Greece

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Greece}}

[[File:Greece topo.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Topographic map of Greece]]
[[File:Shipwreck Beach - Western coast of Zakynthos, Greece (12).jpg|thumb|[[Navagio]] (''[[MV Panagiotis|shipwreck]]'') bay, [[Zakynthos]] island]]
Located in [[Southern Europe|Southern]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/greece/|title=The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency|website=cia.gov|language=en|access-date=10 November 2017}}</ref> and Southeast Europe,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=UN|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/ungegn/docs/23-gegn/wp/gegn23wp48.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514112519/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/UNGEGN/docs/23-gegn/wp/gegn23wp48.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2011 |url-status=live|title=UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES: Working Paper No. 48|date=2006|access-date=2 September 2015}}</ref> Greece consists of a mountainous, peninsular mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the [[Balkans]], ending at the [[Peloponnese]] peninsula (separated from the mainland by the [[Corinth Canal|canal]] of the [[Isthmus of Corinth]]) and strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa.{{efn|See:<ref name="KolliasGünlük-ŞenesenGülay2003">{{cite book|author1=Chrēstos G. Kollias|author2=Gülay Günlük-Şenesen|author3=Gülden Ayman|title=Greece and Turkey in the 21st Century: Conflict Or Cooperation: a Political Economy Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_e4CT57tZYC&pg=PA10|access-date=12 April 2013|year=2003|publisher=Nova Publishers|isbn=978-1-59033-753-0|page=10|quote=Greece's Strategic Position in the Balkans And Eastern Mediterranean Greece is located at the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Asia and Africa). It is an integral part of the Balkans (where it is the only country that is a member of the ...)}}</ref><ref name="PaulstonKiesling2012">{{cite book|author1=Christina Bratt Paulston|author2=Scott F. Kiesling|author3=Elizabeth S. Rangel|title=The Handbook of Intercultural Discourse and Communication|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L2_JtZV7ZIYC&pg=PA292|access-date=12 April 2013|date=13 February 2012|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-6272-2|page=292|quote=Introduction Greece and Turkey are situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and their inhabitants have had a long history of cultural interaction even though their languages are neither genetically nor typologically ...}}</ref><ref name="Focas2004">{{cite book|author=Caralampo Focas|title=Transport Issues And Problems in Southeastern Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MO33_NB5sWcC&pg=PA114|access-date=12 April 2013|year=2004|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-7546-1970-3|page=114|quote=Greece itself shows a special geopolitical importance as it is situated at the crossroads of three continents&nbsp;– Europe, Asia and Africa&nbsp;– and can be therefore considered as a natural bridge between Europe and the Middle East}}</ref><ref name="Britain2005">{{cite book|people=Centre for Economic Policy Research (Great Britain)|title=European Migration: What Do We Know?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0droTivyVUgC&pg=PA337|year=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-925735-5|page=337|quote=Introduction Migration movements from and to, or via Greece, are an age-old phenomenon. Situated at the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa), Greece has been, at different historical times, both a labour...}}</ref><ref name="PetkovicWilliamson2015">{{cite book|author1=Sladjana Petkovic|author2=Howard Williamson|title=Youth policy in Greece: Council of Europe international review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HTpCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT48|date=21 July 2015|publisher=Council of Europe|isbn=978-92-871-8181-7|page=48|quote=As reports from the GSY (2007) show, young people have the opportunity to become acquainted with many diverse civilisations and cultures, through Greece's strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Accordingly, many ...}}</ref>}} Due to its highly indented coastline and numerous islands, Greece has the [[List of countries by length of coastline|11th longest coastline]] in the world with {{convert|13676|km|mi|0|abbr=on}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html?countryName=Greece&countryCode=gr&regionCode=eu&#gr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090613164558/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html?countryName=Greece&countryCode=GR&regionCode=eu&#gr |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2009 |title=The World Fact Book&nbsp;– Field Listing :: Coastline |access-date=17 March 2011 |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]}}</ref> its land boundary is {{convert|1160|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}. The country lies approximately between latitudes [[35th parallel north|34°]] and [[42nd parallel north|42° N]], and longitudes [[19th meridian east|19°]] and [[30th meridian east|30° E]], with the extreme points being:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_01_0002_00061.pdf |title=Statistical Yearbook of Greece 2009&nbsp;&&nbsp;2010 |page=27 |publisher=[[Hellenic Statistical Authority]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213192314/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_01_0002_00061.pdf |archive-date=13 December 2013 }}</ref>
*North: [[Ormenio]] village
*South: [[Gavdos]] island
*East: [[Strongyli Megistis|Strongyli]] (Kastelorizo, Megisti) island
*West: [[Othonoi]] island

Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains or hills, making the country one of the most mountainous in Europe. [[Mount Olympus]], the mythical abode of the [[Twelve Olympians|Greek Gods]], culminates at Mytikas peak {{convert|2918|m|ft}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olympusfd.gr/us/infos.asp |title=Olympus the First National Park |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2008 |publisher=Management Agency of Olympus National Park |access-date=5 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114094456/http://www.olympusfd.gr/us/Infos.asp |archive-date=14 January 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the highest in the country. Western Greece contains a number of lakes and wetlands and is dominated by the [[Pindus]] mountain range. The Pindus, a continuation of the [[Dinaric Alps]], reaches a maximum elevation of {{convert|2637|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} at [[Smolikas|Mt. Smolikas]] (the second-highest in Greece) and historically has been a significant barrier to east–west travel.

The Pindus range continues through the central Peloponnese, crosses the islands of [[Kythera]] and Antikythera and finds its way into southwestern Aegean, in the island of Crete where it eventually ends. The islands of the Aegean are peaks of underwater mountains that once constituted an extension of the mainland. Pindus is characterised by its high, steep peaks, often dissected by numerous canyons and a variety of other karstic landscapes. The spectacular [[Vikos Gorge]], part of the [[Vikos-Aoos National Park]] in the Pindus range, is listed by the Guinness book of World Records as the deepest gorge in the world.<ref>{{cite book | title=Guinness World Records 2005: Special 50th Anniversary Edition | publisher=Guinness World Records | year=2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D4wYAAAAIAAJ | isbn= 978-1-892051-22-6| page = 52}}</ref> Another notable formation are the [[Meteora]] rock pillars, atop which have been built medieval Greek Orthodox monasteries.<ref>Sofianos, D.Z.: "Metéora". Holy Monastery of Great Meteoro, 1991.</ref>

Northeastern Greece features another high-altitude mountain range, the [[Rhodope Mountains|Rhodope]] range, spreading across the region of [[East Macedonia and Thrace]]; this area is covered with vast, thick, ancient forests, including the famous [[Dadia Forest]] in the [[Evros (regional unit)|Evros regional unit]], in the far northeast of the country.

Extensive plains are primarily located in the regions of [[Thessaly]], [[Central Macedonia]] and [[Western Thrace|Thrace]]. They constitute key economic regions as they are among the few arable places in the country. Rare marine species such as the pinniped seals and the [[loggerhead sea turtle]] live in the seas surrounding mainland Greece, while its dense forests are home to the endangered [[brown bear]], the [[Eurasian lynx]], the [[roe deer]] and the wild goat.

=== Islands ===
{{Main|List of islands of Greece}}

[[File:Ionian sea islands, pic6.JPG|thumb|The Greek mainland and several small islands seen from [[Nydri]], [[Lefkada]]]]
Greece features a [[List of islands of Greece|vast number of islands]]—between 1,200 and 6,000, depending on the definition,<ref>{{cite book |author1=Marker, Sherry |author2=Bowman, John |author3=Kerasiotis, Peter |author4=Sarna, Heidi |title= Frommer's Greek Islands |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|year=2010 |page=12 |isbn= 978-0-470-52664-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wvlP7D9C_7gC&pg=PA12}}</ref> 227 of which are inhabited—and is considered a [[List of transcontinental countries#Non-contiguous|non-contiguous transcontinental country]]. Crete is the largest and most populous island; [[Euboea]], separated from the mainland by the 60&nbsp;m-wide [[Euripus Strait]], is the second largest, followed by [[Lesbos]] and [[Rhodes]].

The Greek islands are traditionally grouped into the following clusters: the [[Argo-Saronic Islands]] in the Saronic gulf near Athens; the Cyclades, a large but dense collection occupying the central part of the Aegean Sea; the [[North Aegean islands]], a loose grouping off the west coast of Turkey; the Dodecanese, another loose collection in the southeast between Crete and Turkey; the [[Sporades]], a small tight group off the coast of northeast Euboea; and the Ionian Islands, located to the west of the mainland in the Ionian Sea.

=== Climate ===
{{Further|Climate of Greece}}
[[File:Greece Köppen.svg|upright=1.1|thumb|Greece's Köppen Climate Types]]
The [[climate of Greece]] is primarily [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csa''),<ref>{{cite web |title=The Climate of Greece |url=http://www.hnms.gr/emy/en/climatology/climatology |website=Hellenic National Meteorological Service |access-date=3 December 2019}}</ref> featuring mild to cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers.<ref name="Climate Atlas of Greece (Hellenic National Meteorological Service)">{{cite web|title=Climate Atlas of Greece|url=http://www.hnms.gr:80/hnms/greek/pdf/Climate_Atlas_Of_Greece.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921184739/http://www.hnms.gr/hnms/greek/pdf/Climate_Atlas_Of_Greece.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 September 2017|access-date=30 December 2019|publisher=Hellenic National Meteorological Service}}</ref> This climate occurs at most of the coastal locations, including [[Athens]], the [[Cyclades]], the [[Dodecanese]], [[Crete]], the [[Peloponnese]], the [[Ionian Islands]] and parts of [[mainland Greece]]. The [[Pindus]] mountain range strongly affects the climate of the country, as areas to the west of the range are considerably wetter on average (due to greater exposure to south-westerly systems bringing in moisture) than the areas lying to the east of the range (due to a [[rain shadow]] effect),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mountain Weather in Greece : Articles : SummitPost |url=https://www.summitpost.org/mountain-weather-in-greece/1002640 |access-date=19 June 2023 |website=www.summitpost.org}}</ref> resulting to some coastal areas in the south falling to the hot [[semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''BSh'') category, such as parts of the [[Athens Riviera]] and some of the [[Cyclades]], as well as some areas in the north featuring a cold equivalent climate ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''BSk''), such as the cities of [[Thessaloniki]] and [[Larissa]].

The mountainous areas and the higher elevations of northwestern Greece (parts of [[Epirus (region)|Epirus]], [[Central Greece]], [[Thessaly]], [[Western Macedonia]]) as well as in the mountainous central parts of Peloponnese&nbsp;– including parts of the regional units of [[Achaea]], [[Arcadia (regional unit)|Arcadia]] and [[Laconia]]&nbsp;– feature an [[Alpine climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''D'', ''E'') with heavy snowfalls during the winter. Most of the inland parts of northern Greece, in [[Central Macedonia]], the lower elevations of [[Western Macedonia]] and [[East Macedonia and Thrace]] feature a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa'') with cold, damp winters and hot, moderately dry summers with occasional thunderstorms. Snowfalls occur every year in the mountains and northern areas, and brief periods of snowy weather are possible even in low-lying southern areas, such as [[Athens]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Greece – Climate|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Greece|access-date=21 June 2020|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>

=== Biodiversity ===
{{Main|Wildlife of Greece}}
[[File:Olympus National Park 30.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Olympus]] is the highest mountain in Greece and mythical abode of the [[Gods of Olympus]].]]
[[Phytogeography|Phytogeographically]], Greece belongs to the [[Boreal Kingdom]] and is shared between the East Mediterranean province of the [[Mediterranean Region]] and the Illyrian province of the [[Circumboreal Region]]. According to the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] and the [[European Environment Agency]], the territory of Greece can be subdivided into six [[ecoregion]]s: the [[Illyrian deciduous forests]], [[Pindus Mountains mixed forests]], [[Balkan mixed forests]], [[Rhodope montane mixed forests]], [[Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests]], and [[Crete Mediterranean forests]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287}}</ref> It had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 6.6/10, ranking it 70th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G }}</ref>