1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Coastline
13,676 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Alabama
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
Environment
subject to severe earthquakes; air pollution; archipelago of 2,000 islands
Land boundaries
1,228 km total; Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Yugoslavia 246 km
Land use
arable land 23%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 20%; other 9%; includes irrigated 7%
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Territorial sea: 6 nm
Natural resources
bauxite, lignite, magnesite, crude oil, marble
Note
strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits
Terrain
mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Total area
131,940 km2; land area: 130,800 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
11 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Greek 98%, other 2%; note--the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Infant mortality rate
10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
3,860,000; services 43%, agriculture 27%, manufacturing and mining 20%, construction 7% (1985)
Language
Greek (official); English and French widely understood
Life expectancy at birth
75 years male, 80 years female (1991)
Literacy
93% (male 98%, female 89%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Greek(s); adjective--Greek
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
10-15% of total labor force, 20-25% of urban labor force
Population
10,042,956 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
Religion
Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Total fertility rate
1.5 children born/woman (1991)
Government
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
Capital
Athens
Communists
an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers
Constitution
11 June 1975
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
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)
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Cabinet
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
Independence
1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)
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)
Legal system
NA
Legislative branch
unicameral Greek Chamber of Deputies (Vouli ton Ellinon)
Long-form name
Hellenic Republic
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
National holiday
Independence Day (proclamation of the war of independence), 25 March (1821)
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
Type
presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974
Economy
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
Budget
revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $34.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
Currency
drachma (plural--drachmas); 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
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
Electricity
10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh produced, 3,630 kWh per capita (1989)
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)
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%
External debt
$18.7 billion (1989)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$76.7 billion, per capita $7,650; real growth rate 0.9% (1990)
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%
Industrial production
growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.); accounts for 22% of GDP
Industries
food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, mining, petroleum
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
19.0% (1990)
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.
Unemployment rate
9.0% (1989)
Communications
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
Civil air
35 major transport aircraft
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
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
Pipelines
crude oil, 26 km; refined products, 547 km
Ports
Piraeus, Thessaloniki
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
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
Military and Security
Branches
Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force
Defense expenditures
$3.7 billion, 5.5% of GDP (1990) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 2,434,762; 1,870,699 fit for military service; 72,707 reach military age (21) annually