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Greece
Background:
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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. In 1967, a group of
military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship
that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the
country. In 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. In 2010, the prospect of a Greek
default on its euro-denominated debt created severe strains within the
EMU and raised the question of whether a member country might
voluntarily leave the common currency or be removed.
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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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Geographic coordinates:
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39 00 N, 22 00 E
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total: 131,957
sq km
land:
130,647 sq km
water:
1,310 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,
Macedonia 246 km
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Coastline:
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13,676 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12
nm
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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Climate:
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Current Weather
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: 20.45%
permanent crops:
8.59%
other:
70.96% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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14,530 sq km (2003)
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Total
renewable water resources:
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72 cu km (2005)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 8.7
cu km/yr (16%/3%/81%)
per capita:
782 cu m/yr (1997)
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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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10,749,943 (July 2010 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 14.2%
(male 787,697/female 741,882)
15-64 years:
66.4% (male 3,564,399/female 3,574,922)
65 years and over:
19.4% (male 911,335/female 1,169,708) (2010 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 42.2
years
male:
41.1 years
female:
43.2 years (2010 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.106% (2010 est.)
86
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Birth rate:
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9.34 births/1,000
population (2010 est.)
04
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Death rate:
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10.6 deaths/1,000
population (July 2010 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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2.33 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 61%
of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.064
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 (2010 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.08
deaths/1,000 live births
87
male:
5.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
4.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 79.8
years
6
male:
77.24 years
female:
82.52 years (2010 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.37 children born/woman
(2010 est.)
01
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.2% (2007 est.)
05
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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11,000 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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fewer than 100 (2007
est.)
45
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Nationality:
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noun: Greek(s)
adjective:
Greek
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Ethnic groups:
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population: Greek 93%,
other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census)
note:
percents represent citizenship, since Greece does
not collect data on ethnicity
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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),
other 1% (includes English and French)
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Literacy:
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definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population:
96%
male:
97.8%
female:
94.2% (2001 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 17
years
male:
17 years
female:
17 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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4.4% of GDP (2005)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form:
Greece
local long form:
Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form:
Ellas or Ellada
former:
Kingdom of Greece
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Government type:
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parliamentary republic
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Capital:
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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
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Administrative divisions:
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51 prefectures (nomoi,
singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*; 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
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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;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal and compulsory
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President
Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
head of government:
Prime Minister Yeoryios (George) PAPANDREOU (since
6 October 2009)
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 on 3 February 2010
(next to be held by February 2015); president appoints leader of the
party securing plurality of vote in election to become prime minister
and form a government
election results:
Karolos PAPOULIAS reelected president; number of
parliamentary votes, 266 out of 300
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament or
Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 4 October 2009 (next to be held by
2013)
election results:
percent of vote by party - PASOK 43.9%, ND 33.5%,
KKE 7.5%, LAOS 5.6%, SYRIZA 4.6%, other 4.9%; seats by party - PASOK
160, ND 91, KKE 21, LAOS 15, SYRIZA 13
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Judicial Court;
Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges are 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 Radical
Left or SYRIZA [Alexis TSIPRAS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka
PAPARIGA]; Democratic Revival [Stelios PAPATHEMELIS]; Ecologist Greens
[Nikos CHRYSOGELOS]; Fighting Socialist Party [Nikos KARGOPOULOS]; Greek
Ecologists [Dimosthenis VERGIS]; New Democracy or ND [Antonis SAMARAS];
Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU]; Popular
Orthodox Rally or LAOS [Yioryios KARATZAFERIS]; Union of Centrists
[Vassilis LEVENTIS]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Civil Servants
Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS]; Federation of Greek
Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS]; General Confederation of
Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]
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International organization participation:
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Australia Group, BIS,
BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO,
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen
Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador
Vassilis KASKARELIS
chancery:
2217 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, Tampa
consulate(s):
Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador
Daniel V. SPECKHARD
embassy:
91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 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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Flag description:
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nine equal horizontal
stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue square bearing a white
cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross symbolizes Greek
Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country; there is no agreed
upon meaning for the nine stripes or for the colors; the exact shade of
blue has never been set by law and has varied from a light to a dark
blue over time
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Economy - overview:
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Greece has a capitalist economy
with the public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per
capita GDP about two-thirds that 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. But growth dropped to 2% in 2008.
The economy went into recession in 2009 and contracted by 2%, as a
result of the world financial crisis, tightening credit conditions, and
Athens' failure to address a growing budget deficit, which was triggered
by falling state revenues, and increased government expenditures.
Greece violated the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit
criterion of no more than 3% of GDP from 2001 to 2006, but finally met
that criterion in 2007-08, before exceeding it again in 2009, with the
deficit reaching 10.7% of GDP. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment
are above the euro-zone average while per capita income is below; debt
and unemployment rose in 2009, while inflation subsided. Eroding public
finances, a credibility gap stemming from inaccurate and misreported
statistics, and consistent underperformance on following through with
reforms prompted major credit rating agencies in late 2009 to downgrade
Greece's international debt rating, which has led to increased financial
instability. Under intense pressure by the EU and international market
participants, the government has adopted a medium-term austerity program
that includes cutting government spending, reducing the size of the
public sector, decreasing tax evasion, reforming the health care and
pension systems, and improving competitiveness through structural
reforms to the labor and product markets. Athens, however, faces
long-term challenges to push through unpopular reforms in the face of
often vocal opposition from the country's powerful labor unions and the
general public. Greek labor unions are prepared to strike over new
austerity measures and continued widespread unrest could challenge the
government's ability to implement reforms and meet budget targets, and
could also lead to rioting or violence. In April 2010 a leading credit
agency assigned Greek debt its lowest possible credit rating; in
response, the International Monetary Fund and Eurozone goverments
pledged more than $160 billion in support of Greece over the next three
years.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$341 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
$347.9
billion (2008 est.)
$338
billion (2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$342.2 billion (2009
est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-2% (2009 est.)
43
2%
(2008 est.)
4%
(2007 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$32,100 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
$32,400
(2008 est.)
$31,600
(2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3.4%
industry:
20.7%
services:
76% (2009 est.)
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Labor force:
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4.98 million (2009 est.)
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Labor force -
by occupation:
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agriculture: 12.4%
industry:
22.4%
services:
65.1% (2005 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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9.5% (2009 est.)
13
7.7%
(2008 est.)
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Population
below poverty line:
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20% (2009 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%:
26% (2000 est.)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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33 (2005)
35.4
(1998)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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16.6% of GDP (2009 est.)
26
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Budget:
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revenues: $115
billion
expenditures:
$159.8 billion (2009 est.)
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Public debt:
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113.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
102.6%
of GDP (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.2% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
4.1%
(2008 est.)
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Central bank
discount rate:
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3% (31 December 2008)
02
5%
(31 December 2007)
note:
this is the European Central Bank's rate on the
marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the
euro area
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Commercial bank prime lending rate:
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8.65% (31 December 2008)
19
7.71%
(31 December 2007)
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Stock of money:
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$NA
note:
see entry for the European Union for money supply
in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary
policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU);
individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and
quasi money circulating within their own borders
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Stock of quasi money:
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$NA
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Stock of
domestic credit:
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$394.6 billion (31
December 2008)
2
$365.9
billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$NA (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 38
$90.4
billion (31 December 2008)
$264.9
billion (31 December 2007)
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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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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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3.2% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
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Electricity -
production:
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58.79 billion kWh (2007
est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
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Electricity -
consumption:
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58.28 billion kWh (2007
est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
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Electricity - exports:
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1.962 billion kWh (2008
est.)
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Electricity - imports:
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7.575 billion kWh (2008
est.)
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Oil - production:
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4,891 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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434,000 bbl/day (2008
est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
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Oil - exports:
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151,300 bbl/day (2008
est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
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Oil - imports:
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553,000 bbl/day (2008
est.)
3
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Oil - proved reserves:
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10 million bbl (1 January
2009 est.)
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Natural gas -
production:
|
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14 million cu m (2008
est.)
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Natural gas -
consumption:
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4.206 billion cu m (2008
est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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4.205 billion cu m (2008
est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
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Natural
gas - proved reserves:
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1.982 billion cu m (1
January 2009 est.)
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Current account balance:
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-$34.43 billion (2009
est.)
85
-$45.16
billion (2008 est.)
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Exports:
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$21.34 billion (2009
est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
$29.14
billion (2008 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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Italy 11.5%, Germany
10.5%, Bulgaria 7.1%, Cyprus 6.2%, US 5%, UK 4.7%, Romania 4.4% (2008)
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Imports:
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$64.2 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
$93.91
billion (2008 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 12.1%, Italy
11.7%, Russia 7.4%, China 5.6%, France 5.1%, Netherlands 4.7% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$5.546 billion (31
December 2009 est.)
$3.473
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Debt - external:
|
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$552.8 billion (30 June
2009)
$504.6
billion (31 December 2008)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$43.53 billion (31
December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
$38.12
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
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$34.35 billion (31
December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$37.23
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Exchange rates:
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euros (EUR) per US dollar
- 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041
(2005)
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Telephones - main lines in use:
|
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5.975 million (2008)
9
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Telephones -
mobile cellular:
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13.799 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 47
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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; 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 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
repeaters); also 2 stations in the American 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:
|
|
2.342 million (2009)
8
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Internet users:
|
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4.253 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 47
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Airports:
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81 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 69
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 67
over 3,047 m:
5
2,438 to 3,047 m:
15
1,524 to 2,437 m:
20
914 to 1,523 m:
18
under 914 m:
9 (2009)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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|
total: 14
914 to 1,523 m:
2
under 914 m:
12 (2009)
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Heliports:
|
|
9 (2009)
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Pipelines:
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gas 1,197 km; oil 75 km
(2009)
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Railways:
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total: 2,548
km
country comparison to the world: 66
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 (2008)
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Roadways:
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|
total: 117,533
km
country comparison to the world: 38
paved:
107,895 km (includes 880 km of expressways)
unpaved:
9,638 km (2005)
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Waterways:
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|
6 km
08
note:
Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of
Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2008)
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|
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Merchant marine:
|
|
total: 869
2
by type:
bulk carrier 260, cargo 66, carrier 1, chemical
tanker 66, combination ore/oil 2, container 45, liquefied gas 10,
passenger 13, passenger/cargo 115, petroleum tanker 274, roll on/roll
off 15, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned:
64 (Belgium 16, Cyprus 7, Turkey 1, UK 32, US 8)
registered in other countries:
2,357 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Bahamas 209,
Barbados 12, Belize 1, Bermuda 9, Brazil 1, Cambodia 3, Cayman Islands
16, China 2, Comoros 6, Cyprus 259, Denmark 4, Dominica 10, Egypt 8,
Georgia 5, Gibraltar 6, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 22, Isle of Man 50, Italy
6, Jamaica 6, North Korea 1, Lebanon 2, Liberia 358, Maldives 1, Malta
452, Marshall Islands 269, Norway 3, Panama 510, Philippines 4, Portugal
4, Russia 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
71, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore
15, Slovakia 2, Turkey 1, UAE 3, Uruguay 1, Vanuatu 1, Venezuela 3,
unknown 5) (2008)
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|
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Ports and terminals:
|
|
Agioitheodoroi,
Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki
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|
|
|
Military branches:
|
|
Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos,
ES), Hellenic Navy (Ellinikos Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force
(Elliniki Polimiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2009)
|
|
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Military service age and obligation:
|
|
19-45 years of age for
compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for
recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 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)
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|
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
|
males age 16-49: 2,502,268
females age 16-49:
2,486,171 (2010 est.)
|
|
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
|
males age 16-49: 2,050,018
females age 16-49:
2,033,450 (2010 est.)
|
|
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
|
|
male: 53,222
female:
49,828 (2010 est.)
|
|
|
Military expenditures:
|
|
4.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
4
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|
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| 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; the
mass migration of unemployed Albanians still remains a problem for
developed countries, chiefly Greece and Italy
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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
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