Greece

Greece 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, most with Greek-speaking populations. Following the defeat of Communist rebels in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy; Greece joined the European Community or EC in 1981 (which became the EU in 1992).

Greece Information

• Population: 10,647,529 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek
• Location:: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
• Religions:: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
• Ethnic Groups:: Greek 98%, other 2% note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
• Land Boundaries:: total: 1,228 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 246 km
• Area: total: 131,940 sq km water: 1,140 sq km land: 130,800 sq km
• Coast Line: 13,676 km
• Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
• Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
• Land Use: arable land: 21.1% permanent crops: 8.78% other: 70.12% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: air pollution; water pollution
• Natural Resources: lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
• Highways: total: 117,000 km paved: 107,406 km (including 470 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,594 km (1999 est.)
• Railways: total: 2,571 km (764 km electrified) standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Alexandroupolis, Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Volos
• Airports: 79 (note - new Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2003 est.)