SOCRATESComenius 1 - School partnerships

2nd project meetingFour elements of Environment

Presentation from the Greek school

Közgazdasági Politechnikum, Gimnázium és Szakközépiskola3 Eniaio Lyceum Galatsi

16-20 February 2005Budapest

The population of the 48 countries Europe is roughly 750.000.000 inhabitants ,10.000.000 of which are Greeks.

The quality of life is one of the best in the world even though there are important differences from country to country. However there are environmental problems like: Destruction of the ozone layer, acid rain, pollution of the atmosphere, water pollution,deforestation, toxic-nuclear wastes in land and sea, mutant products ,sound pollution, destruction of animals.

E u r o p e

Greece is situated in the southern part of Europe.It belongs to the Balkan peninsula. It belongs to the Mediterranean countries .The biggest part of Greece is covered by mountains, among them there are few plains It is a land of mountains and of sea.

Greece is an endless deep blue colour. It is the archetype of the Mediterranean Sea. Its coastline is washed by the Mediterranean Sea (Ionian Sea, Aegean Sea, Libyan Sea). Thrakiko, Ikario, Myrtoo, Cretiko and Karpathio are names of parts of these seas.

The seas are full of islands.

The blue of the sea is a symbol of Greece.

As the poet says:

“Good God ! How much blue colour you wasted so that we won’ t see you.”

Odysseas Elytis

GREECE

Attica: the area that surrounds AthensIt is situated in the middle of the Greek peninsula, in the south-eastern part of Greece.

Two minor streams, the Kifisos River in the west and the Ilisos River in the east, flow through the city.

Attica has dry climate, mild winters and hot summers .

It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, the most important of which are Parnes,Pentelikon , and Hymittos .

Nowadays the inhabited area is 30.000 hectares with 3.500.000 people.

The ratio of the urban and suburban green space in the basin of Athens is 2,55 square metres per resident , while the European Organization of the Environment considers the proportion of 10 square meters per individual hardly acceptable.

On 18th September, 1834 Athens was recognized as the capital of Greece.

In those days Athens was 300 hectares and counted 10.000 – 12.000 people .

Photo of Athens at the beginning of the 19th century

Small houses, land ,dirt road.

This Athens has vanished

Athens from the air

Small houses with red tiles

Modern Greece1830: The independence of Greece was signed.

1834: Athens capital of Greece.

1837 : University built

1862 : Athens was lit up with gas.

1889 : “electricity “ came to Athens

1896 : Olympic games. The first car was launched

1905 : Asphalt covering of the streets. The first telephone

1907 :The first cinema. The population of Athens was 165.000.1908: Operation of the first organized telephone center with 800 subscribers. There were 12 primary schools and 5 high schools.1920: 30.000 people. About 80 cars in Athens.1923: Launch of the first “Citroen” taxis. Minor Asia Destruction: 300.000 refugees from Minor Asia moved to Athens. Serious problems of cleanliness and water shortage surfaced.

1925: The construction of the dam in lake Marathon started that year in

order to solve the water supply problem of the capital

1940-1944: German possession, National Resistance. 1997: Athens is in charge of the Olympic Games 2004.2001: The new airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” is built.2004: The Olympic Games 13-29 August.

Urban history of Athens

The basic points of the urban development

100 m..The first event during the Olympic Games of 1896

Athens 1840

Environmental Problems: Air pollution – smog Excessive use of cars Lack of open spaces Vast number of cement constructions and the bad town planning choke the City. High temperatures in summer

Efforts made in recent years: Car pools round the historical center of the city since 1995 Reformation of some public places, pedestrian zones Underground parking lots Improvement of the means of transportation - the metro since 2000 New motorways (Attiki odos) Tree plantations

Olympic stadium

Attiki Odos

Airport of Athens

smog

Metro map

The ratio of the urban and suburban green space in the basin of Athens is 2,55 square metres per resident , while the European Organization of the Environment considers the proportion of 10 square meters per individual hardly acceptable.

Diachronic development of population in the basin of

Athens

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

3500000

4000000

1834 1836 1862 1879 1881 1897 1907 1920 1922 1971 1981 1991 1998

Years

Polulation

Years 1834 1836 1862 1879 1881 1897 1907 1920 1922 1971 1981 1991 1998

Population

10.000

14.000

40.000 63.000 68.000 130.000 165.000 300.000 600.000 2.800.000 3.370.000 3.500.000 3.450.000