Settlement Patterns
The location of Greece has made it the crossroads of migrating Slavs, invading Turks, and other colonizing powers from Europe. Thanks to this, there are many ethnicities in the country. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Greece was heavily populated in the prehistoric times. These settlements were among mountains for safety, but also along the seas so the people would have a mean of transportation. They settled too where the farm soil was fertile. Around 3 000 BCE, a civilization began to develop on the island of Crete. The people of Crete colonized mainland Greece. Instead of an empire, the land of Greece was comprised of many city states. Trading centers like Corinth and Athens developed. Sparta became a city developed to the military. We can still see evidence of the Mycenaean and the Classical Greek era. The Parthenon in Athens is an example. There are many temples and buildings remaining.
The Greek population trends have always been unstable, resulting in many changes in immigration and emigration in the 20th century. There was a drop in population growth in the 20th century. During the wars, many people left for Australia, the United States, Canada, and other places in Europe. In the Second World War, Greece was occupied by Italy, and then Germany. The fertility rate was below the replacement rate. Immigration slowed. The population growth declined. Larger towns like Athens, the capital, began to grow in size and commercially from the 1970s. It remains the largest city in Greece. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Since then, immigration has picked up again but the fertility rate remains relatively low.
Greece was heavily populated in the prehistoric times. These settlements were among mountains for safety, but also along the seas so the people would have a mean of transportation. They settled too where the farm soil was fertile. Around 3 000 BCE, a civilization began to develop on the island of Crete. The people of Crete colonized mainland Greece. Instead of an empire, the land of Greece was comprised of many city states. Trading centers like Corinth and Athens developed. Sparta became a city developed to the military. We can still see evidence of the Mycenaean and the Classical Greek era. The Parthenon in Athens is an example. There are many temples and buildings remaining.
The Greek population trends have always been unstable, resulting in many changes in immigration and emigration in the 20th century. There was a drop in population growth in the 20th century. During the wars, many people left for Australia, the United States, Canada, and other places in Europe. In the Second World War, Greece was occupied by Italy, and then Germany. The fertility rate was below the replacement rate. Immigration slowed. The population growth declined. Larger towns like Athens, the capital, began to grow in size and commercially from the 1970s. It remains the largest city in Greece. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Since then, immigration has picked up again but the fertility rate remains relatively low.
