A Cultural Exploration

GREECE:

By Luke Guyant

Population:• As of 2010, the country of Greece has an estimated population of 11,306,183 people.

Greek Land and Climate:• Located in the Southern part of Europe, bordering

Turkey, Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. It also has a prominent Mediterranean coastline.

• Greece’s climate is strongly influenced by its location along the Mediterranean, with mildly warm temperatures and some rain. The average temperature this time of year would be around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Greek Government and Economy

• The government is set up as a democracy with a president head of state, as well as a prime minister; Karolos Popoulias is the current president, and and Lucas Papademis is the current minister.• The Capitol of Greece is Athens

Popoulias Papademis

Greek Economy and Government (cont’d)

• Like the U.S. and other countries, Greece has faced a steady economic downturn over the past few years. The recession has hit the country extremely hard, with lack of employment, government debt, and gross domestic product steadily dropping• Greece’s current economic state has been a prominent global news story

Communication Style, Presentation, and Language

• Very direct communicators; lots of eye contact, standing physically close to one’s listener, and flamboyant displays of emotion• Strong emotions are seen as positive• Greater focus is put on what is spoken versus text• 99 percent of the language spoken is Greek; the other 1 percent is English and French

Religion and Holidays• The major religion of Greece, at 98 percent, is Greek Orthodox• Greek Orthodox is a division of the Catholic Church that does not recognize the Pope as its head• Significant holidays in Greece include:

• Independence day (March 25th)

• Christmas

• Easter

Work and Lifestyle• A large amount of Greeks are involved in the flourishing tourism business• Greece has a very high unemployment rate• Golf, skiing, sailing, fishing, and hunting are all popular forms of Greek recreational activities• Nightclubs and festivals are a large part of Greek life• The Greek diet is substantiated by vegetables, fish, meat, and salads• The “Mediterranean Diet” is not nearly as popular as it once was in Greece, and Greek children are some of the most overweight in Europe• Greek dining etiquette includes sharing meals, eating with one’s hands, and being social at mealtime

Travel in Greece• Popular forms of transportation in Greece include:• Flying (there are 44 airports in the country)• Boats – All the Greek islands are connected by a ship system• Train• Buses• A road system that has been upgraded and modernized

Education and Public Health• The Greek education system is set up in three segments: primary, secondary, and tertiary• There are public and private schools, but no private universities (per Greece’s constitution)• Literacy rate of 97.8 percent• Greece’s Public Healthcare system has been strongly affected by the nation’s economic struggles; the government has made significant healthcare cuts, limiting the supplies and effectiveness of hospitals• Other factors affecting Greece’s healthcare system are overworked doctors, and the refusal of any payment form except cash from patients

A Video Overview of the Beauty of Greece

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmDdxC_GgDw

Works Cited• Text Sources:• http://www.visitgreece.gr/• http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ehost/

viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie46bFNtqa3TbOk63nn5Kx95uXxjL6qrUmtqK5JsZazUrCruEqzls5lpOrweezp33vy3%2b2G59q7T7Omt062qbc%2b6tfsf7vb7D7i2Lt5t96kjN%2fdu1nMnN%2bGu66zTLSus0qynOSH8OPfjLvc84Tq6uOQ8gAA&hid=21

• http://greece.angloinfo.com/lifestyle/• http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OUDHzzb

dEFQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=modern+greece&ots=jYCToSKXsX&sig=i2WJQrjlAt3BN6cL7s3Z04jNwU8

• http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie46a9Ir6y0S7Sk63nn5Kx95uXxjL6qrUmtqK5JsZazUq%2bsuEm2ls5lpOrweezp33vy3%2b2G59q7Sbantkuzra5Pr5zqeezdu33snOJ6u97ogKTq33%2b7t8w%2b3%2bS7T6%2btt0qyra4%2b5OXwhd%2fqu37z4uqM4%2b7y&hid=21

• http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Greek-Business-Communication-Style.html

• http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/world/europe/greeks-reeling-from-health-care-cutbacks.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Works Cited (Cont’d)• Picture Sources: (in order of their appearances in the

presentation)• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/T

he_Parthenon_in_Athens.jpg/400px-The_Parthenon_in_Athens.jpg

• http://www.hellasnews.com/images/map/greece-map.gif• https://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/1532190341/Screen_sho

t_2011-09-06_at_9.15.51_PM.png• http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4eb8fab56bb3f7f668

00004d/lucas-papademos.png• http://www.globalresearch.ca/articlePictures/market2.gif• http://www.dailyforex.com/files/Greece%20Financial%20Crisis_

January%202012-s.jpg• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vM1spLgRokw/T2_S6FmwXWI/AAAA

AAAAAEs/mGf6ACEN2EA/s1600/image.jpg• http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/original700/greece-christmas-

2009-12-11-14-11-12.jpg• http://timsandell.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/dsc00220.jpg• http://www.marjoriegraham.com/images/Crete2007_01_small.j

pg• http://

www.greek-islands.us/athens/greece-train/greece-train.jpg