Facts On Greece

Here are some interesting facts on Greece that you might be interested to learn about:

Capital: Athens

Size: 131,940 sq. km (land 99%, sea 1%)
land: 130,800 sq. km
water: 1,140 sq. km

Coastline: 136,76km

Population: 10,668,354 July 2005 est. (46% men, 54% women)

Languages: Greek 99% (official), English, French
Coordinates: 39 00N 22 00E
Borders to: Albania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey
Highest mountain: Mt Olympus, 2917 m
Capital: Athens

Natural resources: petroleum, marble, hydropower, magnesite, lignite, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, salt
Natural hazards: earthquakes

Currency: EURO €
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 

Religion: 98% Greek Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, 0.7% Other

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Population (total): 97.5%
male: 98.6%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Population growth: 021%

Life expectancy: 78.65 years (total population)
male: 75.66 years
female: 81.81 years (2005 est.)

Work branches: 8,3 % agriculture, 27,3 % industry, 64,4 % services
Unemployment: 8,9% (2006)
Industries: agriculture: food, wine, tobacco, dairy products, olives, tomatoes, potatoes, meat, corn, wheat, barley, sugar beets Tourism, textiles, Chemicals, Metal, Mining, petroleum.

Government Type: parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974

Administrative divisions:51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos)and 1 autonomous region*; Ayion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Achaia, Argolis, Arkadia, Arta, Attici, Dodekanisos, Drama, Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotida, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Karditsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Cephalonia, Kerkyra (Corfu), Halcidiki, Chania, Chios, Cyclades, Kilkis, Korinth, Kozani, Lakonia, Larissa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Lefcas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethymnon, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakynthos
 
National Holiday: 25 March (1821 Day when the war of independence broke out.)

Chief of State: Karolos Papoulias
Prime Minister: Konstantinos Karamanlis of the liberal party (NEA DEMOKRATIA) since September-17-2007

Elections: every 4 years
Parliament: 300 seats, the MP's are voted by the people for four years.
Last election (16 Septemper 2007): NEA DEMOKRATIA 41.83 % (152 seats), PASOK 38.10 % (102) , KKE 8.15% (22), SY.RI.ZA 5.04% (14), LA.O.S 3.80% (10). source www.ypes.gr.

Budget:(2005-2006) Gross Domestic Product 226.4 billion $ Gross National Product 218 billion $ world rank 29 Gross National Income per capita 22,205 $ world rank 24,
National external debt: $301,9 billion $. Annual inflation 2.8%

Labour Force: 4.4 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $15.5 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports: $54.28 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Electricity: 91,24% hydro, 8,26% fossil fuel, 0,5% other
Ports and harbors: Alexandroupolis, Eleusis, Irakleion, Kavala, Kerkyra (Corfu), Chalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patras, Pireus, Thessaloniki, Volos

International organizations: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Trade partners: Germany, Italy, UK, France, Netherlands, US.
National Service: Obligatory, usually around 1,5-2 years.
Military branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, National Guard, Police.

Telephones (main lines in use): 5,205,100 (2003)
Telephones (mobile cellular): 8,936,200 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
Internet hosts: 208,977 (2004)
Internet users: 1,718,400 (2003)