Introduction to Athens, the capital of Greece

Athens is the capital and largest city of the Hellenic Republic, located at the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, with a subtropical Mediterranean climate. As of 2008, Athens has a population of 745,514. With a total area of 412km², it is the eighth largest city in Europe and one of the commercial centers of the European Union.

With a recorded history of more than 3,000 years, Athens is known as the "cradle of Western civilization." Athens is also the birthplace of European philosophy and has had a significant influence on European and world culture. The birth of Socrates, Plato and a large number of historical great men, known as the origin of democracy.

Athens still retains many historical sites and a large number of works of art, the most famous of which is the Parthenon Temple on the Acropolis of Athens, which is regarded as a symbol of Western culture. The cultural and political achievements of the 5th and 4th centuries BC had a major impact on European and world culture.