Greece, officially known as The Hellenic Republic, is the
southernmost country on the European mainland. With an area of
131.940 square kilometres, Greece is about the same size as
England or New York state. Greece's longest border is with the
sea. Over 3,000 Greek islands are scattered about the eastern
Mediterranean, roughly 200 of them inhabited. The Greek mainland
shares land borders with Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia (FYROM), Bulgaria and Turkey. Population:
10.964.020 (2001 - census) Greece's capital city, Athens,
(Population: 3,072,922) is also its largest, and is served by
Piräas, which is the country's main port. Although more than
half the population is classified as urban, rural life retains a
powerful influence. A strong sense of community and family ties
prevail even in the busiest of metropolitan centres. Sex
distribution: Male 49,49% , female: 50,51% (2001). Most Greeks
belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, which is governed by a
synod of metropolitan bishops, presided over