The capital of Greece is Athens
Greece is a fascinating country with more history than just about any
other and breathtaking natural landscape. The Greek culture is rich
with mythology, delicious cuisine, and stunning architecture, among many
other things. Take a step into ancient history and discover the
unknown treasures of Greece and surprising facts about this remarkable
country.
5 Facts You Might Not Know
1
One of Greece's largest and most delicious exports are olives. Some of
the olive trees that are still harvested today were planted as long ago
as the thirteenth century. The olive tree shows up often in Greek
literature and historical artifacts.
2
The
country includes over 200 islands scattered throughout the
Mediterranean Sea. Greece's largest island is Crete, whose area is
3,189 square miles. Crete is also the fifth largest island in the
entire Mediterranean Sea.
3
Many
Greek buildings are painted at least partially a special shade of blue.
You can find it painted on window sills, door ways, roofs, and the
domes of church buildings. This color of blue, called kyanos, was
believed by ancient inhabitants to ward off evil. The Greek word kyanos
is the origin of the English word cyan.
4
The
Greek flag is made up of 9 stripes of blue and white. The blue is
meant to represent the beautiful, bright waters that surround the
country. The white stripes represent the purity of freedom for which
the Greek people had to struggle to obtain for themselves. The cross in
the upper left corner represents the Eastern Orthodox Christianity that
is the established religion of Greece.
5
The
capital, Athens, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in
the world. The city has existed for over 7,00 years. Many things were
born in Athens, including democracy, the Olympic games, and much of
modern math and philosophy. More than thirty percent of Greece's
population live there today.
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