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Welcome to GREECE an extra service of European City Guide / ECG
Information about GREECE
Greece"s history is a story of chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy, all of which their great writers gave to the world. Even in modern day Greece, there is a magic which comes from there being no distinction between its past and the legends which seem to have carved the beautiful landscape themselves. Greece is as traditional as any other Mediterranean country, but on 8 January Gynaikratia is a day of role reversal in villages in northern Greece. Women spend the day in kafeneia (cafes), while the men stay at home to do housework. This is just one of many festivals throughout the year, some religious, some cultural. Greece is hugely popular and has a fully developed tourist infrastructure, but with more than 1400 islands, of which only 169 are inhabited, it"s not too difficult to drift away from the crowds. Roughly four-fifths of Greece is mountainous, with most land lying over 1500m (4920ft) above sea level, making for some of the most spectacular coastline in Europe. Greece is endowed with a spectacular richness of flora. In spring, the mountains explode with the country"s best show of wildflowers, including crocuses, anemones, irises, poppies, lilies, rock roses and cyclamens- over 6000 species in all. Of course, Greece is most famous as being the birthplace of European civilisation and culture, and the country is littered with ancient cities whose importance and influence is as important today as when they were built.
General Information Capital: Athens Area: 131,990 km2 Population: 11,257,285 (January 1, 2009). Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin plugs are used IDD: +30 Emergency number: 100 Timezone: GMT +2 Hrs (+3 Hrs MAR-OCT)
Government Government: Parliamentary Republic
Religion Religion: 98% Greek Orthodox, other religious denominations.
Health Health: The following vaccinations are recommended: Tetanus.
Currency Currency: Euro (EUR) 1.00 = 100 Cents
Exchange Rate Exchange Rate: All 100.00 USD = 66.8534 EUR GBP = 110.480
CHF = 66.1543
Alcohol Limit Alcohol Limit: 0,5 ‰
Speed Limit Speed Limit: Cities: 50 km/h , Outside cities: 110 km/h , Motorways: 120 km/h
Traffic Traffic: Traffic drives on the right .The minimum age for driving is 18.
Driving License Driving License: A national driving licence is acceptable for EU nationals. Nationals of non-EU countries may need an International Driving Permit and should contact ELPA.
National Holidays National holidays: Jan 1 Jan 6 Mar 25 May 1 Aug 15 Oct 28 Dec 25 Dec 26
Climate Climate: Temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Temperatures Temperatures: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec A 9 10 11 15 20 25 28 27 24 19 15 11 P 62 37 37 23 23 14 6 7 15 51 56 71 S 4 5 6 8 9 11 12 12 9 7 5 4 A=Aver. Daily Temp. (°C)
Mobile Network Mobile Network: GSM 900 / 1800 & 3G 2100
GPS GPS: 38 00 N, 23 43 E
Shopping Hours Shopping Hours: Mon, Wed, Sat: 8.00-14.00 Tue, Thu, Fri: 8.00-14.00 17.30-20.30
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