Most likely you have been on holiday to many islands in Greece either in the Aegean Sea or the Ionian Sea. I’m sure you’ve read and seen pictures of even more for the islands you haven’t visited yet. And it’s quite possible from time to time to hear about islands in Greece that you didn’t even know of their existence. But how many islands does Greece have and how many of them do you know? Do you also know where Greece is listed in the world based on its coastline?
The Greek islands. Habitable and non-habitable
Greece despite its small size as a country has one of the largest coastlines in the world. Because of its many islands. How many islands does our country have, small or large, uninhabited or not? The Greek territory includes 6,000 islands and islets. They are scattered in the Aegean and Ionian sea. Of these, only 227 are inhabited. This is a unique phenomenon to the European continent and rare worldwide.
An impressive feature of our country is that wherever we start, at most in 1.5 hours we can find ourselves on a beach in the Aegean or the Ionian Sea. Within a few hours, you can travel by plane or ferry to any island in Greece you want and enjoy the sun and the sea.
Taking for granted that Greece does not have a large area and in particular, has 130,800 square kilometers no Greek continental part is more than 137 km from the sea. And that is extremely impressive when you compare it with any other European country.
The huge coastline of Greece
As far as the coastline of Greece is concerned, it exceeds 15,000 km, and it has listed it in 9th place in the world ranking of the countries with the longest coastlines. Before Greece, there are only eight countries, the following ones: Canada (202,080 km), Norway (83,281 km), Indonesia (54,716 km), Russia (37,653 km), Philippines (36,289 km), Japan (29751 km), Australia (25,760 km) and USA (19,924 km).
In whichever island in Greece, you choose to travel is sure you will meet an impressive repousse. A special repousse that can present many contrasts. Another characteristic of the Greek islands is how different they are between them. From islands rich in green landscapes and waters to the driest islands that stand out for their beaches and traditional architecture. The Greek beauty at its best…
Shoreline data source: List of countries along coastline, in kilometres, according to 2005 data from the CIA’s World Factbook
External photography source: pexels.com
Read also:
Schinos: The quiet beach which is an hour away from Athens
Alonissos: The green island with the underwater museum
Daskalio: The famous island of love
Frequently Asked Questions
Greece has 6,000 islands and islets scattered across the Aegean and Ionian seas. However, only 227 of these islands are inhabited, making this a unique phenomenon in Europe and rare worldwide.
Greece ranks 9th in the world for longest coastlines, with a coastline exceeding 15,000 km. Only Canada, Norway, Indonesia, Russia, Philippines, Japan, Australia, and the USA have longer coastlines.
Greece's coastline exceeds 15,000 kilometers in length. This impressive coastline is due to the country's thousands of islands distributed throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas.
Despite Greece's small area of 130,800 square kilometers, no part of the Greek mainland is more than 137 km from the sea. This means you can reach a beach within approximately 1.5 hours from anywhere in Greece.
Out of Greece's 6,000 islands and islets, only 227 are inhabited. The remaining islands are either very small or completely uninhabited, making this distribution pattern unique in Europe.
