ABOUT GREECE
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic is a country in Southeast Europe, with the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, and is located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has a population of nearly 10.3 million (as of 2024). Athens is the nation’s capital and the largest city, followed by Thessaloniki and Patras.
Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization, being the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, theatre, and the Olympic Games. Greece is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy, the second largest in the Balkans, where it is an important regional investor.
A founding member of the United Nations, Greece was the tenth member to join the European Communities (precursor to the European Union) and has been part of the eurozone since 2001. It is also a member of numerous other international institutions, including the Council of Europe, NATO, the OECD, the WTO, and the OSCE. Greece has a unique cultural heritage, large tourism industry, and a prominent shipping sector. The country’s rich historical legacy is reflected in part by its 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
H.E. Katerina Sakellaropoulou is the incumbent President of the Hellenic Republic since March, 2020.
