The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-17
SOMETHING ABOUT GREECE.

II has population Of 2, fS7, ,206.
Byits inhabitants Greece is called "Hel.
! las :"
The mean temperature Of Greece Is "a
degrees Il.
| No part of Greece Is 40 miles from the
sea or 10 from the hills. 81
About one-half of the population are
agriculturists and shepherds
II has an area Of "a or square miles, or
trile over oDo-half that Of Pennsylvania.
IL Is the only country In the world whose
armies arc provided with the Gras guns
and paper covered cartridges
The Greek flag is white cross on a
blue ground--the Bayarian colors and the
Greek cross
1t is more thickly populated than any
other country in Europe, with the excep.
tson of Sweden and Prussia.
1t has few rivers and many hills. None
of the former Is navigable, and many OF
the latter are fortified.
In the complexity Of its make and the
variety OF It's natural features Greece ex.
GELS every country ia Europe.
It's present boundary limits were deter.
mined by arrangement between Great Brit.
ain, France, Russia and Turkey, con.
clndcd at Constantinople on July IL, 1882.
Only about 10000 of the inhabitants
speak any language other than Greek, and
only about 20 900 profess any religion oth.
er than the Orthodox.
The chief characteristics Of the average
Greek are his inqui4tiveness, fondness for
excitement, love OF discussion, desire for
knowledge, an aptitude for learning and
aggressive patriotism.
Cell once remarked that in travelling
through the Morea in March he found
summer in Messenia, spring in Laconia
and winter A. Arcadia without having
moved beyond "A radius of 90 miles"
The climate has two striking peculiari.
ties-the heat in summer and the cold in
winter are far more intense than those of
any other country in the world lying in
the same latitude.
Though not much moro than one halt
the size of Portugal, IL hasS coast line
greater than that Of SpaiI<n Portugal
together.
There are three distinct races within its
confines speaking different languages
wearing different costumes and holding
little social intercourse with each other
the Greek, the Albanian and the Walla.
chan, or Roumanian.
The present king, George /, came to the
throne in 1868, in his eighteenth year.
He draws an income of $500, 900 annual.
ly, including 100000 from Great Britain,
France and Russia.
He is the son of the present king of Den.
mark, Christian In, and brother of the
Princess Of Wales and the dowager EN-.
press of Russia.
He married in 1867 the Grand Duchess
Olga, eldest daughter of the grand uncle
To the present emperor Of Russia.
She has had six living children-hve
sons and one daughter.
The king has palace at Athens, built
by Otho at u cost OF ~, 100000, and
summer residence at Corfu.
He shares the legislation with a single
chamber, called the boule, the members of
which are elected by the people every four
years. ~
There are seven ministers of admins.
tratlon, whose salary is ~, l40 a year each.
For purposes Of local government Greece
is divided into 13 monarchies under OH.
GERS called monarchs.
1t has an excellent legal system, based
upon the old Roman 'ss4-
It's regular standing army consists of
16,2S0 infantry, 3, 120 cavalry, 8,s42 artil
lery, 1,oS0 engineers and transportation
men, 3, 400 officers and men, making "a to.
tai of oS l-O trnops an tho In nj forcas -
Philadelphia Record.