CIA - The World Factbook -- Greece

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Greece

Introduction

Greece

Background: Greece achieved 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 supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat 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. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001.
Geography Greece Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian

Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

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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

Natural resources: lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel,

magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

Land use: arable land: 20.45%

permanent crops: 8.59% other: 70.96% (2005)

Irrigated land: 14,530 sq km (2003) Total renewable water resources: 72 cu km (2005) Freshwater withdrawal total: 8.7 cu km/yr (16%/3%/81%) (domestic/industrial/agricultural): per capita: 782 cu m/yr (1997) Natural hazards: severe earthquakes Environment - current issues: air pollution; water pollution Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, agreements: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental

Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate ChangeKyoto 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

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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
People Greece

Population: 10,722,816 (July 2008 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.3% (male 789,137/female 742,469)

15-64 years: 66.6% (male 3,568,101/female 3,575,572) 65 years and over: 19.1% (male 898,337/female 1,149,200) (2008 est.)
Median age: total: 41.5 years

male: 40.4 years female: 42.6 years (2008 est.)

Population 0.146% (2008 est.) growth rate: Birth rate: 9.54 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) Death rate: 10.42 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) Net migration 2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.) rate: 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: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality total: 5.25 deaths/1,000 live births rate: male: 5.77 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy total population: 79.52 years at birth: male: 76.98 years

female: 82.21 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility 1.36 children born/woman (2008 est.) rate: HIV/AIDS - adult 0.2% (2001 est.) prevalence rate: HIV/AIDS - 9,100 (2001 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS - fewer than 100 (2003 est.) deaths:

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Nationality: noun: Greek(s)

adjective: Greek
Ethnic groups: population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census)

note: percents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity
Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% Languages: Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 96% male: 97.8% female: 94.2% (2001 census)

School life total: 17 years expectancy male: 17 years (primary to female: 17 years (2006) tertiary education): Education 4.4% of GDP (2005) expenditures: 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 parliamentary republic type: Capital: name: Athens

geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative 51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*; divisions: Achaia, Agion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, 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
Independence: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire) National

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holiday: Independence Day, 25 March (1821) Constitution: 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001 Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and

administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005) branch: head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos (Kostas)

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 (eligible for a second 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 parliamentary votes, 279 out of 300
Legislative unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are branch: elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: elections last held 16 September 2007 (next to be held by 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - ND 41.8%, PASOK 38.1%, KKE 8.2%, Synaspismos 5%, LAOS 3.8%, other 3.1%; seats by party ND 152, PASOK 102, KKE 22, Synaspismos 14, LAOS 10
Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed

for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council

Political parties Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Alekos and leaders: 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 or LAOS [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]
Political Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS]; pressure Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS]; groups and General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis leaders:

PANAGOPOULOS]

International Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, organization ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, participation: IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,

IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,

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UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros P. MALLIAS representation chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300

FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tampa consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel V. SPECKHARD representation embassy: 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens from the US: mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108

telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951 FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282 consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki
Flag nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a description: blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross

symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country

Economy Greece

Economy - Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for overview: about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP at least 75% of the leading

euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in agricultural and unskilled jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by nearly 4.0% per year between 2003 and 2007, due partly to infrastructural spending related to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and in part to an increased availability of credit, which has sustained record levels of consumer spending. Greece violated the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of no more than 3% of GDP from 2001 to 2006, but finally met that criteria in 2007. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment are above the euro-zone average, but are falling. The Greek Government continues to grapple with cutting government spending, reducing the size of the public sector, and reforming the labor and pension systems, in the face of often vocal opposition from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. The economy remains an important domestic political issue in Greece and, while the ruling New Democracy government has had some success in improving economic growth and reducing the budget deficit, Athens faces long-term challenges in its effort to continue its economic reforms, especially social security reform and privatization.
GDP $327.6 billion (2007 est.) (purchasing power parity): GDP (official $314.6 billion (2007 est.) exchange rate):

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GDP - real 4% (2007 est.) growth rate: GDP - per capita $30,600 (2007 est.) (PPP): GDP - agriculture: 3.6% composition by industry: 24.5% sector: services: 71.9% (2007 est.) Labor force: 4.92 million (2007 est.) Labor force - by agriculture: 12% occupation: industry: 20%

services: 68% (2004 est.)

Unemployment 8.3% (2007 est.) rate: Population NA% below poverty line: Household lowest 10%: 2.5% income or highest 10%: 26% (2000 est.) consumption by percentage share: Distribution of 33 (2005) family income Gini index: Inflation rate 2.9% (2007 est.) (consumer prices): Investment 25.7% of GDP (2007 est.) (gross fixed): Budget: revenues: $115.2 billion

expenditures: $124.1 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 89.5% of GDP (2007 est.) Agriculture - wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, products: potatoes; beef, dairy products Industries: tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal

products; mining, petroleum

Industrial 2.2% (2007 est.) production growth rate: Electricity - 56.13 billion kWh (2005) production: Electricity - fossil fuel: 94.5%

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production by hydro: 3.8% source: nuclear: 0%

other: 1.7% (2001)

Electricity - 54.31 billion kWh (2005) consumption: Electricity - 1.836 billion kWh (2005) exports: Electricity - 5.616 billion kWh (2005) imports: Oil - production: 5,687 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - 415,700 bbl/day (2005 est.) consumption: Oil - exports: 119,200 bbl/day (2004) Oil - imports: 550,400 bbl/day (2004) Oil - proved 7 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) reserves: Natural gas - 15.35 million cu m (2005 est.) production: Natural gas - 2.724 billion cu m (2005 est.) consumption: Natural gas - 0 cu m (2005 est.) exports: Natural gas - 2.707 billion cu m (2005) imports: Natural gas - 950.5 million cu m (1 January 2006 est.) proved reserves: Current account -$44.4 billion (2007 est.) balance: Exports: $23.91 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) Exports - food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, commodities: textiles Exports - Germany 11.4%, Italy 10.7%, Cyprus 6.5%, Bulgaria 6.4%, UK 5.4%, partners: Romania 4.5%, France 4.2%, US 4.1% (2007) Imports: $80.79 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) Imports - machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals commodities: Imports - Germany 12.9%, Italy 11.7%, Russia 5.6%, France 5.6%, China 5%, partners: Netherlands 5% (2007)

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Economic aid - $424 million (2006) donor: Economic aid - $8 billion annually from EU (2000-06); Greece will receive about $3.8 recipient: billion per year between 2007-13 under the EU's Community Support

Funds IV
Reserves of $3.658 billion (31 December 2007 est.) foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: $86.72 billion (31 December 2007) Stock of direct $52.84 billion (2007 est.) foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct $30.8 billion (2007 est.) foreign investment abroad: Market value of $145 billion (2005) publicly traded shares: Currency euro (EUR) (code): Currency code: EUR Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005),

0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Greece Telephones - 6.227 million (2007) main lines in use: Telephones - 11.997 million (2007) mobile cellular: Telephone general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good system: mobile telephone and international service

domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands international: country code - 30; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia; a number of smaller submarine cables provide connectivity to various parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Cyprus; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat - Indian Ocean region)

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Radio AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998) broadcast stations: Radios: 5.02 million (1997) Television 36 (plus 1,341 repeaters); also 2 stations in the US Armed Forces Radio broadcast and Television Service (1995) stations: Televisions: 2.54 million (1997) Internet country .gr code: Internet hosts: 905,824 (2007) Internet Service 27 (2000) Providers (ISPs): Internet users: 2.54 million (2007) Transportation Greece Airports: 81 (2007) Airports - with total: 66 paved runways: over 3,047 m: 5

2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 9 (2007)

Airports - with total: 15 unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 3 runways: under 914 m: 12 (2007) Heliports: 9 (2007) Pipelines: gas 1,166 km; oil 94 km (2007) Railways: total: 2,571 km

standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified) 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) (2006)
Roadways: total: 117,533 km

paved: 107,895 km (includes 880 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,638 km (2005)

Waterways: 6 km

note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2007)
Merchant total: 858 ships (1000 GRT or over) 35,952,084 GRT/61,815,586 DWT

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marine: by type: bulk carrier 255, cargo 64, carrier 1, chemical tanker 63,

combination ore/oil 1, container 45, liquefied gas 8, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 115, petroleum tanker 276, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: 48 (Belgium 16, Cyprus 7, Turkey 1, UK 16, US 8) registered in other countries: 2,365 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Bahamas 204, Barbados 12, Belgium 1, Belize 1, Bermuda 9, Brazil 1, Cambodia 6, Cayman Islands 18, China 2, Comoros 8, Cyprus 271, Denmark 4, Dominica 9, Egypt 9, Georgia 6, Gibraltar 7, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 27, Isle of Man 46, Italy 8, Jamaica 8, Lebanon 2, Liberia 362, Maldives 1, Malta 451, Marshall Islands 265, North Korea 2, Norway 3, Panama 497, Philippines 3, Portugal 3, Russia 1, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Sierra Leone 2, Singapore 14, Slovakia 2, St Kitts and Nevis 2, St Vincent and the Grenadines 76, Turkey 1, UAE 3, Uruguay 1, Vanuatu 1, Venezuela 3, unknown 5) (2008)
Ports and Agioitheodoroi, Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki terminals: Military Greece

Military Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Ellinikos branches: Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polimiki

Aeroporia, EPA) (2007)

Military service 19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the age and law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's obligation: 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers;

conscript service obligation - 1 year for all services; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2008)
Manpower males age 16-49: 2,535,174 available for females age 16-49: 2,517,273 (2008 est.) military service: Manpower fit for males age 16-49: 2,084,469 military service: females age 16-49: 2,065,956 (2008 est.) Manpower male: 53,858 reaching female: 50,488 (2008 est.) militarily significant age annually: Military 4.3% of GDP (2005 est.) expenditures: Transnational Greece Issues Disputes - Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex international: 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; the mass migration of unemployed Albanians still remains a problem for developed countries,

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chiefly Greece and Italy

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
This page was last updated on 2 October, 2008

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