|
* = site is in Greek |
|
|
(Click here for help with Greek text)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Best viewed with MSIE | |
|
|
| ||||
|
About the Country |
|||||
|
|||||
|
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 had suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, was itself overthrown seven years later. Democratic elections in 1974 abolished the monarchy and created a parliamentary republic; Greece joined the EU in 1981.
|
|||||
Map courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission. |
|||||
|
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 Area: Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Alabama Land boundaries: Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble, hydropower
Population: 10,647,529 (July 2004 est.) Population growth rate: 0.2% (2004 est.) Birth rate: 9.73 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) Ethnic groups:Greek 98%, other 2% Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% Languages: Greek 99% (official), English, French
Government type: parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974 Capital: Athens Independence:1829 (from the Ottoman Empire) National holiday: Independence Day, 25 March (1821) (proclamation of the war of independence) Legal system:based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts
Labor force: 4,406,700 (2nd quarter 2003 est.) Unemployment rate: 9.8% (2003 est.) Exports - commodities:manufactured goods, food and beverages, fuels (1998) Imports - commodities:manufactured goods, foodstuffs, fuels, chemicals (1998) Currency: euro (EUR)
Military branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, National Guard, Police Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7,288.9 million (2003) |
|||||
|
Source of background and statistical data: The World Factbook
For more on Greece, click here |
