What is the terrain and geography like in Greece?
Greece has mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
Athens daytime summer temperature averages 90°F and often exceeds 100°F for periods in July-August. Humidity is low and the heat is tempered by sea breezes. Summer evenings are comfortable outdoors. Spring and fall temperatures are pleasant, and winter temperatures are 30°-55°F. Snow flurries occur, particularly in the northern suburbs, but seldom accumulate. Air pollution is a major problem in Athens throughout the year, but the climate is otherwise healthy.
Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, experiences high temperatures and humidity from the end of May until the end of September. Summer heat is sometimes tempered by late morning and early evening breezes. July and August nights can be uncomfortably warm. In winter, periods of mild, sunny, and spring-like weather are interspersed with uncomfortable cold periods. Thessaloniki has periods of chilly and damp weather, with considerable rainfall and occasional snow. Temperatures often fall below freezing in winter. Although snow does not linger, the city has been struck by blizzards. One feature of Thessaloniki’s climate is the vardari, a strong northwesterly wind that appears suddenly and irregularly from the area of the Axios (Vardar) River Valley.
Greece has mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
Athens daytime summer temperature averages 90°F and often exceeds 100°F for periods in July-August. Humidity is low and the heat is tempered by sea breezes. Summer evenings are comfortable outdoors. Spring and fall temperatures are pleasant, and winter temperatures are 30°-55°F. Snow flurries occur, particularly in the northern suburbs, but seldom accumulate. Air pollution is a major problem in Athens throughout the year, but the climate is otherwise healthy.
Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, experiences high temperatures and humidity from the end of May until the end of September. Summer heat is sometimes tempered by late morning and early evening breezes. July and August nights can be uncomfortably warm. In winter, periods of mild, sunny, and spring-like weather are interspersed with uncomfortable cold periods. Thessaloniki has periods of chilly and damp weather, with considerable rainfall and occasional snow. Temperatures often fall below freezing in winter. Although snow does not linger, the city has been struck by blizzards. One feature of Thessaloniki’s climate is the vardari, a strong northwesterly wind that appears suddenly and irregularly from the area of the Axios (Vardar) River Valley.
Geographic Location | Europe |
Total Area |
50,949 Square Miles 131,957 Square Kilometers |
Land Area |
50,443 Square Miles 130,647 Square Kilometers |
Water Area |
506 Square Miles 1,310 Square Kilometers |
Land Boundaries |
763 Miles 1,228 Kilometers |
Irrigated Land |
6,004 Square Miles 15,550 Square Kilometers |
Border Countries | Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km |
Coastline |
8,498 Miles 13,676 Kilometers |
Geographic Coordinates | 39 00 N, 22 00 E |
Terrain | mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands |
Highest Point | 2,917 Meters |
Highest Point Location | Mount Olympus 2,917 m |
Lowest Point Location | Mediterranean Sea 0 m |
Natural Resources | lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential |
Time Zone | UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Daylight saving time | +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |