Greece Country statistics
area: | 131,990sq km (50,961sq mi) 10,939,771 |
capital (population): | Athens (757,400) |
government: | Multi-party republic |
ethnic groups: | Greek 96%, Macedonian 2%, Turkish 1%, Albanian, Slav |
languages: | Greek (official) |
religions: | Greek Orthodox 97%, Muslim 2% |
currency: | Euro = 100 cents |
Republic in
se Europe. The mountainous, maritime Hellenic Republic can be divided into four geographical regions: Northern Greece includes the historic regions of
Thrace and
Macedonia, and its second-largest city
Thessaloníki. Central Greece,
n of the Gulf of Corinth, includes the capital and largest city,
Athens, and its highest peak, Mount
Olympus at 2917m (9570ft). Southern Greece is the
Peloponnisos peninsula, and includes the city of
Corinth. The fourth region is the Greek islands, which constitute
c.20% of Greece. The largest island,
Crete, lies in the Mediterranean Sea. In the Aegean Sea lie the Sporades archipelago (including
Euboea), the
Dodecanese (including
Rhodes), the Cyclades group, and the
ne island of
Lesbos.
Climate and Vegetation
Low-lying areas have mild, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The
e coast has
c.50% of the rainfall of the
w. The mountains have a much more severe climate. Much of Greece's original vegetation has been destroyed. Some areas are covered by maquis (scrub).
History and Politics
Crete was the centre of
Minoan civilization, between
c.3000 and 1450 bc. The
Mycenaean civilization followed the Minoan and prospered until the
Dorians settled in
c.1200 bc. Powerful city-states emerged, such as
Sparta and Athens. Solon established
democracy in Athens (5th century
bc). The revolt of the
Ionians started the
Persian Wars (499–479 bc). See
GreeceCorinth and
Thebes gained control after Athens' defeat in the
Peloponnesian War (431–404 bc). In 338 bc,
Macedon, led by
Philip II, became the dominant power. His son,
Alexander the Great, ushered in the
Hellenistic Age. Greece became a Roman province in 146 bc. Greece formed part of the
Byzantine Empire from ad 330 to 1453. In 1456, the Ottomans conquered Greece.
The European powers supported the Greek War of Independence (1821–27), and an independent monarchy emerged in 1832. As King of the Hellenes (1863–1913),
George I recovered much Greek territory. In 1913, Greece gained Crete. Greece finally entered World War I on the Allied side in 1917. In 1923, 1.5 million Greeks from Asia Minor resettled in Greece. In 1936, Joannis
Metaxas became premier. His dictatorial regime remained neutral at the start of World War II. By May 1941, Germany occupied Greece. Resistance movements recaptured most territory by 1944, and the Germans withdrew.
From 1946–49, a civil war raged between communist and royalist forces. In 1951, Greece joined NATO. In 1955,
Karamanlis became prime minister. The economy slowly improved, but tension surfaced with Turkey about the status of
Cyprus. In 1964 a republican, George Papandreou, became prime minister. In 1967, a military dictatorship seized power. The ‘Colonels’ imposed harsh controls on dissent. In 1973, they abolished the monarchy, and Greece became a presidential republic. In 1974 civil unrest led to the restoration of civilian government, headed by Karamanlis. In 1981, Greece joined the European Community and Andreas
Papandreou became Greece's first socialist prime minister. In 1990, Karamanlis returned as president. In 1995, Constantine Stephanopoulos succeeded Karamanlis. The Panhellenic Socialist Party
(PASOK), led by Kostas Simitis, won the 1996 election. Pledging to take Greece into the European single currency, Simitis was re-elected in 2000. In 2004, Costas Karamanlis' New Democracy (ND) party was elected.
Economy
Greece is one of the poorest members of the European Union (2000 GDP per capita, US$17,200). Manufacturing is important. Products: textiles, cement, chemicals. Minerals: lignite, bauxite, chromite. Farmland covers
c.33% of Greece; grazing land covers 40%. Major crops: tobacco, fruit (olives, grapes), cotton, wheat. Shipping and tourism are major sectors.
Political map
Physical map
Websites
http://www.greekembassy.org; http://www.greece.gr/