Map of Greece | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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 had suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country was itself overthrown seven years later. Democratic elections in 1974 abolished the monarchy and created a parliamentary republic; Greece joined the EU in 1981.


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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 reference: Europe

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Alabama

Land boundaries

Coastline: 13,676 km

Maritime claims

Climate: temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers

Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Elevation

Natural resources: bauxite lignite magnesite petroleum marble hydropower

Land use

Irrigated land: 13,140 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: severe earthquakes

Geography
Note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country possessing an archipelago of about 2000 islands


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Population: 10,601,527 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.21% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Greek 98% other 2%

Languages: Greek 99% (official) English French

Religions: Greek Orthodox 98% Muslim 1.3% other 0.7%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.21% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 9.82 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.64 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.97 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution; water pollution

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 6.51 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day 25 March (1821) (proclamation of the war of independence)

Constitution: 11 June 1975; amended March 1986

Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil criminal and administrative courts

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council; Special Supreme Tribunal 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]; Democratic Social Movement or DIKKI [Dhimitrios TSOVOLAS]; Liberal Party [Stephanos MANOS]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Konstandinos SIMITIS]; Political Spring [Andonis SAMARAS]; Rainbow Coalition [Pavlos VOSKOPOULOS]

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC CCC CE CERN EAPC EBRD ECE EIB 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

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about half of GDP. The government plans to privatize some leading state enterprises. 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 with the goal of qualifying Greece to join the EU's single currency (the euro) in 2001. In particular Greece has cut its budget deficit below 2% of GDP and tightened monetary policy with the result that inflation fell below 4% by the end of 1998 - the lowest rate in 26 years - and averaged only 2.6% in 1999. Further restructuring of the economy and the reduction of unemployment remain major challenges.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $13,900 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: wheat corn barley sugar beets olives tomatoes wine tobacco potatoes; beef dairy products

Industries: tourism; food and tobacco processing textiles; chemicals metal products; mining petroleum

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 4.32 million (1999 est.)
By occupation services: 59.2%
By occupation agriculture: 19.8%
By occupation industry: 21% (1998)

Unemployment rate: 9.9% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $12.4 billion (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: manufactured goods food and beverages fuels (1998)
Partners: EU 56% (Germany 25% Italy 11% UK 8% France 6%) US 16% (1997)

Imports: $27.7 billion (c.i.f. 1998)
Commodities: manufactured goods foodstuffs fuels chemicals (1998)
Partners: EU 61% (Italy 16% Germany 16% France 8% UK 7% Netherlands 5%) US 11% (1997)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $41.9 billion (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: drachmae (Dr) per US$1 - 326.59 (January 2000) 305.65 (1999) 295.53 (1998) 273.06 (1997) 240.71 (1996) 231.66 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 43.677 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 42.18 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 900 million kWh (1998)
Imports: 2.46 billion kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 5.431 million (1997)
Mobile cellular: 328,500 (1997)

Telephone system: adequate modern networks reach all areas; microwave radio relay carries most traffic; extensive open-wire network; submarine cables to off-shore islands

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 23 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4.04 billion (FY98 est.)
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 80 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1999 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 26 km; petroleum products 547 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 80 km; 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; and three unconnected rivers

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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