function initialize() {
	if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
		var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("mapcanvas"));
		map.setCenter(new GLatLng(38.00, 26.00), 5);
	//	map.setMapType(G_PHYSICAL_MAP);
		map.setUIToDefault();
		
		// Create a base icon for all of our markers that specifies the shadow, icon dimensions, etc.
		var baseIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON);
		baseIcon.shadow = "http://www.google.com/mapfiles/shadow50.png";
		baseIcon.iconSize = new GSize(20, 34);
		baseIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(37, 34);
		baseIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(9, 34);
		baseIcon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(9, 2);
	
	// Creates a marker whose info window displays the letter corresponding to the given index.
	function createMarker(index, point, name, info) {
		// Create a lettered icon for this point using our icon class
		var letter = String.fromCharCode("A".charCodeAt(0) + index);
		var letteredIcon = new GIcon(baseIcon);
		letteredIcon.image = "http://www.google.com/mapfiles/marker" + letter + ".png";
		
		// Set up our GMarkerOptions object
		markerOptions = { icon:letteredIcon };
		var marker = new GMarker(point, markerOptions);
		
		GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
			marker.openInfoWindowHtml("<font face='Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif' size='2' color='#10284C'>" + info + "</font>");
		});
		
		return marker;
	}
	
	// Add the markerts on the map
		GDownloadUrl("./data/greek-islands.php", function(data) {
			var xml = GXml.parse(data);
			var markers = xml.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
			for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
			map.addOverlay(createMarker(i, new GLatLng(parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat")), parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"))), markers[i].getAttribute("name"), markers[i].getAttribute("info")));
			}
		});
	}
}