Greece achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between royalist supporters of the king and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece was able to join NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. Greece joined the European Community or EC in 1981 (which became the EU in 1992); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.
Geography
Greece
Location:
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 22 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 131,940 sq km
land: 130,800 sq km
water: 1,140 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Alabama
Land boundaries:
total: 1,228 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km
Coastline:
13,676 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain:
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Geography - note:
strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
total: 40.5 years
male: 39.39 years
female: 41.65 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.19% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
9.72 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
10.15 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.09 years
male: 76.59 years
female: 81.76 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.33 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,100 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek
Ethnic groups:
Greek 98%, other 2%
note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Religions:
Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Languages:
Greek 99% (official), English, French
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.5%
male: 98.6%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)
People - note:
women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor
Government
Greece
Country name:
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Kingdom of Greece
Government type:
parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974
based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos KARAMANLIS (since 7 March 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term; election last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held by February 2010); according to the Greek Constitution, presidents may only serve two terms; president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election to become prime minister and form a government
election results: Karolos PAPOULIAS elected president; number of parlimentary votes, 279 out of 300
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: elections last held 7 March 2004 (next to be held by March 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - ND 45.4%, PASOK 40.6%, KKE 5.9%, Synaspismos 3.3%; seats by party - ND 165, PASOK 117, KKE 12, Synaspismos 6
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council
Political parties and leaders:
Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Alekos ALAVANOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox Rally [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos POLYZOGOPOLOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas KYRIAKOPOULOS]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS]
chief of mission: Ambassador Yeoryios SAVVAIDIS
chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Tampa
consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans
nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country
Anthem
Greece
The Greek National Anthem
The
National Anthem of Greece
"Hynn to Liberty"
The Greek National Anthem ("Hynn to Liberty")
was written by the Greek poet Dionysios Solomos between the
years 1822-1823 and was composed by Nikolaos Mantzaros in
1865. The "Hymn to Liberty" was translated into
English by Rudyard Kipling in 1918.
We knew thee of old
Oh, divinely restored,
By the lights of thine eyes
And the light of thy Sword
From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
Long time didst thou dwell
Mid the peoples that mourn,
Awaiting some voice
That should bid thee return.
Ah, slow broke that day
And no man dared call,
For the shadow of tyranny
Lay over all:
And we saw thee sad-eyed,
The tears on thy cheeks
While thy raiment was dyed
In the blood of the Greeks.
Yet, behold now thy sons
With impetuous breath
Go forth to the fight
Seeking Freedom or Death.
From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
Economy
Greece
Economy - overview:
Greece has a capitalist
economy with the public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP
and with per capita GDP 70% of the leading euro-zone economies.
Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth
of the work force, mainly in menial jobs. Greece is a major
beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The
Greek economy grew by about 4.0% for the past two years, largely
because of an investment boom and infrastructure upgrades for
the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Despite strong growth, Greece
has failed to meet the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget
deficit criteria of 3% of GDP since 2000; public debt, inflation,
and unemployment are also above the eurozone average. Further
restructuring of the economy will need to include privatizing
of several state enterprises, undertaking pension and other
reforms, and minimizing bureaucratic inefficiencies.
GDP:
purchasing power
parity - $226.4 billion (2004 est.)
euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union
introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial
institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro
became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the
member countries
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar
- 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Greece
Telephones - main lines in use:
5,205,100 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8,936,200 (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good mobile telephone and international service
domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands
international: country code - 30; tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:
5.02 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)
Televisions:
2.54 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.gr
Internet hosts:
208,977 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
27 (2000)
Internet users:
1,718,400 (2003)
Transportation
Greece
Railways:
total: 2,571 km (764 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge
dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2004)
Highways:
total: 117,000 km
paved: 107,406 km (including 470 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,594 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
6 km
note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2004)
total: 861 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,186,624 GRT/52,943,968 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 296, cargo 65, chemical tanker 47, combination ore/oil 2, container 46, liquefied gas 2, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 121, petroleum tanker 252, roll on/roll off 17
foreign-owned: 25 (Chile 1, China 1, Cyprus 5, Norway 6, Sweden 1, United Kingdom 11)
registered in other countries: 2,208 (2005)
Airports:
80 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 66
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)
Heliports:
7 (2004 est.)
Transnational Issues
Greece
Disputes - international:
Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; Greece rejects the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia
Illicit drugs:
a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime