AREA: 131,957 sq km (50,949 sq miles). POPULATION: 10,368,600 (official estimate 1993). POPULATION DENSITY: 78.6 per sq km. CAPITAL: Athens. Population: 3,072,922 (1991) RELIGION: 97% Greek Orthodox, with Muslim, Roman Catholic and Jewish minorities. TIME: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October). ELECTRICITY: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 2-pin plugs are used.

GEOGRAPHY: Greece is situated in southeast Europe on the Mediterranean. The mainland consists of the following regions: Central Greece, Peloponnese, Thessaly (east/central), Epirus (west), Macedonia (north/northwest) and Thrace (northwest). Euboea, the second largest of the Greek islands, lying to the east of the central region, is also considered to be part of the mainland region. The Peloponnese peninsula is separated from the northern mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth. The northern mainland is dissected by high mountains (such as the Pindus) that extend southwards towards a landscape of fertile plains, pine-forested uplands and craggy, scrub-covered foothills. The islands account for one-fifth of the land area of the country. The majority are thickly clustered in the Aegean between the Greek and Turkish coasts. The Ionian Islands are the exception; they are scattered along the west coast in the Ionian Sea. The Aegean archipelago includes the Dodecanese, lying off the Turkish coast, of which Rhodes is the best known; the Northeast Aegean group, including Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos and Ikaria; the Sporades, off the central mainland; and the Cyclades, 39 islands of which only 24 are inhabited. Crete, the largest island, is not included in any formal grouping.

LANGUAGE: Greek (Ellenika). Most people connected with tourism will speak at least some English, German, Italian or French.

COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: IDD is available throughout the mainland and islands. The Greek telecommunication network supplier is OTE (Organismos Telepikinonion Ellados). Country code: 30, followed by (1) for Athens, (31) for Thessaloniki and (81) for Heraklion. Outgoing international code: 00. Fax: Main post offices and large hotels have facilities. Telegram: There are telegram facilities in main post offices and large hotels in all Greek cities and the major islands. Post: All letters, postcards, newspapers and periodicals will automatically be sent by airmail. There are Poste Restante facilities at most post offices throughout the country. Advance notice is required at all Athens branches except for the central office at 180 Eolou Street. A passport must be shown on collection. Post office hours: 0800-1400 Monday to Friday and 0800-1330 Saturday. Press: There are 18 daily newspapers in Athens including Ta Nea, Eleftherotypia and Eleftheros Typos. Athens News and Athens Daily Post are both published daily in English.