What Are the Major Landforms of Greece?
The major landforms of Greece are islands, hills, mountains and volcanoes. Almost 1,500 islands belong to Greece, some of which contain extinct and inactive volcanoes.
The mainland of Greece is made up largely of rolling hills and rugged mountains. The highest mountain in the country is Mount Olympus at 9,570 feet, the center of Greek mythology and home of the gods. The Pindus mountain range runs south along the middle of the country, while the Rhodope Mountains run along Greece’s northern border. These mountains are heavily forested and provide much of the country’s lumber.
The Vikos Gorge runs along the Pindus Mountains, reaching a maximum depth of 3,600 feet. This mountain range also hosts numerous rivers and lakes. The largest bodies of water in the country include the Trichonis, Volvi and Vegoritis lakes and the Acheloos, Pinios, Aliacmon and Acheloos rivers.
South of the mainland is the Peloponnese Peninsula, a stretch of land separated from the rest of Greece by the Corinth Canal. Both Sparta and Corinth are located on this peninsula. One of the largest islands, Crete, lies to the south of Greece, separated by the mainland by the Sea of Crete. The Ionian Islands are located west of the mainland, the Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands to the southeast, and the Aegean Islands and Sporades to the east.
