And Now.... GREECE
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• How have geographic factors influenced Greece's history? • What does Greek history teach us about the pursuit of democracy? • How has Greece's role as a Mediterranean country, a Balkan nation, and a member of the EU affected its policies? • What are its goals for the future? Here's some background for your research into those questions.

Every year, millions of tourists visit Greece. Some head for its sparkling beaches. Others seek out places celebrated in Homer's Odyssey. But few leave without visiting Greece's historic cities. Among these: Athens, host of the 2004 Olympics, and home to the Parthenon, a great hilltop temple built in the 5th century BCE.

Challenge. The hilltop on which the Parthenon stands is the world-famous Acropolis. Not far away is another hill, the Pnyx. And that's where the statesman Cleisthenes launched democracy 2,500 years ago. Tired of a system in which only wealthy people had political clout, wealthy Cleisthenes arranged for all citizens to vote on laws. "Edoxe tei bouli kai toi demoi," they could then say. "It has been decided by the Council and the people."
      Sadly, this early democracy did not endure. Greek cities and colonies soon began to suffer a series of invasions by Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, and Ottoman Turks — all of whom wanted to claim the land where such a great culture had been born.

Courage. Yet, despite those conquests, Greeks preserved their identity for 2,000 years! For one thing, Greece is 20 percent islands and 75 percent mountains — factors that made its small, isolated communities immune to forcible change. Even more important were the Greeks' language and faith (Christianity). Both traditions kept them united over time and across the miles — from the Greek mainland, to Greek islands, to Greek colonies scattered along the shores of the Black and Mediterranean Seas.
      In 1821, Greeks reaffirmed their quest for independence. They rebelled against the Ottomans and later formed a new state, which European powers decided should be a monarchy. While mapping Greece's borders, however, those powers excluded half the territory where Greeks had lived for millennia. Greek efforts to reclaim that land would involve long disputes with Turkey and others on the Balkan Peninsula.

Commitment. For years, Greeks debated the form of government they should have. There was no debate on their commitment to freedom, however! Greece joined the Allies in both World Wars and entered the UN in 1945. And in 1974, it finally replaced its monarchy with a democratic, parliamentary republic. By 2000, Greece was the only Balkan member of both the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and was an active peacemaker within the troubled Balkan region.
      Greece also works hard to fulfill its economic potential. Aided by EU funds and the sale of government-owned enterprises, its economy is diversifying rapidly. New airports, expressways, and telecommunications services are helping Greek businesses expand into other Balkan countries, where they form one of the largest groups of investors. And in 2001, the Greek government adopted the euro (the EU's currency).

And now.... Speaking to an American audience a few years ago, Greece's (then) Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, listed several goals for his country: a more dynamic economy, a stronger civil society, a better quality of life for all citizens, and a stronger role in world affairs. Will Greece succeed? It's on its way! Keep watching....

Research Tip. For a good, illustrated overview of Greece, see the article on this country in the current edition of World Book Encyclopedia.