GREECE
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 131,940 km2; land area: 130,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alabama
Land boundaries: 1,228 km total; Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km,
Turkey 206 km, Yugoslavia 246 km
Coastline: 13,676 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes
with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Macedonia question with
Bulgaria and Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question with Albania
Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as
peninsulas or chains of islands
Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, crude oil, marble
Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures
40%; forest and woodland 20%; other 9%; includes irrigated 7%
Environment: subject to severe earthquakes; air pollution;
archipelago of 2,000 islands
Note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern
approach to Turkish Straits
PEOPLE
Population: 10,042,956 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 80 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Greek(s); adjective--Greek
Ethnic divisions: Greek 98%, other 2%; note--the Greek Government
states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Religion: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Language: Greek (official); English and French widely understood
Literacy: 93% (male 98%, female 89%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force: 3,860,000; services 43%, agriculture 27%,
manufacturing and mining 20%, construction 7% (1985)
Organized labor: 10-15% of total labor force, 20-25% of urban
labor force
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Hellenic Republic
Type: presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by
referendum 8 December 1974
Capital: Athens
Administrative divisions: 51 departments (nomoi,
singular--nomos); Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis,
Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Evritania,
Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia,
Imathia, Ioannina, Iraklion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala,
Kefallinia, Kerkira, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes,
Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi,
Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza,
Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki,
Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos
Independence: 1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Constitution: 11 June 1975
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Independence Day (proclamation of the war of
independence), 25 March (1821)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Greek Chamber of Deputies
(Vouli ton Ellinon)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--President Constantinos KARAMANLIS (since 5 May
1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Constantinos MITSOTAKIS
(since 11 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
New Democracy (ND; conservative), Constantinos MITSOTAKIS;
Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas PAPANDREOU;
Democratic Renewal (DIANA), Constantine STEFANOPOULOS;
Communist Party (KKE), Aleka PAPARIGA;
Greek Left Party (EAR), Leonidas KYRKOS;
Ecologist-Alternative List, leader NA;
note--KKE and EAR have joined in the Left Alliance, Maria DAMANAKI,
president
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
President--last held 4 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995);
results--Constantinos KARAMANLIS was elected by Parliament;
Parliament--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held
April 1994);
results--ND 46.89%, PASOK 38.62%, Left Alliance 10.27%, PASOK/Left
Alliance 1.02%, Ecologist-Alternative List 0.77%, DIANA 0.67%,
Muslim independents 0.5%;
seats--(300 total) ND 150, PASOK 123, Left Alliance 19,
PASOK-Left Alliance 4, Muslim independents 2, DIANA 1,
Ecologist-Alternative List 1;
note--one DIANA deputy joined ND in July, giving ND 151 seats; in
November a special electoral court ruled in favor of ND on a
contested seat, giving ND 152 seats and taking one from PASOK (now 122)
Communists: an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers
Member of: BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB,
FAO, G-6, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery
at 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
667-3168; there are Greek Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,
Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in New Orleans;
US--Ambassador Michael G. SOTIRHOS; Embassy at 91 Vasilissis
Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens (mailing address is APO New York
09255-0006); telephone 30 (1) 721-2951 or 721-8401; there is a US
Consulate General in Thessaloniki
Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue (top and bottom)
alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side
corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Christianity, the
established religion of the country
ECONOMY
Overview: Greece has a mixed capitalistic economy with the basic
entrepreneurial system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist government
that enlarged the public sector from 55% of GDP in 1981 to about 70%
when Prime Minister Mitsotakis took office. Mitsotakis inherited several
severe economic problems from the preceding socialist and caretaker
governments, which neglected the runaway budget deficit, a ballooning
current account deficit, and accelerating inflation. With only a
two-seat majority in the Chamber of Deputies, Mitsotakis has concentrated
on cutting the public-sector payroll, cautiously expanding the tax base,
and adopting guidelines for privatizing Greece's loss-ridden state-owned
enterprises. Once the political situation is sorted out, Greece will have
to face the challenges posed by the steadily increasing integration of
the European Community, including the progressive lowering of trade and
investment barriers. Tourism continues as a major industry, providing a
vital offset to the sizable commodity trade deficit.
GDP: $76.7 billion, per capita $7,650; real growth rate 0.9%
(1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19.0% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 9.0% (1989)
Budget: revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $34.1 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
Exports: $9.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels and
lubricants, raw materials;
partners--FRG 20%, Italy 17%, France 8%, UK 7%, US 6%
Imports: $20.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--machinery and transport equipment, light manufactures,
fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs, chemicals;
partners--FRG 21%, Italy 16%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, UK 6%
External debt: $18.7 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.); accounts
for 22% of GDP
Electricity: 10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh produced,
3,630 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal
products, tourism, mining, petroleum
Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 13% of
GNP and 27% of the labor force; principal products--wheat, corn, barley,
sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, mutton,
pork, dairy products; self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 135,000
metric tons in 1987
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $525
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $1.35 billion
Currency: drachma (plural--drachmas); 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
Exchange rates: drachma (Dr) per US$1--159.87 (January 1991),
158.51 (1990), 162.42 (1989), 141.86 (1988), 135.43 (1987), 139.98
(1986), 138.12 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 2,479 km total; 1,565 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, of
which 36 km electrified and 100 km double track, 892 km 1.000-meter
gauge; 22 km 0.750-meter narrow gauge; all government owned
Highways: 38,938 km total; 16,090 km paved, 13,676 km crushed stone
and gravel, 5,632 km improved earth, 3,540 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 80 km; system consists of three coastal canals
and three unconnected rivers
Pipelines: crude oil, 26 km; refined products, 547 km
Ports: Piraeus, Thessaloniki
Merchant marine: 958 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,585,048
GRT/39,011,361 DWT; includes 13 passenger, 63 short-sea passenger,
2 passenger-cargo, 152 cargo, 21 container, 17 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
23 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 185 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 25
combination ore/oil, 5 specialized tanker, 407 bulk, 19 combination bulk;
note--ethnic Greeks also own large numbers of ships under the registry of
Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, and Lebanon
Civil air: 35 major transport aircraft
Airports: 81 total, 79 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate, modern networks reach all areas;
4,122,317 telephones; stations--30 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 39 (560
repeaters) TV; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations operating in
INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and MARISAT
systems
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,434,762; 1,870,699 fit for
military service; 72,707 reach military age (21) annually
Defense expenditures: $3.7 billion, 5.5% of GDP (1990)