Greece is a paradise for different tourists. It is far out for the beach bum, it is great for the lover of the classics and it is a must see for anyone interested in knowing where western civilization as we know it stems from. Located in southeastern Europe, Greece is bordered by Bulgaria, Albania, Turkey, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Balkan Peninsula, which constitutes Greece, is surrounded by over a thousand of tiny islands, of which less than 200 are inhabited. It is primarily a mountainous country with a major chunk of its landmass perched at over 1,500 m above sea level. Perhaps no nation in Europe can boast of a more ancient history than Greece. Greece's antiquity dates back to 3000 BC when the powerful Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean civilisations flourished here. The evolution of powerful city-states, especially Athens and Sparta, between 800 and 500BC produced the classical age of Athens which was the high point of the Grecian civilization.