country comparison to the world: 183
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
Oil - consumption:
21,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
Oil - imports:
25,610 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Exports:
$271 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Exports - commodities:
(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods
Imports:
$2.967 billion (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
Imports - commodities:
fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar - 0.6494 (2009), 0.5302 (2008),
0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006)
note: the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Communications ::Gibraltar
Telephones - main lines in use:
24,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 186
Telephones - mobile cellular:
28,600 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 203
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate
international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio
relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media:
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides television and
radio broadcasting services via 1 television station and 4 radio
stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1
radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are
accessible (2008)
Internet country code:
.gi
Internet hosts:
2,053 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 154
Internet users:
20,200 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 192
Transportation ::Gibraltar
Airports:
1 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 222
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 29 km
country comparison to the world: 218
paved: 29 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 265
country comparison to the world: 32
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 139, chemical tanker 65, container
35, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 4,
vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned: 250 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 1, Denmark 6, Finland 2,
Germany 125, Greece 7, Iceland 1, Italy 4, Jersey 1, Morocco 4,
Netherlands 33, Norway 42, Singapore 1, Sweden 12, UAE 5, UK 4)
registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 5, Panama 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Gibraltar
Military ::Gibraltar
Military branches:
Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,949 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,955
females age 16-49: 5,687 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 250
female: 233 (2010 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal Gibraltar
Regiment replaced the last British regular infantry forces in 1992
Transnational Issues ::Gibraltar
Disputes - international:
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to
reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the government of
Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and
Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater
autonomy
page last updated on January 26, 2011
======================================================================
@Greece (Europe)
Introduction ::Greece
Background:
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 other anti-Communists and Communist
rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in
1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power,
establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political
liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 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 European Economic and
Monetary Union in 2001. In 2010, the prospect of a Greek default on
its euro-denominated debt created severe strains within the EMU and
raised the question of whether a member country might voluntarily
leave the common currency or be removed.
Geography ::Greece
Location:
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the
Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 22 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 131,957 sq km
country comparison to the world: 96
land: 130,647 sq km
water: 1,310 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Alabama
Land boundaries:
total: 1,228 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km,
Macedonia 246 km
Coastline:
13,676 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain:
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or
chains of islands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m
Natural resources:
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel,
magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 20.45%
permanent crops: 8.59%
other: 70.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,530 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
72 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.7 cu km/yr (16%/3%/81%)
per capita: 782 cu m/yr (1997)
Natural hazards:
severe earthquakes
volcanism: Santorini (elev. 367 m, 1,204 ft) has been deemed a
"Decade Volcano" by the International Association of Volcanology and
Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its
explosive history and close proximity to human populations; although
there have been very few eruptions in recent centuries, Methana and
Nisyros in the Aegean are classified as historically active
Environment - current issues:
air pollution; water pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: 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
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Geography - note:
strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach
to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago
of about 2,000 islands
People ::Greece
Population:
10,749,943 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.3% (male 788,722/female 742,270)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 3,568,660/female 3,578,344)
65 years and over: 19.2% (male 902,617/female 1,156,815) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.2 years
male: 41.1 years
female: 43.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.106% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Birth rate:
9.34 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
Death rate:
10.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Net migration rate:
2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
Urbanization:
urban population: 61% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.064 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 185
male: 5.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.8 years
country comparison to the world: 29
male: 77.24 years
female: 82.52 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.37 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Nationality:
noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek
Ethnic groups:
population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census)
note: percents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect
data on ethnicity
Religions:
Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Languages:
Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 97.8%
female: 94.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
4% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 105
Government ::Greece
Country name:
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Kingdom of Greece
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Athens
geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*;
Achaia, Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Argolis,
Arkadia, Arta, Attiki, Chalkidiki, Chania, 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, Lefkada, Lesvos, Magnisia, Messinia,
Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethymnis, Rodopi, Samos, Serres,
Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakynthos
Independence:
1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
Constitution:
11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001
Legal system:
based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal,
and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Georgios Andreas PAPANDREOU
(since 6 October 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 February 2010
(next to be held by February 2015); president appoints leader of the
party securing plurality of vote in election to become prime
minister and form a government
election results: Karolos PAPOULIAS reelected president; number of
parliamentary votes, 266 out of 300
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members
elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 4 October 2009 (next to be held by 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - PASOK 43.9%, ND 33.5%,
KKE 7.5%, LAOS 5.6%, SYRIZA 4.6%, other 4.9%; seats by party - PASOK
160, ND 91, KKE 21, LAOS 15, SYRIZA 13; note - seats by party as of
15 December 2010 - PASOK 156, ND 86, KKE 21 LAOS 15, SYRIZA 9, DISY
5, Democratic Left 4, independents 4 (DISY and Democratic Left
entered parliament as members of ND and SYRIZA, respectively, and
the independents entered parliament as members of PASOK); only
parties supassing a 3% threshold are entitled to parliamentary
seats; parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups,
but can retain that status if the party participated in the last
election and received the minimum 3% threshold
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges are
appointed for life by the president after consultation with a
judicial council
Political parties and leaders:
Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow or ANTARSYA
[Petros KONSTANTINOU]; Coalition of the Radical Left or SYRIZA
[Alexis TSIPRAS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA];
Democratic Left [Fotis KOUVELIS]; Democratic Alliance or DISY
[Theodora BAKOGIANNI]; Ecologist Greens [Nikos CHRYSOGELOS]; Golden
Dawn [Nikolaos MICHALOLIAKOS]; New Democracy or ND [Antonis
SAMARAS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Georgios
PAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox Rally or LAOS [Georgios KARATZAFERIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS];
Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS];
General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU,
FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO,
ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Vassilis KASKARELIS
chancery: 2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San
Francisco, Tampa
consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel Bennett SMITH
embassy: 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens
mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108
telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951
FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282
consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki
Flag description:
nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue
square bearing a white cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner;
the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of
the country; there is no agreed upon meaning for the nine stripes or
for the colors; the exact shade of blue has never been set by law
and has varied from a light to a dark blue over time
National anthem:
name: "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)
lyrics/music: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS
note: adopted 1864; the anthem is based on a 158 verse poem by the
same name, which was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821
against the Ottomans; Cyprus also uses "Hymn to Liberty" as its
anthem
Economy ::Greece
Economy - overview:
Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector accounting
for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP about two-thirds that
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 2007, 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. But the economy went
into recession in 2009 as a result of the world financial crisis,
tightening credit conditions, and Athens' failure to address a
growing budget deficit, which was triggered by falling state
revenues, and increased government expenditures. The economy
contracted by 2% in 2009, and 4.8% in 2010. Greece violated the EU's
Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criterion of no more than
3% of GDP from 2001 to 2006, but finally met that criterion in
2007-08, before exceeding it again in 2009, with the deficit
reaching 15.4% of GDP. Austerity measures reduced the deficit to
9.4% of GDP in 2010. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment are
above the euro-zone average while per capita income is below;
unemployment rose to 12% in 2010. Eroding public finances, a
credibility gap stemming from inaccurate and misreported statistics,
and consistent underperformance on following through with reforms
prompted major credit rating agencies in late 2009 to downgrade
Greece's international debt rating, and has led the country into a
financial crisis. Under intense pressure by the EU and international
market participants, the government has adopted a medium-term
austerity program that includes cutting government spending,
reducing the size of the public sector, decreasing tax evasion,
reforming the health care and pension systems, and improving
competitiveness through structural reforms to the labor and product
markets. Athens, however, faces long-term challenges to push through
unpopular reforms in the face of often vocal opposition from the
country's powerful labor unions and the general public. Greek labor
unions are striking over new austerity measures, but the strikes so
far have had a limited impact on the government's will to adopt
reforms. An uptick in widespread unrest, however, could challenge
the government's ability to implement reforms and meet budget
targets, and could also lead to rioting or violence. In April 2010 a
leading credit agency assigned Greek debt its lowest possible credit
rating; in May, the International Monetary Fund and Eurozone
governments provided Greece emergency short- and medium-term loans
worth $147 billion so that the country could make debt repayments to
creditors. In exchange for the largest bailout ever assembled, the
government announced combined spending cuts and tax increases
totaling $40 billion over three years, on top of the tough austerity
measures already taken. Greece, however, struggled to boost revenues
and cut spending to meet 2010 targets set by the EU and the IMF,
especially after Eurostat - the EU's statistical office - revised
upward Greece's deficit and debt numbers for 2009 and 2010. Greece's
lenders are calling on Athens to step up efforts in 2011 to increase
tax collection, shore up public enterprises, and rein in health
spending, and are planning to give Greece more time to repay its
EU-IMF loan. Greece responded by introducing major structural
reforms, but investors still question whether Greece can sustain
fiscal efforts in the face of a bleak economic outlook and public
discontent.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$321.7 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
$337.9 billion (2009 est.)
$344.8 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$302 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-4.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211
-2% (2009 est.)
2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,200 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
$31,500 (2009 est.)
$32,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 17.6%
services: 78.5% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
5.05 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 12.4%
industry: 22.4%
services: 65.1% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
12% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
9.4% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
20% (2009 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 26% (2000 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 96
35.4 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
14.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
Public debt:
144% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
126.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
1.2% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1.75% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 117
3% (31 December 2008)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal
lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro
area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.59% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
8.65% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$152.8 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 22
$172.8 billion (31 December 2009 est)
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro
area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for
the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual
members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating
within their own borders
Stock of broad money:
$335.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
$368.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$419.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
$394.6 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$54.72 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 37
$90.4 billion (31 December 2008)
$264.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco,
potatoes; beef, dairy products
Industries:
tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal
products; mining, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Electricity - production:
58.79 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Electricity - consumption:
58.28 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
Electricity - exports:
1.962 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
7.575 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
6,779 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Oil - consumption:
414,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
Oil - exports:
153,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Oil - imports:
520,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
Oil - proved reserves:
10 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Natural gas - production:
9 million cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Natural gas - consumption:
3.528 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74