easyCruise searches Lonely Planet for Greece

Survey shows that we miss the boat when it comes to Greek knowledge

About easyCruise

The concept behind easyCruise is to offer weekends, short breaks and longer itineraries to some of the World's best destinations coupled with great value pricing. It also offers passengers the chance to enjoy much more of each destination. Unlike any other cruise line, easyCruise arrives each day by lunchtime and does not leave again until early the following morning, allowing passengers plenty of time to go ashore and enjoy the beaches, sightseeing, shopping or daily easyCruise excursions by day and then the bars, restaurants and clubs by night. For more information visit www.easyCruise.com

About Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet is the world's largest independent guidebook publisher. Producing award-winning guidebooks for independent travellers for over 30 years, Lonely Planet are renowned the world over for providing independent, honest and accurate travel information to suit all tastes and budgets, and with over 500 guidebooks, we have the world covered. For more information visit www.lonelyplanet.com

The survey:

This fun survey was conducted on behalf of easyCruise by email and the age of the two hundred respondents was between 24 and 34. As a qualification, all respondents had to have at least visited Greece for a holiday.

Q. Can you name any of the 12 Greek deities. A: Zeus, Hera, Ares, Athena, Hephaestus, Demeter, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes and Hestia or Dionysos
Our survey showed that there is great confusion in British minds over the Greek Gods. In fact in many cases, more Roman Gods where named than Greek. 10% of those asked could only name one Greek God, the most named being Zeus.

Q. What is the main religion in Greece. A: Greek Orthodox
Only 40% of respondents knew that the religion of Greece is Greek Orthodox.

Q. Who is the current prime minister of Greece. A: Costas Karamanlis
A tiny 4% of those questioned knew the name of the Greek Prime Minister.

Q. Name any of the seas that border Greece. A: Includes Aegean, Ionian, Mediterranean, Thracian, Mirtoon Seas and Sea of Crete
A massive 94% of people knew that the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas border Greece although these were the only correct seas named by respondents. 4% wrongly said the Adriatic and a further 2% claimed the Black sea washed around Greece.

Q. Name the countries Greece shares its borders with. A: Turkey, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania
92% of people correctly stated Turkey shared a border with Greece. Interestingly 40% got Albania right, whilst only 8% got Bulgaria correct. Not one respondent correctly listed Macedonia.

Q. Name 5 historical sites of Greece and its surrounding islands. A: Acropolis, Mycenae, Nemea, Olympia, Temple of Poseidon and Temple of Apollo
Having supplied a list of sites for respondents to study, so recognition alone was enough to get a correct answer, Greece acquired some pretty impressive new historic sites through the minds of our respondents with one even wrongly listing Hadrian's Wall as being in Greece. The most recognised Greek site was the Temple of Zeus, the least recognised was Mycenae.

Q. What is the Greek currency. A: Euro
A remarkable 34% of young adults did not know that the Euro was the currency of Greece. Just over half of these believed they were still right in claiming the good old Drachma was still the currency of Greece.

Q. What is hello in Greek. A: Ya-sas
Over 88% did not know how to say "Hello" in Greek. Of those answering incorrectly, nearly one third thought the Spanish "Hola" was in fact Greek.

Q. The first great Greek civilisation was a) Minoan b) Mycenaean c) Cycliadic. A: The Minoan
Over 56% of respondents recognised The Minoan civilisation as the first recognised by Greek scholars.

Q. The Classic period of Greek history and culture was a) Between 11th - 8th centuries BC b) between 6th -4th centuries BC c) 2nd - 4th centuries AD. A: b)
Only 28% recognised the pinnacle of ancient Greek society was between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. Over 17% thought all this history happened after the birth of Christ.

Q. Greece was a dictatorship between a) 1891 - 1903 b) 1936 - 1945 c) 1967 - 1974. A: c)
Over 78% of respondents did not know the last Greek dictatorship was at the end of the 1960s. Of those a massive 86% wrongly assumed the dictatorships of Germany and Italy had led to one in Greece between 1936 and 1945.

Q. Greece has many wonderful beaches. This is not surprising when you realise the coastline stretches for a) 10,238 Km b) 13,676 Km c) 16,687 Km. A: b)
As much as we Brits like to lie on them, our knowledge of the coastline is very poor. Only 32% got the answer right when presented with a multiple choice answer.

Q. What is the basis of the Greek diet. A: Olive Oil. The Greeks consume more oil per capita than any other people
Here the nations knowledge was split perfectly down the middle, 50% recognised Olive Oil as the essential Greek ingredient, with the remaining people claiming some of the following as the number one - lamb, Pitta, Feta, flour, humus and fresh fruit.

Q. It is claimed that one of the world's favourite tipples was born in Greece - Which? A: wine
An amazing 98% of people surveyed did not realise that Greece is recognised as the 'birth place' of wine, in fact wine in Greece predates the written record.