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