Greece
Capital: Athens 
Ethnic Divisions: Greek 93%, Other 7%
Religion: Greek Orthodox (97%), others (3%)
Time zone: No difference between Greece and Kiev time.
Electricity in Greece is 220 V, 50 Hz.
Geography
Climate
Government
Currency
Shopping
Taxi Prices
Food Prices
Passports and Visas
Imports and Exports
Communications
Geography
Greece is situated in southeast Europe on the Mediterranean.
The mainland consists of the following regions: Central Greece, Peloponnese, and Thessaly (east/central), Epirus (west), Macedonia
(north/northwest) and Thrace (northeast). Euboea (Evvia) the second-largest of the Greek islands, lying to the east of the central region and connected to it by a bridge, is also considered to be part of the mainland region.
The Peloponnese peninsula is separated from the northern mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth. The northern mainland is dissected by high mountains (such as the Pindus) that extend southwards towards a landscape of fertile plains, pine-forested uplands and craggy, scrub-covered foothills.
The islands account for one-fifth of the land area of the country. The majority are thickly clustered in the Aegean between the Greek and Turkish coasts. The Ionian Islands are the exception; they are scattered along the west coast in the Ionian Sea. The Aegean archipelago includes the Dodecanese, lying off the Turkish coast, of which Rhodes is the best known; the Northeast Aegean group, including Chios, Ikaria, Lemnos, Lesvos and Samos; the Sporades, off the central mainland; and the Cyclades, comprising 39 islands (of which only 24 are inhabited). Crete, the largest island, is not included in any formal grouping.
Administratively, Greece consists of thirteen peripheries subdivided into a total of fifty-one prefectures (nomoi, singular nomos). There is also one autonomous area, Mount Athos (Agio Oros, "Holy Mountain"), which borders the periphery of Central Macedonia.
Greece consists of a mainland peninsula and an archipelago of 2,000 islands, of which 200 are inhabited.
The islands are divided into six groups: the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, the North-Eastern Aegean, the Sporades and the Saronic Gulf islands. The two largest islands, Crete and Evia, do not belong to any group. Sparsely populated mountain areas cover much of Greece; the fertile valleys, plains and coastal areas are more densely populated. Greece, a member of NATO and the European Union, derives much of its foreign exchange from tourism. The country also is traditionally an agrarian nation; over 25 percent of the labor force works in agriculture. Greece produces wine, wheat, wool, cotton, olives, raisins and tobacco. A warm, temperate Mediterranean climate prevails in the south, while the north is wet and cool.
Climate
Greece has a Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures and a limited amount of rainfall. Due to the country's geographical position, its rugged relief and its distribution between the mainland and the sea, there is great variation in Greece's climate.
In summer, the dry hot days with average temperature + 28 +35С, In winter +8 +18С
Government
Greece is a parliamentary republic. Greece's head of government is the Prime Minister. The head of state is the President of the Republic, who is elected by the Parliament for a five-year term.
Greece is a country well known all over the world for its glorious history.Tracks of the past are visible at every step. The country keeps ruins of ancient fortress; the fragments of ancient columns which are built-in in age-old walls.
Athens the capital of Greece since 1834 after Nafplion and Aegina situated at the basin of Attica. The historical centre of Athens is the most important area of the city for the thousand of tourists who are visiting the Greek capital in order to admire the shrine of Democracy the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the museums and the monuments and theatres from the glorious past of Athens. Plaka used to be called by the Greeks the neighborhood of the gods, today Plaka is one of the main attractions for the tourists, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops all can be find here. Anafiotica is a must see area just over Plaka and under Acropolis to the east. Anafiotika is like a small island within Athens, builders from the small island of Anafi build their traditional white washed houses in the tiny winding streets and steps of this area when they were building the royal Palace. Today the Palace is the Greek Parliament and rights on its front is the Parliament square or Plateia Syntagmatos in Greek, the most central place of Athens. Next to the Parliament are the National Gardens and the Zapeion exhibition hall. Not far opposite Zapeion are the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Hadrian arch. The Panathinaikon stadium where the first Olympic Games took place located a few minutes walk through the National Gardens or through Zapeion.
Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. Crete has everything: beaches, hidden villages, big cities, snow-clad mountains, archaeological sites, medieval fortresses, museums and beautiful surroundings. Crete was the center of Europe’s most ancient civilization; the Minoan. Early Cretan history is replete with legends such as those of King Minos, Theseus, Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus passed on orally via poets such as Homer. Advise to visit palace-labyrinth of King Minos, which was built 4000 years ago.
Rhodes It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands. Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today Rhodes is a major international tourist destination.
Corfu- The Island is very green compared to other Greek islands. If you want a taste of the cosmopolitan side of Corfu, you can visit the most popular square Spianada in the town. The palace Achilleon where the empress Sissy lived is quite splendid. The old and new Castro is worth visiting, as well as St. Spyridon, with the tallest bell tower of the island. One of the most popular areas in the town must be the Liston where you will find numerous cafes and shady places to sit and have a cool drink while watching the world go by.
Greek cuisine is often cited as an example of the healthy Mediterranean diet. Greek cuisine incorporates fresh ingredients into a variety of local dishes such as moussaka, stifado, Greek Salad, spanakopita and the world famous Souvlaki. Throughout Greece people often enjoy eating from small dishes such as meze with various dips such as tzatziki, grilled octopus and small fish, feta cheese, dolmades (rice, currants and pine kernels wrapped in vine leaves), various pulses, olives and cheese. Olive oil is added to almost every dish. Greek cuisine differs widely from different parts of the mainland and from island to island.
Currency
Ethnic Divisions: Greek 93%, Other 7%
Religion: Greek Orthodox (97%), others (3%)
Time zone: No difference between Greece and Kiev time.
Electricity in Greece is 220 V, 50 Hz.
Geography
Climate
Government
Currency
Shopping
Taxi Prices
Food Prices
Passports and Visas
Imports and Exports
Communications
Geography
Greece is situated in southeast Europe on the Mediterranean.
The mainland consists of the following regions: Central Greece, Peloponnese, and Thessaly (east/central), Epirus (west), Macedonia
(north/northwest) and Thrace (northeast). Euboea (Evvia) the second-largest of the Greek islands, lying to the east of the central region and connected to it by a bridge, is also considered to be part of the mainland region.The Peloponnese peninsula is separated from the northern mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth. The northern mainland is dissected by high mountains (such as the Pindus) that extend southwards towards a landscape of fertile plains, pine-forested uplands and craggy, scrub-covered foothills.
The islands account for one-fifth of the land area of the country. The majority are thickly clustered in the Aegean between the Greek and Turkish coasts. The Ionian Islands are the exception; they are scattered along the west coast in the Ionian Sea. The Aegean archipelago includes the Dodecanese, lying off the Turkish coast, of which Rhodes is the best known; the Northeast Aegean group, including Chios, Ikaria, Lemnos, Lesvos and Samos; the Sporades, off the central mainland; and the Cyclades, comprising 39 islands (of which only 24 are inhabited). Crete, the largest island, is not included in any formal grouping.
Administratively, Greece consists of thirteen peripheries subdivided into a total of fifty-one prefectures (nomoi, singular nomos). There is also one autonomous area, Mount Athos (Agio Oros, "Holy Mountain"), which borders the periphery of Central Macedonia.
Greece consists of a mainland peninsula and an archipelago of 2,000 islands, of which 200 are inhabited.
The islands are divided into six groups: the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, the North-Eastern Aegean, the Sporades and the Saronic Gulf islands. The two largest islands, Crete and Evia, do not belong to any group. Sparsely populated mountain areas cover much of Greece; the fertile valleys, plains and coastal areas are more densely populated. Greece, a member of NATO and the European Union, derives much of its foreign exchange from tourism. The country also is traditionally an agrarian nation; over 25 percent of the labor force works in agriculture. Greece produces wine, wheat, wool, cotton, olives, raisins and tobacco. A warm, temperate Mediterranean climate prevails in the south, while the north is wet and cool.
Climate
Greece has a Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures and a limited amount of rainfall. Due to the country's geographical position, its rugged relief and its distribution between the mainland and the sea, there is great variation in Greece's climate.
In summer, the dry hot days with average temperature + 28 +35С, In winter +8 +18С
Government
Greece is a parliamentary republic. Greece's head of government is the Prime Minister. The head of state is the President of the Republic, who is elected by the Parliament for a five-year term.
Greece is a country well known all over the world for its glorious history.Tracks of the past are visible at every step. The country keeps ruins of ancient fortress; the fragments of ancient columns which are built-in in age-old walls.
Athens the capital of Greece since 1834 after Nafplion and Aegina situated at the basin of Attica. The historical centre of Athens is the most important area of the city for the thousand of tourists who are visiting the Greek capital in order to admire the shrine of Democracy the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the museums and the monuments and theatres from the glorious past of Athens. Plaka used to be called by the Greeks the neighborhood of the gods, today Plaka is one of the main attractions for the tourists, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops all can be find here. Anafiotica is a must see area just over Plaka and under Acropolis to the east. Anafiotika is like a small island within Athens, builders from the small island of Anafi build their traditional white washed houses in the tiny winding streets and steps of this area when they were building the royal Palace. Today the Palace is the Greek Parliament and rights on its front is the Parliament square or Plateia Syntagmatos in Greek, the most central place of Athens. Next to the Parliament are the National Gardens and the Zapeion exhibition hall. Not far opposite Zapeion are the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Hadrian arch. The Panathinaikon stadium where the first Olympic Games took place located a few minutes walk through the National Gardens or through Zapeion.Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. Crete has everything: beaches, hidden villages, big cities, snow-clad mountains, archaeological sites, medieval fortresses, museums and beautiful surroundings. Crete was the center of Europe’s most ancient civilization; the Minoan. Early Cretan history is replete with legends such as those of King Minos, Theseus, Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus passed on orally via poets such as Homer. Advise to visit palace-labyrinth of King Minos, which was built 4000 years ago.
Rhodes It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands. Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today Rhodes is a major international tourist destination.
Corfu- The Island is very green compared to other Greek islands. If you want a taste of the cosmopolitan side of Corfu, you can visit the most popular square Spianada in the town. The palace Achilleon where the empress Sissy lived is quite splendid. The old and new Castro is worth visiting, as well as St. Spyridon, with the tallest bell tower of the island. One of the most popular areas in the town must be the Liston where you will find numerous cafes and shady places to sit and have a cool drink while watching the world go by.
Greek cuisine is often cited as an example of the healthy Mediterranean diet. Greek cuisine incorporates fresh ingredients into a variety of local dishes such as moussaka, stifado, Greek Salad, spanakopita and the world famous Souvlaki. Throughout Greece people often enjoy eating from small dishes such as meze with various dips such as tzatziki, grilled octopus and small fish, feta cheese, dolmades (rice, currants and pine kernels wrapped in vine leaves), various pulses, olives and cheese. Olive oil is added to almost every dish. Greek cuisine differs widely from different parts of the mainland and from island to island.
Currency
Greece adopted the Euro as its new common currency in February 2002. Many establishments accept credit cards, mostly Visa, MasterCard, and Euro card.
Shopping
Greece is famous with fur shops, gold and silver wares, leather and ceramic goods. Shops work from 10:00 to 20:00 with lunch from 14:00 to 17:00
Taxi Prices
Taxi prices vary widely depending on the destination and a host of other parameters, so giving prices would be pointless.
Some reminders would be helpful however.
There is a minimum charge for each trip of €2.50 in Athens and €2.70 in rural towns. The meter starts at €1.00.
The price per kilometer within the city limits is €0.32, and €0.60 per kilometer outside city limits or at night (midnight to 5:00 AM) in the city.
Food Prices
A meal at a restaurant that includes a main course, a salad, and a soft drink would cost a traveler around €15-12.At good restaurant it
costs 20-25 €. Prices vary between towns, and between parts of towns.
Passports and Visas
Greece is a signatory to the Schengen Agreement. So Ukraine citizens are required to have a visa. Travelers should apply for the visa in advance at the Greece embassy in Kiev, and for people from south Ukraine at the Greece embassy in Mariupol and Odessa.
Imports and Exports
Visitors from non-European Union countries over the age of 17 can import up to the designated amounts of the following non-commercial items (items of personal or family use or items intended as presents) duty-free:
• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco;
• 1 liter of spirits over 22 percent volume or 2 liters of fortified wine or sparkling wine or 2 liters of still wine;
• 50 grams of perfume; 2
• 50 milliliters of eau de toilette; and
• Other items up to a value of 175 Euro (may be reduced to 90 Euro for travelers under the age of 15).
Prohibitions and restrictions on drugs, medicines, weapons, explosive materials and pornographic materials are covered by national legislation.
There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency that can be imported into the European Union. However, travelers entering or leaving the EU with more than 10,000 Euros (or the equivalent in other currencies) must make a declaration to the customs official.
Communications:
The Greek telephone system is maintained by the public corporation known by its acronym OTE. Overall, the service is good, but domestic calls can be frustrating to make. Very few operators speak English. To reach an international operator, dial 161. To make a direct international call, dial 169. To call Greece from the United States, dial 011 + 30(country code) + city code + phone number
Public phones require a coin or card deposit.
Useful Telephones:
Tourist police:
Athens 171, 9025-992
Piraeus 452 36 70, 4184-815
Saloniki 544 162
Rodos 28 156 27 423
Crete 28 156
Emergency Medical Assistance:
Athens 166
Saloniki 150
Piraeus 413 12 80, 413 12 49
Rodos 25 555
Iraklion- 237 502, 239 502
Police-100
Help for drivers – 104
General Service information-131
[Tags: Tours to Greece]
Туры в Грецию (Russian version)
Shopping
Greece is famous with fur shops, gold and silver wares, leather and ceramic goods. Shops work from 10:00 to 20:00 with lunch from 14:00 to 17:00
Taxi Prices
Taxi prices vary widely depending on the destination and a host of other parameters, so giving prices would be pointless.
Some reminders would be helpful however.
There is a minimum charge for each trip of €2.50 in Athens and €2.70 in rural towns. The meter starts at €1.00.
The price per kilometer within the city limits is €0.32, and €0.60 per kilometer outside city limits or at night (midnight to 5:00 AM) in the city.
Food Prices
A meal at a restaurant that includes a main course, a salad, and a soft drink would cost a traveler around €15-12.At good restaurant it
costs 20-25 €. Prices vary between towns, and between parts of towns.Passports and Visas
Greece is a signatory to the Schengen Agreement. So Ukraine citizens are required to have a visa. Travelers should apply for the visa in advance at the Greece embassy in Kiev, and for people from south Ukraine at the Greece embassy in Mariupol and Odessa.
Imports and Exports
Visitors from non-European Union countries over the age of 17 can import up to the designated amounts of the following non-commercial items (items of personal or family use or items intended as presents) duty-free:
• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco;
• 1 liter of spirits over 22 percent volume or 2 liters of fortified wine or sparkling wine or 2 liters of still wine;
• 50 grams of perfume; 2
• 50 milliliters of eau de toilette; and
• Other items up to a value of 175 Euro (may be reduced to 90 Euro for travelers under the age of 15).
Prohibitions and restrictions on drugs, medicines, weapons, explosive materials and pornographic materials are covered by national legislation.
There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency that can be imported into the European Union. However, travelers entering or leaving the EU with more than 10,000 Euros (or the equivalent in other currencies) must make a declaration to the customs official.
Communications:
The Greek telephone system is maintained by the public corporation known by its acronym OTE. Overall, the service is good, but domestic calls can be frustrating to make. Very few operators speak English. To reach an international operator, dial 161. To make a direct international call, dial 169. To call Greece from the United States, dial 011 + 30(country code) + city code + phone number
Public phones require a coin or card deposit.
Useful Telephones:
Tourist police:
Athens 171, 9025-992
Piraeus 452 36 70, 4184-815
Saloniki 544 162
Rodos 28 156 27 423
Crete 28 156
Emergency Medical Assistance:
Athens 166
Saloniki 150
Piraeus 413 12 80, 413 12 49
Rodos 25 555
Iraklion- 237 502, 239 502
Police-100
Help for drivers – 104
General Service information-131
[Tags: Tours to Greece]
Туры в Грецию (Russian version)
