Greece

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Greece's Information


Capital	Athens
Languages	Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%
Ethnic Groups	Population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census)
Religion	Greek Orthodox (official) 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	3 February 1830 (from the Ottoman Empire); note - 25 March 1821, outbreak of the national revolt against the Ottomans; 3 February 1830, signing of the London Protocol recognizing Greek independence by Great Britain, France, and Russia
Area	131,957.00 km²
Water Area	1,310.00 km²
Land Area	130,647.00 km²
Population	10,773,253.00 One-third of the population lives in and around metropolitan Athens; the remainder of the country has moderate population density mixed with sizeable pockets of urban agglomeration
Location	Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
No. Bordering Countries	4
Bordering Countries	Albania 212 km, Bulgaria 472 km, Macedonia 234 km, Turkey 192 km
GDP(PPP)	$291,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$26,800.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Italy, Germany, and Turkey.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are food and beverages, as well as a manufactured goods.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Germany, Italy, and Russia.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery, transport equipment, and fuels.
Climate	Temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain	Mountainous with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Where is Greece?

Located in Southern Europe, Greece has a 1,110.00 km border with Albania (212 km), Bulgaria (472 km), Macedonia (234 km) and Turkey (192 km). It has a 13,676.00 km coastline. Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes.

The capital city of Greece is Athens. With a history that dates back over 3,000 years, it is the oldest city in Europe that is still inhabited. Located on the peninsula of Attica, on the South Eastern Coast of Greece, it is surrounded by mountains on all sides. King Otto chose it as the capital in 1834 with the thinking that, after its near destruction during the Greek War of Independence and its heritage as the center of the ancient Greek civilization, it would be rebuilt to reflect both Ancient and Modern Greece. The Acropolis, which has well-preserved monuments that were built in the 6th Century and the Monasteries of Daphni are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Together with Athens’ many other archeological sites, museums, tours and vibrant culture, they make Athens a popular tourist destination. The city has long, dry and hot summers followed by mild to cool winters with modest rainfall.

Geography

Greece has a mean elevation of 498 m above sea level.

It has a temperate climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Its terrain is mainly mountainous.

Population

Greece has a population of 10,773,253 making it the 84th largest in the world. One-third of the country's population lives in and around Athens.

Greek is the official language. The major ethnic group reported is Greek. The majority of the country identifies as Greek Orthodox, the majority state religion.

Greek is the official language of Greece. It is part of the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European language group. Globally, it is one of the oldest and hardest to learn languages. The Greek alphabet comprises of 24 letters, which are popular as symbols in science and mathematics. There are various regional dialects of the Greek language used in different parts of the country. These dialects are Tsakonian, Cretan, Pontic, Maniot, Cappadocian, Yevanic, and Cypriot Greek. About 99% of the Greek population speaks Greek. In Greece, there are ten indigenous languages namely Russian, Georgian, Albanian, Turkish, Romany, Macedonian, Aromanian, Armenian, Ladino, and Urum. The main foreign languages in the country include English, French, German, and Italian

Government

Greece is an independent country. It gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. Its constitution was last ratified in 1975.

The Government of Greece is a parliamentary republic. The seat of the Prime Minister is at Herodes Atticus Street 19 in Athens. It is close to the Presidential Mansion, the official residence of the President. The politics of Greece are unique since the people vote in 300 parliamentary deputies and the party leader automatically becomes the Prime Minister. Besides, the people do not choose the president - instead, the parliamentary deputies appoint them.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Greece's GDP is $291,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $26,800.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 57th largest economy and its citizens the 68th richest in the world. The currency of Greece is the Euro (EUR).

Its major export partners are Italy, Germany, and Turkey. Its main exports are food and beverages, as well as a manufactured goods. Its major import partners are Germany, Italy, and Russia. Its major imports include machinery, transport equipment, and fuels.

Flag

The “Blue and White”, which the Greek national flag is sometimes called, has nine alternating blue and white stripes of equal width that run horizontally. There is also a blue square on the upper left corner with a white cross within. Before its official adoption in 1978, it used to be the naval ensign. Previous versions of the flag had either a crown or a coat of arms at the center of the cross depending on the government of the time. The shade of blue varies from dark to light as there is no official specification. The blue and white are considered to symbolize the sky and the sea surrounding the country. The meaning behind the nine stripes is believed to either stand for the nine letters in the Greek word for freedom or the syllables in the Greek expression which means “Freedom or Death."