The population of Greece is more than 10 million people (on average 85 people live per 1 km2).
In the middle of the 20th century, most of the country's population was made up of Greeks and only a small part - national minorities: Turks, Gypsies, Armenians, Macedonians, Bulgarians (they mainly occupied the territories located in Rhodes and Western Thrace).
In recent decades, 300,000 Albanians have illegally arrived in Greece, but nevertheless, the majority of the population is Greek.
National composition:
- Greeks (93%);
- Albanians, Armenians, Turks, Jews, Russians and other nations (7%).
The official language is Greek, but some residents of Greece also speak French and English.
Major cities: Athens, Heraklion, Piraeus, Thessaloniki.
98% of the inhabitants of Greece profess Orthodox Christianity, the rest (2%) - Catholicism and Islam.
Life span
Men live on average to 76, and women to 82.
Most Greeks have excellent health to a ripe old age - this is greatly influenced by their diet: they eat seafood and fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts and honey, olives and olive oil, soft sheep cheese, legumes …
Largely due to nutrition, heart and oncological diseases are practically unknown in Crete (Cretans consume 2 times more olive oil than in other regions of Greece and several times more than in Spain, Portugal and Italy).
The Greeks love to eat spinach, which reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease by 11%.
Traditions and customs of the inhabitants of Greece
Greeks are hospitable, friendly and superstitious: before admiring someone's beauty or elegance, they knock on wood 3 times and spit over their left shoulder.
One of the Greek traditions is the reception of guests: everyone who comes to their house (no matter how long they stay in their house and what time of day they come), they treat coffee, cakes, chocolates or alcoholic beverages (do not treat them with anything - a guest - bad taste).
The Greeks treat winter holidays with special trepidation. For example, on Christmas Day, Greek families go out into the courtyard and smash a pomegranate there, the seeds of which are a symbol of happiness and wealth. And with the onset of evening, the children go caroling - as gratitude they are given coins and sweets.
And all year long, happiness and good luck will smile at the one who, having eaten the cake prepared by the hostess, finds in it a silver coin, which she puts in the cake in advance (she prepares it for the New Year).
The final stage of the winter holidays is the Baptism of the Lord: during this period, churches and temples are engaged in lighting the water and conducting an interesting ceremony. The priest must throw a cross into the water (reservoir, river), to which the men present at the ceremony must swim and take in their hands. It is believed that the one who does this first will be healthy and happy for a whole year.
If you are going to Greece, keep in mind that it is not customary to appoint and make business and friendly meetings and calls here from 15:00 to 18:00 - at this time, in view of the hot climate, the country is resting.
