About Greece
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General Information
The great flowering of art, literature and ideas that took place in the city states
of Greece between the 8th and 5th centuries BC has been a major influence on the development
of European culture and civilization. Today the country is renowned throughout the world for
it's rich cultural heritage - particularly it's achitecture and sculpture - as well as it's
great natural beauty. Athens will step into the global spotlight in 2004 when it is due to
host the Olympics.
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History and Geography
The historical heritage of Greece continues to resonate throughout the modern
Western world - in its politics, art and philosophy.
Greece lies at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, and is a land of peninsulas
and island chains formed by parallel mountain ranges that were flooded by the rising
levels of the Mediterranean. It's many hundreds of islands constitute about one-fifth
of the total land area.Its coastline is indented with bays and inlets.
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Politics
When Prime Minister Kostas Simitis said he was personally responsible for his
country's Olympic preparations, it was an indication of how seriously the
government wanted to avoid the issue turning into a Greek tragedy.
Simitis, a lawyer, taught law until his appointment as agriculture minister
in 1981.
His socialist Pasok party was re-elected by a narrow margin to a third
successive term in April 2000 - which observers saw as an endorsement of
Simitis's pro-European outlook.
His government adopted tough austerity measures and public spending cuts to
bring inflation and the national debt under control in order to meet the
economic criteria for joining the Eurozone in January 2001.
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For More Information
For more information on Greek tourism visit the Offical Greek Tourist Information site
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