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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: total: 131,940 sq km land: 130,800 sq km
water:1,140 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Alabama
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
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%
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
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)
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