The Historical Dictionary of Greece is a scholarly introduction for librarians, students, policy makers, and travelers to the country with the longest history among European nations. Greece is the birthplace of so many contemporary institutions, a source of a linguistic tradition that spans millennia, and has produced two Nobel Prize winners in the last thirty years. At the proverbial crossroads of civilizations, religions, and continents, it has nurtured a seafaring people that today control the largest merchant fleet in the world. Circumstances, however, have not been kind to Greece. In the twentieth century alone, it was involved in two Balkan wars, two World Wars, and a devastating civil war. Currently the country is a member of the European Union, NATO, the WEU, the Council of Europe, the CSCE and other organizations. In this era of regional conflicts, Greece is in a position to act as the stabilizing factor in the troubled Balkans and the major source of investment in that neighborhood. Among the topics covered in this volume, are biographies, socioeconomic conditions, institutions, tourism, historic sites, statistics, and the arts. A bibliography and historical and administrative maps are included.