Art of Greece

One of the reasons I chose to learn more about the geography of Greece was because of its rich history and art.  Having taken several art history classes I was always fascinated by different phases of Greek art. The phases of ancient Greek art began with Mycenaen Art which later led to the Geometric phase which was characterized by pottery and architecture that utilized geometric forms as patterns. The Archaic art phase emerged after the geometric, this in this phase many different cultures from throughout the world were inspirations for the works, during this phase more realistic depictions of humans began. The Classical phase followed soon after, during this phase art and sculpture in particular was exaggerated to express the greatness of Greece at the time. Figures were made to be more muscular, more handsome/beautiful and more serene. The last phase of ancient Greek art was the Hellenistic phase. This phase is known for extremely exaggerated figures that seem to exemplify the “perfect” or “god-like” human being.

An example of Mycenaen artwork.

An example of Geometric phase artwork.

An example of artwork from the Archaic phase.

An example of artwork from the Classical phase.

An example of artwork from the Hellenistic phase.

References:

http://fc.nbsc.org/~swurster/3agreeksculpture.html

http://arthistory.about.com/od/arthistory101/a/greekover.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/myce/hd_myce.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_art

http://laurashefler.net/arthistory2010/?page_id=7

Economic and Social Development of Greece

Greece joined the European Union in 1981 and began to utilize the euro as its currency it 2002. In recent years the Greek economy has emphasized in the media due to the financial troubles that the country is encountering.   From 2008 to 2009 the Greek economy took a turn for the worse, and the gross domestic product dropped over 20% since 2007 (see chart below).  In 2010 the Eurozone approved a $146 billions dollar, three year bailout to assist Greece in its financial crisis that was in turn affecting all of Europe. Economists projected that by 2013 the economy would begin to return, and based on the chart below it has begun to rise again.

            Although the countries economy seems to be on its way to improvement, the unemployment rate is still high, currently assessed to be at 24.4%. The life expectancy in Greece is at 82 years old. Social indicators also point to the corruption within the country, there are high levels of perceived corruption in both the public and private sectors which many attribute to the financial troubles that Greece currently faces. Greece currently has many social security programs that have been put in place to assist their population and improve social indicators but many have not been as successful as hoped. The total fertility rate of Greece is 1.4. 

References:

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21577076-back-source-euro-zone-crisis-daring-hope-fearing-fail

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8656649.stm

http://www.heritage.org/index/country/greece

http://www.photius.com/countries/greece/society/greece_society_social_welfare.html

Rowntree, Lewis, Price & Wyckoff. (2011). Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a Changing World. Pearson.

Geopolitical Framework of Greece

Greece’s location has greatly influenced its history. In ancient times, Greece became was a world power because of it’s proximity to the sea. The location allowed for the development of maritime trade and commerce, which heightened its power and wealth.  The rugged terrain of Greece has been both a geopolitical curse and blessing. The mountains have provided many protective benefits in times of war, but have also made it more difficult to cultivate agriculture in the country.

The political history of Greece is very rich and well established as Greece is a place known for the beginnings of democracy.  Historians believe it began in the city-state of Athens around 550 B.C.  During ancient times there was a direct democracy where people voted on every issue that came up. Currently, Greece’s governmental body is based on a democratic parliamentary system, or a representative democracy. The parliament, made up of 300 members, elects a president every five years, and the president in turn nominates a prime minister. Elections for members of parliament are held every four years. The current president of Greece is Karolos Papoulias.

The president of Greece.

References:

http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-geopolitics-of-greece-fight-for.html#.UYQA4Y4hnO8

http://www.greecetravel.com/mazarakis/wisdom/government.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSi30r-67fI

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107588.html

Food in Greece

Due to the proximity to the ocean Greek cuisine often has a lot of seafood that is often coupled with naturally grown items in the region. Olives are one of the primary crops grown in Greece, it is third in the world in olive oil production. Other foods commonly produced in Greece are grapes, wine, figs, tomatoes and tobacco. In cooking Greeks often use ample amounts of lemon juice, pepper, oregano, garlic, and tomatoes. The primary meats consumed by Greeks are sheep, goat and pork. Restaurants in Greece are typically called tavernas. Baklava is a great tasting dessert that is famously Greek, it is a nut and honey filled pastry (one of my personal favorite desserts). Their tables are often filled with a variety of dips and salads.

References:

http://www.oocities.org/teacherkab/countries/greece.htm

http://www.greeklandscapes.com/travel/food.html

http://www.holidays-and-more.de/bilder/salad.jpg

http://www.thegreekfest.com/Pics/TableOfFood_wp.jpg

http://www.littleathens.net/baklava.jpg

Culture of Greece

Greek culture has been significantly impacted by the long and interesting history of the area. With 97% of the Greek population following the Greek orthodox religion, it plays a large role in the culture of the area. Many of the yearly festivals and holidays revolve around important days in the religion. 1.7% of the population are Muslim, making it the second most common religion in the area. The primary language in Greece is Greek, 98% of the population speak it. Macedonian is spoken by 1.8% of the population. Although in both a religious and lingual sense Greek culture does not seem to be diverse, Greek culture has taken much influence from the East that can be seen in its food, music and the lifestyle’s people lead.

            Since the early 1990’s, Greece has seen a large influx of migrant workers, which now make up about 7.3% of the population. This rise in immigration has been seen as a problem by many Greeks. Despite having policies against racism and xenophobic attitudes, these problems are still prominent throughout the country.

            Athens is a city full of old and new culture. It has many old ruins and museums that showcase the history of the area while still forming a new and interesting culture through its music, food and people. There are many places to dance and many theatres throughout the city of Athens. Art also plays an enormous part in both the old and new culture of Athens.

This picture shows letters that compose the Greek alphabet.

The picture above is a ancient Greek orthodox church.

References:

http://www.greeka.com/greece-culture.htm

http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/greece.php?aid=424

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/greece-country-profile.html

http://0.tqn.com/d/gogreece/1/0/u/n/Greek-Alphabet-Chart-Letters.JPG

http://www.justgreece.org/greece/athens/athens-art.asp

Population & Settlement

During prehistoric times Greece was heavily populated, and around 3,000 BCE a stable civilization began to develop on the island of Crete. Overtime, this civilization began to inhabit the mainland of Greece in the form of many city-states. As a result, Athens became a primary trading center.

The population of Greece is approximately 11.3 million people. Athens, the capital of Greece has a population of approximately 3.5 million people. Greece has no natural growth rate (0.0), and a total fertility rate of 1.4. As a result, the population of Greece is expected to decline in the future. A large majority of the inhabitants of Greece live in urban areas (60%). Most of the people in Greece live in cities and along the coast or near bodies of water such as rivers and harbors.

Greece faces a new problem of immigration. Immigrants have found new ways to enter the country and just under 58,000 entered Greece by land in 2011. Many of these new immigrants are coming from central and eastern Europe. The number of people entering from Iraq, Pakistan, and India have also increased significantly. Although immigration seems to be an emerging problem, the population of Greece is still primarily of Greek origin at 93%. Due to the current economic problems facing Greece, its population may be suffering. The country currently has a 25.8 percent unemployment rate. 

References:

Rowntree, Lewis, Price & Wyckoff. (2011). Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a Changing World. Pearson.

http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=228

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html

http://greekdemographics.weebly.com/settlement-patterns.html

Physical Environment

Understanding the physical features of all of Greece seems to be essential when learning about the environment of Athens. Greece is a country surrounded by three seas:  the Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Aegean Sea. The city of Athens, and capital of Greece has varying physical regions. Like much of Greece, Athens is marked by mountains of ranging elevations and lowlands primarily along the coast. Greece has one of the longest coastlines in the world at approximately 8,500 miles. The city of Athens alone, has 75 miles of coastline. There are around 2,000 islands that compose Greece, most of which are uninhabited. The climate throughout Greece is Mediterranean, with dry summer seasons. The vegetation throughout Greece is primarily composed of “small, drought-resistant, evergreen plants and shrubs (HowStuffWorks.com).” Throughout the valleys of Greece a variety of trees can be found that are typical of Mediterranean climates. Among these are laurel, myrtle, oleander, cypress, olive, almond, fig, and pomegranate trees.

The most notable environmental issues effecting Greece are industrial and automobile related gases and fumes that cause smog. These problems are particularly prevalent in the metropolitan and historical capital of Greece, Athens. Greece’s carbon dioxide emissions place it on a list of the 50 highest carbon emitters in the world.  Also the lack of arable land makes it difficult for the country to compete with many other developing countries.

The video embedded in this text was taken from the following link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnoNc6HVQnk) , it describes many of the physical and environmental aspects of Greece that are discussed above. 

References:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/athens-greece/

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Greece-ENVIRONMENT.html#b

http://www.historylink102.com/greece3/climate-geography.htm

http://geography.howstuffworks.com/europe/geography-of-greece1.htm

http://gogreece.about.com/cs/practicalinfo/a/fastfactsgreece.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/europe/greece/