Greece: Yesterday and Today

By: Veronica Armstrong

Greece (Greek Hellas) is known as the Hellenic Republic. The country is in southeastern Europe and occupies the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula. Greece is known for its beauty, as well as its gorgeous mountains and tremendous seas. On its eastern, southern and western borders, Greece has the Aegean, Mediterranean and Ionian Seas. In fact, the furthest land from the sea is only 60 miles away.

Greece was a very poor country until World War II. Since that time, it has made great strides in its economy and its social changes. Tourism and shipping are now its major economic contributions, and Greece’s merchant ship fleet is one of the largest in the world. Athens, both its capital and largest city, has also made tremendous advances in government, philosophy and the arts.

The ancient Greek civilization was concentrated on the coastlines of present-day Greece and its islands, as well as the Aegean coast of present-day Turkey. The archaeological remains of many of the cities and sacred sites of ancient Greece are located in modern Greece. The country’s heritage and geological position make it part of the European, Balkan and Mediterranean worlds. Today, the country is bordered to the north by Turkey, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Albania.