Do Greeks consider Greece as a Balkan country?

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Vergina

You'll never know the answer. It's an ancient secret that's shared only among Greeks
Not that we want you to be excluded from our exclusive club, but...sorry. you are excluded

Vasiliki-Î’Î±ÏƒÎ¹Î»Î¹ÎºÎ®

Greece is a Balkan country.But Greece is also part of the West. Not geographically but culturally,economically and politically.

I regard it as both.The strange is that the rest of Balkan countries don't consider Greece as in Balkans.

No, I don't speak for the rest of Balkan countries. I just express what I think ,judging by some actions.
For example,when there are sites for Balkan news, they don't even include Greece
http://balkaninsight.com/
Its good that you consider Greece as Balkan country, because it is

BillCostley

Unique.

Zoi ((Î–Ï‰Î®))

Yes, Greece is part of the Balkan Peninsula, is a balkan country. Our culture is European but you can find cultural elements that are same as in other Balkan countries.
I personally adore Balkan music, especially Serbian music, and Balkan folklore. I consider them part of European culture....personal opinion.

@Keyser.
Egypt contributed to Greek culture,which thus in turn made it to the rest of the Western world? (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Only Turks and some islamic countries could support such an orientation of European history.
Yes, an Algerian probably will know how big Egyptian civilisation was, how Arabs translated and sometimes saved Plato scripts, invented glass (it was Veduines i think), a European will learn about the Greek civilisation that had interactions with Egypt, yes, did not invented everything, but DID CONTRIBUTED UNREVERSABLY to the European culture. Present day's medicin, but especially HISTORIOGRAPHY, LITERATURE, DRAMA (!) derive from the Ancient Greek culture.
You can't annihilate Shakspear's contribution to Theatre, English theatre and international in general, because it happened in 1600 and not in 3000BC. Anyone would agree that English theatre is much different than native American mimic of hunting scenes, it doesn't derive from there, not even Italian pantomima derives from the Amerindians.

Min Tous Kiklous Terates

i think its a bit of both... meditreanian..and balkan..but as link,,said i dont like tags either..

BYZANTINE EMPIRE

Greeks are geographically located in Europe (the Balkans) and Asia (Cyprus, ...and in Asia Minor from 1,000 BC - 1923 AD)...Greece was the light to what we call today Western Civilization...we lay the foundations of the alphabet, democracy, architecture, Olympics, mythology, politics, law, empire building, science, medicine, philosophy, history, geography, etc...with Alexander the Great's conquest of the "known world", he HELLENIZED the known world (introduced Greek culture) into Africa, and Asia..then the Byzantine Empire from 300's AD until 1453 AD was Europe most advanced CHRISTIAN empire and its capital was Constantinople...therefore the Greeks have always had an EAST & WEST (global outlook) about themselves, this is illustrated in the Byzantine Flag and Orthodox Church flage of the DOUBLE HEADED EAGLE...today Greece and Greeks take pride in their past acievements and have a positive outlook for the future..this is why Greece is a part of NATO and the European Union...personally as I have travelled all over the world, whenevr I was asked what are you and I replied Greek, they always knew something about Greece, either they would make a comment like, oh Athens, or Olympics, or good food, etc..this is proof of the eternal lasting impression that Greece has left the world, a positive impression!!!!

xanthochroi

geographically yes but the international image of the balkan countries is not so good thats why some greeks want to avoid this "balkan" label

GREEK BARBiiEâ™¥

Like Vasiliki said economically, politically and culturally Greece is part of the West. You dont need to be located in Western Europe to be considered Western, US, Japan and Australia are Western and nowhere near in Europe, same goes for Greece.

Greece is a developed country and an EU member for 28 years. According to the 2008 Human Development Index, Greece is the 18th most developed country in the world.According to the CIA world factbook, GDP per capita of Greece is $32,800 which is about the same with France ($32,700), higher than Italy ($31,000) and lower than Germany ($34,800) Now if you look at it from a historical perspective, Greece is considered the "Cradle of Western Civilization"

Now geographically , NOONE can deny Greece's place in the Balkans, in fact Greeks are the oldest people in the region, so ethnically there are more Balkanian than anyone else. But since its present socio-economical status is part of the West, and the recent wars and trauma between the Balkan nations had many Greeks pull away from the Balkans. Yet i believe Greeks are the only people that know more about the Balkans and the current situations than any other Westerner. We have lived with them for thousands of years, been all part of the Ottoman Empire and are mostly Orthodox. Greece is also the biggest investor and immigration spot in the region.

Myrina

Greece is part of the Balkan peninsula, geographically.
It has a lot of common things with Balkan countries. Two of the most important ones are:
a. religion: most of the Balkan people are Orthodox Christians and they were introduced to Orthodox Christianity by Greeks.
b. the fight for independence: all Balkan countries, including Greece, rose against the Ottoman occupation of their lands and succeeded in forming their free countries.
However, Greece was not a communist country as all the other Balkan countries were for the most part of the 20th century.
Therefore, Greece was developed in quite a different way economically, socially, culturally, politically.
Another thing that needs to be taken into consideration is the long history and culture of the Greek people, which goes way back before the creation of the other Balkan countries.
I would say that Greece is unique, as billcostley and Vergina said. We don't consider ourselves as belonging to anyone or anywhere. We have our own culture, civilisation and history. A lot of other people want to be part of us and our culture: there are a lot of immigrants from Balkan countries living in Greece and seeking a better way of life.

zxc

Most Greeks are referring to Greece as a Balkan country every time they want to justify their gap between them and Europe.

Keyser

Greece is a Balkan country.Culturally in modern times (we arent living in ancient greece) Greece is closer to Balkan nations than to Germany or the UK or France or USA.

Can Eygpt be west because it also contributed to Greek culture,which thus in turn made it to the rest of the Western world?

As far as im concerned The West is nations like The US,Germany,The UK,France .The Slavic nations and Greece are Balkan nations and Russia ,Turkey Eurasian.

Linktothepast83

Don't know about the rest but i don't like tags. Everything changes in this world, during Byzantine times the Balkans were richer and more cultured than the rest of Europe, and then came the Ottomans and the wars for independence, and we have what you see now. At a time the East (Persia, Egypt) was more civilized, now it is the West, tomorrow who knows really?

Personally i like civilization and considering the situation at hand, yes i would say we belong to the west now. But i don't think that we are the only Balkan country that can say that,(maybe the most prosperous but still...) you underestimate the region a bit i think. While the rest of Europe was creating colonies and cashed in money, all the countries here were under Ottomans(who spread wars and ...that's about it). Also the rest of the Balkans were under communists in the recent past.

What i am trying to say is that if you change some parameters just a little bit, you would have been surprised by the results of who is cultured and who is not, believe me.

Curiousity killed the cat

I'm only half-Greek, and I was born and live in Britain, but my opinion is that, geographically, Greece is in the Balkans, but politically, socially, economically and culturally I believe it is more aligned with the West.

A similar situation is the Baltic states, although formerly the Soviet Union, and still considered to be in the Russian sphere of influence, they have all aligned themselves with the West (e.g. Nato & EU members).

Interestingly, however, Samuel P. Huntington, a political theorist, in his book 'Clash of Civilisations' groups Greece, not as part of the Western civilisation, but as part of the Orthodox East Europe civilisation, aligning Greece with countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria, and indeed the Balkans. Yes, they share a religion, but I think its up to the Greeks who they want to align themselves with. Who knows, maybe they just consider themselves unique!

Friedrich Schulz

Well, they lie in the Balkans in the north. But below them for the majority of their country.

They have become a lot more Slavic in the 20th century. Due to migrations. And I believe that many of the Slavic's in Greece would associate as a part of the Balkans.
But Greeks of pure Ancestry would probably consider themselves as Greece itself. Not a Balkan country.

bo dji

Yes, Greeks consider Greece as a Balkan country.

But pls pay attention:

Despite Croatia is geographically in the Balkans Croats are angry when you consider their country as part of the Balkans.

G.S.

Greece is Balkan but Turkey is Europe.

Ververidis

Greeks consider Hellass as a Empire of Riots

Î¦ÎÏ„Î± Cheese in Love with Greece

Well all my geography and history books say Greece is a Balkans country. But if you think you can change facts go ahead. You may just do it. If an ugly girl considers herself as a supersmartazz does that make her one? NO. You can consider what you like but facts are facts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkans

Vasiliki I don't think you can speak for the rest of the Balkan countries. Remember you always tell me I can't speak in name of Greeks? So some news for you: we DO consider Greece a Balkan country. Or do you know better what we know?
No you can't judge by SOME actions cos it's a fact and no actions can change facts.

bo dji, fyi, Croatia is on Balkans but our mentality is not. I can't help you if you don't know that's a fact too.

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