Greece: Geography#
Location | Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey |
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Geographic Coordinates | 39 00 N, 22 00 E 39.0,22.0 |
Area | total: 131,957 sq km land: 130,647 sq km water: 1,310 sq km [Verified in 8 databases] |
Land boundaries | total: 1,110 km border countries: Albania 212 km, Bulgaria 472 km, Macedonia 234 km, Turkey 192 km |
Coastline | 13,676 km |
Elevation Extremes | lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m |
Highest Mountains | Due to difference in mountain rankings taken from two data sources we are listing here both lists : According to Wolfram: Mount Olympus (Greece) 2919 m; Myticas 2917 m; Skolio 2911 m; Smolikas 2637 m; Grámmos 2523 m According to Geonames: Mount Olympus 2917 m; Óros Smólikas 2637 m; Voras 2524 m; Óros Týmfi 2497 m; Parnassus 2457 m Attempted Explanation: Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to office nospam@TUGraz.at @global-geography.org Important Mountains |
Terrain | mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands |
Natural Hazards | severe earthquakes volcanism: Santorini (elev. 367 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; although there have been very few eruptions in recent centuries, Methana and Nisyros in the Aegean are classified as historically active |
Natural Resource | lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential |
Land Use | arable land: 18.95% permanent crops: 8.73% other: 72.32% (2011) |
Climate | temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers |
Irrigated Land | 15,550 sq km (2007) |
Renewable Water Resources | 74.25 cu km (2011) |
Environment_CurrentIssues | air pollution; water pollution |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds |
Large Cities | Athens; Thessaloniki; Piraieus; Patrai; Peristerion [Verified] Important Cities |
Geography-note | strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands |