Introduction to Greek English.

Greece or Hellas, officially known as the Greek Republic, is a country in southeast Europe, located at the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula. It borders Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania in the north and Turkey in the east. The Aegean Sea is located in the east of the Greek mainland, while the Ionian Sea is located in the west. There are a large number of islands in both parts of the eastern Mediterranean basin.

Greece lies at the junction of Europe, Asia and Africa. It inherited the legacy of classical Greece, Byzantine Empire and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule. Greece is regarded as the cradle of western civilization, the birthplace of democracy, western philosophy, Olympic Games, western literature, political science, main scientific principles and dramas including tragedies and comedies. It has a particularly long and rich history, and its cultural heritage has considerable influence in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Today, Greece is a developed country. It has been a member of the European Union since 198 1 and the euro zone since 200 1. Athens, Thessaloniki, Piraeus and Patra are the main cities in the country.