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| Introduction | Greece |
| 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. |
| People | Greece |
| Population: | 10,647,529 (July 2004 est.) |
| 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.) |
| 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/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 10.08 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 2.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births |
| 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.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.2% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 8,800 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek |
| Ethnic groups: | Greek 98%, other 2% note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece |
| Religions: | Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% |
| Languages: | Greek 99% (official), English, French |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.5% male: 98.6% female: 96.5% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Greece |
| 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); president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos KARAMANLIS (since NA March 2004) 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: | unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) 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] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| 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, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Yeoryios SAVVAIDIS consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324 telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300 chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Charles RIES embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108 telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951 FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282 consulate(s) 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 |
| Communications | Greece |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 5,205,100 (2003) |
| Telephones - 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998) |
| Radios: | 5.02 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995) |
| Televisions: | 2.54 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .gr |
| Internet hosts: | 208,977 (2004) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 27 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 1,718,400 (2003) |
| Transportation | Greece |
| 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) |
| Highways: | total: 117,000 km paved: 107,406 km (including 470 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,594 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 6 km note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2004) |
| Pipelines: | gas 1,166 km; oil 94 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Alexandroupolis, Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Volos |
| Merchant marine: | total: 793 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,186,624 GRT/52,943,968 DWT registered in other countries: 2,443 (2003 est.) 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 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 |
| Airports: | 79 (note - new Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 66 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: | 7 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Greece |
| Military branches: | Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force (EPA), National Guard |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment after reaching January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 12 months for the Army, 14 months for the Air Force, 15 months for the Navy (April 2003) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 2,638,949 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 2,004,343 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 63,496 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $7,288.9 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 4.3% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Greece |
| 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 |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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