The Geography of Greece: Managing Crises and Building Resilience (World Regional Geography Book Series)

Acknowledgments
Contents
1: Greece Beyond the Crises, an Enhanced Resilience
	Crises and Development
	Greece’s Academic Geographies
	Unraveling the Complexities of Change Mechanisms
	References
Part I: Into the Depths of Historical Geography
	2: The Geoarcheology of Greece: Shaping Landscapes Versus Crises and Resilience of the Past
		Introduction
		The Emergence of Cultural Landscapes in Greece
		Mind the Gap: A Complex Relationship Between Upstream Erosion and Downstream Delta Creation
		Can the Collapse of Past Civilizations Be Explained by Climate Change?
		Natural Hazards and Ancient Societies
		Conclusion
		References
	3: Building a Territory in the Midst of State Crises
		Constituting Piece by Piece a Home Territory
		Continuously Restructuring a Deeply Divided Economic Space
		A Failing Social System and a State that Remains to Be Built
		Conclusion
		References
	4: Mapping Hellenism: The Challenge of a Scale Game
		Greeks and Hellenism
		Visualization: Main Parameters
			The Nature of Boundaries
			Cartographic Framework
			The Importance of Geometric Centers
			The Question of Time
			Enhancing Visual Capabilities
		Periodization
			Stone Age
			Bronze Age
			Dark and Archaic Ages
			The Classical Period
			The Hellenistic Period
			The Roman Period
			The Byzantine Period
			Ottoman Period
			Modern Greek State
		Specific Periods
			Roman and Ottoman Domination
				Hellenism Under the Roman Empire
				Hellenism Under the Ottoman Empire
			New, Neglected, Ignored, and Misinterpreted Spatiality
				Indo-Greek Kingdoms
				Nile and Ethiopia
			Short-Lived Border Changes and the Role of Diplomacy in Modern Greece
			Mental Map
		The Space of Greeks Today
			Diaspora
			Orthodoxy
		Epilogue
		References
	5: The Greek Orthodox Church: A Unique Cultural and Social Environment
		Christian Culture and Greek Identity
		Ecumenical Patriarchate and Orthodox Commonwealth
		The Church of Greece
		The Orthodox Church Today in Greece and Throughout the World
		The Church of Greece
		Missionary Activity and Orthodox Diaspora
		References
			Internet Sources
Part II: Conflicts and Compromises
	6: Border Areas and Land Confines: Litigations, Defense, and Development
		Greece, a Besieged Citadel
		The Process of State Building, Boundary Expansion, and Land Fragmentation
		Managing Borderlands: Towards a Military Geography
		Increased Boundary Permeability
		Border Conundrums and Litigations
			The Thracian Trigon
			Border Areas in Epirus
			Maritime Litigation in the Aegean Sea
		Conclusion
		References
	7: Water Resources Management and Policy in Greece: Challenges and Options
		Introduction
		Water Resources Management
			Water Resources in Greece
			Water Resources Management Context in Greece
		Towards Strategic Water Resources Management Policies
			Strategic Options and Challenges
			Economic Instruments and Demand Management
			Policy Options
		Conclusions and Recommendations
		References
	8: The Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean (BSEM) Region and BRI: Macro-historical Tendencies and Geopolitical Models of Analysis
		Introduction
		Latitudinal and Longitudinal Historical Networks of Trade and Communication
		Interactions of Networks
		Classical Geopolitics: 3 + 1 Regions
		The Alignment of History and Geopolitics
		Belt and Road’s Three Paths
		Conclusions
		References
	9: “Tossed by the Waves But Never Sinking:” Greece, from the 1826 Default to the Modern Debt Crisis and Its Aftermaths
		Introduction
		Three Defaults in the Nineteenth Century and Another Three in the Twentieth Century
		The 2008 Financial and Debt Crisis
		The Economic and Spatial Impact of the 2008 Debt Crisis
		Conclusions
		References
Part III: Greek Miracles: Resilience Through Innovation
	10: Athens, an American City by the Mediterranean Sea
		Geography vs. History: Exceptional Venue and Mythical Place
		Landscapes and Lifestyles: The Mixing of Cultures
		Spatial Crisis or State Crisis?
		Conclusion
		References
	11: Greek Tourism: A Story of Success
		Introduction and Global Context
		Tourism in Greece: Basic Facts
		A Brief Overview of Postwar Tourism Change in Greece
		The Current Picture: Achievements and Challenges
		Recent Crises and Their Impact on Tourism
		Conclusion: Facing the Future in Critical Times
		References
	12: The Greek Urban Fabric. A Societal Triumph
		Introduction
		An Original Land and Real Estate Situation
		Effectiveness and Limits of Societal Responses
		Questions About Changing Lifestyles and the Financialization of Urban Life
		Conclusion
		References
	13: Advances in Transport and Infrastructure Development
		Connectivity and Land Integration: Historical-Geographical Divides
		The Challenge of Regional Integration Through Transport Development Policy
		Towards Infrastructure Modernization: The EU Projects
		The Global Motorway Development Program
		The New Perspective of Railway Modernization
		The Thorny Issue of Urban Transport: Athens (and Thessaloniki)
		Conclusion
		References
Part IV: Managing Local Specifics: Towards New Pathways
	14: Living in Greece Outside Cities: Rural-Urban Relationships
		Athens, Thessaloniki, and the Greek Desert?
		The Purposes of the Administrative Division
		The Deep Structures of an Entirely Rural State
		Territorial Division and the Exercise of State Power
		The Real Estate Issue. The Peasant Logic in an Urban Environment
		Crisis Effects on Population Dynamics: Toward New City-Countryside Imbalances
		The Rural World, Once Dominant, Now Dominated
		Concluding Remarks: Political vs. Territorial Balances
		References
	15: Greek Cities and Formal Planning
		Introduction
		Case Studies
		The Role of Formal Planning
		City Plan and Population Density
		City Plan and Floor-Area Ratio (FAR)
		The City Plan, a Deficient Tool
		Epilogue
		References
			Data Sources
	16: Real Estate Property and Cadaster: The Impact of New Mapping Techniques on Land Management and Planning in Greece
		Introduction
		The Hellenic Cadaster as a Fit-for-Purpose Approach for Effective Land Administration in Greece
			Crowdsource the Information from the Beneficiaries
			Delineate State Land
			Validate Legal Ownership with Actual Evidence
			Improve the Quality and Increase the Transparency Through Crowd-Sourcing
		The Role of Technology in Developing and Operating the Hellenic Cadaster
			Pre-Implementation Period (Before 1996)
			Early Implementation Period (1996–2003)
			Middle Implementation Period (2004–2009)
				Geodetic and Base-Mapping Domain
					Establishment and Operation of the Hellenic Positioning System (HEPOS)
					Compilation of Very Large-Scale True Ortho-Imagery for Urban Areas
					Compilation of 1:5.000 Scale Orthophoto Maps for the Entire Country
				Governmental Archives Domain
					Digitization of Land Consolidation and Land Distribution Data
					Development of the Digital Database of “Active” Titles in Urban Areas
					Digitization and Computerization of the Dodecanese Cadaster
				Public Lands Domain
					Delineation of Forests and Forest Lands in Greece
					Production of Base Maps for Delineating the Greek Shore
				ICT Domain
			Late Implementation Period (2010-Present)
		Utilizing the Hellenic Cadaster Data and Services for Planning
			Supporting Urban Expansion Plans
			Supporting the Development and Implementation of Local Regional Plans
			Facilitating the Implementation of Large-Scale Developmental Projects
			Monitoring the Implementation of Zoning, Urban, and Regional Plans
			Supporting Land Consolidation Projects and Other Agricultural Policy Implementation Activities
			Protecting the Environment Through Thorough and Comprehensive Planning
		Review and Conclusions
		References
	17: Administrative and Territorial Structure in Modern Greece
		Introduction
		Regions: Decentralized Administration
		Prefectures, Provinces, Municipalities, and Communities
		The Ioannis Kapodistrias Program
		The Kallikratis Program
		The Kleisthenis Program
		Epilogue
		References
			Data Sources
Part V: Adaptation to Changing Dynamics
	18: In the Greek Countryside: Towards Modernization, Specialization, or Abandonment?
		What Does the Word “Countryside” Mean in Greece?
		Greek Peasants and Soils: A Unique Model
		Village Communities: Continuity vs. Breakdown
		Undeniable Although Contested Progress
		Food Self-Sufficiency and Export Capacity
		A Weak Government Facing a Strong Rural World?
		Towards a Paradigm Shift: Agricultural Integration Through the Common Agricultural Policy
			The Example of Tobacco, or the End of an Era
			Forced March Modernization
			An Increasingly Unequal Rural World, Thrown into Turmoil
		Future Prospects and Opportunities
		Conclusion
		References
	19: Traveling the Country: Transportation Challenges and Mobility Management
		Buses and Cars, the Road Traffic Revolution. Improving Territorial Consistency Through Enhanced Mobility
		Disruptive Transportation. Connecting the Inside and the Outside
		Conclusion
		References
	20: The Athos Peninsula. A Living Example of Continuity Over Time
		Introduction
		Identity
			Geography
			Constitutional Status
			Organization and Practical Running
		Ensuring Life Cycle in a Male Society
			Population Change and Demography
			Ethnic Composition and Cohabitation Throughout History
			Metochia (Dependencies): Mount Athos Outside Mount Athos
		Settlement Geography
			The 20 Sovereign Monasteries and Their Status
			Housing Pattern as a Change Process
			Athonian Landscapes
		Preserving the Exceptional Character of the Athonian State
			Pilgrimage vs. Environmental Protection
			What Can Keep the Athos Peninsula “Alive” for So Many Centuries?
		References
	21: Coastal Hazards and Related Impacts in Greece
		Introduction
		Environmental Setting
			Geology and Physiography
			Climate and Oceanography
		Coastal Zone Hazards and Impacts
			Coastal Flooding and Erosion
				Hazards
				Impacts
			Other Coastal Hazards and Impacts
		Discussion and Concluding Remarks
		References
Part VI: Emergency Situations and Chaotic Events
	22: Pyro-Geography of the Greek Landscape
		Introduction
		Wildfires and Dominant Vegetation
		Fire Regimes
		Fire Activity During the Twenty-First Century
			Regional Fire Activity
			Fire Activity by Prefecture
		Significant Fire Events in the Last 40 Years
		Implications for Fire Management
		Concluding Remarks
		References
	23: Disaster and Recovery: Greece’s Major Territorial Upheavals
		The Resettlement of Asia Minor Refugees, Tragedy, and Opportunity
		The WWII and Civil War Collapse
		Post-2008 Debt vs. Demographic Crisis
		Conclusion
		References
	24: The Wonderful Weather of Greece
		Introduction
		Climate of Greece
			Climate Types
			Spatial Variability of Climatic Parameters
			Seasonal Cycle of Air Temperature and Precipitation
			Trends of Climatic Parameters
			Future Climate
		The Extreme Weather of Greece
			Floods and Flash Floods
			Heat Wave Events
			Medicanes and Explosive Cyclogeneses (Meteorological Bombs)
			Hailstorm and Weather Modification Activities
		Conclusions
		References
	25: Active Tectonics and Seismicity in Greece
		Geological and Tectonic Regime of the Aegean Sea Broader Area (Eastern Mediterranean Region)
		Satellite Geodesy and Geodynamics
		On Land and Offshore Active Faults
		Maps of Active Faults and the Greek Database of Seismogenic Sources
		Seismicity of the Broader Aegean Sea Region
		Focal Mechanisms and Active Stress Field
		Concluding Remarks
		References
Part VII: Oncoming Challenges
	26: Aspects of Climate Change in Greece
		Introduction
		Present Climate of Greece: Spatial and Temporal Means and Extremes
		Future Climate Change Projections for Greece
		Climate Change Mitigation in Greece: A Critical Review
		Concluding Remarks
		References
	27: Greece, Demographic Changes, and Challenges
		The Population of Greece, Present and Past
		The Main Factors Influencing Post-war Demographic Trends in Greece
			Internal Migrations
			Low Fertility
			Increase in Life Expectancy
			Natural Balance Variations
			Net Migration
		The Future: Population Projections Up to 2040 and Demographic Challenges
		References
	28: Biodiversity Conservation Versus Ecological Modernization in Post-crisis Greece: Environmental Syndemics and the Biodiversity Degradation Syndrome
		Introduction
		A Model for Environmental Syndemics
		Biodiversity in Greece: State and Economic Crisis Pressures
		Compiling Ecological Modernization Indicators and Narratives in the IPBES Conceptual Framework
		Ecological Modernization Indicators Trends
		BCDDD Syndrome: Narratives on the Impacts of Economic Crisis Versus Missed Modernization
		Discussion
		Conclusion
		References
	29: Greece as a Central Actor Amid Geostrategic Antagonisms in the South-Eastern Mediterranean Complex
		Introduction
		Greece’s Geopolitical and Geostrategic Position
			The Mediterranean Geopolitical Complex: General Characteristics
			The Instability of Mediterranean Geopolitical Centers
			Axes of Geopolitical Influence
				The Horizontal Zone
				The Vertical Zone
			Greece-Republic of Cyprus-Turkey, and Hyper-Systemic Actors
			The Russian Factor in Greece’s Strategy Planning
			The Role of Israel, Egypt, and France as Geostrategic Allies for Greece and Cyprus
			The Greek-French Defense Cooperation as a Factor of Geostrategic Stability
			Greek-French Satellite Cooperation
			The Legal Delimitation of Maritime Zones in the Eastern Mediterranean
		The Turkish Strategy, Subverting Greek Sovereignty in the Aegean and the Evros District
			Pacta... [Non] Sunt Servanda in the Aegean
			Turkish Naval and Aerial Activism
			Et Pacta... [Non] Sunt Servanda also in Evros!
		Geopolitical Perspectives
		References
Part VIII: Epilogue
30: Resilience Through Diachrony?
	Revolution Vs. Involution
	Data Control and Knowledge Emergence
	Issues of Scale Transfer
		The COVID-19 Pandemic
		External Trade and the War in Ukraine
	Greece Within the Grand Game
		The Complex Relationship with Turkey
		Within the EU
	References
Index