Greece - Fast Facts About Greece

Greece -- Otherwise Known as Hellas.

Name of Greece

What we call Greece is known to its inhabitants as Hellas. The name "Greece" comes from the name the Romans applied to Hellas -- Graecia. While the people of Hellas thought of themselves as Hellenes, the Romans called them by the Latin word Graeci.

Location of Greece

Greece is on a European peninsula extending into the Mediterranean Sea. The sea to the East of Greece is called the Aegean Sea and the sea to the west, the Ionian. Southern Greece, known as the Peloponnese (Peloponnesus), is barely separated from mainland Greece by the Isthmus of Corinth. Greece also includes many islands.

Location of Major Cities

Through the classical era of ancient Greece, there was one dominant city in central Greece and one in the Peloponnese. These were, respectively, Athens and Sparta.

• Athens - located in Attica in the lowest area of central Greece
• Corinth - located on the Isthmus of Corinth about halfway between Athens and Sparta.
• Sparta - located on the Peloponnese (the lower detached section of Greece)
• Thebes - In Boeotia, which is north of Attica
• Argos - in the Peloponnese in the east
• Delphi - in central Greece about 100 mi. northwest of Athens
• Olympia - in a valley in Elis, in the western Peloponnese

Major Islands of Greece

Greece has thousands of islands and more than 200 are inhabited. The Cyclades and Dodecanese are among the groups of islands.

• Chios
• Crete
• Naxos
• Rhodes
• Lesbos
• Cos
• Lemnos

Mountains of Greece

Greece is one of the most mountainous countries of Europe. The highest mountain in Greece is Mount Olympus 2,917 m. Land Boundaries: total: 3,650 km

Border countries:

• Albania 282 km
• Bulgaria 494 km
• Turkey 206 km
• Macedonia 246 km