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Greece, facts about the country
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Greece,
formally called the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Elliniki Dimokratia),
is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula.
It has land boundaries with Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia and Albania to the north; and with Turkey to the east.
The waters of the Aegean Sea border on Greece to the east, and
those of the Ionian and Mediterranean Seas to the west and south.
Regarded by many as the cradle of Western civilization, Greece
has a long and rich history during which its culture has proven
especially influential in Europe, Asia and Africa.
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Greeks call their country "Hellas" - pronounced "Ellas" in modern
Greek. In everyday speech the form "Ellada" appears.
Greeks, in
fact, call themselves Hellenes (Greek: Ellines) even in English.
The English name "Greece" derives from a Latin name, Graecia, originally
used for the Magna Graecia region.
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