How much do you know about Greece? It’s an ancient country, with an abundance of history, traditions and wonderful people, right?

Usually, one would know the basics of a place they plan to visit; sights to see, foods to taste, experiences & activities to enjoy, perhaps? Well, here are some facts you probably didn’t know about Greece!

Geographical Facts:

• Greece has an average of 275 days of sunshine per year! Some parts of the country, such as Rhodes, can have sunshine 300 days per year.
• The Greek territory includes 6,000 islands and islets scattered throughout the Aegean and Ionian Seas; of those, only 227 islands are inhabited.

Bizarre Facts:

• Greece has 17 International Airports! It has more International Airports than most countries. Plus there are 25 more National and Regional Airports.
• Athens has 90 stunning open air cinemas for the summer! Definitely check out Cine Thisseion which was built in 1935 and Cine Paris located on a roof garden in Plaka.
• Greece is the leading international producer of sea sponges! You can visit the island they are most abundant in – Kalymnos – and find your very own! You can design your dream holiday and experience this activity first hand!

Historic Facts:

• The Athletes of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece competed completely naked!
• The Marathon Race gets its name from the legend of the Greek messenger, Pheidippides (also know as Philippides). In 490BC he ran from the City of Marathon all the way to Athens. His mission was to deliver the message that the Greeks were victorious against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon.
• Athens has been continuously inhabited for more than 7,000 years.
• The Greek Alphabet was the first to use vowels.

Cultural Facts

• The Acropolis Of Athens was a runner up for the new Seven Wonders of the World.
• Greece has 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites! 16 of them are based on cultural criteria; while the remaining 2 meet both cultural and natural criteria. Here is the list:
  1. Acropolis Of Athens
  2. Archaeological site of Vergina
  3. Delos
  4. Archaeological site of Delphi
  5. Historic Center (Chora) with the Monastery of Saint John on the Island of Patmos
  6. Archaeological site of Mystras
  7. Medieval City of Rhodes
  8. Archaeological site of Olympia
  9. Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios
  10. Archaeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns
  11. Old Town of Corfu
  12. Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki
  13. Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos
  14. Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus
  15. Temple of Apollo Epicurus at Bassae
  16. Philippi
  17. Meteora
  18. Mount Athos

So, how many of these facts about Greece did you know?

Tell us in the comments below!