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Background:
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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, most 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. 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). |
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Location:
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Southern Europe,
bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean
Sea, between Albania and Turkey |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total:
131,940 sq km
water: 1,140 sq km
land: 130,800 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than Alabama |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,228 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km,
Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 246
km |
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Coastline:
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13,676 km |
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Climate:
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temperate; mild,
wet winters; hot, dry summers |
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains
with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of
islands |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m |
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Natural resources:
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lignite,
petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite,
marble, salt, hydropower potential |
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Land use:
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arable land:
22%
permanent crops: 8%
other: 70% (2004 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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14,220 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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severe
earthquakes |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution;
water pollution |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to
Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an
archipelago of about 2,000 islands |
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Population:
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10,647,529 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
14.5% (male 792,938; female 746,119)
15-64 years: 67% (male 3,563,703; female 3,566,549)
65 years and over: 18.6% (male 873,540; female
1,104,680) (2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
40.2 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 41.3 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.2% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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9.73 births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.08
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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2.35 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
5.63 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 78.94 years
male: 76.44 years
female: 81.59 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.32 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.2% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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8,800 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100
(2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Greek(s)
adjective: Greek |
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Ethnic groups:
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Greek 98%, other
2%
note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic
divisions in Greece |
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Religions:
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Greek Orthodox
98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% |
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Languages:
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Greek 99%
(official), English, French |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.5%
male: 98.6%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Kingdom of Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia |
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Government type:
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parliamentary
republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974 |
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Capital:
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Athens |
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Administrative divisions:
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51 prefectures (nomoi,
singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*; Agion Oros* (Mt.
Athos), Achaia, Aitolia kai Akarmania, Argolis, Arkadia, Arta,
Attiki, Chalkidiki, Chanion, Chios, Dodekanisos, Drama, Evros,
Evrytania, Evvoia, Florina, Fokidos, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ileia,
Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Karditsa, Kastoria, Kavala,
Kefallinia, Kerkyra, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Kyklades,
Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lefkas, Lesvos, Magnisia, Messinia,
Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethynnis, Rodopi, Samos, Serrai,
Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakynthos |
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Independence:
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1829 (from the
Ottoman Empire) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
25 March (1821) |
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Constitution:
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11 June 1975;
amended March 1986 and April 2001 |
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Legal system:
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based on codified
Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and
administrative courts |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS
(since 10 March 1995)
elections: president elected by Parliament for a
five-year term; election last held 8 February 2000 (next to be
held by NA February 2005); president appoints leader of the
party securing plurality of vote in election
head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos
KARAMANLIS (since NA March 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
election results: Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS reelected
president; percent of Parliament vote - 90% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Judicial
Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life
by the president after consultation with a judicial council |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Coalition of the
Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Nikolaos KONSTANTOPOULOS];
Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New
Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS];
Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Yeoryios SAVVAIDIS
consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324
telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Thomas J. MILLER
embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, 101 60 Athens
mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108
telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951
FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282
consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki |
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Economy - overview:
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Greece has a
mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for
half 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 GDP. The Greek economy grew by 4.0% in 2003 and is
expected to grow by 4.2% in 2004, the year that Athens will
host the 2004 Olympic Games. Remaining challenges include the
reduction of the public debt, inflation, and unemployment; and
further restructuring of the economy, including privatizing
several state enterprises, undertaking pension and other
reforms, and minimizing bureaucratic inefficiencies. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $212.2 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $19,900 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
8.1%
industry: 22.3%
services: 69.3% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.3% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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4,406,700 (2nd
quarter 2003 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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industry 20%,
agriculture 20%, services 59% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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9.8% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$45 billion
expenditures: $47.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
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Industries:
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tourism; food and
tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products;
mining, petroleum |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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7% (2000 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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49.79 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
94.5%
hydro: 3.8%
other: 1.7% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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48.8 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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1.062 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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3.562 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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5,992 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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405,700 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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84,720 bbl/day
(2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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468,300 bbl/day
(2001) |
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Natural gas - production:
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35 million cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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2.021 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, corn,
barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco,
potatoes; beef, dairy products |
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Exports:
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$5.899 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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food and
beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals,
textiles |
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Exports - partners:
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Germany 10.4%,
Italy 8.5%, UK 6.3%, Bulgaria 5.4%, US 5.3%, Cyprus 4.7%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$33.27 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery,
transport equipment, fuels, chemicals |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany 12.2%,
Italy 11.5%, Russia 7.4%, South Korea 6%, France 5.7%,
Netherlands 5.6%, US 4.7%, Belgium 4.3%, UK 4.1% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$63.4 billion
(2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$5.4 billion from
EU (1995) |
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Currency:
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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 |
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Currency code:
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EUR |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per US
dollar - 0.89 (2003), 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 365.4 (2000),
305.65 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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5,412,800 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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9,314,300 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 26, FM 88,
shortwave 4 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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36 (plus 1,341
low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US Armed Forces
Radio and Television Service (1995) |
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Internet country code:
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.gr |
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Internet hosts:
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160,829 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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1,704,900 (2002) |
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Railways:
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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) (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
117,000 km
paved: 107,406 km (including 470 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,594 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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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 |
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Pipelines:
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gas 1,531 km; oil
108 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Alexandroupolis,
Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis,
Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus),
Thessaloniki, Volos |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 793
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,186,624 GRT/52,943,968 DWT
registered in other countries: 2,443 (2003 est.)
foreign-owned: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Israel 1, Italy 1,
Liberia 3, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 2, Panama 3,
Singapore 1, Sweden 1, United Kingdom 2, United States 5
by type: bulk 298, cargo 57, chemical tanker 38,
combination bulk 5, combination ore/oil 3, container 49,
liquefied gas 5, passenger 10, petroleum tanker 267,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 19, short-sea/passenger
38, specialized tanker 3 |
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Airports:
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79 (note - new
Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 65
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 8 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 11 (2003 est.) |
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Heliports:
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7 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Hellenic Army,
Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force (EPA), National Guard |
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Military manpower - military age:
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19 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 2,638,949 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 2,004,343 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
63,496 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$7,288.9 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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4.3% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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Greece and Turkey
have resumed discussions to resolve their complex maritime,
air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea;
Cyprus question with Turkey; dispute with The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia over its name |
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Illicit drugs:
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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 |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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