Country Information: Greece

Greece Information :

Greece Facts:

• Capital: Athens
• Population: 10.9 million
• Population density (per sq km): 80
• Population in urban areas: 60%
• Area: 131.957 sq km
• Coordinates: 39 00 N, 22 00 E
• Language: Greek
• Major religion: Orthodox Christian
• Life expectancy: 76 years for men, and 81 years for women
• Healthy Live expectancy: 75.4 for men, and 69.0 for women
• Infant mortality rate (per thousand live births): 6.1
• Average annual population growth rate (1995-2001): 0.27
• Marriages (per 1000 people): 4.3
• Divorces (per 1000 people): 0.9
• Average household size: 3
• Fertility rate (2000): 1.32
• Percentage of women in labor force: 40
• Percentage of female students: 59
• Literacy: 97.5% of the population age over 15 can read and write

The Flag of Greece (Click for information)

Exclusive Gifts and apparel

The Flag of Greece consists of nine blue and white alternating horizontal stripes with a blue square on the top left that contains a white cross. [ more...]

The Greek Language (Click for information)

The Greek language has been in use since prehistoric times, with the earliest evidence of its written versions surviving to our date in the form of Linear B tablets which date back to the 14th century BCE. Sometime between 1000 BCE and 700 BCE the inhabitants of Greece adopted the Phoenician alphabet which by the end of the 5th c. BCE had transformed to the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet which is still in use today. [ more... ]

Population:

• 2000-2001 Census Population Total: 10.964.020
• 2004 estimate: 10.647.529
• Population Male: 5.431.816
• Population Female: 5.532.204

Population by Geographic Region:

Central Greece and Evia . . . .	3.874.212
of which:
Department of Attiki . . . . .	3.002.980
Athens Prefecture . . . . . . .	2.078.653
E. Attiki Prefecture . . . . . .	278.083
W. Attiki Prefecture . . . . . .	134.092
Piraeus Prefecture . . . . . . .	512.152
Peloponnese . . . . . . . . . . .	1.174.916
Ionian Islands . . . . . . . . . . . .	214.911
Ipiros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	396.732
Thessalia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	796.174
Macedonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2.315.280
Thraki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	369.383
Aegean Islands . . . . . . . . . . .	486.68
Kriti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	578.251

People of Greek Ancestry in the USA :

• 2000 Census Total: 1.153.307 (0.4% of total population)
  Detailed statistics about people of Greek ancestry in the US from the census brueau (1990)

 

Country Description

Greece is a modern European country, with a strong democratic government, and a developing economy.

Much of the population of Greece is concentrated in a few major urban areas, with Athens hosting about one third of the country's population.

The Greek mainland occupies the southern most tip of the Balkan peninsula, and it borders to the East with Turkey, and to the north with Bulgaria, F.Y.R.O.M., and Albania. To the south and the West, Greece is touched by the Lybian sea and the Ionian sea respectively.

The terrain of the mainland of Greece is mostly mountainous while its seas are sprinkled with more than 2000 islands. Historically, such terrain has induced the relative isolation and independence of its various population groups. These groups exhibit unique variations in culture under a homogenous Greek identity rooted in history and Christian religion.

Maps of Greece	Greece Satellite Photos

Greek Government

According to the US State Department "Greece is a developed and stable democracy with a modern economy."

The concept of "Democracy" was invented in ancient Greece, and more specifically in ancient Athens where for the first time in history citizens were able to choose the public officials. Democracy in ancient Greece reached its apogee during the fifth century BCE in Athens under the leadership of Perikles.

Today Greece is a parliamentary republic guided by a Democratic Constitution.
The president of the republic is the head of the state, while the prime minister is the head of the Greek government.

The president of Greece who is the chief of the state is elected by the parliament every five years and can serve a maximum of two terms. A two-thirds majority is required for the election of the president, ensuring thus a consensus of multiple political parties. The Greek President has limited powers and has the ultimate responsibility of overseeing that the constitutional authority guides the government.

The Greek Prime Minister who is the head of government, is elected by the parliament after the national elections that decide the make up of the parliament. There is no limit on how many terms the prime minister can serve.

The Parliament of Greece consists of 300 members elected by direct vote of the people to four year terms. The party that holds the majority in the parliament elects the Prime Minister and he/she is usually the leader of that political party.

The country is divided in 13 administrative regions, which in turn are subdivided into 51 prefectures.

Notable International Memberships

Greece is a member of the UN (which she joined in 25 October, 1945), the European Union since 1981, and a NATO ally since 1952.
Greece was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the two year period 2005-06.

Greece Economy Information

Greece has a mixed capitalist economy. The service sector accounting for about 71% of the total GDP. Industry and agriculture account for the other 29%.

Greece has benefited a great deal from its participation in the European Union, and in the last ten years the Greek economy has been growing at a 3 or 4% every year, while the inflation has fallen from about 13% to the early 90's to around 3.5% in 2004.

While the per capita income appears low compared with other countries in the Euro zone, the fact that home ownership approaches 80% allows the Greek citizens a fairly comfortable life style. It should be noted that home owners pay no direct tax for their dwellings.

Greece has been a seafaring nation since the days when the Athenian dominance at sea allowed for the extraordinary cultural development we admire today. This tradition has continued through the history, with the Greek merchant fleet being always one of the largest ones world-wide.

Greece Economy Facts

• GDP per capita (2002): €12 324 ($16 757)
• GDP per capita (2004 estimate): $20 000
• Unemployment rate (2001): 10.2%
• Unemployment rate (2004 est.): 9.4%
• Youth Unemployment rate (2001): 28%
• Exports of goods and services: 22.7% of GDP
• Imports of goods and services: 29.7% of GDP
• Trade balance: -7.0% of GDP
• Tourism income (2000): 7.6% of GDP
• Revenues: $76.84 billion
• Expenditures: $79.48 billion
• Public debt: 100.9% of GDP
• Labor force: 4.39 million (services 60%, industry 20%, agriculture 20%)
• Energy Consumption: 68% oil, 19% electricity, 5% coal, 2% gas, 6% other

Currency of Greece

In 2000 Greece adopted the Euro, replacing the drachmas the official currency. The majority of the member countries of the EU endorsed at the same time the Euro as the common currency of Europe.

Click for pictures of the Greek version of the Euro, and for more information about money in Greece

About the Sources

This information on Greece is compiled from various sources in order to give the traveler an overall picture of the country and its general makeup. Specific information on various Greek locations is presented elsewhere in the pages of Greeklandscapes.com.

Selected Sources for Greece information:
UN
CIA Fact book
Greece Census
Eurostat