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Greece Country Guide
Explore Greece in Europe
The terrain features mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands. The average density of population is approximately 81 per km². The notable climate conditions in Greece can be described as temperate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Potential natural disasters are severe earthquakes.
To reach someone in Greece dial +30 prior to a number. There are 5,930,000 installed telephones. And there are 13,295,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".gr". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Greece
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.
Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. 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-Communist 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 Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Europe Neighbours: Albania, Macedonia, Turkey, Bulgaria Capital: Athens |
| Size | 131,940 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 50,942 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Alabama |
| Population | 10,722,000 |
| Currency | Name Euro, Currency Code:EUR |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .gr |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +30 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 13,295,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 5,930,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 131,957 (sq km) | 97 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,772,967 | 81 |
| Population growth rate | 0.04 (%) | 188 |
| Birth rate | 8.94 (births/1,000 population) | 209 |
| Death rate | 10.90 (deaths/1,000 population) | 41 |
| Net migration rate | 2.32 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 36 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 3.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 181 |
| Infant mortality rate | 4.85 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 180 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.18 (years) | 31 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.40 (children born/woman) | 205 |
| Health expenditures | 10.30 (% of GDP) | 27 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.10 (%) | 131 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 8,800 | 103 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 500 | 92 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 20.10 (%) | 96 |
| Education expenditures | 4.10 (% of GDP) | 105 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 44.40 (%) | 10 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 281,400,000,000 | 47 |
| GDP - real growth rate | -6.40 (%) | 218 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 24,900 | 63 |
| Labor force | 4,951,000 | 78 |
| Unemployment rate | 24.40 (%) | 172 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 33.00 | 99 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 10.40 (% of GDP) | 146 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 43.60 (% of GDP) | 31 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -7.70 (% of GDP) | 194 |
| Public debt | 161.30 (% of GDP) | 3 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.10 (%) | 13 |
| Central bank discount rate | 1.75 (%) | 114 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 7.15 (%) | 126 |
| Stock of narrow money | 120,000,000,000 | 28 |
| Stock of broad money | 251,500,000,000 | 35 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 388,500,000,000 | 32 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 72,640,000,000 | 48 |
| Industrial production growth rate | -8.50 (%) | 167 |
| Current account balance | -16,680,000,000 | 179 |
| Exports | 26,670,000,000 | 69 |
| Imports | 57,920,000,000 | 51 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 6,900,000,000 | 82 |
| Debt - external | 576,600,000,000 | 25 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 27,260,000,000 | 62 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 41,490,000,000 | 39 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 57,110,000,000 (kWh) | 46 |
| Electricity - consumption | 58,710,000,000 (kWh) | 44 |
| Electricity - exports | 2,571,000,000 (kWh) | 40 |
| Electricity - imports | 8,517,000,000 (kWh) | 27 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 14,360,000 (kW) | 46 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 70.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 105 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 17.00 (% of total installed capacity) | 100 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 8.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 24 |
| Crude oil - production | 1,751 (bbl/day) | 95 |
| Crude oil - exports | 19,960 (bbl/day) | 53 |
| Crude oil - imports | 355,600 (bbl/day) | 25 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 10,000,000 (bbl) | 93 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 440,200 (bbl/day) | 35 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 343,400 (bbl/day) | 36 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 161,400 (bbl/day) | 36 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 140,800 (bbl/day) | 41 |
| Natural gas - production | 1,000,000 (cu m) | 93 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 4,737,000,000 (cu m) | 63 |
| Natural gas - imports | 4,762,000,000 (cu m) | 34 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 991,100,000 (cu m) | 101 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 92,990,000 (Mt) | 40 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 5,745,000 | 29 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 12,128,000 | 65 |
| Internet hosts | 3,201,000 | 32 |
| Internet users | 4,971,000 | 46 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 82 | 69 |
| Railways | 2,548 (km) | 65 |
| Roadways | 116,711 (km) | 38 |
| Waterways | 6 (km) | 107 |
| Merchant marine | 860 | 12 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 4.30 (% of GDP) | 21 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Acropolis, Athens The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world. In the second half of the fifth century bc, ... | 1987 |
| Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina) The city of Aigai, the ancient first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia, was discovered in the 19th century near Vergina, in northern Greece. The most important remains are the monumental palace, lavishly decorated with mosaics and painted stuccoes, ... | 1996 |
| Archaeological Site of Delphi The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world'. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed ... | 1987 |
| Archaeological Site of Mystras Mystras, the 'wonder of the Morea', was built as an amphitheatre around the fortress erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconquered by the Byzantines, then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians, the city was abandone ... | 1989 |
| Archaeological Site of Olympia The site of Olympia, in a valley in the Peloponnesus, has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the 10th century B.C., Olympia became a centre for the worship of Zeus. The Altis – the sanctuary to the gods – has one of the highest concentrations ... | 1989 |
| Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns The archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns are the imposing ruins of the two greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization, which dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century B.C. and played a vital role in the deve ... | 1999 |
| Delos According to Greek mythology, Apollo was born on this tiny island in the Cyclades archipelago. Apollo's sanctuary attracted pilgrims from all over Greece and Delos was a prosperous trading port. The island bears traces of the succeeding civilizations ... | 1990 |
| Medieval City of Rhodes The Order of St John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1523 and set about transforming the city into a stronghold. It subsequently came under Turkish and Italian rule. With the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Great Hospital and the Street of ... | 1988 |
| Meteora In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the ereme ... | 1988 |
| Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios Although geographically distant from each other, these three monasteries (the first is in Attica, near Athens, the second in Phocida near Delphi, and the third on an island in the Aegean Sea, near Asia Minor) belong to the same typological series and ... | 1990 |
| Mount Athos An Orthodox spiritual centre since 1054, Mount Athos has enjoyed an autonomous statute since Byzantine times. The 'Holy Mountain', which is forbidden to women and children, is also a recognized artistic site. The layout of the monasteries (about 20 o ... | 1988 |
| Old Town of Corfu The Old Town of Corfu, on the Island of Corfu off the western coasts of Albania and Greece, is located in a strategic position at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea, and has its roots in the 8th century BC. The three forts of the town, designed by reno ... | 2007 |
| Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika Founded in 315 B.C., the provincial capital and sea port of Thessalonika was one of the first bases for the spread of Christianity. Among its Christian monuments are fine churches, some built on the Greek cross plan and others on the three-nave basil ... | 1988 |
| Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos Many civilizations have inhabited this small Aegean island, near Asia Minor, since the 3rd millennium B.C. The remains of Pythagoreion, an ancient fortified port with Greek and Roman monuments and a spectacular tunnel-aqueduct, as well as the Heraion ... | 1992 |
| Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus In a small valley in the Peloponnesus, the shrine of Asklepios, the god of medicine, developed out of a much earlier cult of Apollo (Maleatas), during the 6th century BC at the latest, as the official cult of the city state of Epidaurus. Its principa ... | 1988 |
| Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae This famous temple to the god of healing and the sun was built towards the middle of the 5th century B.C. in the lonely heights of the Arcadian mountains. The temple, which has the oldest Corinthian capital yet found, combines the Archaic style and t ... | 1986 |
| The Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos The small island of Pátmos in the Dodecanese is reputed to be where St John the Theologian wrote both his Gospel and the Apocalypse. A monastery dedicated to the ‘beloved disciple’ was founded there in the late 10th century and it has been a place of ... | 1999 |