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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 with Greek-speaking populations.
Following the defeat of communist rebels in 1949, Greece
joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in
1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the
king to flee the country, lasted seven years. Democratic
elections in 1974 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).
*
facts taken from ::: THE
WORLD FACTBOOK
|
 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
Land boundaries:
total: 1,210 km, border
countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km,
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 228 km
Coastline: 13,676
km
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
Natural resources:
bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum,
marble, hydropower potential
Land use: arable land:
19%, permanent
crops: 8%, permanent
pastures: 41%, forests
and woodland: 20%, other:
12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 13,140
sq km (1993 est.)
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 |
 Population:
10,623,835 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years:
14.98% (male 820,219; female 771,466)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 3,580,535; female 3,569,755)
65 years and over: 17.72% (male 834,234; female 1,047,626)
(2001 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.21% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 9.83 births/1,000
population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 9.73 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.96
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.38
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.59 years
male: 76.03 years
female: 81.32 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.33
children born/woman (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Greek(s)
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: 95%
male: 98%
female:
93% (1991 est.) |
 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
Capital: Athens
Administrative divisions:
51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos)and 1 autonomous region*;
Ayion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis,
Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Evritania, Evros,
Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia,
Ioannina, Irakleion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia,
Kerkyra, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia,
Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia,
Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos,
Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi,
Zakinthos
Independence: 1829 (from
the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence
Day, 25 March (1821)
Constitution: 11 June
1975; amended March 1986
Legal system: 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 Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since 10 March
1995), head
of government:
Prime Minister Konstandinos SIMITIS (since 19 January 1996),
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 2000 (next to be held by NA March 2005); prime
minister appointed by the president , election
results:
Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS reelected president; percent of
Parliament vote - 90%
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 9 April 2000 (next to be held by NA April 2004),
election
results: percent
of vote by party - PASOK 43.8%, ND 42.7%, KKE 5.5%, Coalition
of the Left and Progress 3.2%; seats by party - PASOK 158,
ND 125, KKE 11, Coalition of the Left and Progress 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) [Nikolaos
KONSTANDOPOULOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka
PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos
KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Konstandinos
SIMITIS]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG,
UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Flag description: 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 |
 Economy
- overview: Greece has a mixed capitalist economy
with the public sector accounting for about half of GDP. Tourism
is a key industry, providing a large portion of GDP and foreign
exchange earnings. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid,
equal to about 4% of GDP. The economy has improved steadily
over the last few years, as the government has tightened policy
in the run-up to Greece's entry into the EU's Economic and
Monetary Union (EMU) on 1 January 2001. In particular, Greece
has cut its budget deficit to below 1% of GDP and tightened
monetary policy, with the result that inflation fell from
20% in 1990 to 3.1% in 2000. Major challenges remaining include
the reduction of unemployment and further restructuring of
the economy, including the privatization of some leading state
enterprises. Growth, 3.8% in 2000, may fall off to 3%-3.5%
in 2001.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $181.9 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.8%
(2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing
power parity - $17,200 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.3%, industry:
27.3%, services:
64.4% (1998)
Household income or consumption by
percentage share: lowest 10%: 3%, highest
10%: 25.3% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.1% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 4.32 million
(1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: industry
21%, agriculture 20%, services 59% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.3%
(2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $45
billion, expenditures:
$47.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998
est.)
Industries: tourism; food
and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products;
mining, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 46.432
billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 89.6%, hydro:
9.72%, nuclear:
0%, other:
0.68% (1999)
Electricity - consumption:
43.343 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports:
1.65 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports:
1.811 billion kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine,
tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products
Exports: $15.8 billion
(f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: manufactured
goods, food and beverages, petroleum products
Exports - partners: EU
49% (Germany 15%, Italy 13%, UK 6%), US 6% (1999)
Imports: $33.9 billion
(c.i.f., 2000)
Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, foodstuffs, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners: EU
66% (Italy 15%, Germany 15%, France 9%, UK 6%) (1999)
Debt - external: $57 billion
(2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $5.4
billion from EU (1997 est.)
Currency: euro (EUR) note
Fiscal year: calendar
year |
 Telephones
- main lines in use: 5.431 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 937,700
(1997)
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:
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 Service Providers (ISPs):
27 (2000)
Internet users: 1.33 million
(1999) |
 Railways:
total: 2,571 km, standard
gauge: 1,565
km 1.435-m gauge (36 km electrified); 23 km dual-gauge (combined
standard and 1.000-m gauge), narrow
gauge:
961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (a rack-type railway
for steep grades) (2000)
Highways: total:
117,000 km,
paved: 107,406 km (including
470 km of expressways), unpaved:
9,594 km (1996)
Waterways: 80 km
Note: system consists
of three coastal canals including the Corinth Canal (6 km)
which crosses the Isthmus of Corinth connecting the Gulf of
Corinth with the Saronic Gulf and shortens the sea voyage
from the Adriatic to Peiraiefs (Piraeus) by 325 km; there
are also three unconnected rivers
Pipelines: crude oil 26
km; petroleum products 547 km
Ports and harbors: Alexandroupolis,
Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis, Igoumenitsa,
Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Volos
Merchant marine: total: 780
ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 25,564,988 GRT/44,761,916
DWT, ships
by type: bulk
272, cargo 55, chemical tanker 22, combination bulk 5, combination
ore/oil 6, container 51, liquefied gas 5, multi-functional
large-load carrier 1, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum
tanker 255, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 20, short-sea
passenger 63, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 1
Note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of convenience: South Korea
1, UK 4 (2000 est.)
Airports: 81 (2000 est.)
Airports with paved runways:
total: 65,
over
3,047 m:
6, 2,438
to 3,047 m:
15, 1,524
to 2,437 m: 19,
914
to 1,523 m: 16,
under
914 m:
9 (2000 est.)
Airports with unpaved runways:
total: 16, over
3,047 m:
1, 1,524
to 2,437 m: 1,
914
to 1,523 m:
4, under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.)
Heliports: 2 (2000 est.)
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 Military
branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic
Air Force, National Guard, Police
Military manpower - military age:
21 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,673,539 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military
service: males age 15-49: 2,040,227 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military
age annually: males: 77,976 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$6.12 billion (FY99/00 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of
GDP: 4.91% (FY99/00 est.) |
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