Athens is located in southeastern Greece, and is the capital and largest city of the country. Situated on the Attic plain on the Greek mainland, it is surrounded by mountains on three sides, the most important of which are Párnis, Pendéli, and Hymettos (Imittós). Two minor streams, the Kifisós River in the west and the Ilisós River in the east, flow through the city. With its port, Piraeus (Pireás), which is located about 8 km (about 5 mi) to the southwest on the Gulf of Saronikós (an inlet of the Aegean Sea), it forms a unified metropolitan region. Athens dominates the economic, cultural, and political life of Greece. In 1996 the population of the greater city area was 3,100,000.

A large portion of Greece's industrial activity is concentrated in and around Athens. Manufactures include textiles, alcoholic beverages, soap, flour, chemicals, paper products, leather, and pottery. Publishing, banking, and tourism are also important to the economy. The city serves as the hub of the national transportation network. At the heart of the modern city is Constitution Square, on or near which are found the Parliament Building and several museums. Although most of the city dates from after the mid-19th century, important works of antiquity remain. The most prominent and famous landmark is the Acropolis, a flat-topped hill on which stand the remains of the Parthenon and several other beautiful structures erected in the 5th century BC.

Among the city's institutions of higher education are the National and Capodistrian University of Athens (1837), the National Technical University of Athens (1836), and schools of art, business, and agriculture. Athens has numerous museums, including the National Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine Museum, the Acropolis Museum, and the Benaki Museum, with their notable collections.

The image below is an ERS-2 SAR multi-temporal view of Athens, created by merging three separate images acquired on different dates at the Matera station. This image emphasises changes over time. The city of Athens is visible as a large bright area (centre left of the image). On the left of the city is the Piraeus natural harbour where many ships can be observed. The different colour of the ships correspond to the date of the colour applied. The same interpretation can be given to the sea currents: Red 13 January 1996, Green 05 July 2003, Blue 22 May 1999.

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