1993 Edition

Area

total area: 131,940 km2 land area: 130,800 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Alabama

Climate

temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Coastline

13,676 km

Environment

subject to severe earthquakes; air pollution

International disputes

air, continental shelf, and territorial water disputes with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; northern Epirus question with Albania; Macedonia question with Bulgaria and Macedonia

Irrigated land

11,900 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 1,210 km, Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 228 km

Land use

arable land: 23% permanent crops: 8% meadows and pastures: 40% forest and woodland: 20% other: 9%

Location

Southern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and Bulgaria

Map references

Africa, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 6 nm, but Greece has threatened to claim 12 nm

Natural resources

bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble

Note

strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands

Terrain

mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Birth rate

10.42 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

9.36 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Greek 98%, other 2% note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece

Infant mortality rate

8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

3,966,900 by occupation: services 45%, agriculture 27%, industry 28% (1990)

Languages

Greek (official), English, French

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.5 years male: 75.02 years female: 80.12 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 93% male: 98% female: 89%

Nationality

noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek

Net migration rate

8.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

10,470,460 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

0.95% (1993 est.)

Religions

Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%

Total fertility rate

1.44 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Administrative divisions

52 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos); Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Dhrama, 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, Piraievs, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos, autonomous region: Agion Oros (Mt. Athos)

Capital

Athens

Chamber of Deputies

last held 8 April 1990 (next must be held by May 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, DEANA 1, Ecologist-Alternative List 1 note: deputies shifting from one party to another and the dissolution of party

124, Left Alliance 14, KKE 7, Muslim deputies 2, Ecologist-Alternative List 1

coalitions have resulted in the following seating arrangement

ND 152, PASOK

Chief of State

President Konstantinos KARAMANLIS (since 5 May 1990)

Constitution

11 June 1975

Digraph

GR

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 939-5800

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

FAX

(202) 939-5824 consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate: New Orleans

[30] (1) 645-6282 consulate general: Thessaloniki

Flag

nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country

Head of Government

Prime Minister Konstantinos MITSOTAKIS (since 11 April 1990)

Independence

1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)

Judicial branch

Supreme Judicial Court, Special Supreme Tribunal

Legal system

based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts

Legislative branch

unicameral Greek Chamber of Deputies (Vouli ton Ellinon)

Member of

Australian Group, BIS, BSEC, 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, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Names

conventional long form: Hellenic Republic conventional short form: Greece local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia local short form: Ellas former: Kingdom of Greece

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 March (1821) (proclamation of the war of independence)

Political parties and leaders

New Democracy (ND; conservative), Konstantinos MITSOTAKIS; Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas PAPANDREOU; Left Alliance, Maria DAMANAKI; Democratic Renewal (DIANA), Konstantinos STEFANOPOULOS; Communist Party (KKE), Aleka PAPARIGA; Ecologist-Alternative List, leader rotates

President

last held 4 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results - Konstantinos KARAMANLIS was elected by Parliament

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type

presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James A. WILLIAMS embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, Box 56, APO AE 09842 telephone: [30] (1) 721-2951 or 721-8401

Agriculture

including fishing and forestry, accounts for 15% of GDP and 27% of the labor force; principal products - wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; self-sufficient in food except meat, dairy products, and animal feedstuffs; fish catch of 116,600 metric tons in 1988

Budget

revenues $37.6 billion; expenditures $45.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.4 billion (1993)

Currency

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 (1970-89), $1,390 million

Electricity

10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,400 million kWh produced, 3,610 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates

drachma (Dr) per US$1 - 215.82 (January 1993), 190.62 (1992), 182.27 (1991), 158.51 (1990), 162.42 (1989), 141.86 (1988)

Exports

$6.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: manufactured goods 53%, foodstuffs 31%, fuels 9% partners: Germany 24%, France 18%, Italy 17%, UK 7%, US 6%

External debt

$23.7 billion (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis and limited opium; mostly for domestic production; serves as a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route

Imports

$21.5 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: manufactured goods 71%, foodstuffs 14%, fuels 10% partners: Germany 20%, Italy 14%, France 8%, UK 5%, US 4%

Industrial production

growth rate -1.0% (1991); accounts for 20% of GDP

Industries

food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, mining, petroleum

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15.6% (1992)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $82.9 billion (1992)

National product per capita

$8,200 (1992)

National product real growth rate

1.2% (1992)

Overview

Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the basic entrepreneurial system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist system that enlarged the public sector from 55% of GDP in 1981 to about 70% when Prime Minister MITSOTAKIS took office. Tourism continues as a major source of foreign exchange, and agriculture is self-sufficient except for meat, dairy products, and animal feedstuffs. Since 1986, real GDP growth has averaged only 1.6% a year, compared with the Europen Community average of 3%. The MITSOTAKIS government has made little progress during its two and one-half years in power in

still four times the EC average, a large public sector deficit, and a fragile current account position. In early 1991, the government secured a three-year, $2.5 billion assistance package from the EC under the strictest terms yet imposed on a member country, as the EC finally ran out of patience with Greece's failure to put its financial affairs in order. On the advice of the EC Commission, Greece delayed applying for the second installment until 1993 because of the failure of the government to meet the 1992 targets. Although MITSOTAKIS faced down the unions in mid-1992 in a dispute over privatization plans, social security reform, and tax and price increases, and his new economics czar, Stephanos MANOS, is a respected economist committed to renovating the ailing economy. However, a national elections due by May 1994 will probably prompt MITSOTAKIS to backtrack on economic reform. In 1993, the GDP growth rate likely will remain low; the inflation rate probably will continue to fall, while remaining the highest in the EC.

coming to grips with Greece's main economic problems

an inflation rate

Unemployment rate

9.1% (1992)

Airports

total: 78 usable: 77 with permanent-surface runways: 63 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 24

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; including the Corinth Canal (6 km) which crosses the Isthmus of Corinth connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf and shortens the sea voyage from the Adriatic to Piraievs (Piraeus) by 325 km; and three unconnected rivers

Merchant marine

998 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 25,483,768 GRT/47,047,285 DWT; includes 14 passenger, 66 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 128 cargo, 26 container, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 14 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 214 oil tanker, 19 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 42 combination ore/oil, 3 specialized tanker, 424 bulk, 22 combination bulk, 1 livestock carrier; note - ethnic Greeks also own large numbers of ships under the registry of Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, Malta, and The Bahamas

Pipelines

crude oil 26 km; petroleum products 547 km

Ports

Piraievs (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; 4,080,000 telephones; microwave radio relay carries most traffic; extensive open-wire network; submarine cables to off-shore islands; broadcast stations - 29 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 361 TV; tropospheric links, 8 submarine cables; 1 satellite earth station operating in INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean antenna), and EUTELSAT systems

Branches

Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, National Guard, Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $4.2 billion, 5.1% of GDP (1992)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 2,606,267; fit for military service 1,996,835; reach military age (21) annually 73,541 (1993 est.)