Buristan
22-12-2006, 21:02
The Greek Factbook
Background
Greece achieved 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, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Following the formers's defeat in 1949, Greece joined the Warsaw Pact in 1956. In 1967, the rise of Premier Gregorios Andreas Arcopolis brought about the loss of many political freedoms and civil rights, however, his death in 1986 allowed Serafeim Vinnapolas, a liberaler member of the Communist Party, allowed free elections in 1995 (thanks to much pressure by the Populist Party), peacefully ending the Peoples' Republic and allowing the Hellenic Republic of Greece to be formed.
Geography
Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Yugoslavia and Ottoman Empire
Geographic Coordinates: 39 00 N, 22 00 E
Map references: (Will get up later)
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: 1,228 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Yugoslavia 740 km, Ottoman Empire 206 km
Coastlines: 13,676 km
Maritime Claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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: lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 20.45%
permanent crops: 8.59%
other: 70.96%
Natural Hazards: Severe earthquakes
Environment - current issues: Air pollution, water pollution
Geography - notes strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
People
Population: 10,688,058
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.3% (male 790,291/female 742,902)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 3,562,251/female 3,566,097)
65 years and over: 19% (male 891,620/female 1,134,897)
Median age:
total: 40.8 years
male: 39.7 years
female: 42 years
Population growth rate: 0.18% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:9.68 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 10.24 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.86 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.24 years
male: 76.72 years
female: 81.91 years
Total fertility rate:1.34 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek
Ethnic groups:Greek 98%, Turkish and 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: 97.5%
male: 98.6%
female: 96.5%
People - note:
women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Peoples' Republic of Greece
Government type: Representative democracy
Capital:
name: Athens
geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*; Achaia, Agion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, 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: 15 June 1956
Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: Stavros Panagiotis Solterris (since 12 March 2000)
head of government: Anargyros Mamilis
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held by February 2010); according to the Greek Constitution, presidents may only serve two terms; president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election to become Prime Minister and form a government
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly(100 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: elections last held 8 Febuary 2003 (next to be held by February 2007)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council
Political parties, leaders, and philosophies:
Populist Party [Nikolas Papavilis](Moderate Conservative Socially, Free Market Economy, anti-military, against Cypriot War); Combine Party of Greece (formerly the Independent Hellenic Communist Party)[Aleka Karamanlis](Independent Communist Party, socially moderate, realist, against Cypriot War, environmentalist)**; Coalition of Hellenic Progressives [Konstandinos Tiramanlis](Extremely Socially conservative, protectionist economics, pro-military, for Cypriot War)*; Soviet Party of Greece [Yiorgos Papandreou](Soviet Bloc party, socially conservative, international revolutionary, against Cypriot War); Popular Orthodox Rally [Yeoryios Karatzaferis](socially conservative, ambiguous on economics and foriegn policy, for Cypriot War)
*Currently holds Presidency and National Assembly
**Currently the primary opposition party
Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos Polyzogopoulos]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas Kyriakopoulos]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros Papaspyros]
International organization participation:
To come...
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
Background
Greece achieved 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, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Following the formers's defeat in 1949, Greece joined the Warsaw Pact in 1956. In 1967, the rise of Premier Gregorios Andreas Arcopolis brought about the loss of many political freedoms and civil rights, however, his death in 1986 allowed Serafeim Vinnapolas, a liberaler member of the Communist Party, allowed free elections in 1995 (thanks to much pressure by the Populist Party), peacefully ending the Peoples' Republic and allowing the Hellenic Republic of Greece to be formed.
Geography
Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Yugoslavia and Ottoman Empire
Geographic Coordinates: 39 00 N, 22 00 E
Map references: (Will get up later)
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: 1,228 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Yugoslavia 740 km, Ottoman Empire 206 km
Coastlines: 13,676 km
Maritime Claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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: lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 20.45%
permanent crops: 8.59%
other: 70.96%
Natural Hazards: Severe earthquakes
Environment - current issues: Air pollution, water pollution
Geography - notes strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
People
Population: 10,688,058
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.3% (male 790,291/female 742,902)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 3,562,251/female 3,566,097)
65 years and over: 19% (male 891,620/female 1,134,897)
Median age:
total: 40.8 years
male: 39.7 years
female: 42 years
Population growth rate: 0.18% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:9.68 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 10.24 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.86 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.24 years
male: 76.72 years
female: 81.91 years
Total fertility rate:1.34 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek
Ethnic groups:Greek 98%, Turkish and 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: 97.5%
male: 98.6%
female: 96.5%
People - note:
women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Peoples' Republic of Greece
Government type: Representative democracy
Capital:
name: Athens
geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*; Achaia, Agion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, 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: 15 June 1956
Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: Stavros Panagiotis Solterris (since 12 March 2000)
head of government: Anargyros Mamilis
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held by February 2010); according to the Greek Constitution, presidents may only serve two terms; president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election to become Prime Minister and form a government
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly(100 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: elections last held 8 Febuary 2003 (next to be held by February 2007)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council
Political parties, leaders, and philosophies:
Populist Party [Nikolas Papavilis](Moderate Conservative Socially, Free Market Economy, anti-military, against Cypriot War); Combine Party of Greece (formerly the Independent Hellenic Communist Party)[Aleka Karamanlis](Independent Communist Party, socially moderate, realist, against Cypriot War, environmentalist)**; Coalition of Hellenic Progressives [Konstandinos Tiramanlis](Extremely Socially conservative, protectionist economics, pro-military, for Cypriot War)*; Soviet Party of Greece [Yiorgos Papandreou](Soviet Bloc party, socially conservative, international revolutionary, against Cypriot War); Popular Orthodox Rally [Yeoryios Karatzaferis](socially conservative, ambiguous on economics and foriegn policy, for Cypriot War)
*Currently holds Presidency and National Assembly
**Currently the primary opposition party
Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos Polyzogopoulos]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas Kyriakopoulos]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros Papaspyros]
International organization participation:
To come...
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