Greece' s official name is Hellenic Republic. However Greeks call their country Hellas or Hellada.

Did you know that Greece hosts 50% of the brown bear population in western & southern Europe.

Crete, Greece’s largest island and birthplace of the Minoan Civilisation, is the most southern one, except for the little island of Gavdos!

Did you know that Greece has the biggest EU consumption of olive oil per capita, with around 12 kg per person per year?

Alexander the Great, one of history’s greatest warriors and leaders of all time, was Greek. Alexander the Great conquered land all the way from Greece to Asia. His achievements and conquests gave rise to the later Hellenistic period (323 BC - 31 BC).

Greece has historically engaged in wine making. Take for example Dionysus, the son of Zeus, the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine. His face is seen today on the sommelier’s pin which is a symbol of respect to wine’s contribution throughout history.

No part of Greece is more than 137km from the sea.

Olympus (2,917m), the mountain of Gods and Muses is the highest mountain of Greece and the 2nd in the Balkans.

In Greece, people celebrate the “name day” of the saint that bears their name in a similar way to their own birthday.

Did you know that most days of the year are sunny in Greece? 250, to be exact.

The very first sprint race of the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. was won by Coroebus of Elis, a cook!

Greece has historically engaged in wine making. Take for example Dionysus, the son of Zeus, the God of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine. His face is seen today on the sommelier’s pin which is a symbol of respect to wine’s contribution throughout history.

700 plant species of Greece are endemic, meaning that they may be found only in Greece; approximately 20% of those are aromatic or medicinal plants.

The species and subspecies of the native plants in Greece are about 6,000, almost as much as 50% of the native plants of Europe!

Did you know that Greece is the third largest producer of olive oil in the world? Greeks have cultivated olive trees since antiquity. Some of the olive trees that are still producing olives, date back to the thirteenth century.

Do you know what rakomelo is? It is a Cretan hot cocktail! A delicious mixture of honey, spices and the alcoholic beverage tsikoudia. Bottoms up!

The first philosopher is considered to be Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – 425 B.C.). He is credited as giving the first explanation for the origin of the world that was not mythological.

Greek is one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe since it has been spoken for more than 3.000 years.

Τhe concept of democracy developed in Athens around the 6th century BC. The Greek word demokratia (δημοκρατία) meant “the power of the people”.

Did you know that Greece is the 4th largest cheese producer worldwide. Greeks eat 28 kg per capita per year. And guess what, mostly feta cheese!