Greece. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Greece | 
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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 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 | Greece |
| Location: |
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
39 00 N, 22 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Europe |
| Area: |
total: 131,940 sq
km water: 1,140 sq km land: 130,800 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than Alabama |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 1,228 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 246 km |
| Coastline: |
13,676 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 6 NM |
| 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 highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m |
| Natural
resources: |
bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble, hydropower potential |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 22.12%
permanent crops: 8.47% other: 69.41% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
14,220 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
severe earthquakes |
| Environment
- current issues: |
air pollution; water pollution |
| 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 | Greece |
| Population: |
10,645,343 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 14.8%
(male 814,605; female 765,613) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 3,579,945; female 3,564,068) 65 years and over: 18.1% (male 851,087; female 1,070,025) (2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.2% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
9.82 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.79 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
1.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
6.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
78.74 years female: 81.48 years (2002 est.) male: 76.17 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.34 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.16% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
8,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100 (1999 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% male: 98.5% female: 96% (1999) |
| 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); prime minister appointed by the president head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos SIMITIS (since 19 January 1996) 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 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; note - seats by party as of January 2002 - PASOK 156, ND 122, KKE 11, Coalition of the Left and Progress 6, independents 5 |
| 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] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| 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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Yeoryious SAVVAIDES 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 Thomas J. MILLER embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, 101 60 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108 telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951 FAX: [30] (210) 725-3025 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 |
| Economy | Greece |
| Economy
- overview: |
Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about half of GDP and with per capita GDP 70% of the Big Four European economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in menial jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of GDP. The economy has improved steadily over the last few years, as the government tightened policy in the run-up to Greece's entry into the EU's Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) on 1 January 2001. Major challenges remaining include the reduction of unemployment and further restructuring of the economy, including privatizing several state enterprises, undertaking social security reforms, overhauling the tax system, and minimizing bureaucratic inefficiencies. Economic growth is forecast at roughly 4% in 2003. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $201.1 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3.5% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 9% industry: 22% services: 70% (2000) (2000) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 25% (1993 est.) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
33 (1993) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3.6% (2002) |
| Labor
force: |
4.32 million (1999 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
industry 21%, agriculture 20%, services 59% (2000 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
10.3% (2002 est.) |
| 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 |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
7% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
49.581 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 92%
hydro: 7% other: 2% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
46.099 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
1.74 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
1.729 billion kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products |
| Exports: |
$12.6 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles |
| Exports
- partners: |
EU 51.6% (Germany 15.9%, Italy 13.5%, UK 6.4%), US 5.7% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$31.4 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals |
| Imports
- partners: |
EU 66.2% (Italy 15.6%, Germany 15%, France 9.2%, Netherlands 6.4%) (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$63.4 billion (2002 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$5.4 billion from EU (1997 est.) |
| Currency: |
euro (EUR); drachma (GRD)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries |
| Currency
code: |
EUR; GRD |
| Exchange
rates: |
euros per US dollar - 1.1324
(January 2002), 1.1175 (2001); drachmae per US dollar - 380.21 (December
2000), 365.40 (2000), 305.65 (1999), 295.53 (1998), 273.06 (1997) note: in January 2001, the drachma became a participating currency within the Eurosystem, and the euro market rate became applicable to all transactions |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Communications | Greece |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
5.431 million (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
937,700 (1997) |
| 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: 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
Service Providers (ISPs): |
27 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
1.4 million (2002) |
| Transportation | Greece |
| Railways: |
total: 2,571 km standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (36 km electrified) narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (a rack-type railway for steep grades) dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2001 est.) |
| 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 |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 26 km; petroleum products 547 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Alexandroupolis, Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Volos |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 802 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,998,523 GRT/49,458,125 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Ireland 1, Japan 1, Liberia 1, Norway 1, Panama 2, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 294, cargo 54, chemical tanker 25, combination bulk 7, combination ore/oil 5, container 45, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 13, petroleum tanker 265, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 23, short-sea passenger 54, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2 |
| Airports: |
79 (note - new Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 66 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 9 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 13 14 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 10 (2002) |
| Heliports: |
7 (2002) |
| Military | Greece |
| Military
branches: |
Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, Police, National Guard |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
21 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 2,668,872 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 2,034,192 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 77,976 (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$6.12 billion (FY99/00 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
4.91% (FY99/00 est.) |
| 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 |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
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