Greece

Greece

• Home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, Greece has been called the birthplace of Western culture.

• Today, Greece is trying to reclaim its place as a leading country in Europe.

Greece: HistoryTheater. Philosophy. Democracy. Art.

Architecture. Literature. Math. Philosophy.• Their contributions still affect how we live and think!

• In the 300s BC, Greece became part of Alexander the Great’s empire. He spread Greek culture, remember?

Greece: History• When his empire broke up, Greece became part

of the Roman Empire, which later divided into two parts: Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire.

• Greece became part of the Byzantine Empire, and its rulers admired Greek culture. After 1,000 years of being part of the Byzantine Empire, Greece was taken over by Ottoman Turks and some elements of Greek culture began to fade.

Greece: History

Many Greeks were not happy under Turkish rule, so they rose up against the Turks. After the rebellion, Greece became a monarchy and its government has changed many times since its independence. More recently, democracy has once again taken root in the country where it was born nearly 2,500 years ago.

Greece: culture

• Language: Greek is one of the oldest languages spoken in Europe today. The language has changed a lot over time, but it was never lost.

• Religion: Nearly everyone in Greece is Orthodox Christian. Easter is one of the most sacred days of the year.

Greece: Culture

Food is influenced by products native to Greece and groups who have ruled. Lamb, olives, and vegetables are easily available in Greece because they grow well there. From the Turks, the Greeks learned to cook with yogurt and honey, and from the Italians they learned about pasta.

Greece: TodayGreece’s past sometimes overshadows its present. Today

though, Greece has a very diverse economy and is rapidly growing with about three-fifths of the people living in cities.

Greece: TodayGreece’s capital is ATHENS – it’s also Greece’s largest

city. Modern skyscrapers rise above ancient Greek ruins.

Most of the country’s industry is centered in Athens, which has also caused air pollution that’s damaged both the ancient ruins and the country’s health.

Greece: Today

Athens

Greece: TodayOutside of the cities, people live very differently

than we do in the United States and in Greece’s big cities. Many live in isolated mountain villages, where they raise sheep and goats. Village life centers around the town square, as it did in ancient times.

Greece: Today

Rural Greece

Greece: Today• Greece is growing

economically but is still behind other European countries. It’s lagging behind economically because of a lack of resources – only about 1/5 of its land can be farmed because it’s very rugged and mountainous, remember?

Greece: Today

Two of Greece’s most profitable industries: shipping & tourism.

SHIPPING: Greece has one of the largest shipping fleets in the world.

Greece: Today

TOURISM: Millions of people travel to Greece to see ancient ruins in Athens or

to visit the beautiful island beaches.

Ancient ruins of the Agora in Athens

Greece

Greece is home to over how many islands? You should remember!

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