| Greece |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Greece | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | 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).

Greece | Geography | Top of Page

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: 1,210 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 228 km

Coastline: | 13,676 km

Maritime claims: | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 6 NM

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.)

Natural hazards: | severe earthquakes

Environment - current issues: | air pollution; water pollution

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, 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, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

Greece | People | Top of Page

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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.16% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 8,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (1999 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: 95% male: 98% female: 93% (1991 est.)

Greece | Government | Top of Page

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros PHILON chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 939-5824 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador R. Nicholas BURNS embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108 telephone: [30] (1) 721-2951 FAX: [30] (1) 645-6282 consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki

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

Greece | Economy | Top of Page

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)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

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: | drachma (GRD); euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Greece (which entered the European Monetary Union on 1 January 2001) at a fixed rate of 340.750 drachmae per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code: | GRD; EUR

Exchange rates: | drachmae per US dollar - 380.21 (December 2000), 365.40 (2000), 305.65 (1999), 295.53 (1998), 273.06 (1997), 240.71 (1996)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Greece | Communications | Top of Page

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)

Greece | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 2,548 km standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (36 km electrified; 23 km double track) narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (a rack-type railway for steep grades)

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.)

Greece | Military | Top of Page

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.)

Greece | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; dispute with The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over its name

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