Where in the World is Greece

Located in the far southern reaches of the European continent, Greece is made up of a sizable mainland that borders with Turkey, Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria, along with hundreds of large and small islands that make up 20% of the nation’s total land area of 50,949 square miles. Of the nation’s 1,425 islands, the majority are grouped into clusters in the Ionian, Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, including the North Aegean, Cyclades, Dodecanese, Argo-Saronic and Saronic Gulf islands. Estimates of inhabited islands range from 166 to 227, while the largest Greek isle is Crete, with a total land area of 3,206 square miles and 650 miles of scenic coastline, followed by the second largest Greek island of Euboea, with a total land area of 1,422 square miles.

Scenic Coastlines

With some 80% of the nation made up of mountainous terrain, Greece is home to vast mountain ranges within the country’s 8,498 mile coastline, including Mount Olympus, whose highest peak at Mytikas, rises 9,570 feet above sea level, along with one of the highest prominences in Europe at 7,726 feet. Another large prominence is Mount Smolikas in the Pindus Range, which stands as the nation’s second highest peak at 8,652 feet, while Mount Ida comprises the highest mountain peak on the island of Crete. While much of Greece is blessed with a Mediterranean climate, the nation also experiences pockets of microclimates based on the countries unique geography, including frigid winters in the Pindus Mountains and continental climate zones in the northern reaches of the mainland.

Mountains, Rivers & Tourism

Home to numerous natural lakes such as the 38 square mile Lake Trichonida, Greece is also home to rivers that headwater in the country’s many mountain ranges, including the 185-mile-long Haliacmon River. In a nation prone to earthquakes, wildfires, droughts and floods, Greece is home to a population of 10.43 million lives, while her main industries include tourism, shipping, agriculture, industrial products, mining and petroleum. With an annual GDP just shy of $218 billion, since the early 1990s, the nation’s annual GDP growth has consistently outperformed most other countries in the European Union, making the nation of Greece, one of the scenic wonders of Europe.