Greece

Greece remains a major entry point to Europe. Cargos from Africa, Asia and the Middle East arrive at its ports and airports not the least due to the traditional corruptibility and laziness of its customs inspectors and with them all sorts of hopefuls and expats, exiles and entrepreneurs, the flotsam and jetsam of cosmopolitan humanity, eager to get a chance to walk those streets paved with eurogold.

So long as some of that gold ends up in the pockets of military regime, the Greek National Reconciliation Caucus is prepared to see this continue. After all, it's busy enough fighting partisans in the mountains, and buying all those shiny new tanks, aeros, subs and rifles. While the treasury dwindles, new taxes get added to the excise every day, and more and more underground movements spring up across the country...

Some of the hopefuls make it. Greece is a traditional hiring ground for ex-euro meat, whether by mercs, corps or one-man bands. The early jobs will come cheap, but the real aim is a chance to earn or buy those treasured work permits.

Background
The proud Greek heritage is certainly in poor hands. Only Great Britain is worse, and that is because the British have always been somewhat feudal. The democratic government survived the Wasting Plague &is and even (barely) the Santorin catastrophe, but could not handle the corporations. It is ironic that the corps that put the army on top had to quit the country due to tax pressure. Now, most corp offices are small, with administrative and trade missions, not manufacturing. The only big offices are for military hardware corporations, who sell toys to the GNRC (Greek National Reconciliation Caucus).

The army has held sway over Greece for many years, but as usual, the independent minded Greeks are not going to make it easier for them. The countryside is mostly under partisan control, and only through the big cities and along heavily-patrolled highways, can the army move. However, that same independence precludes the many resistance movements from working together. Instead they quibble among themselves while the GNRC accounts in Switzerland swell.

That's another Greek characteristic, found most!y in cities: the idea that everything has a price, or, with enough dough, you can get anything. This is what keeps the army in the cities, where you can make money, and why the resistance movements are rural. Meanwhile, the exiled parliament (the thirty odd survivors, now the theme of dozens of sim shows) still works from Rhodes. Unable to call elections, they are supported by some of the partisan movements-and specially by Turkey and most non- European countries, delighted at seeing Europeans back at their favorite historical sport: killing each other.

The greatest show this way is the campaign in Macedonia. Instead of securing the neighborhood of Lake Prespa, the Greek army is facing hardened Serb veterans, currently occupying part of Albania, a Greek ally. As they disapproved of the Macedonian venture, the EC won't intervene outside Greek borders, but Serbia is still unwilling to commit themselves against an EC member, and the war is just skirmishes at the moment A good work opportunity for soldiers and solos. This military venture has weakened the army further, and now most of Thessaly and the north of Greece (including part of Greek Macedonia) are under rebel control. It is widely thought that American and Japanese interests are supplying the partisans, but there is no definite proof. Meanwhile, corruption, the black market and rationing are the usual fare in the military-controlled areas. Europa Sur has a strong presence here, but there are hundreds of small-time operations, from famous-label clothing counterfeits to synthetic analogs of the latest fashion drugs. Greeks, gloom aside, are a peculiar lot Very sanguineous, they are a passionate people. They might kill each other over a slight, but they will stop military ops to organize a wedding, for instance. If you contract a Greek (and I should know) he will try to cheat you blind in negotiations, but later, will fulfill your agreement to the letter. There are no better friends-nor worse enemies.

A warning to all female readers, Greek males, and even females, practice machism, and women will be discriminated against unconsciously. In the cities there is a bit more equality, but the only equal employers are foreign corporations. This can be good or bad, and you probably know how to take advantage of it.

Greece has become the hiring-hall of Europe, and Athens is still one of the greatest touristic cities in the world. Don't worry if you can't get a language chip for Modem Greek, most people, specially taxis, waiters, etc. speak a smattering of European languages, including many obscure ones. Although you won't be able to talk about literature, you can get your basic needs across (food, rest, ammo...). For those that think that Greece is a police state, well, the answer is yes, but here the police are bribe-able, and seldom bother foreigners who mind their own business. If you have other businesses in mind, remember that the police are usually judge, jury and executioner here; tread with care.

The Back Door to Europe
It has never been hard to get into Europe. France, Great Britain and the Netherlands automatically received citizens of their former colonies; Spain sheltered any Latin-Americans that crossed the ocean. Portugal accepted Brazilians. The Wasting Plague changed all this, although the border- dosing trend had begun earlier. Now foreigners must pass rigorous scrutiny to get in, even with a tourist visa. Work permits are very hard to get, and citizenship is almost unattainable for a foreigner. Certain nationalities are specially controlled, for various reasons, and will bring higher official interest: USA, Japan, New Africa, China and all Arab countries.

However, to help the discerning entrepreneur, Europe has two soft spots allowing foreigners into the Euroheaven. One of them, Great Britain, has its own risks-and so many disadvantages that I won't extend myself on it The other, though far from perfect, is the best way into Europe if your intention isn't tourism, but mayhem: Greece.

Corruption rules Greece, and that's why there are so many Greeks up in the mountains. With enough money (Eb only) and the right attitude, omici, you can get anything here. Regarding the particular problem of getting into the EC, there are several possibilities.

If you have a substantial amount of money (corporate backing perhaps?) the best way is by plane, via Athens airport Get a tourist visa (an "on the spot" visa costs between 1000 and 10,000 Euro) and renew it as needed (when asked, or every three months in serious parts of Europe). Any equipment you got onto the plane can pass through customs, with a "tax" depending on what the customs agent thinks you carry.

With a tourist visa you can't receive legally payment for rendered services, so set up an account in advance in some tax haven. If you are so notorious you can't get aboard a plane, or you're cash poor, there are other possibilities.

The preferred way to get cargo (and people) in cheaply is by ship. There are so many islands in the Aegean you can't control them all. So you just board a ship for Greece (the right kind of ship, Streetdeal or Streetwise 15+) in Cairo, or Tunis, or Shanghai or. .. Usually the ship will require a 200-500eb supplement to get you ashore without notifying customs, but even if you are caught, a clear head and a few hundred euro will save your butt There're many people in Greece willing to give work to paperless people, although none of these jobs are pleasant Work hard and you might get a temp work permit from the EC. The best forgers are close to Athens, and they are good because they use real documents (sometimes working as bureaucrats in the actual agencies!), so you can legalize your papers once you get some money.

The third way is by land. Its main advantage is that it is less used. Go to Turkey (land of few regulations) or the Balkans (more dangerous), and contact one of the many border crossing operations. Most of them supply the partisan movements in northern Greece, but that may be a useful cover. If you are anti-EC or pro- independence (or can fake it), this is your ticket Many of these ops will get you through free, and they can handle the papers problem for undercover work.

Getting into Greece is only half the problem. Now you have to avoid problems with the military police, get a job, and remember that Interpol are no fools. They know the hole they have in Greece, so anybody coming from there will be screened more tightly than other Euros, although much less than your typical American straight from New York.

The porous nature of the Greek border has turned it into the perfect way-station for mercenaries. Anybody can get to Greece, you can buy anything you need there, and you can take refuge afterwards. This is the favorite hiring place in Europe for deniable operations, surgical strikes or paramilitary operations all around the world. Remember that high expenses make gains from these ops a bit low, and danger tends to be a bit high, but if you make it here, you can make it anywhere, as they say.

Greece is actually very popular with netrunners, as Netwatch presence is low, and response teams after a trace are slow and bribeable. Greece is also a good place to get out of Europe. Its geographic position is close to Asia and Africa, and if you tickle the GNRC, or the partisans, or EBM, you can leave the same way you got in.

Athens
This city, inhabited continuously for four thousand years, is where democracy first appeared as a political system. Athens was for centuries, the intellectual capital of the Old World. Their advances in architecture, sculpture and philosophy consume the base of our modem world.

Now, however, its population is 33% of the total of Greece. This uncontrolled expansion has resulted in chaos, where urban and rural features coexist without any order: goats feed in vacant lots, you can find wagons among the dense traffic of the avenues, and elegant fashion shops rest alongside turkish-style bazaars.

The main support of Athens today is tourism, real and illegal (high-risk operatives are traditionally big spenders). All touristic areas are high security, with military police conspicuously present The other great source of income is trade, and as illegal trade brings more income that legal, it is highly popular here. There is also a brisk forgery industry, copying anything from Chinese passports to Nike Citymasters, along with weapons and drugs. They even make cheaper polymer one shots!

At night, if you avoid the tourists-only areas and the curfew, you can find the friendliest people of Europe (if you behave properly). Women will have to bear continuous propositions, however.

Rhodes
An island in the Aegean, where the democratic remnants took refuge in 2007. Under the protection of the Turkish Air Force, the island seceded from Greece, and later (2016), became independent The only source of money is trade and its status as a tax and data haven. The island is a lawless place, where only private security guarded houses and the druglords' mansions are secure. Europa Sur has its headquarters here, but there is a strong movement (St John Knights) trying to clear the island of criminal elements. A confrontation seems inevitable.

Thessaloniki
It is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre; it is a major transportation hub for Greece and southeastern Europe, notably through the Port of Thessaloniki. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital. Events such as the Thessaloniki International Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora. Thessaloniki was the 2014 European Youth Capital.

Patras
The core settlement has a history spanning four millennia. In the Roman period, it had become a cosmopolitan center of the eastern Mediterranean whilst, according to the Christian tradition, it was also the place of Saint Andrew's martyrdom. Dubbed as Greece's Gate to the West, Patras is a commercial hub, while its busy port is a nodal point for trade and communication with Italy and the rest of Western Europe. The city has two public universities and one technological institute, hosting a large student population and rendering Patras an important scientific center with a field of excellence in technological education. The Rio-Antirio Bridge connects Patras' easternmost suburb of Rio to the town of Antirrio, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece.

Sparta
Sparta is a city and municipality in Laconia, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta. The city back in the day was once one of the greatest powers in Ancient Greece, now it's a shell of what it once was. The city center is corporate and the rest might as well be a combat zone. Black market goods are traded on a daily basis and gang activity here is the highest in the whole country.

Geography
Greece is located in Southern Europe, bordered to the north by Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria; to the east by Turkey, and is surrounded to the east by the Aegean Sea, to the south by the Cretan and the Libyan Seas, and to the west by the Ionian Sea which separates Greece from Italy.

The country consists of a mountainous, peninsular mainland jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea at the southernmost tip of the Balkans, and two smaller peninsulas projecting from it: the Chalkidiki and the Peloponnese, which is joined to the mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth. Greece also has many islands, of various sizes, the largest being Crete, Euboea, Lesvos, Rhodes, Chios, Kefalonia, and Corfu; groups of smaller islands include the Dodecanese and the Cyclades. According to the CIA World Factbook, Greece has 13,676 kilometers of coastline, the largest in the Mediterranean Basin. Greece has more than 1400 islands. The country has mild winters and long, hot and dry summers.

Climate
The climate of Greece is Mediterranean with summers that are usually hot and dry, and the winters that can be quiet cold and wet. ... Summers in Greece are usually very hot, and in July and August temperatures usually reach 30 to 35°C, but sometimes even 40°C and more.

Language
Language constitutes one of the most important elements of Greek culture. The modern Greek language is a descendant of the Ancient Greek language and is affiliated to the part of the Greek or Hellenic branch of Indo-European. The first written Greek was found on baked mud tablets, in the remains of the Knossos Palace of Crete island. Linear A and Linear B are the two most ancient types of written language in Greece.

History
Greece is a country with a very rich history from the Bronze age, to the classical period, Roman period, Ottoman period and more. It also famous worldwide for many famous people and their actions throughout centuries. This section proposes information about the history of Greece but provides also information about the significance of the flags, a list with most famous archaeological sites, historical monuments and Unesco Sites in Greece.

Traditions & customs
Traditions in Greece and Greek Islands either have a religious character or come from paganism. Furthermore, most of the traditions and festivals still followed and celebrated today are religious. That is why so many panygiria are organized in the country, which are actually religious celebrations of saints followed by traditional music and dance in the square of the village. These panigiria are a strong element of the Greek culture and take place all year round, especially in summer.

Religion
Religion plays an important role in the understanding of daily culture. The 98% of the Greeks are Christians Orthodox. The rest of the population are Muslims, Roman Catholics, and Jewish. Greece and Russia are the only countries to have such a big proportion of Christians Orthodox. The Orthodox Church forms the third largest branch of Christianity, after the Roman Catholics and the Protestants.

Music
The Greek music is of unbelievable diversity due to the creative Greek assimilation of different influences of the Eastern and Western culture of Asia and Europe. Music in Greece has a long history dating from ancient times, during which poetry, dancing, and music were inseparable and played an important part in ancient Greek everyday life and culture.

Food and wine
Greek cuisine is famous for its good quality products and the amazing taste of its food and wines. Some dishes are the same everywhere in Greece, whereas some others are local culinary specialties. The same dishes can be cooked differently or with different ingredients depending on the region. Food is an important part of Greek culture.

Archaic Period
This period ran from the start of Greek civilization in 800 BC to the introduction of Democracy in 508 BC. This period included the start of the Olympic Games and Homer's writing of the Odyssey and the Illiad.

Classical Period
This is the time that most of us think of when we think of Ancient Greece. Athens was governed by a democracy and great philosophers like Socrates and Plato arose. Also, the wars between Sparta and Athens were during this time. This period ended with the rise and then death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC.

Hellenistic Period
The Hellenistic period lasted from the death of Alexander the Great until 31 BC when Rome defeated Egypt at the Battle of Actium. The name Hellenistic comes from the Greek word "Hellas", which is the original word for Greece.