Greece

presidential parliamentary governmentIndependence 1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)

Greece as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAthens

Area131,940 km2

Populationas each edition published it

10.04 million July 1991 · 10.03m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 39.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 77.5 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.5 children per woman 1991 · 1.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

10 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 10 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $8,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.2% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

131,940km2

land area: 130,800 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alabama

Land boundaries

1,228km total

Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Yugoslavia 246 km

Coastline

13,676 km Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Territorial sea: 6 nm

Disputes

complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes with Turkey in Aegean Sea;
Cyprus question;
Macedonia question with Bulgaria and Yugoslavia;
Northern Epirus question with Albania

Climate

temperate;
mild, wet winters;
hot, dry summers

Terrain

mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Natural resources

bauxite, lignite, magnesite, crude oil, marble

Land use

arable land 23%;
permanent crops 8%;
meadows and pastures 40%;
forest and woodland 20%;
other 9%;
includes irrigated 7%

Environment

subject to severe earthquakes;
air pollution;
archipelago of 2,000 islands

Note

strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits

People

14 fields

Population

10,042,956

(July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

11Death

9Net migration

Religion

Greek Orthodox 98%Muslim 1.3%other 0.7%

Literacy

93%

(male 98%, female 89%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Greek 98%, other 2%; note--the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece

Language

Greek (official); English and French widely understood

Labor force

3,860,000; services 43%, agriculture 27%, manufacturing and mining 20%, construction 7% (1985)

Organized labor

10-15% of total labor force, 20-25% of urban labor force

Government

Presidential parliamentary government

16 fields

Parliament, 300 seats, elected 8 April 1990one dot, one seat

ND 150PASOK 123Left Alliance 19PASOK-Left Alliance 4Muslim independents 2DIANA 1Ecologist-Alternative List 1

Percent of vote

ND 46.89%PASOK 38.62%Left Alliance 10.27%PASOK/Left Alliance 1.02%Ecologist-Alternative List 0.77%DIANA 0.67%Muslim independents 0.5%

Type

presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974

51 departments (nomoi, singular--nomos); Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia, Ioannina, Iraklion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkira, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos

Independence

1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)

Constitution

11 June 1975

Legal system

National holiday

Independence Day (proclamation of the war of independence), 25 March (1821)

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Greek Chamber of Deputies (Vouli ton Ellinon)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State--President Constantinos KARAMANLIS (since 5 May 1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Constantinos MITSOTAKIS (since 11 April 1990) New Democracy (ND; conservative), Constantinos MITSOTAKIS;
Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas PAPANDREOU;
Democratic Renewal (DIANA), Constantine STEFANOPOULOS;
Communist Party (KKE), Aleka PAPARIGA;
Greek Left Party (EAR), Leonidas KYRKOS;
Ecologist-Alternative List, leader NA;
note--KKE and EAR have joined in the Left Alliance, Maria DAMANAKI, president

Suffrage

universal and compulsory at age 18 President--last held 4 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995);
results--Constantinos KARAMANLIS was elected by Parliament;
Parliament--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1994);
results--ND 46.89%, PASOK 38.62%, Left Alliance 10.27%, PASOK/Left Alliance 1.02%, Ecologist-Alternative List 0.77%, DIANA 0.67%, Muslim independents 0.5%;
seats--(300 total) ND 150, PASOK 123, Left Alliance 19, PASOK-Left Alliance 4, Muslim independents 2, DIANA 1, Ecologist-Alternative List 1;
note--one DIANA deputy joined ND in July, giving ND 151 seats;
in November a special electoral court ruled in favor of ND on a contested seat, giving ND 152 seats and taking one from PASOK (now 122)

Communists

an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers

Member of

BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, FAO, G-6, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS;
Chancery at 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 667-3168;
there are Greek Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in New Orleans;
US--Ambassador Michael G. SOTIRHOS;
Embassy at 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens (mailing address is APO New York 09255-0006);
telephone [30] (1) 721-2951 or 721-8401;
there is a US Consulate General in Thessaloniki

Flag

nine equal horizontal stripes of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white;
there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross;
the cross symbolizes Christianity, the established religion of the country

Economy

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$76.7billion

per capita $7,650; real growth rate 0.9% (1990)

Inflation, consumer prices

19.0%

(1990)

Unemployment rate

9.0%

(1989)

External debt

$18.7billion

(1989)

Budget

Revenues

$20.9 billionExpenditures

$34.1 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)

Overview

Greece has a mixed capitalistic economy with the basic entrepreneurial system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist government that enlarged the public sector from 55% of GDP in 1981 to about 70% when Prime Minister Mitsotakis took office. Mitsotakis inherited several severe economic problems from the preceding socialist and caretaker governments, which neglected the runaway budget deficit, a ballooning current account deficit, and accelerating inflation.

With only a two-seat majority in the Chamber of Deputies, Mitsotakis has concentrated on cutting the public-sector payroll, cautiously expanding the tax base, and adopting guidelines for privatizing Greece's loss-ridden state-owned enterprises. Once the political situation is sorted out, Greece will have to face the challenges posed by the steadily increasing integration of the European Community, including the progressive lowering of trade and investment barriers. Tourism continues as a major industry, providing a vital offset to the sizable commodity trade deficit.

Exports

$9.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels and lubricants, raw materials;
partners--FRG 20%, Italy 17%, France 8%, UK 7%, US 6%

Imports

$20.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--machinery and transport equipment, light manufactures, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs, chemicals;
partners--FRG 21%, Italy 16%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, UK 6%

Industrial production

growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.); accounts for 22% of GDP

Electricity

10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh produced, 3,630 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, mining, petroleum

Agriculture

including fishing and forestry, accounts for 13% of GNP and 27% of the labor force;
principal products--wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, mutton, pork, dairy products;
self-sufficient in food;
fish catch of 135,000 metric tons in 1987

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $525 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.35 billion

Currency

drachma (plural--drachmas); 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta

Exchange rates

drachma (Dr) per US$1--159.87 (January 1991), 158.51 (1990), 162.42 (1989), 141.86 (1988), 135.43 (1987), 139.98 (1986), 138.12 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 958 ships by type

passenger 13short-sea passenger 63passenger-cargo 2cargo 152container 21roll-on/roll-off cargo 17refrigerated cargo 23vehicle carrier 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 185chemical tanker 15liquefied gas 10combination ore/oil 25specialized tanker 5bulk 407combination bulk; note--ethnic Greeks also own large numbers of ships under the registry of Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, and Lebanon 19958 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,585,048 GRT/39,011,361 DWT

Airports, 81 total, 79 usable

permanent-surface runways

60runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

20runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

38,938Railroads

2,479Inland waterways

Highways: ; 16,090 km paved, 13,676 km crushed stone and gravel, 5,632 km improved earth, 3,540 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 1,565 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, of which 36 km electrified and 100 km double track, 892 km 1.000-meter gauge; 22 km 0.750-meter narrow gauge; all government owned · Inland waterways: ; system consists of three coastal canals and three unconnected rivers

Railroads

2,479 km total;
1,565 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, of which 36 km electrified and 100 km double track, 892 km 1.000-meter gauge;
22 km 0.750-meter narrow gauge;
all government owned

adequate, modern networks reach all areas;
4,122,317 telephones;
stations--30 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 39 (560 repeaters) TV;
8 submarine cables;
satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and MARISAT systems