THE GREEK ALPHABET
ALPHA (AL-fuh),
BETA (BAY-tuh),
GAMMA (GAM-uh),
DELTA (DEL-tuh) ,
EPSILON (EP-sil-on),
ZETA (ZAY-tuh),
ETA (AY-tuh),
THETA (THAY-tuh),
IOTA (eye-OH-tuh) ,
KAPPA (KAP-uh),
LAMBDA (LAM-duh),
MU (MYOO),
NU (NOO),
XI (KS-EYE),
OMICRON (OM-i-KRON),
PI (PIE) ,
RHO (ROW),
SIGMA (SIG-muh),
TAU (TAU) ,
UPSILON (OOP-si-LON),
PHI (FEE),
CHI (K-EYE),
PSI (SIGH)
OMEGA (oh-MAY-guh),
THE CLIMATE IN GREECE
THE CLIMATE IN GREECE IS MOSTLEY DRY AND TEMPERATE,BUT IT DOES SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND IN THE NORTH.THE MILD WHEATHER AND SHELTERED VALLEYS OF THE REGION,ALONG WITH THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF SEAFARING,CONTRIBUTED TO THE RISEOF ANCIENT GREEK CIVILISATION.
FACT BOX
PARTHENON-ATHENS
POPULATION---------------------------10.9 MILLION
URBAN POPULATION-------------------------65.7%
RURAL POPULATION-------------------------34.3%
LIFE EXPECTANCT AT BIRTH---------------------78.4 YEARS(MALE:75.9 YEARS,FEMALE:81.2 YEARS)
POPULATION DENSITY----------------------80 PERSONS PER SQUARE KILOMETER
WOMAN AT OLYMPIA
WOMAN WERE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER THE OLYMPIC GAMES, BUT THEY DID HAVE THEIR OWN FESTIVAL AT OLYMPIA ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS.IT WAS CALLED THE HARAIA AND WAS HELD IN HONOR OF HERA, WIFE OF ZEUS.
A GIRL NAMED KALLIPATIRA AS CAUGHT AT THE MENS OLYMPICS. LUCKILY SHE WASNT PUNISHED BECAUSE HER FATHER WAS A FAMOUS BOXER.
LAND AND PEOPLE
ABOUT 75% OF GREECE IS MOUNTAINOUS AND ONLY ABOUT 25% OF THE LAND IS ARABLE.THE NORTHERN COUNTRY FALLS INTO FOUR MAIN GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS. NORTHERN GREECE INCLUDES PORTIONS OF HISTORIC EPIRUS, MACEDONIA, AND THRACE.
THE FOURTH REGION OF GREECE COMPRISES NUMEROUS ISLANDS, THE MOST NOTABLE OF WITCH ARE CRETE,IN THE MEDITERANIAN;KERKIRA, KEFALLINIA, ZAKINTHOS, LEFKAS, AND ITHAKI, IN THE IONIAN SEA;AND THE CYCLADES, THE NORTHERN SPORADES, THE DODECANESE. GREECE HAS FEW RIVERS, NONE OF THEM NAVIGABLE.
THE GREEK PEOPLE ARE ONLY PARTLY DESCENDED FROM THE ANCIENT GREEKS, HAVING MINGLED THROUGH THE AGES WITH THE NUMEROUS INVADERS OF THE BALKANS.THER IS A SMALL TURKISH SPEAKING MINORITY, AND MANY GREEKS ALSO SPEAK ENGLISH AND FRENCH.THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH IS THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH OF THE COUNTRY, AND IT INCLUDES THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION.