Interesting facts about Greece

Land & Geography

• Greece, officially named Hellas derives its common name from the Latin Graecia, while locals refer to it as Ellada.
• Modern Greece is only the centre of the Ancient Greek civilisation, which comprised Southern Italy, the coastal areas of Turkey and the Black Sea, as well as some colonies in North Africa, Southern France and Spain.
• 80% of Greece is mountainous and 50% is covered by forests. There are about 6000 islands and islets, only 227 of which are inhabited.
• The island of Rhodes enjoys 300 annual days of sunshine, making it one of Europe's sunniest destinations.
• Greece counts some 7,000 (limestone) caves, forming 24,000 km of underground galleries.
• The country's highest mountain, Mount Olympus (2,919m) was said to be the home of the Gods in ancient Greek religion.
• The endangered Mediterranean monk seal, one of the rarest marine mammals, finds sanctuary in Greek waters.

Society & Culture

• Philoxenia (hospitality) is deeply ingrained, with Greeks often treating strangers as friends and offering warm welcomes, especially in rural areas.
• The concept of parea (a close-knit group of friends) is central to social life, with lively discussions over coffee being a cultural staple.
• Greeks celebrate name days (the feast day of their namesake saint) with more enthusiasm than birthdays in many cases.
• Traditional Greek cuisine relies heavily on olive oil, with the average citizen consuming over 20 litres annually.
• It's illegal to wear high heels at ancient monuments to protect the archaeological sites from damage.
• Greeks consume 12kg of feta cheese annually per capita, often receiving free desserts like loukoumades after meals.
• Extended family and mutual support obligations remain of utmost importance in Greek social structure despite modernisation
• Most businesses in Greece continue to be small, family-run enterprises, particularly in shipping where tightly knit family clans dominate
• Social connections ("mesa") and reciprocal favours ("rouspheti") continue to facilitate Greek societal functioning
• Despite apparent "machismo," wives or mothers actually lead households in 80% of Greek families
• Middle-aged Greek bachelors often return daily to their mothers for home-cooked meals and ironed shirts, even when financially independent
• Traditional superstitions persist, like the belief refusing refreshments to visitors brings bad luck
• Plate smashing continues at life events like weddings, now often using plaster substitutes

History & Sciences

• The Minoan civilisation, that appeared in Greece around 3650 BCE, predates the first Chinese civilisation by almost a millenium.

• The first Olympic Games were held in 776 BCE in Olympia to honour Zeus, featuring events like sprinting and chariot racing, with winners receiving olive wreaths.
• The Antikythera mechanism, discovered in a shipwreck, is considered the world’s first analog computer, used to predict astronomical events over 2,000 years ago.
• Spartan boys began military training at age seven, while Spartan girls received formal education and participated in athletics—unusual for women in ancient Greece.
• The marathon race derives from Pheidippides’ 26-mile run from Marathon to Athens to announce victory in battle, after which he reportedly died of exhaustion.
• Over one-third of Ancient Greeks were enslaved, with Sparta’s state-owned Helots forced to farm and surrender crops to their rulers.
• The yo-yo, invented in ancient Greece around 500 BCE, is considered the world's second-oldest toy.
• Greek statues were originally painted in vibrant colours, which faded over time, leaving the white marble appearances seen in museums today.
• To protect the Parthenon’s columns during a 19th-century siege, Greeks supplied bullets to Ottoman forces to prevent them from dismantling the marble for lead ammunition.
• Greece’s first prime minister, Ioannis Kapodistrias, tricked citizens into adopting potatoes by guarding shipments to imply their value, prompting widespread theft and cultivation.
• Leprosy remained legal grounds for divorce in Greece until 1983, long after the disease was eradicated and treatments became available.
• Mount Athos’ monasteries have barred women and female animals for centuries under an unwritten monastic code, upheld by both tradition and legislation.
• Ancient Greeks used smooth stones for hygiene after using public toilets, a practice evident in archaeological findings.
• The concept of ostracism allowed Athenian citizens to exile unpopular politicians for a decade via majority vote, aiming to prevent tyranny.
• Cheesecake originated in ancient Greece, where athletes consumed a mixture of cheese, wheat, and honey as an energy-boosting snack.
• The Oracle of Delphi allegedly inhaled hallucinogenic gases from a chasm beneath her temple, inducing visions attributed to the god Apollo.
• Spartan women underwent formal education and athletic training, a rarity in ancient Greece, and exercised nude alongside men to promote physical fitness.
• Numerous modern Western given names come from Greek, such as Agatha (=> honourable), Alexander (Alexandros => protector of man), Andrew (Andreas => manly), Chloe (Khloe => blooming), Christopher (Khristoferos => bearer of Christ), Dennis (Dionysios => follower of Dionysius), Gregory (Gregorios => watchful), George (Georgios => farmer), Helen (=> sunshine), Iris (=> rainbow), Jason (Iasthai => healer), Katherine (Aikaterine => pure), Lucas (=> from Lucanus, Italy), Margaret (Margaríta => pearl), Melissa (=> honey-bee), Nicholas (Nikolaos => victory of the people), Peter (Petros => rock), Sebastian (Sebastianos => revered), Sophia (=> knowledge), Stephen (Stephanos => crown), Theodore (Theodoros => God's gift), Timothy (Timótheos => God's honour)...
• Ancient Greek history, culture, mythology and literature has widely influenced modern Western culture. They have inspired many Hollywood films, from the earliest to the latest blockbusters, as well as Japanese and Dinsey animations. For instance : Pandora's Box (1929), Orphée (1950), Helen of Troy (1956), Hercules (1958), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), Clash of the Titans (1981), Ulysses 31 (TV anime, 1981), Hercules (1983), Saint Seiya (TV anime, 1986), The Odyssey (TV miniseries), Hercules (animation, 1997), Helen of Troy (TV miniseries, 2003), Troy (2004), Alexander (2004), Ulysses (2008)...
• The world-famous Belgian chocolate-maker Leonidas was founded in 1913 by a Greek immigrant. The comapny was named after the famous 5th-century BCE king of Sparta.

Economy

• Shipping has been one of the most important industry in Greece since ancient times. The Greek-owned fleet is the largest in the world with a total of 3,850 ships of over 1.000 gt capacity and a total capacity of 98.195.100 gt, translating to 15,5% of the international shipping capacity. Aristotle Onassis (1906-1975) was the most famous shipping magnate of the 20th century.
• Agri-food exports surged 171% from 2008-2023, transforming a €3 billion trade deficit into a surplus through high-quality olive oil, cotton, and fruit exports.
• Small family-run firms dominate the business landscape, often relying on informal networks rather than cutting-edge technologies.
• Tourism triples Greece's population yearly, attracting 33 million visitors compared to 10.4 million residents.
• Tourism and real estate drive over 25% of GDP, reflecting the economy's heavy reliance on climate-dependent sectors.
• Greece became the first developed country downgraded to an emerging market in 2013 during its decade-long debt crisis.
• The shipping industry controls 20% of global merchant fleets, maintaining Greece's position as a maritime superpower since the 1960s.
• Over 500,000 skilled workers emigrated between 2010-2018, creating a lasting "brain drain" effect from the crisis era.
• The 2009-2018 sovereign debt crisis was the EU's longest, requiring three international bailouts totalling €289 billion.
• Part-time work is almost inexistent for men in Greece.
• As the third-largest olive producer globally, Greece cultivates more olive varieties than any nation.
• 85% of Greek people own their accommodation - the highest rate in the EU.
• Greece has consistently had the lowest or second lowest employment rate in the European Union for the last few decades, with only between 55% and 60% of the population in employment. The latter is not a consequence of the euro crisis as the employment rate was even lower in the 1990's.