Greek community of Melbourne

rdf:langString Greek community of Melbourne

rdf:langString Greeks of Melbourne

rdf:langString Έλληνες της Μελβούρνης

rdf:langString

rdf:langString Greeks of Melbourne

rdf:langString Έλληνες της Μελβούρνης

rdf:langString Greeks

rdf:langString

rdf:langString part of Greek Australians

rdf:langString Predominantly Greek Orthodox

rdf:langString The Greek community of Melbourne (Greek: Έλληνες της Μελβούρνης) is one of the largest Greek diaspora communities in the world and Melbourne hosts the largest Greek-speaking population outside of Greece and Cyprus. According to the 2016 Australian census, Melbourne has the largest Greek population in Australia with 173,598 Greeks, making up 3.87% of Greater Melbourne's population. Globally, Hellenic identity and values are passed down from one generation to the next and do not depend upon one's location in the world. As such, 88% of Greek Australians (regardless of country of birth) speak Greek and 91% are members of the Greek Orthodox Church. As a result of the extensive historical and cultural ties between the Greek community of Melbourne and their Greek homeland, Melbourne is a sister city to Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city and one of Europe's most important cultural centres. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade estimates that economic activity (including tourism) between Greece and Australia generates more than $800 million annually with an additional $700 million in investment between the two nations annually, totaling $1.5 billion. Melbourne makes up one of the six important Greek population centres worldwide. The others are Sydney, Toronto, New York City, Chicago and Boston. In the 21st century, most Greeks outside of Greece and Cyprus live in one of these six cities.