Greece
Hellenic Republic conventional short form: Greece local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia local short form: Ellas or Ellada former: Kingdom of Greece
parliamentary republicIndependence 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Greece as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 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).
Geography
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
18 fieldsLocation
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Land boundaries
total: 1,210 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 228 km
Land use
arable land: 19% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 41% forests and woodland: 20% other: 12% (1993 est.)
Environment - 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 signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note
strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 14.98% (male 820,219; female 771,466) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 3,580,535; female 3,569,755) 65 years and over: 17.72% (male 834,234; female 1,047,626) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.59 years male: 76.03 years female: 81.32 years (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups
Greek 98%, other 2% note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95% male: 98% female: 93% (1991 est.)
Government
Parliamentary republic
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon, 300 seatsone dot, one seat
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
Administrative divisions
51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos)and 1 autonomous region*; Ayion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkyra, 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
Legal system
based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since 10 March 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos SIMITIS (since 19 January 1996) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
- election last held 8 February 2000 (next to be held by NA March 2005);
- prime minister appointed by the president 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 9 April 2000 (next to be held by NA April 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
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 KONSTANDOPOULOS];
- 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, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros PHILON chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5800
FAX
[1] (202) 939-5824 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador R. Nicholas BURNS embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108 telephone: [30] (1) 721-2951
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
Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about half of GDP. Tourism is a key industry, providing a large portion of GDP and foreign exchange earnings.
32 fieldsElectricity
Economy - overview
Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about half of GDP. Tourism is a key industry, providing a large portion of GDP and foreign exchange earnings. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 4% of GDP. The economy has improved steadily over the last few years, as the government has tightened policy in the run-up to Greece's entry into the EU's Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) on 1 January 2001.
In particular, Greece has cut its budget deficit to below 1% of GDP and tightened monetary policy, with the result that inflation fell from 20% in 1990 to 3.1% in 2000. Major challenges remaining include the reduction of unemployment and further restructuring of the economy, including the privatization of some leading state enterprises. Growth, 3.8% in 2000, may fall off to 3%-3.5% in 2001.
Budget
revenues: $45 billion expenditures: $47.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries
- tourism;
- food and tobacco processing, textiles;
- chemicals, metal products;
- mining, petroleum
Agriculture - products
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products
Currency
drachma (GRD); euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Greece (which entered the European Monetary Union on 1 January 2001) at a fixed rate of 340.750 drachmae per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002
Exchange rates
drachmae per US dollar - 380.21 (December 2000), 365.40 (2000), 305.65 (1999), 295.53 (1998), 273.06 (1997), 240.71 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone 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)
Television broadcast stations
36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)
Transportation
10 fieldsRailways
- total:
- 2,548 km standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (36 km electrified; 23 km double track) narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge;
- 22 km 0.750-m gauge (a rack-type railway for steep grades)
Highways
total: 117,000 km paved: 107,406 km (including 470 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,594 km (1996)
Waterways
80 km 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
Ports and harbors
Alexandroupolis, Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Volos
Merchant marine
total: 780 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 25,564,988 GRT/44,761,916 DWT ships by type: bulk 272, cargo 55, chemical tanker 22, combination bulk 5, combination ore/oil 6, container 51, liquefied gas 5, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 255, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 20, short-sea passenger 63, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: South Korea 1, UK 4 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 65 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 9 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 16 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.)
Military
Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, National Guard, Police
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Turkey in 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Greece.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/greece/2001.