Greece

In brief

Greece is a country in Southern Europe. Its capital is Athens. With 10.4 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 93rd in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 131,990 km². It shares land borders with Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Türkiye.

GDP per capita stands at $26,948 (2025), 48th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 81.8 years (2024). 79% of the population lives in cities.

History of Greece

After the Minoan and Mycenaean civilisations, ancient Greece gave rise in 5th-century BC Athens to democracy, theatre and much of Western philosophy. Alexander the Great carried Greek culture as far as India. Then came Rome, the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule. The War of Independence began in 1821 and succeeded in 1830. After the colonels’ dictatorship (1967-1974), Greece joined the European Community in 1981.

Geography of Greece

Mainland Greece is very mountainous; Mount Olympus (2,917 m) is the highest point. The country has about 6,000 islands and islets, more than 200 of them inhabited, from the Cyclades to Crete, and one of the longest coastlines in Europe.

Map of Greece

Download the map (SVG)Interactive world map

Flag of Greece

The flag of Greece is white and blue. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• Blue57%
• White43%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Nine blue and white stripes and a white cross, the symbol of the Orthodox Church. The nine stripes are often said to match the nine syllables of the independence motto, “Eleftheria i Thanatos”, “freedom or death”.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Greece” and “Flag of Greece”.

See also: flags with a cross.

Download the flag (SVG) All 9 white and blue flags All the flags of the world

Fact file

Economy and society