Background: 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. 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. In 1981 Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001.

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: 20.45%
Permanent crops: 8.59%
Other: 70.96% (2005)

Irrigated land: 14,530 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 72 km³ (2005)

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: 10,722,816 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 0.146% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Greek
Adjective: Greek

Ethnic groups
Note: percents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity

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

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.3% (male 789,137/female 742,469)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 3,568,101/female 3,575,572)
65 years and over: 19.1% (male 898,337/female 1,149,200) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 41.5 years
Male: 40.4 years
Female: 42.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.146% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 9.54 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 10.42 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.33 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

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

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: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 0.96 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.25 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5.77 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.7 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.52 years
Male: 76.98 years
Female: 82.21 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.36 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 9,100 (2001 est.)
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2005)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96%
Male: 97.8%
Female: 94.2% (2001 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 17 years (2006)

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

Capital
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

Administrative divisions: 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

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
Head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos (Kostas) 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held by February 2010); 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: Karolos PAPOULIAS elected president; number of parliamentary votes, 279 out of 300

Legislative branch
Elections: elections last held 16 September 2007 (next to be held by 2011)
Election results: percent of vote by party - ND 41.8%, PASOK 38.1%, KKE 8.2%, Synaspismos 5%, LAOS 3.8%, other 3.1%; seats by party - ND 152, PASOK 102, KKE 22, Synaspismos 14, LAOS 10

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 or LAOS [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC CE CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EMU ESA EU FAO 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 NAM (guest) NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF OPCW OSCE PCA Schengen Convention SECI UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNMIS UNOMIG UNWTO UPU WCO WEU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros P. MALLIAS
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 consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tampa
In the us consulates: Atlanta, Houston
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel V. SPECKHARD
From the us embassy: 91 Vasilisis 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

Economy overview: Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP at least 75% 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. Greece violated the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of no more than 3% of GDP from 2001 to 2006 but finally met that criteria in 2007. Public debt inflation and unemployment are above the euro-zone average but are falling. The Greek Government continues to grapple with cutting government spending reducing the size of the public sector and reforming the labor and pension systems in the face of often vocal opposition from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. The economy remains an important domestic political issue in Greece and while the ruling New Democracy government has had some success in improving economic growth and reducing the budget deficit Athens faces long-term challenges in its effort to continue its economic reforms especially social security reform and privatization.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $327.6 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $30,600 (2007 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.6%
Industry: 24.5%
Services: 71.9% (2007 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: 2.2% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 4.92 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 12%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 68% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.3% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.5%
Highest 10: 26% (2000 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 33 (2005)

Budget
Revenues: $115.2 billion
Expenditures: $124.1 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 89.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate: NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.71% (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit: $392.4 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $145 billion (2005)

Current account balance: -$44.4 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $23.91 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: food and beverages manufactured goods petroleum products chemicals textiles
Partners: Germany 11.6% Italy 10.8% Cyprus 6.6% Bulgaria 6.5% UK 5.5% Romania 4.5% France 4.2% US 4.2% (2007)

Imports: $80.79 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery transport equipment fuels chemicals
Partners: Germany 12.9% Italy 11.7% Russia 5.6% France 5.6% China 5% Netherlands 5% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.658 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $86.72 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $52.84 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $30.8 billion (2007 est.)

Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007) 0.7964 (2006) 0.8041 (2005) 0.8054 (2004) 0.886 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 59.33 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption: 55.98 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 269 million kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 5.894 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 24 million m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 4.069 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 4.1 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.982 billion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 6.227 million (2007)
Mobile cellular: 11.997 million (2007)

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; 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)

Internet
Country code: .gr
Hosts: 1.626 million (2008)
Users: 2.54 million (2007)

Military expenditures: 4.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

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)

Airports: 81 (2007)
With paved runways total: 66
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 15
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 20
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With paved runways under 914 m: 9 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 15
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 12 (2007)

Heliports: 9 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 1166 km; oil 94 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 2,571 km
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
Dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 117,533 km
Paved: 107,895 km (includes 880 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 9,638 km (2005)

Waterways
Note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2007)

Merchant marine
Total: 869
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)

Ports and terminals: Agioitheodoroi Aspropyrgos Pachi Piraeus Thessaloniki

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

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