Flag of Greece

Flag of Greece

The Greek flag originated during the uprising against the Turks in 1821, when a blue flag with a white cross was raised in order to oppose the Ottoman crescent. The flag in its present form was adopted in 1822. The cross was moved to the top left part of the flag and white and blue stripes were added. Nine striped should probably remind nine syllables of a revolutionary slogan "Eleftheria i Thanatos" ("Freedom or Death"). Blue symbolizes the sea, whose beauty inspired the idea of revolt. White stands for purity of revolutionists´ intentions and cross refers to the respect to the Orthodox Church, which helped to maintain national identity in times of occupation. The shade of blue was changed many times, yet the flag can be called "Galanolefci" (blue and white in translation).

Country information

Sovereign State Yes
Country codes GR, GRC (ISO 3166-1)
Official name Hellenic Republic
Capital city Athens
Continent Europe
Member of United Nations, European Union, NATO
Population 10 724 599 (2019)
Total area 131 957 km2
Highest point Mount Olympus (2 919 m, 9 577 ft)
Lowest point Mediterranean Sea
GDP per capita $ 20 324 (World Bank, 2018)
Currency Euro (€, EUR)
Calling code +30
Internet TLD .gr

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Country location