Greece
Hellenic RepublicElliniki Dimokratia
parliamentary republicIndependence 1830 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Greece as the 2012 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 159 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. 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 other anti-Communists and Communist rebels.
Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 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.
In 2010, the prospect of a Greek default on its euro-denominated debt created severe strains within the EMU and raised the question of whether a member country might voluntarily leave the common currency or be removed.
Geography
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
20 fieldsLand useshare of 131,957 sq km
Location
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Natural resources
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 8.7 cu km/yr (16%/3%/81%)
- per capita:
- 782 cu m/yr (1997)
Natural hazards
severe earthquakes
- volcanism:
- Santorini (elev. 367 m) has been deemed a "Decade Volcano" by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations;
- although there have been very few eruptions in recent centuries, Methana and Nisyros in the Aegean are classified as historically active
Environment - 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
- signed, but not ratified:
- Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
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 and Society
30 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2012 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups
population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census) note: percents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity
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:
- 0.78 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Government
Parliamentary republic; President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005); Prime Minister Antonis SAMARAS (since 20 June 2012)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon, 300 seats, elected 17 June 2012one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Hellenic Republic
- conventional short form:
- Greece
- local long form:
- Elliniki Dimokratia
- local short form:
- Ellas or Ellada
- former:
- Kingdom of Greece
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
13 regions (perifereies, singular - perifereia) and 1 autonomous monastic state* (aftonomi monastiki politeia); Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki (East Macedonia and Thrace), Attiki (Attica), Dytiki Ellada (West Greece), Dytiki Makedonia (West Macedonia), Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands), Ipeiros (Epirus), Kentriki Makedonia (Central Macedonia), Kriti (Crete), Notio Aigaio (South Aegean), Peloponnisos (Peloponnese), Sterea Ellada (Central Greece), Thessalia (Thessaly), Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Antonis SAMARAS (since 20 June 2012)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
- election last held on 3 February 2010 (next to be held by February 2015);
- president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election to become prime minister and form a government
- election results:
- Karolos PAPOULIAS reelected president; number of parliamentary votes, 266 out of 300
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by 2016);
- note - there was a legislative election on 6 May 2012 in which none of the leaders of the top three parties (New Democracy, Coalition of the Radical Left, and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement) were able to form a government
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - ND 29.7%, SYRIZA 26.9%, PASOK 12.3%, ANEL 7.5%, Golden Dawn 6.9%, DIMAR 6.3%, KKE 4.5%, other 6.0%;
- seats by party - ND 129, SYRIZA 71, PASOK 33, ANEL 20, Golden Dawn 18, DIMAR 17, KKE 12;
- note - only parties surpassing a 3% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats;
- parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups, but can retain that status if the party participated in the last election and received the minimum 3% threshold
Judicial branch
- Supreme Civil and Criminal Court;
- all judges are appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council;
- Supreme Administrative Court and Court of Auditors;
- Courts of Appeal;
- Courts of First Instance
Political parties and leaders
- Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow or ANTARSYA [Petros KONSTANTINOU];
- Coalition of the Radical Left or SYRIZA [Alexis TSIPRAS];
- Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA];
- Democratic Left [Fotis KOUVELIS];
- Democratic Alliance or DISY [Theodora BAKOGIANNI];
- Ecologist Greens [Nikos CHRYSOGELOS];
- Golden Dawn [Nikolaos MICHALOLIAKOS];
- Independent Greeks or ANEL [Panos KAMMENOS];
- New Democracy or ND [Antonis SAMARAS];
- Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Evangelos VENIZELOS];
- Popular Orthodox Rally or LAOS [Georgios KARATZAFERIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS];
- Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS];
- General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]
International organization participation
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Christos P. PANAGOPOULOUS
- chancery:
- 2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 939-1300
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 939-1324
- consulate(s) general:
- Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tampa
- consulate(s):
- Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans; j
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Daniel Bennett SMITH
- embassy:
- 91 Vasillisis 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 (2012)
Flag description
- nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white;
- a blue square bearing a white cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner;
- the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country;
- there is no agreed upon meaning for the nine stripes or for the colors;
- the exact shade of blue has never been set by law and has varied from a light to a dark blue over time
National anthem
- name:
- "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)
- lyrics/music:
- Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS
note: adopted 1864; the anthem is based on a 158 verse poem by the same name, which was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottomans; Cyprus also uses "Hymn to Liberty" as its anthem
Economy
Greece has a capitalist economy with a public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP about two-thirds that of the leading euro-zone economies.
39 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Economy - overview
Greece has a capitalist economy with a public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP about two-thirds that 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% 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.
But the economy went into recession in 2009 as a result of the world financial crisis, tightening credit conditions, and Athens' failure to address a growing budget deficit. The economy contracted by 2.3% in 2009, 3.5% in 2010, 6.9% in 2011, and 6.0% in 2012. Greece violated the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criterion of no more than 3% of GDP from 2001 to 2006, but finally met that criterion in 2007-08, before exceeding it again in 2009, with the deficit reaching 15% of GDP. Austerity measures reduced the deficit to about 8% in 2012.
Deteriorating public finances, inaccurate and misreported statistics, and consistent underperformance on reforms prompted major credit rating agencies to downgrade Greece's international debt rating in late 2009, and has led the country into a financial crisis. Under intense pressure from the EU and international market participants, the government adopted a medium-term austerity program that includes cutting government spending, decreasing tax evasion, overhauling the health-care and pension systems, and reforming the labor and product markets.
Athens, however, faces long-term challenges to push through unpopular reforms in the face of widespread unrest from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. In April 2010 a leading credit agency assigned Greek debt its lowest possible credit rating; in May 2010, the International Monetary Fund and Euro-Zone governments provided Greece emergency short- and medium-term loans worth $147 billion so that the country could make debt repayments to creditors.
In exchange for the largest bailout ever assembled, the government announced combined spending cuts and tax increases totaling $40 billion over three years, on top of the tough austerity measures already taken. Greece, however, struggled to meet 2010 targets set by the EU and the IMF, especially after Eurostat - the EU's statistical office - revised upward Greece's deficit and debt numbers for 2009 and 2010.
European leaders and the IMF agreed in October 2011 to provide Athens a second bailout package of $169 billion. The second deal however, calls for Greece's creditors to write down a significant portion of their Greek government bond holdings. In exchange for the second loan Greece has promised to introduce an additional $7.8 billion in austerity measures during 2013-15.
However, these massive austerity cuts are lengthening Greece's economic recession and depressing tax revenues. Greece's lenders are calling on Athens to step up efforts to increase tax collection, privatize public enterprises, and rein in health spending, and are planning to give Greece more time to shore up its economy and finances.
Many investors doubt that Greece can sustain fiscal efforts in the face of a bleak economic outlook, public discontent, and political instability.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
33 (2005) · 35.4 (1998) country comparison to the world: 98
Central bank discount rate
1.5% (31 December 2012) · 1.75% (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 116 note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate
7.2% (31 December 2012 est.) · 7.15% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Stock of narrow money
$120 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $126.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 29 note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Stock of broad money
$251.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $262.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Stock of domestic credit
$388.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $413.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Agriculture - products
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products
Current account balance
-$16.68 billion (2012 est.) · -$29.36 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
Exports - commodities
food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$6.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.) · $6.37 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Debt - external
$583.3 billion (30 June 2011) · $532.9 billion (30 June 2010) country comparison to the world: 22
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$27.26 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $27.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$41.49 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $42.94 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7838 (2012 est.) · 0.7185 (2011 est.) · 755 (2010 est.) · 0.7198 (2009 est.) · 0.6827 (2008 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 14.36 million kW(2009 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
991.1 million cu m (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
92.99 million Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Communications
7 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:
- 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)
Broadcast media
- broadcast media dominated by the private sector;
- roughly 150 private TV channels, about a dozen of the private channels broadcast at the national or regional level;
- 3 publicly-owned terrestrial TV channels with national coverage, 1 publicly-owned satellite channel, and 3 stations designed for digital terrestrial transmissions;
- multi-channel satellite and cable TV services available;
- upwards of 1,500 radio stations, nearly all of them privately-owned;
- state-run broadcaster has 7 national stations, 2 international stations, and 19 regional stations (2007)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 860 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 2,548 km
country comparison to the world: 65
- 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 (2008)
Roadways
total: 116,711 km (includes 948 km of expressways) (2005) country comparison to the world: 38
Waterways
6 km (the 6 km long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km) (2012) country comparison to the world: 107
Military
Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2011)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2011)
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)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 2,485,389
- females age 16-49:
- 2,469,854 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea;
- 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Greece.” The World Factbook 2012. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/greece/2012.