45 Random Facts About Greece

You may have heard of innumerable random facts about Greece, but did you know that Greece comprises of 11 different geographical areas? There is so much more to that country that will take you by surprise.

Everything you need to know about the random facts about Greece are listed below.

random facts about greece


1. Greece’s current constitution was adopted in 1975, and has been revised in 1986, 2001 and 2008.

2. In 500 B.C. the first city dump was organized in Greek. It was the first city-wide trash collection in the world.

3. Greek’s capital, Athens, has been standing for over 7,000 years, making it one of Europe’s oldest cities.

4. Greece has two political parties that were founded in 1974: the Socialists and the Democrats.

5. Greece is often considered to be the world’s first democracy.

6. Ancient Greeks invented theater. Comedy and drama genres were first seen in this country.

7. No one in Greece can choose to not vote. Law requires voting for every citizen who is 18 or older.

8. The Greek myth of Hercules saving Crete from a raging bull by seizing its horns gave rise to the saying “taking the bull by its horns”.


9. Although Greece is popular for their beautiful islands, the country has no navigable rivers owning to the heavily mountainous terrain.

10. Greece Is the “Sunniest” Country In Europe. 250 days of each year are sunny in Greece.

11. Athens was the largest city-state, and is the largest city in the country today.

12. Greece has the longest coastline in Europe.

13. One of the deepest gorges in the world is located in Greece. It is the Vikos Gorge and it is 3,600 feet deep.

14. Olive trees have been grown in Greece for over 6,000 years.

15. According to mythology, Mt.Olympus in Greece was home to ancient gods.

Country Facts

16. Greece’s official name is the Hellenic Republic. It is also known as Ellas or Ellada.

17. Greece follows a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic, and they elect a President and a Prime Minister every five years.

18. The Olympics originated in Greece, and were first held in Olympia to honor the Greek God of Zeus.

19. Every man in Greece over the age of 18 must serve in the Greek National Forces for at least one year.

20. The national anthem of Greece has 158 different verses.

21. The country is home to more archaeological museums than any other country.

22. Football is the national sport of Greece.

23. Greece has one of the lowest divorce rates in the Europe. However, it traditionally also has the highest abortion rates.

24. Many doors, window frames and furniture are turquoise blue in color. This is because ancient Greeks believed that turquoise would keep evil spirits and bad news away.

athens alley - cities in athens


25. The Greek language has been spoken for over 3,000 years. It is one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe.

26. Only the wealthy people of Greece could use live animals for sacrifice.

27. Greeks eat more feta cheese than any other country. It is the national cheese of the country.

28. On engagement, the couples wear wedding rings on their left hands. Once they are married, they switch the rings to their right hands.

29. Greece citizens are highly superstitious. On receiving a compliment, they blow a small puff of air on them in order to ward off any evil spirits.

30. Greek workers get at least one month of paid vacation every year.


31. The country’s total nominal GDP is $249.2 billion, while its nominal per capita GDP is $22,055.

32. Before Greece adopted the Euro in 2002, they had used the drachma as their currency for approximately 2,650 years.

33. Tourism comprises approximately 16% of Greece’s total nominal GDP. Over 16 million people visit the country each year.

34. Greece is the leading producer of sea sponges.

35. 85% of Greece’s economy is due to the service sector. Besides, 12% of their GDP comes from industry and only 3.0% comes from agriculture.

36. The country’s main exports include manufactured goods, food and beverage products, oil, chemicals and textiles. They have good trading relationships with Germany, Italy and Bulgaria.

37. Approximately 7% of the world’s marble comes from Greece.

38. Greece produces over 300,000 tons of olive oil per year.

39. The unemployment rate in Greece is about 10%. Even those with a college education find it difficult to get a job.

Other Random Facts About Greece

40. In Greek culture, Tuesday the 13th is considered bad luck whenever it comes around.

41. An insult in this country is the action of waving with an open palm.

42. The Greeks would sacrifice one hundred bulls to Zeus during each Olympics.

43. With more than 1,800 merchant ships in service, Greece has one of the largest fleets in the world.

44. A Greek movie included the first nude scene in European cinema history.

45. Greek men are the eighth tallest in the world.

Is there more to add to this list of random facts about Greece? Go ahead and post them below in the comment box!

Other Country Facts – 50 Random Facts About France

Sai Karthik Reddy Mekala

After completing his M.B.A in 2012, Sai the wizard beyond the blog, Mostly Traveling was never interested to find a day job at the desk but instead set out to explore the world. 5 years later Sai has become one of the top travel bloggers in India and inspired many Indians to get away from desk jobs and become a digital nomad.

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