Ancient Greece was formed by several city-states (polis ). Greece never was an unified country however Greece was a civilisation linked thanks three common elements: language, religion and culture. The union of all Greeks was called Hellas .
Ancient Greece was located around the lands of the East Mediterranean sea: part of Balkan Peninsula, Aegean islands , coasts of Anatolia Peninsula (Ionia ), the south of Italian Peninsula and Sicily and several colonies around the Mediterranean sea.
Greece is a mountainous land so agriculture, cattle raising were difficult . The different city-states were separated so communications among them were bad . Ancient Greek dedicated to trade tough Mediteranean sea.

The first Greek culture was born about 2000 BC in the islands of the Aegean sea but the classical Greek civilisation began about 800 BC when the first city states were born in the Balkan Peninsula and the coast of Ionia ( Anatolia Peninsula ) .
There were a lot of city-states in greece ( Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Thebes or Miletus ) but the two most important cities were Athens and Sparta.

• Athens became the world´s first democracy around 500 BC. A democracy is a government where all citizens can talk about common problems and vote to elect their ruler. However only free adult man could vote in Athens . Women and slaves were not allowed to vote. Pericles , a statesman of Athens, was one of the creator of democracy.

• Sparta was the greatest military power in ancient Greece. Spartan soldier were dreaded in all Greece . Spartan children were sent to military school when they were seven years old. The city was ruled by a small group of rich people. Main decisions were taken by two kings and a council of elder people . The Spartans couldn´t vote and elect their rulers.