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. Following the defeat of Communist rebels 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. Democratic elections in 1974 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).

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N 22 00 E

Map reference: Europe

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

Land boundaries
Total: 1,228 km
Border countries: (4) Albania 282 km; , Bulgaria 494 km; , Turkey 206 km; , The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 246 km

Coastline: 13,676 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 6 NM

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: bauxite lignite magnesite petroleum marble hydropower potential

Land use
Arable land: 22.12%
Permanent crops: 8.47%
Other: 69.41% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 14,220 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 10,665,989 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 0.19% (2003 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.7% (male 811,080; female 761,728)
15-64 years: 67% (male 3,578,320; female 3,557,800)
65 years and over: 18.3% (male 866,425; female 1,090,636) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 39.8 years
Male: 38.6 years
Female: 41 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 0.19% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 9.79 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 9.86 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.96 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution; water pollution
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, 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, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.12 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.57 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 6.64 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.89 years
Male: 76.32 years
Female: 81.65 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (2003 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since 10 March 1995)
Elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 8 February 2000 (next to be held by NA February 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
Head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos SIMITIS (since 19 January 1996)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Election results: Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS reelected president; percent of Parliament vote - 90%

Legislative branch
Elections: elections last held 9 April 2000 (next to be held by NA May 2004)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PASOK 43.8%, ND 42.7%, KKE 5.5%, Coalition of the Left and Progress 3.2%; seats by party - PASOK 158, ND 125, KKE 11, Coalition of the Left and Progress 6; note - seats by party as of January 2002 - PASOK 156, ND 122, KKE 11, Coalition of the Left and Progress 6, independents 5

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) [Nikolaos KONSTANTOPOULOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Konstandinos SIMITIS]

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC CE CERN EAPC EBRD ECE 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 MINURSO NAM (guest) NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIKOM UNMEE UNMIBH UNMIK UNOMIG UPU WCO WEU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Yeoryious SAVVAIDES
In the us consulates: Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans
In the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
In the us fax: [1] (202) 939-1324
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
In the us chancery: 2,221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas J. MILLER
From the us embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, 101 60 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

Economy overview: Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for half 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 GDP. The economy has improved steadily with economic growth averaging 4% since 1997 exceeding EU growth by more than 1 percentage point. Remaining challenges include the reduction of the public debt inflation and unemployment; and further restructuring of the economy including privatizing several state enterprises undertaking pension and other reforms and minimizing bureaucratic inefficiencies. The Olympic Games will be held in Athens in mid-2004.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,100 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.1%
Industry: 22.3%
Services: 69.3% (2002 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: 7% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 4.37 million (2002 est.)
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation services: 59% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.3% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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: $45 billion
Expenditures: $47.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.6% (2002 est.)

Exports: $12.6 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: food and beverages manufactured goods petroleum products chemicals textiles
Partners: Germany 10.4% Italy 8.5% UK 6.3% Bulgaria 5.4% US 5.3% Cyprus 4.7% (2002)

Imports: $31.4 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: machinery transport equipment fuels chemicals
Partners: Germany 12.2% Italy 11.5% Russia 7.4% South Korea 6% France 5.7% Netherlands 5.6% US 4.7% Belgium 4.3% UK 4.1% (2002)

Debt external: $63.4 billion (2002 est.)

Exchange rates
Note: in January 2001, the drachma became a participating currency within the Eurosystem, and the euro market rate became applicable to all transactions

Electricity
Production: 49.79 billion kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 94.5%
Production by source hydro: 3.8%
Production by source other: 1.7% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 48.8 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 1.062 billion kWh (2001)
Imports: 3.562 billion kWh (2001)

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 (37,257)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 5.431 million (1997)
Mobile cellular: 937,700 (1997)

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: 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)

Internet
Country code: .gr
Service providers isps: 27 (2000)
Users: 1.4 million (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $6.12 billion (FY99/00 est.)
Percent of gdp: 4.91% (FY99/00 est.)

Airports: 79 (note - new Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2002)
With paved runways total: 66
With paved runways over 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 15
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With paved runways under 914 m: 9 (2002)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 19
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 10 (2002)

Heliports: 7 (2002)

Pipelines: gas 1531 km; oil 108 km (2003)

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) (2002)

Waterways
Note: 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; there are also three unconnected rivers

Merchant marine
Total: 813 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 29,173,608 GRT/51,184,723 DWT
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Ireland 1, Japan 1, Liberia 1, Norway 1, Panama 2, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
Ships by type: bulk 289, cargo 59, chemical tanker 32, combination bulk 6, combination ore/oil 4, container 47, liquefied gas 7, passenger 14, petroleum tanker 281, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 18, short-sea passenger 49, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2

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 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over its name

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