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Regions of Greece
The
Greek peninsula, covering an area of 131,944 square kilometres and
containing a population of about 10,000,000, consists of mainland Greece
(Attica, the Peloponnese, Central Greece, Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia,
Thrace) and the Islands. Geographically it belongs to Europe since it
forms the most southerly extremity of the Balkan peninsula but it also has
a special link with Europe through the small entity of the Ionian Islands
(Zante, Ithaca, Corfu, Cephallonia, Lefkas and Paxi) which form a chain
off Greece's western shores in the Ionian Sea.
Parthenon, ATHENS
Attica and Saronic Isles
Athens | Aegina | Salamis
| Hydra
| Spetses | Poros
The Saronic Gulf which is the stretch of sea linking the shores of Attica
to those of the Peloponnese, contains a further group of small islands
(Salamis, Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses) which adds its variety to the
general surroundings.
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Santorini, CYCLADES
Cyclades Islands
Amorgos | Anafi | Andros
| Delos | Folegandros
| Ios | Kea | Kimolos
| Kythnos
| Mykonos | Milos | Naxos
| Paros | Santorini
| Serifos
| Sifnos | Sikinos | Syros
| Tinos
There are the numerous islands of the Aegean Sea, some isolated like Crete
to the South, Ikaria, Chios and Lesbos to the East, Thassos and Samothraki
to the North. The Cyclades consist of 39 islands of which 24 are
inhabited, the more important ones being Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Antiparos,
Delos, Ios, Kea, Kimolos, Folegandros, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros,
Santorini (also called Thera), Serifos, Sikinos, Sifnos, Syros, Tinos.
Dodecanese Islands
Astypalaia | Agathonissi | Halki
| Kalymnos | Karpathos
| Kassos | Kos | Leros
| Lipsi | Megisti | Nisyros
| Patmos | Pserimos | Rhodos
| Symi | Telendos | Tilos
The Dodecanese group consists of twelve major islands, Astipalea, Kalymnos,
Karpathos, Kassos, Kastelorizo, Kos, Lipsos, Leros, Nissiros, Patmos,
Rhodos, Symi and a number of smaller islands, each with its distinctive
features and peculiarities.
The Sporades, consisting of Alonissos, Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros, lie
of the eastern shores of mainland Greece and retain their genuine island
characteristics and unchanged local traditions.
Central Greece
Evritania | Etoloakarnania | Fthiotida
| Fokida | Viotia
Variety is, in fact, the hallmark of the Greek geographical landscape
generally. On the one hand, there are high mountains and entire mountain
ranges such as the Pindos range (also known as Greece's backbone) or Mount
Olympus (with its summit the Pantheon, the highest peak in Greece at an
altitude of 2,917 meters) and the mountains of Macedonia and Thrace
intersected here and there by a few valleys through which relatively small
rivers flow.
Crete
Agios Nikolaos
| Hania | Ierapetra
| Iraklion | Rethymnon
| Sitia
On the other hand, the endless lacework of the coastline produces a series
of scenic surprises. It is these heavily indented shores which give Greece
such rare beauty, quite unique in the Mediterranean. The length of the
Greek coastline is estimated at 15,000 kilometers. The marked variety of
the terrain above water continues under water, along the seabed which,
millions of years ago, formed a projection of the land. Close to Cape
Tainaron, (Tenaro) off the South tip of the Peloponnese, the so-called
Oinousai (Inousses) Pit is 4,850 meters deep which is the deepest point in
the Mediterranean.
Epirus
Ioannina | Konitsa | Metsovo | Zitsa | Parga | Preveza | Igoumenitsa
Vegetation and climate conform with the variations in the geographical
area. The variety of plants is exceptional some 6,000 indigenous species
having so far been recorded, 250 of which flourish on the island of Crete.
It is an impressive figure due to Greece's geographical position between
Europe and Africa.
Plants associated with the joys of life are the country's countless
vineyards. Major vegetation is likewise peculiar and above all made to
man's measures. The trees are of medium height and vary from pine, oak,
fir, olive and mulberry trees to fruit and palm trees.
Ionian Islands
Corfu | Paxi | Lefkada | Cephalonia | Ithaca
| Zakynthos
Another result of the country's geographical location is also seen in its
climatic range with mild winters and sub-tropically warm summers cooled by
a system of seasonal breezes popularly called "meltemia".
Lastly, an outstanding feature of the Greek climate is its ample sunshine.
It is no exaggeration to state the sun shines in Greece for 3,000 hours
per year.
Macedonia
Thessaloniki | Kavalla
| Halkidiki
Peloponnese
Corinth | Loutraki
| Patra | Aegion | Kyllini
| Pylos
| Kalamata | Sparta | Nafplion
| Tolo |
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METEORA
Thessalia and Sporades Islands
Pelion | Meteora
| Kalambaka | Skiathos | Skopelos
| Skyros
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