Physical Geography

Physical Geography

            Greece is located in South of Europe and bordering Albania to the North, Turkey to the East, Ionian seas to the West, and Libyan seas to the South. The country has expansive mountains and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the mainland peninsular jute into the sea. The country is made of 1400 islands, which experience mild winters and summers characterized by hot and dry, which take a long time (Rackham, 2015). The Islands differ in sizes with the largest being Corfu, and the smallest is the Cyclades. Greece is a land of 13,676 kilometers bordering the coastline, which is the largest in the Mediterranean Sea. The country’s location is at 35 degrees North and 42 degrees North at the latitude and a longitude of 19 degrees East to 28 degrees East.

The latitude and longitudinal location explain the reason why the climatic conditions in the country vary at different times of the year. Additionally, Greece has a 130, 647 square kilometers with 1, 310 square kilometers made of internal waters. The mainland is at the Balkan Peninsular in the far most South with Peloponesse and Chalkidiki peninsula projecting into the Mediterranean Sea. The area is 80% mountainous, and the most extensive mountain is the Pindus range, while the tallest is Mount Olympus, which is a barrier of Macedonia from Thessaly. Arable land is 19.71%, which contributes to the country’s production of resources such as crops and habitants (Rackham, 2015). The climate varies from semi-desert to cold mountainous forest because of the very long coastline consisting of islands and peninsulas.

Cultural Geography

Greece has cultural geography consisting of 98% ethnically Greek, hence the Greek culture dominates the country. Greek is the official language in the country spoken by everyone; however, there is a minority who are multilingual or bilingual of languages such as Ladino, Turkish, Pomak, or Bulgarian (Stergiou et al., 2016). The Greek national holidays insist on the need to embrace the struggle for the establishment of an independent country free from oppression and conquest. Greece’s national anthem acknowledges those individuals who fought for their independence and believes in Orthodox religion. The national flag has blue and white stripes depicting the sunlit waves originating from the sea surrounding the country.

Moreover, the Greek culture has an identity of their food, such as thick coffee, moussaka, and baklava. The staple food is grapes, grains, and olives incorporated with foods like yogurt, chicken, and goat. Special ceremonies, for instance, funerals, there is a preparation of special meals such as a lamb and boiled wheat. The economy sustains on activities such as fishing, farming, seafaring, and commerce (Stergiou et al., 2016). The economic efforts objective is propelling industrial development and settling of the national debt. The government strives to stabilize the economy through payments of the European Union. The social classes in the country combine wealth, occupation as well as educational level; therefore, for one consideration as rich, he or she has the three qualities.

Political Geography

Greece uses the constitution as the essential guide to the laws of the land. The country is a republic with a parliamentary system, and the government has three levels, the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature. The parliament elects the presidents with a two-third majority, and he or she heads the country for five years before another election (Arampatzi, 2017). The president plays a regulatory role as the head of state in every level of government. The Greek government has two leaders, the president, and the prime minister, where the president heads the state, and the prime minister heads the government. The prime minister guides and also leads the ministerial council, which is the decision making body of the country.

The president possesses legislative powers with the help of parliament while the government and the president exercise executive power in the nation. Additionally, the president has ceremonial duties such as declaring war and pardoning as well as confirming treaties and agreements. He also has emergency powers, which is countersigned by the relevant minister of the department (Arampatzi, 2017). The judiciary rules court laws, and also, the citizens are accorded the powers in some instances. The country is friendly to others, such as Italy, and is also a member of the European Union, NATO, and various other alliances; therefore, the country has a good relationship with other countries. The state is a democratic type; hence voting is not enforced but is compulsory.

Christianity

            The Greek community consists of 98% Christian orthodox and is the third-largest Christian denomination in population. Since the early days, Christianity influenced the country from the first arrival of Paul during his preaching to the present time. The scientific theology of Christianity utilizes the philosophical roots of Greece to explain the emphasis of the Greeks on doctrines and Biblical beliefs. Aristotle and Plato laid a foundation on the rational path, which has also been used on the Christian principles to define and refine Christianity (Yannas, 2016). The seven ecumenical councils between the fourth and early nineteenth centuries influence the examination of the Holy Trinity and Christ as the controversy of worship.

Christianity is dominant in Greece with a large percentage, and I would recommend that the church invest evangelism to convince the remaining population to adopt Christianity. Greece has the foundation of Christianity, and therefore, it is easy to persuade the masses to change to their roots fast as compared to other religions (Yannas, 2016). Conclusively, I would recommend the involvement of Christians in focus to dominate Christianity in the significant part of the nation by increasing the population of believers in converting souls.

References

Arampatzi, A. (2017). Contentious spatialities in an era of austerity: Everyday politics and ‘struggle communities’ in Athens, Greece. Political Geography, 60, 47–56. doi: 10.1016/j.polgeo.2017.03.010

Rackham, O. (2015). Greece, geography of. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.2893

Stergiou, D. P., Papatheodorou, A., & Tsartas, P. (2016). Second home conversion during the economic crisis: the case of Artemida, Greece. Social & Cultural Geography, 18(8), 1129–1151. doi: 10.1080/14649365.2016.1242151

Yannas, P. (2016). Non-Orthodox Minorities in Contemporary Greece. Orthodox Christianity in 21st Century Greece, 111–128. doi: 10.4324/9781315599137-6