Greece ( or Ελλάς ), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική ΔημοκÏατία ), is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the north and by Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and south of mainland Greece, while the Ionian Sea lies to the west.