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conventional long form: Hellenic Republic conventional short form: Greece local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia local short form: Ellas or Ellada former: Kingdom of Greece
Please note - These data have been taken from the CIA
World Factbook and are
used with permission
Country Profile [CIA World Factbook]
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 Communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 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 euro zone in 2001.
Disputes
Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; Greece rejects the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia; the mass migration of unemployed Albanians still remains a problem for developed countries, chiefly Greece and Italy
| Location |
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey |
| Coordinates |
39° 0' N 22° 0' E |
| Capital
| Athens |
| Main Cities |
Heraklion, Larisa, Patras, Thessaloniki, Volos |
| Area |
131940 km2 |
| Boundaries (km) |
1,228 - Albania 282, Bulgaria 494, Turkey 206, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 246 |
| Coastline (km) |
13,676 |
| Timezone (GMT) |
2 |
| Population |
10,737,428 (July 2009 est.) (Demographics) |
| Public Holidays |
Independence Day, 25 March (1821) |
| Currency |
euro (EUR) |
| GDP |
$324.6 billion (2007 est.) (Economic data) |
| Main Exports |
food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles |
| Climate |
temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers |
| Natural Hazards |
severe earthquakes |
| Physical Features |
Santorini (Thera) volcano, Pindhos mountains, Rhodope mountains, many island chains |
| Environmental 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 |
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These data have been taken from the CIA World Factbook and are
used with permission
