Name Greece (long form) Hellenic Republic Capital City Athens (pop. 3,216,200) (2006 est.) Land Area (land) 130,800 sq km (water) 1,140 sq km (TOTAL) 131,940 sq km (includes islands) Landforms Occupying the southern most part of the Balkan Peninsula, Greece and its many islands (almost 1,500) extend southward from the European continent into the Aegean, Cretan, Ionian, Mediterranean and Thracian seas.

Greece is in the Balkan peninsula with 10 other countries. The countries are Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Turkey, Bulgaria,and Romania. The other countries in the Balkan peninsula’s flags are mainly striped like Greece’s which looks like the flag of the USA.

Industries: agriculture: food, wine, tobacco, dairy products, olives, tomatoes, potatoes, meat, corn, wheat, barley, sugar beets Tourism, textiles, Chemicals, Metal, Mining, petroleum. Government: parliamentary republic, until 1974 monarchy Greece is famous for it’s olives. Their olives date back to the ancient Greek myths.

The climate in Greece is predominantly Mediterranean. However, due to the country's unique geography, Greece has a remarkable range of micro-climates and local variations. To the west of the Pindus mountain range, the climate is generally wetter and has some maritime features. The east of the Pindus mountain range is generally drier and windier in summer. The highest peak is Mount Olympus at 9,570 feet (2,916.9 m) tall.

The ancient Greeks were huge sports fans. Every four years, the Olympic Games were held in the stadium at Olympia. Fast Facts about Greek sports! The best athletes in Greece competed in different events that were a part of religious life. The games began with a sacrifice to the god Zeus. Because the games were religious, anyone who was caught cheating during the games was never allowed to compete again because cheating was considered disrespectful to the gods