]! ^! 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 latter's defeat 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. In 1981 Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001. 
]" ^" Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey ^# 39 00 N, 22 00 E ^$ Europe ^% `! 131,940 sq km `" 130,800 sq km `# 1,140 sq km ^& slightly smaller than Alabama ^' `! 1,228 km `Y Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km ^( 13,676 km ^) `$ 12 nm `O 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation ^* temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers ^+ mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands ^, `% Mediterranean Sea 0 m `& Mount Olympus 2,917 m ^- lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential ^. `' 20.45% `( 8.59% `) 70.96% (2005) ^/ 14,530 sq km (2003) ^0 severe earthquakes ^1 air pollution; water pollution _P `P Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands `Q Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds ^2 strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands 
]# ^3 10,706,290 (July 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 14.3% (male 789,637/female 742,535) `, 66.7% (male 3,565,237/female 3,570,630) `- 19% (male 895,384/female 1,142,867) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 41.2 years `. 40 years `/ 42.3 years (2007 est.) ^6 0.163% (2007 est.) ^7 9.62 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 10.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.06 male(s)/female `1 1.063 male(s)/female `, 0.998 male(s)/female `- 0.783 male(s)/female `2 0.962 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births `. 5.87 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 79.38 years `. 76.85 years `/ 82.06 years (2007 est.) ^= 1.35 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> 0.2% (2001 est.) ^? 9,100 (2001 est.) ^@ less than 100 (2003 est.) ^A `3 Greek(s) `4 Greek ^B Greek 98%, Turkish and other 2% `* the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece ^C Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% ^D Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French) ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 97.5% `. 98.6% `/ 96.5% (2003 est.) _g women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor 
]$ ^F `6 Hellenic Republic `7 Greece `Z Elliniki Dhimokratia `[ Ellas or Ellada `\ Kingdom of Greece ^H parliamentary republic ^I `8 Athens `9 37 59 N, 23 44 E `: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) `p +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October ^J 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 ^K 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire) ^L Independence Day, 25 March (1821) ^M 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001 ^N based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations ^O 18 years of age; universal and compulsory ^P `; President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005) `< Prime Minister Konstandinos (Kostas) KARAMANLIS (since 7 March 2004) `= Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister `> 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 `? Karolos PAPOULIAS elected president; number of parliamentary votes, 279 out of 300 ^Q unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) `> elections last held 7 March 2004 (next to be held by March 2008) `? percent of vote by party - ND 45.4%, PASOK 40.6%, KKE 5.9%, Synaspismos 3.3%, other 4.8%; seats by party - ND 165, PASOK 117, KKE 12, Synaspismos 6; note - seats by party as of December 2006 - ND 164, PASOK 113, KKE 12, Synaspismos 6, independents 5, other 6 ^R Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council ^S Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Alekos ALAVANOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox Rally or LAOS [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS] ^T General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos POLYZOGOPOULOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas KYRIAKOPOULOS]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS] ^U Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC ^V `R Ambassador Alexandros P. MALLIAS `S 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 `T [1] (202) 939-1300 `U [1] (202) 939-1324 `V Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tampa `^ Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans ^W `R Ambassador Charles P. RIES `_ 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens `` PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108 `T [30] (210) 721-2951 `U [30] (210) 645-6282 `V Thessaloniki ^X 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 
]% ^Y Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP at least 75% of the leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in agricultural and unskilled jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by nearly 4.0% per year between 2003 and 2006, due partly to infrastructural spending related to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and in part to an increased availability of credit, which has sustained record levels of consumer spending. Greece violated the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of no more than 3% of GDP from 2001 to 2005, but finally appears on track to meet that criteria in 2006. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment are above the euro-zone average, but are falling. The Greek Government continues to grapple with cutting government spending, reducing the size of the public sector, and reforming the labor and pension systems, in the face of often vocal opposition from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. ^Z $251.7 billion (2006 est.) ^[ $232.5 billion (2006 est.) ^\ 4.1% (2006 est.) ^] $23,500 (2006 est.) ^^ `@ 5.1% `A 20.6% `B 74.4% (2006 est.) ^_ 4.88 million (2006 est.) ^` `@ 12% `A 20% `B 68% (2004 est.) ^a 9.2% (2006 est.) _! NA% _" `C 3% `D 28.3% (1998 est.) _d 35.1 (2003) _# 3.3% (2006 est.) _V 25.9% of GDP (2006 est.) _$ `E $99.16 billion `F $106.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) _% 104.6% of GDP (2006 est.) _& wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products _' tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum _( 2% (2006 est.) _) 55.51 billion kWh (2004) _* 53.5 billion kWh (2005 est.) _+ 1.5 billion kWh (2004) _, 3.4 billion kWh (2004) _- 5,401 bbl/day (2004 est.) _. 435,700 bbl/day (2005 est.) _/ 84,720 bbl/day (2001) _0 468,300 bbl/day (2001) _W 4.5 million bbl (1 January 2002) _1 23 million cu m (2004 est.) _2 2.34 billion cu m (2005 est.) _X 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Y 2.641 billion cu m (2004 est.) _Z 991.1 million cu m (1 January 2005 est.) _Q $-21.37 billion (2006 est.) _3 $24.42 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) _4 food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles _5 Germany 12.4%, Italy 10.4%, UK 6.7%, Bulgaria 5.9%, US 5.3%, Cyprus 5.2%, Turkey 5.1%, France 4.2% (2005) _6 $59.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) _7 machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals _8 Germany 12.7%, Italy 12.4%, Russia 7.8%, France 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2005) _[ $2.5 billion (2006 est.) _9 $301.9 billion (30 June 2006 est.) _: $8 billion annually from EU (2000-06); Greece will receive about $3.8 billion per year between 2007-13 under the EU's Community Support Funds IV _; euro (EUR) `* on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries _< euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 6.303 million (2005) _? 10.043 million (2005) _@ `G adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good mobile telephone and international service `H microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands `I country code - 30; tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) _A AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998) _B 36 (plus 1,341 repeaters); also 2 stations in the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995) _C .gr _D 587,717 (2006) _E 3.8 million (2005) 
]' _F 82 (2006) _G `! 66 `a 5 `J 16 `b 19 `c 17 `W 9 (2006) _R `! 16 `c 3 `W 13 (2006) _] 8 (2006) _^ gas 1,166 km; oil 94 km (2006) _e `! 2,571 km `m 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified) `n 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge `t 23 km combined 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2005) _H `! 114,931 km `K 105,507 km (includes 880 km of expressways) `L 9,424 km (2004) _b 6 km `* Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2006) _S `! 817 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,895,832 GRT/54,341,584 DWT by type: bulk carrier 270, cargo 61, chemical tanker 47, container 47, liquefied gas 5, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 114, petroleum tanker 244, roll on/roll off 17, specialized tanker 1 `X 24 (Belgium 12, Cyprus 1, Hong Kong 1, UK 9, US 1) `d 2,363 (Bahamas 232, Barbados 11, Belgium 4, Belize 2, Bermuda 2, Cambodia 8, Cayman Islands 21, Comoros 10, Cyprus 337, Denmark 5, Dominica 5, Egypt 6, Georgia 8, Gibraltar 7, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 27, Isle of Man 45, Italy 6, Jamaica 6, North Korea 1, Lebanon 3, Liberia 267, Malta 495, Marshall Islands 199, Norway 1, Panama 524, Philippines 5, Portugal 4, Russia 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 82, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Singapore 9, Slovakia 4, UAE 2, UK 7, Uruguay 1, US 1, Venezuela 3, unknown 7) (2006) _I Agioitheodoroi, Aspropyrgos, Irakleion, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki 
]( _J Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Ellinikos Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polimiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2007) _T 18 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 12 months for the Army, Air Force; 15 months for Navy; women are eligible for military service (2005) _K males age 18-49: 2,459,988 females age 18-49: 2,442,818 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 2,018,557 females age 18-49: 2,000,650 (2005 est.) _L males age 18-49: 58,399 females age 18-49: 55,571 (2005 est.) _U 4.3% (2005 est.) 
]) _N Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; Greece rejects the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia; the mass migration of unemployed Albanians still remains a problem for developed countries, chiefly Greece and Italy _O a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime 