Stats & Facts
Where
Greece is situated in south east Europe on the Mediterranean. Islands account for one-fifth of the land area of the country.
Area
132,000 km2
Population
10,964,020
Capital
Athens with a population of 3,192,606.
Currency
Euro
Language
Greek (English, French, Deutsche and Italian are widely spoken).
Timezone
GMT + 2 hours
Climate
Greece has a Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures and a limited amount of rainfall. Due to the country's geographical position, its rugged relief and its distribution between the mainland and the sea, there is great variation in Greece's climate.
In summer, the dry hot days are cooled by seasonal winds called the meltemi, while mountainous regions have generally lower temperatures.
The winters are mild in lowland areas, with a minimum amount of snow and ice, yet, mountains are usually snow-covered.
Moreover, a common phenomenon is the occurrence of different climactic conditions during the same season (for instance, mild heat in coastal areas and cool temperatures in mountainous regions).
Average Temperatures
|
|
Athen
|
Corfu
|
Heraklion
|
Rhodos
|
Santorini
|
Thessaloniki
|
Serres
|
|
Jan
|
10.3
|
9.7
|
12.1
|
11.8
|
11.2
|
5.0
|
3.9
|
|
Feb
|
10.7
|
10.3
|
12.3
|
12.0
|
11.2
|
6.6
|
6.2
|
|
Mar
|
12.4
|
12.0
|
13.6
|
13.6
|
12.6
|
9.7
|
9.6
|
|
Apr
|
16.0
|
15.0
|
16.6
|
16.6
|
15.5
|
14.2
|
14.2
|
|
May
|
20.7
|
19.6
|
20.3
|
20.6
|
19.1
|
19.4
|
19.6
|
|
Jun
|
25.1
|
23.8
|
24.3
|
24.7
|
23.3
|
24.2
|
24.3
|
|
Jul
|
27.9
|
26.4
|
26.1
|
26.9
|
25.4
|
26.5
|
26.3
|
|
Aug
|
27.7
|
26.2
|
26.0
|
27.0
|
24.8
|
25.9
|
25.3
|
|
Sep
|
24.2
|
22.7
|
23.4
|
24.6
|
22.5
|
21.7
|
21.6
|
|
Oct
|
19.4
|
18.4
|
20.0
|
20.6
|
19.0
|
16.1
|
15.5
|
|
Nov
|
15.5
|
14.3
|
16.7
|
16.5
|
15.4
|
11.0
|
9.2
|
|
Dec
|
12.2
|
11.2
|
13.9
|
13.4
|
12.7
|
6.8
|
5.0
|
Getting There
The main airline services that offer frequent flights from Sydney-Athens are Thai Airlines International (stopover Bangkok), Singapore Airlines (stopover Singapore), Emirates (stopover Bangkok and Dubai) and Gulf Air (Singapore and Bahrain).
Visas & Entry Requirements
Nationals of Australia and New Zealand countries are allowed to stay in Greece for up to three months without a visa; most others can enter Greece for up to two months without a visa; Greece will refuse entry to anyone whose passport indicates that, since November 1983, they have visited North Cyprus.
Holidays & Festivals
Public Holidays & Festivals 2009
|
Jan 01
|
New Year's Day
|
|
Jan 06
|
Epiphany
|
|
Feb 17
|
Orthodox Shrove Monday
|
|
Mar 25
|
National Holiday
|
|
Apr 02
|
Orthodox Good Friday
|
|
Apr 05
|
Orthodox Easter Monday
|
|
May 01
|
Labour Day
|
|
Aug 15
|
Dormition (Assumption) of The Virgin
|
|
Oct 28
|
National Holiday
|
|
Dec 25
|
Christmas
|
Useful Contacts
National Tourist Office
Level 3, 37-49 Pitt Street
Sydney
NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9241 1663
Fax: (02) 9241-2499
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
For more information on Greece www.gnto.gr