Page 24 - Key to Social Studies 5

Features of Greece

Physical Features

• Mountains and Forests

The Greek mainland is rugged land

with many mountains, lakes, and

forests. The highest and most famous

mountain in Greece is Mount

Olympus, with a height of 2,918 m,

which is in the Olympus range,

between Thessaly and Macedonia.

Along its borders with Bulgaria in the

north extends the Southern Rhodope

mountain range with dense forests. Rocky Mountains of Meteora, Kalabaka

The Pindus Mountains, which are also home to wooded areas, occupy the western half of the country.

Most of Greece used to be covered in forests, but they have been cut over many years for timber to

make wood products or for fuel.

• Volcanoes

Greece is also home to ancient volcanoes, some of which are found on the islands of Milos, Poros, and

Santorini. None of these are currently erupting. When a volcano erupts, it releases burning gases, rocks,

and smoke high into the air. Living near an active volcano can be very dangerous!

• Islands

The largest two islands of Greece are Crete, to the south of the Peloponnese peninsula, and Evia, on the

east coast.

• The Peloponnese Peninsula

The Peloponnese peninsula is marginally, or to only a limited extent, isolated from the rest of the land

by the Corinth Canal, a four-mile-long man-made waterway through the Isthmus of Corinth. This

waterway is mainly used for shipping and transportation.

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