Map of Greece | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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 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 royalist supporters of the king and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949 Greece was able to join 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); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.


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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
Total: 131,940 km²
Land: 130,800 km²
Water: 1,140 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Alabama

Land boundaries
Total: 1,228 km
Border countries: (4) 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
Extremes 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: 21.1%
Permanent crops: 8.78%
Other: 70.12% (2001)

Irrigated land: 14,220 km² (1998 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: 10,647,529 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.2% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Greek
Adjective: Greek

Ethnic groups
Note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece

Languages: Greek 99% (official) English French

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 40.2 years
Male: 39.1 years
Female: 41.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.2% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 9.73 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 10.08 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.35 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution; water pollution
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.63 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.19 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.04 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.94 years
Male: 76.44 years
Female: 81.59 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.32 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 8,800 (2001 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.5%
Male: 98.6%
Female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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*; 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

Dependent areas

Independence: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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 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; election last held 8 February 2000 (next to be held by February 2005); 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: Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS reelected president; percent of Parliament vote - 90%

Legislative branch
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

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) [Alekos 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 [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC CE CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EMU EU FAO G- 6 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA MINURSO NAM (guest) NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE PCA UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMEE UNMIK UNOMIG UPU WCO WEU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Yeoryios SAVVAIDIS
In the us chancery: 2,221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
In the us fax: [1] (202) 939-1324
In the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
In the us consulates: Atlanta, Houston, and Tampa
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Charles RIES
From the us embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, 10,160 Athens
From the us mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 9,842-0108
From the us telephone: [30] (210) 721-2,951
From the us fax: [30] (210) 645-6,282
From the us consulates 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

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 40% 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 annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by about 4.0% for the past two years largely because of an investment boom and infrastructure upgrades for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Despite strong growth Greece has failed to meet the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of 3% of GDP since 2000; public debt inflation and unemployment are also above the eurozone average. Further restructuring of the economy include privatizing several state enterprises undertaking pension and other reforms and minimizing bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.7% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6.7%
Industry: 22%
Services: 71.2% (2003 est.)

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: 0.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 4.39 million (2003 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 60% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2003 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3%
Highest 10: 25.3% (1993 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 32.7 (1993)

Budget
Revenues: $76.84 billion
Expenditures: $79.48 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 100.9% of GDP (2003)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.6% (2003 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: $-11.33 billion (2003)

Exports: $5.899 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: food and beverages manufactured goods petroleum products chemicals textiles
Partners: Germany 12.6% Italy 10.5% UK 7% US 6.5% Bulgaria 6.2% Cyprus 4.8% France 4.2% Turkey 4% (2003)

Imports: $33.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery transport equipment fuels chemicals
Partners: Germany 12.5% Italy 12.2% France 6.6% Russia 6.1% South Korea 5.4% US 5.2% Netherlands 5.2% Japan 4.3% UK 4.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $65.51 billion (2003 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003) 1.0626 (2002) 1.1175 (2001) 365.399 (2000) 305.647 (1999)


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Electricity
Production: 49.79 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 48.8 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 1.062 billion kWh (2001)
Imports: 3.562 billion kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 35 million m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 2.021 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 2.018 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 254.9 million m³ (1 January 2002)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 5,205,100 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 8,936,200 (2003)

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: 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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .gr
Hosts: 208,977 (2004)
Users: 1,718,400 (2003)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $7,289 million (2003)
Percent of gdp: 4.3% (2003)

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: 79 (note - new Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 66
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 16
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 20
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 16
With paved runways under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 14
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 7 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: gas 1166 km; oil 94 km (2004)

Railways
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) (2003)

Roadways

Waterways
Note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 793 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,186,624 GRT/52,943,968 DWT
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
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
Registered in other countries: 2,443 (2004 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: 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 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; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime