 The first Olympic Games were held in Greece
more than two thousand years ago. When
the Modern Games were revived in 1896, founder Pierre de Coubertin again
chose Athens as the host city. In 2004, the games will return to their
birthplace for a third time.
Greece’s official
name is the Hellenic Republic. It gained
independence from the Ottoman
Empire in 1829. Greece is located
in Southern Europe between Albania and Turkey. It
has an area of 81,983 square miles, which
is slightly smaller than Alabama. Greece
has 8,947 miles of coastline and is made
up of a mainland and about 2,000 islands
scattered throughout the Aegean, Ionian and
Mediterranean Seas, and the Sea of Crete.
Athens is the home of Acropolis
Hill, where monuments dedicated to
the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece
still stand. The Parthenon,
dedicated to Athena,
is one of its most famous monuments.
Modern people all over
the world still learn from and enjoy the
intellectual and cultural contributions of
the philosophers and playwrights of Classical
Greece.
There is a lot more to
learn about Athens and Greece!
History
of Greece & Athens
Languages
of Greece and the World
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Facts,
figures and maps of Greece
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Virtual
Tours
Don't just read about Athens, see it! Visit the city and explore the sites of
the Olympic Games on these virtual tour sites.
Weather
What's the weather like in Athens? Search these weather sites for competition
conditions.
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