Rent a Car Greece - Geography Greece

Greece lies at the southern point of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. To the north, it borders Albania and Bulgaria and to the east it borders Turkey. There are over 1400 islands surrounding the Greek Peninsula with at least 169 of these being inhabited. There are 6 main island groups: the Cyclades, the Ionians, the Dodecanese, the islands of the north-eastern Aegean, the Sporades and the Saronic Gulf islands. There are also 2 large islands, namely Crete and Evia, which don’t belong to these groups. Greece has vast mountainous terrain with most land being 1500 m above sea level. This is most found on the mainland.

Enjoying typical Mediterranean weather, most the islands are dry and unforested, with olive groves predominating. Northern Greece has lush forested areas, however throughout the rest of the country the forests have been depleted rapidly by overgrazing, felling and forest fires. Greece is rich in flora with over 6000 species including 100 varieties of orchid. There is also an abundance of wild herbs.

Many animal species have been depleted through mans need for hunting and fishing; as well as human habitation in mountain regions. The islands still provide plenty of marine life, with the waters around Zakynthos and Kefallonia being home to the last large colony of sea turtles in Europe. Greece is also home to The Mediterranean monk seal - one of the six most endangered mammals in the world.