The Hellenic Republic / Ελληνική Δημοκρατία

Nickname	The cradle of Western civilization
Population (2023)	~10.41 million
Official Language	Greek
Capital	Athens
Currency	Euro (€)
System of Government	Parliamentary republic
National Symbols	Dolphin, oyster plant, meander, olive tree

Καλωσόρισμα!

Greece is a Southern European country and borders (clockwise) Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey. It is home to the Greeks and also the only country in the world which primarily speaks the Greek language (though this is not unique since most countries have their own languages).

Geography

The majorty of Greece is covered by mountain ranges, the most famous of which being Olympus which is in Greek mythology home to the Olympian Gods. Greece has two peninsulas, those being the Peloponnese (the leaf-like shape in the west of the image) and Chalkidiki, the three fingers up north.

Greece is known for its islands (having over 6000) though most are small and uninhabited with only around 200 having permanent residents.

Economy

In recent years (around 2000s and 2010s) the Greek economy is known for not exactly being the most healthy, though it wasn't always like this. Note that the economy's steadily been recovering in around the 2020s.

Greece, before adopting the Euro in 2002, had the Greek drachma. The drachma's value could be manipulated by Greece directly, so during periods where Greece spent more money than it recevied it could devalue the drachma to make exporting Greek products cheaper thus heightening demand

Greece joined the Eurozone in 2001, a currency union with nations who use a multination European currency. Greece did so because the drachma had a history of high inflation and that Greece could borrow money with lower interest rates from investors + unlock investments from other EU nations

Greece used this borrowed money to spend more instead of reform (whilst Greece suffered from low productivity and tax evasion), which is fine but when crisis hit in 2008-2009 and it could borrow no longer it underwent recession.