General presentation
Greece belongs to Europe, but two of its archipelagos are Asian: the Dodecanese and the northern Aegean islands are in Asia Minor, along the Turkish coast. It also has Europe's southernmost point: the island of Gavdos, south of Crete, 260 km north of Libya (Africa). The country stretches 760 km from north to south and 860 km from west to east. It has 1,228 km of land borders with four countries. These are in the northern part of the country, from west to east: 282 km with Albania, 246 km with Northern Macedonia, 494 km with Bulgaria and 206 km with Turkey. They are marked by the Pinde massif with Albania, the Beles Mountains with North Macedonia, the Rhodope massif with Bulgaria and the Evros river with Turkey. Land boundaries are not too disputed. However, Greece also has 520 km of maritime borders with Turkey, which are a source of disagreement between the two countries.
Mers
Greece is bordered by a single sea, the Mediterranean. But there are four inland seas. To the north-west: the Adriatic Sea, which runs north of Corfu. To the west: the Ionian Sea, to the south of the Adriatic, which separates Greece from Italy. To the east: the Aegean, between Greece and Turkey. To the south: the Libyan Sea, from Crete to Africa. These inland seas themselves have their own subsets. The Ionian Sea includes the Gulfs of Patras and Corinth, which separate the Peloponnese from mainland Greece. The Aegean is subdivided into the Thracian Sea (to the north), the Cretan Sea (between Crete and the Cyclades), the Myrto Sea (bordering the Cyclades, Attica and the Peloponnese) and the Icarian Sea (bathing the islands along Turkey).
Coasts and islands
No part of the country is more than 100 km from the sea as the crow flies. Thanks to its many islands and indented coastline, Greece is the 11th longest country in the world and the3rd longest in Europe: 14,800 km. That's more than China and the UK, and even more than mainland France (4,668 km). Unrivalled in the Mediterranean, Greece is the 9th country with the most islands in the world: around 6,000, but only 227 are inhabited or open to visitors, 78 of which have more than 100 inhabitants. They are grouped into eight archipelagos: Cyclades, Dodecanese, Northern Aegean, Ionian, Crete, Evia, Sporades and Saronic. Crete is the largest Greek island (8,336 km2) and the5th largest in the Mediterranean. It is followed by Evia (3,670 km2) and Lesbos (1,633 km2). From a technical point of view, the Peloponnese can be considered Greece's largest island (21,379 km2) since the Corinth Canal was dug in 1893.
Mountains
They cover 80% of the country. This makes Greece the3rd most mountainous country in Europe, behind Norway and Albania. There are 38 peaks over 2,000 m in altitude, 24 ski resorts and massifs in every region. The largest massif is the Pinde. Shared with Albania, it is home, on the Greek side, to the magnificent Vikos Gorge (the3rd deepest canyon in the world) and 20 peaks over 2,000 m, including Mount Parnassus (2,460 m), which overlooks Delphi, and Mount Smolikas (near Ioannina) which, at 2,637 m, is the country's2nd highest peak. The highest massif is Olympus, between Thessaly and Macedonia. At 2,919 m, it is the2nd highest point in the Balkans, just after Mount Mousala (2,929 m) in Bulgaria. According to the ancients, Olympus was the home of the ancient Greek gods. But the most impressive peak is Mount Athos, in Chalkidiki (Macedonia): it rises directly into the sea to reach 2,033 m in altitude.
Rivers and lakes
Due to its rugged terrain and low rainfall, none of Greece's rivers are navigable. The two longest rivers have their source in the Pindus: the Aliakmon (297 km) and the Acheloos (220 km). The country is also criss-crossed by two other larger rivers, both of which have their source abroad: the Axios (or Vardar) and the Evros (or Maritza). The former originates in northern Macedonia and stretches for 388 km, 87 km of which is in Greece. It flows into the Thermaic Gulf near Thessalonica, forming the Axios delta with the Aliakmon. The Evros is 480 km long. It rises in Bulgaria, flows through Turkey and returns to Greece, forming a natural border with Turkey for 200 km before flowing into the Aegean Sea to form the Evros delta. Greece boasts some 50 natural and man-made lakes of over 50 ha in size, making them important bird sanctuaries. The largest is Trichonida (98 km2), near Missolonghi. Next in size are Lakes Volvi (70 km2) and Vegoritida (54 km2), both in Macedonia. Greece shares the two Prespa lakes (273 and 46 km2) with Northern Macedonia and Albania. The largest artificial lake is Kremasta (80 km2), near Preveza.
Earthquakes
Greece presents a high seismic risk. The deadliest earthquake of the last fifty years occurred in 1999, killing 143 people and injuring 1,600 in Athens. In the south of the country, the African plate collided with the European plate 65 million years ago, creating secondary tectonic plates and complex seismic activity. Every year, Greece records several dozen earthquakes, most of them of low magnitude. Between 1999 and 2024, the eleven most significant earthquakes caused 12 deaths and around 600 injuries. To find out what precautions to take in the face of this risk, please refer to the warnings on the website of your embassy in Greece.
