_#_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)
_%_
_@_Greenland
(part of the Danish realm)
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 2,175,600 km2; land area: 341,700 km2 (ice free)
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 44,087 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;