Famous landmarks in Greece

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe at the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, with the Aegean, Ionian and Mediterranean seas all around it. Its capital is Athens. Ancient Greece gave the world the Olympic Games, early ideas about democracy, theatre, and many words we still use. Today Greece is known for sunny islands, olive groves, white villages and ancient ruins.

On My Earth Toy you can visit the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens, Apollo's oracle at Delphi, the Minoan Palace of Knossos on Crete, the monasteries of Meteora perched on rock pillars, and the blue-domed village of Oia on Santorini. You can also discover the Antikythera wreck, where divers found an ancient gear-driven machine.

Geography and nature

Most of Greece is mountainous, and no place in the country is very far from the sea. Besides the mainland, Greece has about 2,000 islands, though only a small share of them have people living on them. Its coastline is the longest of any country around the Mediterranean. The highest peak is Mount Olympus, 2,917 metres tall, which ancient Greeks imagined as the home of their gods. Summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and wet, perfect weather for olive trees and grapevines.

People, languages and culture

Nearly everyone speaks Greek, a language that has been written down for more than 3,000 years. Our word alphabet comes from its first two letters, alpha and beta. Most Greeks belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, and Easter is the biggest celebration of the year. Families love sharing meals of olives, feta cheese, grilled souvlaki and salads. Ancient Greek myths about heroes like Heracles and Odysseus are still read and retold around the world.

History in a nutshell

The Minoans built palaces on Crete about 4,000 years ago, followed by the Mycenaeans on the mainland. Around the 5th century BC, Athens became a centre of art, science and early democracy. Greece later became part of the Roman and then the Byzantine empires, and from the 15th century it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire. After a war of independence, Greece became an independent kingdom in 1830. It became a republic in 1974 and joined the European Union in 1981.