Lesson 1: Where in the World is Greece?

Greece is a small country in the southeastern part of Europe. It is made up of a peninsula of land and numerous small islands. To the east of Greece is the Aegean Sea, to the west the Ionian Sea, and to the south the Mediterranean Sea. Greece is almost completely surrounded by water.

The indented coastline of Greece provides many natural harbours. This encouraged the Ancient Greeks to become seafaring people.

Adapting to the Environment
Greece is mountainous with few rivers, poor soil, and hot, dry summers. The Ancient Greeks had to adapt to these harsh conditions in order to survive.

The rugged terrain made it difficult to grow large quantities of grain. Two crops that did grow well, though, were olives and grapes. These became the most important crops for the Ancient Greeks. Olives and grapes were not only used as food, but were also turned into other products. Olives were pressed and their oils served for cooking, as lamp fuel and even as soap. Grapes were turned into wine. Both wine and olive oil became trade items for the Ancient Greeks.

Send In Activity 1:
Make a Climate Graph for Athens, Greece