9781422278000

GREECE’S GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE

Olive Greece is famous for its ancient olive trees, some of them as old as two thousand years. The indigenous olive tree (wild olive tree) first appeared in the eastern Mediterranean, but it was in Greece that it was first cultivated. Since then, it has been part of the traditions and the culture of the Greek people. Homer (the Greek poet) describe olive oil as “liquid gold,” referring to its properties in cooking, medicine, and skin care. Throughout the centuries, the olive tree has been given a special status and is considered a symbol of peace, abundance, and great natural power.

coast and from the mainland to nearby islands and other Mediterranean coastal areas. The deeply indented coastline, sheltered bays, gulfs, and archipelagoes, together with the tideless Mediterranean and unusually clear light made sea travel comparatively easy, so trade and cultural contacts with nearby maritime civilizations were established early on. Yet the cultural diversity that such contact brought to Greece was balanced by an intense and proud localism largely caused by the nature of the land itself. Since agriculture was by far the most important activity for almost everyone, the population was necessarily concentrated in the scarce fertile areas: in the coastal plains, estuaries, and river valleys edged by mountains, on isolated 14