In 2022, real GDP grew by 5.9% year-on-year, strongly outpacing the EU and Euro area average and pre-pandemic levels. According to the baseline macroeconomic scenario, real GDP is expected to grow by 2.3% in 2023. However, Greece’s economic freedom score is 56.9, making its economy the 107th freest in the 2023 Index.
The GDP
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Greece was $219.07 billion in 2022, according to official data from the World Bank. The GDP value of Greece represents 0.10% of the world economy. The country’s economy has shown significant resilience despite adverse global economic conditions. In 2022, real GDP grew by 5.9% year-on-year, strongly outpacing the EU and Euro area average and pre-pandemic levels.
The Currency
The official currency of Greece is the Euro (EUR), which is divided into 100 cents. The euro is also the official currency of 19 of the 27 member states of the European Union. When you’re buying currency for Greece, look out for the currency code EUR. Once you’re in Greece, you’ll see the symbol € used to show prices.
The Food
Greek cuisine has been influenced by Middle Eastern, Italian, and Ottoman cultures. Fresh vegetables, fish, olive oil, wine, meat, and grains play a significant role in these dishes, as well as cheese, bread, olives, herbs, and yogurt. Some of the most popular Greek dishes include:
- Moussaka: A creamy delicious dish made of spiced meat (beef or lamb) cooked in tomato sauce and then layered with fried eggplant and bechamel sauce.
- Souvlaki: A popular dish that can be served either wrapped in pita or plated on a dish with any preferred meat along with french fries, lettuce, tomatoes, and its distinctive sauce.
- Pastitsio: Baked layers of pasta, juicy minced beef, bechamel and tomato sauce topped melted cheese.
- Seafood: Greek seafood is truly exceptional. You definitely need to try out octopus, oysters, squid, jumbo shrimps, snapper pie, and barbouni (striped red mullet) fish dishes at least once in your life.
Major Cities
Greece’s largest metropolitan centers and most influential urban areas are those of Athens and Thessaloniki. Athens has a metropolitan population of approximately four million inhabitants while Thessaloniki has a population of approximately one million inhabitants. Other major cities in Greece include Patras (250k), Heraklion (150k), Larissa (146k), Peristeri (133k), Acharnes (100k), Kalamaria (92k), Glyfada (89k), Nikaia (88k), Volos (85k) among others.
Major Airports
The main international airport in Greece is Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” located in Athens serving the region of Attica. Other important airports include Thessaloniki International Airport “Macedonia”, Rhodes Island International Airport “Diagoras”, Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis”, Chania International Airport “Ioannis Daskalogiannis”, Kalamata International Airport “Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos”, among others.
