Map of Greece | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. 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 other anti-communist 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.


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 reference

Area
Rank: 97
Land: 130,647 km²
Water: 1310 km²

Land boundaries
Border countries: (4) Albania 212 km; Bulgaria 472 km; Macedonia 234 km; Turkey 192 km

Coastline: 13,676 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m

Natural resources: lignite petroleum iron ore bauxite lead zinc nickel magnesite marble salt hydropower potential

Land use
Permanent crops: 8.73%
Other: 72.32% (2011)

Irrigated land: 15,550 km² (2007)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 74.25 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: severe earthquakes
Volcanism: Santorini (elev. 367 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; although there have been very few eruptions in recent centuries Methana and Nisyros in the Aegean are classified as historically active

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


top of page


Population: 10,775,557 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 81
Growth rate: 0.01% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 192
Below poverty line: 20% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Greek

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

Languages: Greek (official) 99% other (includes English and French) 1%

Religions: Greek Orthodox (official) 98% Muslim 1.3% other 0.7%

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 9.8% (male 537,849/female 515,359)
25-54 years: 43.2% (male 2,321,709/female 2,337,502)
55-64 years: 12.7% (male 670,270/female 694,399)
65 years and over: 20.1% (male 954,605/female 1,227,269) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 22.4 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 30.5 %
Potential support ratio: 3.3 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 42.4 years
Female: 44.6 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.01% (2014 est.)
Rank: 192

Birth rate: 8.8 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 213

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 34

Net migration rate: 2.32 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 42

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.63% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: ATHENS (capital) 3.414 million; Thessaloniki 883,000 (2011)

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 31.2 (2010 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 181
Male: 5.24 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.28 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 30
Male: 77.71 years
Female: 83.06 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.41 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 207

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 76.2%

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 6.04 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 4.9 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 139
People living with hivaids: 8,800 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 108
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 96

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.1% (2008)
Rank: 96

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2005)
Rank: 111

Literacy
Total population: 97.3%
Male: 98.4%
Female: 96.3% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2007)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional short form: Greece
Local long form: Elliniki Dimokratia
Local short form: Ellas or Ellada
Former: Kingdom of Greece

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
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 divisions: 13 regions (perifereies singular - perifereia) and 1 autonomous monastic state* (aftonomi monastiki politeia); Agion Oros* (Mount Athos) Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki (East Macedonia and Thrace) Attiki (Attica) Dytiki Ellada (West Greece) Dytiki Makedonia (West Macedonia) Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands) Ipeiros (Epirus) Kentriki Makedonia (Central Macedonia) Kriti (Crete) Notio Aigaio (South Aegean) Peloponnisos (Peloponnese) Sterea Ellada (Central Greece) Thessalia (Thessaly) Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)

Dependent areas

Independence: 1830 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day 25 March (1821)

Constitution: many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975; amended 1986 2001 2008 (2013)

Legal system: civil legal system based on Roman law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Antonis SAMARAS (since 20 June 2012)
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

Legislative branch: unicameral Hellenic Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 17 June 2012 (next scheduled to be held by 2016); note - there was a legislative election on 6 May 2012 in which none of the leaders of the top three parties (New Democracy Coalition of the Radical Left and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement) were able to form a government
Election results: percent of vote by party - ND 29.7% SYRIZA 26.9% PASOK 12.3% ANEL 7.5% Golden Dawn 6.9% DIMAR 6.3% KKE 4.5% other 6.0%; seats by party - ND 129 SYRIZA 71 PASOK 33 ANEL 20 Golden Dawn 18 DIMAR 17 KKE 12; note - only parties surpassing a 3% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups but can retain that status if the party participated in the last election and received the minimum 3% threshold; note - as of 20 January 2014 the composition of the Parliament was ND 126 SYRIZA 71 PASOK 27 ANEL 17 Golden Dawn 18 DIMAR 14 KKE 12 Independent Democratic Deputies 11 independents 4

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: judges selected by the Supreme Judicial Council which includes the president of the Supreme Court other judges and the prosecutor of the Supreme Court; judges appointed for life following a 2-year probationary period
Subordinate courts: Supreme Administrative Court; Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; Court of Auditors

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC CD CE CERN EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EMU ESA EU FAO FATF IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF OPCW OSCE PCA Schengen Convention SELEC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNMISS UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,217 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 consulate general: Boston Chicago Los Angeles New York Tampa (FL) San Francisco
In the us consulate: Atlanta Houston New Orleans
From the us embassy: 91 Vasillisis 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 consulate general: Thessaloniki (2012)

Flag description: 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

National symbols: Greek cross (white cross on blue field; arms equal length)

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Greece has a capitalist economy with a 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 18% 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 averaged growth of about 4% per year between 2003 and 2007 but the economy went into recession in 2009 as a result of the world financial crisis tightening credit conditions and Athens' failure to address a growing budget deficit. By 2013 the economy had contracted 26% compared with the pre-crisis level of 2007. Greece met the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criterion of no more than 3% of GDP in 2007-08 but violated it in 2009 with the deficit reaching 15% of GDP. Austerity measures have reduced the deficit to about 4% in 2013 including government debt payments. Deteriorating public finances inaccurate and misreported statistics and consistent underperformance on reforms prompted major credit rating agencies to downgrade Greece's international debt rating in late 2009 and led the country into a financial crisis. Under intense pressure from the EU and international market participants the government adopted a medium-term austerity program that includes cutting government spending decreasing tax evasion overhauling the health-care and pension systems and reforming the labor and product markets. Athens however faces long-term challenges to continue pushing through unpopular reforms in the face of widespread unrest from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. In April 2010 a leading credit agency assigned Greek debt its lowest possible credit rating; in May 2010 the International Monetary Fund and Euro-Zone governments provided Greece emergency short- and medium-term loans worth $147 billion so that the country could make debt repayments to creditors. In exchange for the largest bailout ever assembled the government announced combined spending cuts and tax increases totaling $40 billion over three years on top of the tough austerity measures already taken. Greece however struggled to meet 2010 targets set by the EU and the IMF especially after Eurostat - the EU's statistical office - revised upward Greece's deficit and debt numbers for 2009 and 2010. European leaders and the IMF agreed in October 2011 to provide Athens a second bailout package of $169 billion. The second deal however called for holders of Greek government bonds to write down a significant portion of their holdings. As Greek banks held a significant portion of sovereign debt the banking system was adversely affected by the write down and €41 billion of the second bailout package was set aside to ensure the banking system was adequately capitalized. In exchange for the second loan Greece promised to introduce an additional $7.8 billion in austerity measures during 2013-15. However the massive austerity cuts have prolonged Greece's economic recession and depressed tax revenues. Throughout 2013 Greece's lenders called on Athens to step up efforts to increase tax collection dismiss public servants privatize public enterprises and rein in health spending. In June 2013 Prime Minister Antonis SAMARAS's efforts to meet bailout conditions led to the departure of one party the Democratic Left from the governing coalition when his government made the controversial decision to shut down and restructure the state-owned television and radio company. Subsequent reluctance to institute further cuts and delays in meeting public sector reform targets prompted Greek lenders to withhold bailout fund disbursements until December 2013. However investor confidence began to show signs of strengthening by the end of 2013 as leading macroeconomic indicators suggested the economy’s freefall had been arrested.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 51

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 216

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 63

Gross national saving:
Rank: 127

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 17.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 12.3%
Investment in inventories: 0.9%
Exports of goods and services: 28.4%
Imports of goods and services: -31.7%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 16%
Services: 80.5% (2013 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: -3.5% (2013 est.)
Rank: 186

Labor force: 4.918 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 79
By occupation industry: 22.4%
By occupation services: 65.1% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 24.3% (2012 est.)
Rank: 177

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 20% (2009 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 26% (2000 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 33.5 (2011 est.)
Rank: 93

Budget
Expenditures: $116 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 146

Taxes and other revenues: 43.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 23

Public debt: 156.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 3

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (2012 est.)
Rank: 3

Central bank discount rate: 1.5% (31 December 2010)
Rank: 121

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.33% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 115

Stock of narrow money: $116.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 32

Stock of broad money: $250 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 34

Stock of domestic credit: $343.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 34

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 52

Current account balance: -$5.933 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 40

Exports: $28.31 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 65
Commodities: food and beverages manufactured goods petroleum products chemicals textiles
Partners: Turkey 11.6% Italy 9.9% Germany 6.5% Bulgaria 4.9% (2013 est.)

Imports: $53.53 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 56
Commodities: machinery transport equipment fuels chemicals
Partners: Russia 13.8% Germany 9.5% Italy 7.9% Iraq 7.8% Netherlands 4.7% France 4.5% China 4.5% (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.255 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 81

Debt external: $577.2 billion (2012)
Rank: 25

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $37.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 57

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $43.46 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 39

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 56.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 47
Consumption: 56.4 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 43
Exports: 4.122 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 31
Imports: 5.946 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 34
Installed generating capacity: 15.12 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 47
Generation sources fossil fuels: 69.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 107
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 99
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 16.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 97
Generation sources other renewable sources: 10.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 27

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 7,497 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 94
Crude oil exports: 17,020 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 56
Crude oil imports: 405,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 19
Crude oil proven reserves: 10 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 91

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 462,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 32
Products consumption: 343,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 35
Products exports: 183,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 33
Products imports: 133,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 43

Natural gas
Production: 6 million m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 92
Consumption: 4.2 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 66
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 111
Imports: 4.376 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 37
Proven reserves: 991.1 million m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 103

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 85.6 million Mt (2012 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 5.461 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 30
Mobile cellular: 13.354 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 63

Telephone system
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)

Broadcast media: Broadcast media dominated by the private sector; roughly 150 private TV channels about ten of which broadcast nation-wide; 1 government owned terrestrial TV channel with national coverage; 3 privately owned satellite channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV services available; upwards of 1500 radio stations all of them privately owned; government owned broadcaster has 2 national radio stations (2014)

Internet
Country code: .gr
Hosts: 3.201 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 32
Users: 4.971 million (2009)
Users rank: 46

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures:
Rank: 48

Military and security forces

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; 18 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation is 1 year for the Army and 9 months for the Air Force and Navy; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2014)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 77 (2013)
Rank: 69
With paved runways over 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 15
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 19
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 18
With paved runways under 914 m: 10 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways: 7 (2013)

Heliports: 9 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 1329 km; oil 94 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 66
Standard gauge: 1565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 40
Paved: 41,357 km (includes 1091 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 75,603 km (2010)

Waterways: 6 km (the 6 km long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km) (2012)
Rank: 107

Merchant marine
Rank: 12
By type: bulk carrier 262 cargo 49 carrier 1 chemical tanker 68 container 35 liquefied gas 13 passenger 7 passenger/cargo 109 petroleum tanker 302 roll on/roll off 14
Foreign owned: 42 (Belgium 17 Bermuda 3 Cyprus 3 Italy 5 UK 6 US 8)
Registered in other countries: 2,459 (Antigua and Barbuda 4 Bahamas 225 Barbados 14 Belize 2 Bermuda 8 Brazil 1 Cabo Verde 1 Cambodia 2 Cayman Islands 9 Comoros 4 Curacao 1 Cyprus 201 Dominica 4 Egypt 8 Gibraltar 8 Honduras 4 Hong Kong 27 Indonesia 1 Isle of Man 62 Italy 7 Jamaica 3 Liberia 505 Malta 469 Marshall Islands 408 Mexico 2 Moldova 1 Panama 379 Philippines 5 Portugal 2 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 42 Sao Tome and Principe 1 Saudi Arabia 4 Singapore 22 UAE 3 Uruguay 1 Vanuatu 3 Venezuela 4 unknown 10) (2010)

Ports and terminals
Oilgas terminal: Agioi Theodoroi


top of page


Disputes international: Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime air territorial and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; 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

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