21 Greece Facts: Birthplace of Democracy and Ancient Wonders”

Bordering the Mediterranean and Ionian Seas, Greece is praised for its eye-catching beaches, amazing food, and bustling islands. It is also one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. You will be surprised to know that this country is the birthplace of democracy.

There are many more interesting facts about this unique country with picturesque villages on top of hills.

So, in this article, we will now discuss some amazing facts about the country Greece.

1. Athens is the oldest capital of Europe

The origin of Athens date back as far as 3400 years ago, which makes Greece’s capital one of the world’s oldest cities. Moreover, Athens has been continuously inhabited for a minimum of 7000 years.

Also, democracy originated in Greece, as people in Greece got together and decided what they wished to do. Greece is also the nation that is the birthplace of Western civilization, meaning the history of Greece has had an enormous impact on our lives.

2. Ancient Greece refers to 700-480 B.C.

The country Greece has one of the longest and oldest histories, but one of the common misconceptions is that the period most famous for art, architecture, and philosophy is the Ancient or Archaic Greek period. However, actually, it was the Classical Age (480-323 B.C.).

3. Greece’s philosophy is very old

Ancient Greece was creating philosophers right, left, and center when many European cultures weren’t even writing down. As early as the 6^th century BC, some philosophers even wondered about the world and how it worked. They were known as Presocratics, as they came before Socrates, the leader.

Moreover, “philosophy” is a Greek word meaning “lover of wisdom.” Many other notable things, like different styles of poetry, aesthetics, and dramatic form, originated here.

4. Greece has evidence of all three stone ages

The three stone ages were the first, the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and the advanced Neolithic period. Archaeological evidence for all three has been seen in the same place, Franchthi Cave, in the Greek province of Macedonia.

Also, there is archaeological evidence of people living in Greece from about 7000 BC, which is a lot earlier than anywhere in Europe. The reason is that Greece benefited from its position as a buffer zone between the Middle East and the rest of Europe. 

5. The flag of Greece

The Greek flag has nine blue-and-white horizontal stripes, representing the nine syllables of the Greek motto “Eleftheria I Thanatos” or “Freedom or Death.” The color blue represents the sea and sky of Greece, while white color stands for the purity of the struggle for freedom. Also, in the upper left corner is the Greek Orthodox cross.

6. In Greece, there is a national service

Greek males above the age of 18 need to serve in the army. Military service in Greece lasts for a minimum of nine months. After that, people can be on the reserve list in case something bad happens. If mobilized, the conscripted army of Greece alone would number just under 200,000.

Moreover, another interesting fact about Greece is that about 98% of the Greek population is ethnically Greek. Here, the largest minority is Turkish people.

7. The Roman Republic Annexed Greece

The Ancient Greek world had many colonies in Italy, inspiring Romans and their culture. Actually, high-class Romans spoke Greek, studied Greek philosophy, and recited Greek poetry. Also, they took part in the Olympics; however, from the date 200 BC, the tables turned, and the student became masters. 

8. Huge walls used to connect Athens to the sea

These walls were called the Long Walls and were created sometime in the mid-500 BC. Those walls stretched from Athens to the famous wall city of Piraeus on the coast in a sort of cartoon bone shape.

The purpose of these strong walls would be to stop any attempt of siege that was attempted by land only. However, years later, the Romans destroyed them.

9. Greece derives from the Latin Name for the country

Another fun fact about Greece is that what we call Greece actually comes from the Ancient Greek word Graikos. This word may mean “old man” or mean “gift of honor.” It can even refer to one particular ancient tribe of Greece, and it is not certain.

However, what is certain is that the name for Greece today is Hellas. Also, its official name is the Hellenic Republic.

10. Greece influenced the English language to a great extent

Marathon, Athlete, Psychology, Melody, Monk, Oxygen, Buter, Drama, Helicopter, and many more; all of these words originated from Greece.

They are either word that came from the country Greece through other languages into English, or came from Greece directly, or are completely new words formed from Greek words and suffixes to form interesting words like a helicopter. 

Also, you will be able to find more Greek diphthongs in British English than in American English.

11. Constructing the Acropolis was a social project

The ancient and vast temple complex was at the core of Ancient Athens. However, a little-known fact about the country is that it possibly was one of the first social projects ever, though it is not certain.

However, it was similar to Roosevelt’s New Deal, a method to get everyone employed. Almost half of the population was on the payroll for constructing the Acropolis in 525 BC.

12. A traditional cake in Greece that is baked with a coin inside

This interesting cake is called vasilopita, in which a gold-plated or silver coin is inside, and it is a New Year tradition. When the pieces are distributed, the person who gets the coin will be the winner, and it is really bad luck if no one gets the coin.

13. In Greece, people can celebrate their name days

In Greece, people just don’t get a birthday, but a name day too. Every day of the year is dedicated to a minimum of one saint in the Greek Orthodox tradition. Hence, all the Giorgos can get to enjoy Saint George’s Day on 23^rd April. Also, if somehow someone doesn’t have a corresponding day, he will get to celebrate on All Saint’s Day. 

14. Greece has many mountains as well as many beautiful beaches

With thousands of Greek islands and an interesting jagged shoreline, Greece has the accolade of boasting the 11^th-longest coastline in the world. 

However, not only beaches, the country of Greece has many mountains as well. Almost 80% of Greece is actually mountainous or at least hilly. Thus, it is one of the least flat countries in Europe. Also here, Mount Olympus is the tallest mountain, with a height of 9.573 feet.

15. Mount Olympus is a spiritual place

According to the Ancient Greek tradition, Mount Olympus is the abode of the gods. There lived the 12 Olympian gods. They are kind of the main or classic Ancient Greek deities, such as Zeus, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Hermes, and the rest. The Olympics were held in their honor, and after the pagan religion fell out of favor, Christianity even found the place holy as well.

16. In Greece, windows, doors, and roofs are often painted blue

You will see that in Greece, many windows, doors, and even roofs are painted in blue color. This means having your doors, window sills, window shutters, and everything but painted blue walls can keep evil away. 

It is an ancient belief that is even followed in some of the Indian cities as well. The color is known as kyanos, and it is where the name for the color “cyan” comes from. 

17. Greeks love olives

Like all Mediterranean nations worth their salt, olive oil is a major part of Greece. It is even mentioned in Greek mythology, where even the gods planned among themselves that it was more valuable than water.

It turns out that they were not wrong. That value isn’t only in terms of the country’s cuisine but also for the country’s economy. Greece produces the second-largest amount of olive oil in the world.

18. The government of Greece doesn’t care what religion its citizens are

There are no official national statistics for censuses, nor do religious groups even quiz citizens regarding what religion they may or may not be. According to the US State Department estimate, 97% of Greeks are Greek Orthodox.

19. Greece gets many tourists

Another interesting fact about Greece is that more tourists visit the country every year than its entire population. In the year 2016, there were about 28 million visitors to Greece versus the original population of Greek that was 10.7 million.

Also, many people flock to the beautiful island of Mykonos and Santorini, but of course, there are some other popular islands, such as Crete, Rhodes, and many more.

20.  The Ottoman Empire ruled Greece

The Turkey-based Ottoman Empire conquered Greece as well as most of the Balkan countries from the time of mid-15^th century until a serious war of Independence in the year 1821.

Moreover, the iconic British poet, Lord Byron, was swept up by the plight of the Greeks during their fight against the Turks, and he traveled to the country to help. Though he sold his English estate and used the money to help the Greeks, he died of a fever in 1824 in Greece before heading into the battle with the Ottomans.

21. Lunch is the most important meal in Greece

The people of Greece love their lunches so much that their most important meal of the day is lunch. This important meal consists of bread, meats, and salads and is even eaten over the course of a few hours.

So, Greece is a really interesting country with its interesting people, culture, rich history, attractive mythology, delicious cuisine, and many more.

At the end of this article, we have come to know 21 really interesting facts about this interesting country, Greece, that offer us a clear picture of this beautiful and unique country. To get some additional amazing facts, you can see our website.