GREECE
GREECE
Bordering countries are
Albania, Macedonia,
Bulgaria, Turkey
Bordering bodies of water
are Mediterranean Sea,
Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea,
Sea of Crete
Capital is Athens
Mountains cover most of Greece, land is rocky
with little fertile soil, summers are hot and dry
Winter – ¾ of rain falls, mild and wet
Summer – hot, dry, very sunny
Greece is a seafaring country because you are
never far from the sea, 1/5 of Greece is islands, land
is not very good for farming
A city-state is the city/town and the surrounding
villages and farmland
Greek city-states were independent, small in size,
quarreled among themselves
The Ancient Greeks
were:
patriotic
shared a common
language, religion, and
culture
prized their freedom and
way of life
creative thinkers
Greece became independent in 1829
What happened in Olympia, Greece in 776 BCE?
First Olympics
What is Greece’s capital city called?
Athens
How many letters make up the Greek alphabet?
24
What is Greece’s national cheese?
feta
What is the currency used in Greece?
Euro
How many Greeks work in agriculture?
One in five
What two major geographic features shape Greece?
Mountains and Seas
How many islands are apart of Greece?
2000
What religion do ninety-eight percent of Greeks belong to?
Greek Orthodox Church ~ Christian
What is a major holiday in Greece?
Easter and Christmas
LOCATION
Greece is located in southern Europe between
Albania and Turkey. It borders the Aegean Sea,
Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. It has a
population of 10,964,020. Athens is its capital.
AREA
Greece has a
total area of
131,940 sq km.
That means it is
slightly smaller
than Alabama
CLIMATE
Greece has a Mediterranean climate with plenty of
sunshine, mild temperatures and a limited amount of
rainfall.
SUMMER
In summer, the dry hot days are cooled by seasonal
winds called the meltemi, while mountainous
regions have generally lower temperatures.
WINTER
The winters are mild in lowland areas, with a minimum
amount of snow and ice, yet, mountains are usually
snow-covered.
TERRAIN
Greece consists of a
mountainous and craggy
mainland jutting out into
the sea. Four-fifths of
Greece consist of
mountains or hills, making
the country one of the most
mountainous in Europe.
Greece has the tenth
longest coastline in the
world.
LAND USE
About 20% of Greece is farmable. Farmers
grow olives, figs, fruit, grapes, and very little
grain.
GREECE’S GEOGRAPHY
1)Peloponnesus
Peninsula and
numerous
islands in the
Aegean Sea
2)They were
separated from
one another by
rugged mountains,
bays and inlets,
and by being on an
island
3) Most Ancient Greeks
were farmers
4) A Mediterranean climate – mild winters with hot,
sunny summers . . . you can grow crops all year
round . . . similar to southern California
5) Mainly grow
grapes and
olives
Grow small
amounts of
wheat and
barley
6) Main disadvantage is that only ¼ of the land is
level so they could only grow small amounts of
grain crops and, therefore, they had to trade
with others to get more grain
7) Main
advantage is
the sea – it
connected all
Greeks to one
another and
Greece to other
civilizations so
that they could
trade and get
what they
needed
GREECE’S ORIGINS
MINOAN AGE
• Minoans
• Crete ~ Knosses
• 2000 – 1400 BCE
had a system of writing, fine artwork, great sailors, traded with
Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Phoenicia, master builders of palaces that
were maze like with plumbing and decorated with colorful murals
MYCENAEAN AGE
• Mycenaeans
• Greek mainland/
Mycenae
• 1400 – 1100 BCE
• Built cities on top of hills,
very similar to the
Minoans – sailors, trade,
palaces, and writing,
conquered the Minoans
DARK AGE
• Dorians
• Invaders from northern
Greece who came to
middle and southern
Greece
• 1100 – 800 BCE
• Trade came to a stop,
written language
disappeared, people lived
in isolated villages, oral
traditions kept Greek
history alive, population
increases
AGE of EXPANSION
• 800ish – 500 BCE
• Villages grow and
develop back into cities,
trade comes back and
increases, leaders emerge
in each city, city-states
{an independent, self
governing city and the
land around it} develop
and begin to fight one
and compete against one
another
Minoans of Crete
The islands were stepping stones by which civilization
spread from Egypt and Mesopotamia westward into Europe.
The Minoans had running water, fresco paintings, women
were equal to men, they had writing and artists, made
ornaments and figures out of ivory, bronze, gold, and silver.
The Minoans had colonies on the Aegean Islands, in
Greece and in Asia Minor.
That the Minoan culture was advanced and better than the Greeks and the
Greeks were opened minded enough to realize this and change their ways to
be like the Minoans
MINOANS
MYCENAEANS
First navy
On Greek
mainland
Named after
King Minos
Had minitar and
bull fighting
Writing for
record keeping
Known for
pottery cups
Had palaces
On Crete
Weakened by
fire,
earthquakes,
tidal waves
Linear A –
cannot read
Were into
trade
Seafarers sailors
Had walls
that were 40
ft. high and
20 ft. thick
Known for
bronze
weapons
Linear B –
can read
Tall people
Fell to
outsiders