Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic is a country in southern Europe on the tip of the Balkan peninsula. It has land boundaries with Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, and Albania to the north and with Turkey to the east. The waters of the Aegean Sea border Greece to the east, and those of the Ionian and Mediterranean Sea to the west and south. Regarded by many as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, Greece has a long and rich history during which its culture has proven especially influential in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

The Meteora region in Central Greece