Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Greece's beaches, especially on the island of Zakynthos, are one of the most important nesting grounds in the Mediterranean for this ancient reptile.
Flag of Greece
Field Report
Greece is a small country in southeastern Europe, sitting at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea where Europe, Africa, and Asia come closest to meeting each other. It is one of the oldest civilizations on earth, and much of the world's history — including the spread of the early church — ran directly through its harbors and roads. Today about 10 million people live there, most of them in cities and on islands scattered across a bright blue sea.
From the Field Notebook
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Greece's beaches, especially on the island of Zakynthos, are one of the most important nesting grounds in the Mediterranean for this ancient reptile.
European Roller
This striking blue-and-chestnut bird migrates through Greece each spring and summer, and its tumbling aerial displays gave it the name 'roller.'
Monk Seal
One of the rarest seals in the world, the Mediterranean monk seal still finds shelter in the sea caves along Greece's rocky coastline.
Spanakopita
This savory pastry is filled with spinach and salty feta cheese, all wrapped in layers of thin, flaky phyllo dough that shatters when you bite it.
Souvlaki
Small cubes of seasoned pork or chicken are threaded on a skewer and grilled over open flame, often eaten wrapped in warm flatbread with tomatoes and tzatziki sauce.
Loukoumades
These tiny fried dough balls are drizzled with honey and dusted with cinnamon, and Greeks have been eating a version of them since ancient times.
Greece has more archaeological museums than any other country in the world, with over 100 museums dedicated entirely to ancient history.
The Greek alphabet, invented around 800 BC, is the ancestor of the Latin alphabet that English uses today — and the entire New Testament was first written in Greek.
Greece is made up of about 6,000 islands, but only around 200 of them have people living on them.
No place in Greece is more than 137 kilometers from the sea, which means nearly every Greek person has grown up within a few hours of the coast.
The Olympic Games began in Olympia, Greece, in 776 BC as a religious festival, and athletes competed for nearly 1,200 years before the games were stopped.
Daily Life
82
Years life expectancy
94%
Can read and write
98%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Greece is home to 46 distinct people groups — 13 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
Most Greece's people follow Christianity (87.9%). Less than 1% of people in Greece are Evangelical Christians.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
South Asian, general
114,000 people
Afghan, general
45,000 people
Pomak
29,000 people
Kazakh
28,000 people
Zaza, Northern
24,000 people
Prayer Journal
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