Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
link together the country's 1400 islands, with just 169 of them inhabited. These islands
fill 400,000 sq km of territorial waters.
For those with a penchant for geography, Greece rocks. During the Triassic, Jurassic,
Cretaceous and even later geological periods, Greece was a shallow oxygen-rich sea. The
continuous submerging of land created large tracts of limestone through the whole sub-
marine land mass. Later, as the land emerged from the sea to form the backbone of the
current topography, a distinctly eroded landscape with crystalline rocks and other valu-
able minerals began to appear, marking the spine that links the north and south of the
mainland today. Limestone caves are a major feature of this karst landscape, shaped by
the dissolution of a soluble layer of bedrock.
Volcanic activity once regularly hit Greece with force - one of the world's largest vol-
canic explosions was on Santorini around 1650 BC. Today, earthquakes continue to
shake the country on a smaller scale but with almost predictable frequency. In 1999, a
5.9-magnitude earthquake near Athens killed nearly 150 people and left thousands home-
less. In 2008, three separate quakes of 6.5-magnitude shook the Peloponnese but caused
little damage. To check out Greece's explosive past, visit the craters of Santorini, Nisyros
and Polyvotis.
Greece is short on rivers, with none that are navigable, although they've become popu-
lar locations for white-water rafting. The largest rivers are the Aheloös, Aliakmonas,
Aoös and Arahthos, all of which have their source in the Pindos Mountains of Epiros.
The long plains of the river valleys, and those between the mountains and the coast,
form Greece's only lowlands. The mountainous terrain, dry climate and poor soil leave
farmers at a loss and less than a quarter of the land is cultivated. Greece is, however, rich
in minerals, with reserves of oil, manganese, bauxite and lignite.
NATIONAL PARKS
National Parks were first established in Greece in 1938 with the creation of Mt
Olympus National Park and followed quickly by the establishment of Parnassos
National Park. There are now 10 national parks and two marine parks, which aim to
protect the unique flora and fauna of Greece.
Facilities for visitors are often basic; abundant walking trails are not always main-
tained and the clutch of basic refuges is very simple. To most, the facilities matter
little when compared to nature's magnificent backdrop. If you have the opportun-
ity, it's well worth experiencing the wild side of Greece in one of these settings:
Mt Oly
Mt Olympus Na
al Parrk(
Click here
)
Home to Greece's tallest mountain, rich
flora and considered the home of the gods.
us Nattiional P
