Greece

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Greece (Modèle:Lang-el Modèle:IPA or Ελλάς Modèle:IPA), officially the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Modèle:IPA),<ref> World Factbook - Greece: Government

. CIA
. www.cia.gov 
 
 (2007-03-15)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-04-07. </ref> is a country in Southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It borders Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and south of mainland Greece, while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. Both parts of the Eastern Mediterranean basin feature a vast number of islands.

Greece lies at the juncture of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is heir to the heritages of ancient Greece, the Byzantine Empire,<ref>Sir Steven Runciman, Conclusion, The Fall of Constantinople</ref> and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule.<ref>"Greece." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 6 Sept. 2006 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9106266>.</ref> Greece has a particularly long and eventful history and a cultural heritage that both shaped and has been shaped by cultures throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Europe. It is usually regarded as the birthplace of the first major democracy,<ref>Finley, M. I. Democracy Ancient and Modern. 2d ed., 1985. London: Hogarth.</ref> Western philosophy,<ref> History of Philosophy, Volume 1 by Frederick Copleston</ref> the Olympic Games, Western literature, political science, major scientific and mathematic principles, and Western drama<ref>Brockett, Oscar G. History of the Theatre. sixth ed., 1991. Boston; London: Allyn and Bacon.</ref> including both tragedy and comedy.

Modern Greece is a developed country, a member of the European Union since 1981,<ref> Member States of the EU: Greece

. European Union
. europa.eu  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-04-07. </ref> a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union since 2001, NATO since 1952, the OECD since 1961,<ref> Convention on the OECD

. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
. www.oecd.org  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-04-07. </ref> the WEU since 1995, and ESA since 2005.<ref name = ESA> Greece becomes 16th ESA Member State

. European Space Agency
. www.esa.int 
 
 (2005-03-22)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-04-07. </ref> Athens is the capital; Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, Volos and Larissa are some of the country's other major cities.

History

Main article: History of Greece

The shores of Greece's Aegean Sea viewed the emergence of the first advanced civilizations in Europe. Minoan and Mycenean civilizations, and later Greek city-states, emerged across the Greek peninsula but also on the shores of Black Sea, South Italy and Asia Minor, reaching great levels of prosperity that resulted in an unprecedented cultural boom, expressed in architecture, tragedy, drama, science and philosophy, and nurtured in Athens under a democratic environment. Athens and Sparta led the way in repelling the Persian Empire in a series of battles. Both were later overshadowed by Thebes and eventually Macedonia, with the latter under the guidance of Alexander the Great uniting and leading the Greek world to victory over the Persians, to presage the Hellenistic era, itself brought only partially to a close two centuries later with the establishment of Roman rule over Greek lands in 146 BC.

The subsequent mixture of Roman and Hellenic culture took form in the establishment of the Eastern Roman Empire in 330 AD around Constantinople, and remained a major cultural and military force for the next 1,123 years until its fall at the hands of Ottomans in 1453. On the eve of the Ottoman era the Greek intelligentsia migrated to Western Europe, playing a significant role in the Western European Renaissance through the transferring of works by Ancient Greeks to Western Europe. Nevertheless, the Ottoman millet system contributed to the ethnic cohesion of Orthodox Greeks by segregating the various peoples within the Ottoman Empire based on religion as the latter played an an integral role in the formation of modern Greek identity.

Through the Greek War of Independence, successfully fought against the Ottoman Empire from 1821 to 1829, the nascent Greek state was finally recognized under the London Protocol. In 1827, Ioannis Kapodistrias, a noble Greek from the Ionian Islands, was chosen as the first governor of the new Republic. However, following his assassination, the Great Powers soon installed a monarchy under Otto, of the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach. In 1843, an uprising forced the King to grant a constitution and a representative assembly. Due to his unimpaired authoritarian rule, he was eventually dethroned in 1863 and replaced by Prince Vilhelm (William) of Denmark, who took the name George I and brought with him the Ionian Islands as a coronation gift from Britain. In 1877, Charilaos Trikoupis, a dominant figure of the Greek political scene who is attributed with the significant improvement of the country's infrastructure, curbed the power of the monarchy to interfere in the assembly by issuing the rule of vote of confidence to any potential prime minister.

As a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, Greece had successfully increased the extent of her territory and population, a challenging context both socially and economically. In the following years, the struggle between the new King Constantine I and his charismatic prime minister Eleftherios Venizelos over the country's foreign policy on the eve of World War I dominated the country's political order, and divided the country into two bitterly hostile factions (see National Schism).

In the aftermath of WW I, Greece fought against Turkish nationalists led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922), with the traumatic conflict ending in a massive population exchange between the two countries under the Treaty of Lausanne. Instability and successive coup d'etats marked the following era, which was coloured by the massive task of incorporating 1.5 million Greek refugees from Asia Minor into Greek society. On 28 October 1940 Fascist Italy demanded the surrender of Greece, but the Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas famously responded to the Italian ultimatum with the single word "OXI" ("No"). In the following Greco-Italian War, Greece repelled Italian forces into Albania, giving the Allies their first victory over Axis forces on land. The country would eventually fall to urgently dispatched German forces during the Battle of Greece, but the occupiers nevertheless met serious challenges from the Greek Resistance.

After liberation, Greece experienced a civil war between Royalist and Communist forces, which led to economic devastation and severe social tensions between its Rightists and large Communist Leftists<ref>Mazower, Mark. After the War was Over</ref> The next 20 years were characterized by a significant economic growth, also propelled in part by the Marshall Plan. In 1965, a period of political turbulence led to a coup d’etat on April 21 1967 by the US-supported Regime of the Colonels. On November 1973 the Athens Polytechnic Uprising sent shock waves across the regime, and a counter-coup established Brigadier Dimitrios Ioannides as dictator. On July 20 1974, as Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus, the regime collapsed.

Ex-Premier Constantine Karamanlis was invited back from Paris where he had lived in self-exile since 1963, marking the beginning of the Metapolitefsi era; a 1975 democratic republican constitution was activated and the monarchy abolished by a referendum held that same year. Meanwhile, Andreas Papandreou founded the Panhellenic Socialist Party, or PASOK, in response to Constantine Karamanlis' New Democracy party, and the two groupings have dominated Greek political affairs in the ensuing decades. Greece became the tenth member of the European Union on January 1 1981, and ever since the nation has experienced a remarkable and sustained economic growth.Widespread investments in industrial enterprises and heavy infrastructure, as well as funds from the European Union and growing revenues from tourism, shipping and a fast growing service sector have raised the country's standard of living to unprecedented levels. The country adopted the Euro in 2001, and successfully organised the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of Greece and List of political parties in Greece

Greece is a parliamentary republic.<ref name="con1">The Constitution of Greece: Article 1</ref> The head of state is the President of the Republic, who is elected by the Parliament for a five-year term.<ref name="con30">The Constitution of Greece: Article 30</ref> After the Constitutional amendment of 1986 the President's duties were curtailed to a significant extent, and they are now largely ceremonial.<ref name="M477-478">K. Mavrias, Constitutional Law, 477-478</ref>

The current Constitution of Greece was drawn up and adopted by the Fifth Revisionary Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975 after the fall of the military junta of 1967-1974. It has been revised twice since, in 1986 and in 2001. The Constitution, which consists of 120 articles, provides for a separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and grants extensive specific guarantees (further reinforced in 2001) of civil liberties and social rights.<ref>P.D. Dagtoglou, Individual Rights, I, 21
* E. Venizelos, The "Acquis" of the Constitutional Revision, 131-132, 165-172 </ref>

According to the Constitution, executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic and the Government;<ref name="con26">The Constitution of Greece: Article 26</ref> after 1986, however, the role of the President in the executive branch is ceremonial.<ref name="M477-478" /> The position of Prime Minister, Greece's head of government, belongs to the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the Parliament. The President of the Republic formally appoints the Prime Minister and, on his recommendation, appoints and dismisses the other members of the Cabinet.<ref name="con37">The Constitution of Greece: Article 37</ref> The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, and the amendment of 1986 further strengthened his position to the detriment of the President of the Republic.<ref name="M477-478-486-487">K. Mavrias, Constitutional Law, 477-478, 486-487</ref>

Legislative power is exercised by a 300-member unicameral Parliament.<ref name="con51,53">The Constitution of Greece: Articles 51, 53</ref> Statutes passed by the Parliament are promulgated by the President of the Republic.<ref name="con42">The Constitution of Greece: Article 42</ref> Parliamentary elections are held every four years, but the President of the Republic is obliged to dissolve the Parliament earlier on the proposal of the Cabinet, in view of dealing with a national issue of exceptional importance.<ref name="con41">The Constitution of Greece: Article 41</ref> The President is also obliged to dissolve the Parliament earlier, if the opposition manages to pass a motion of no confidence.<ref name="con84">The Constitution of Greece: Article 84</ref>

The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and comprises three Supreme Courts: the Court of Cassation (Άρειος Πάγος), the Council of State (Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) and the Court of Auditors (Ελεγκτικό Συνέδριο). The Judiciary system is also composed of civil courts, which judge civil and penal cases and administrative courts, which judge administrative cases, namely disputes between the citizens and the State.

Since the restoration of democracy the party system is dominated by the liberal-conservative New Democracy and the socialist Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). Non-negligible parties include the Communist Party of Greece, the Coalition of the Radical Left and the Popular Orthodox Rally.

On March 7, 2004, Kostas Karamanlis, president of the New Democracy party and nephew of the late Constantine Karamanlis was elected as the new Prime Minister of Greece, thus marking his party's first electoral victory in nearly eleven years. Karamanlis took over government from Kostas Simitis of PASOK, who had been in office since January 1996, replacing the ailing Andreas Papandreou who died on June 23, 1996. Kostas Karamanlis won a second term on September 16, 2007, however his party acquired a slimmer majority in the Greek Parliament gaining only 152 out of 300 seats.

Peripheries and prefectures

Main articles: Peripheries of Greece, Prefectures of Greece, and Communities and Municipalities of Greece

Administratively, Greece consists of thirteen peripheries subdivided into a total of fifty-one prefectures (nomoi, singular nomos). There is also one autonomous area, Mount Athos (Agio Oros, "Holy Mountain"), which borders the periphery of Central Macedonia.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Greece

Greece consists of a mountainous and craggy mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the Balkans, the Peloponnesus peninsula (separated from the mainland by the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth), and numerous islands (around 2,000), including Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Chios, the Dodecanese and the Cycladic groups of the Aegean Sea as well as the Ionian Sea islands. Greece has the tenth longest coastline in the world with Modèle:Convert/km; its land boundary is Modèle:Convert/km.

Four-fifths of Greece consist of mountains or hills, making the country one of the most mountainous in Europe. Western Greece contains a number of lakes and wetlands and it is dominated by the Pindus mountain range. Pindus has a maximum elevation of 2,636 metres (8,648 ft) and it is essentially a prolongation of the Dinaric Alps.

The range continues through the western Peloponnese, crosses the islands of Kythera and Antikythera and find its way into southwestern Aegean, in the island of Crete where it eventually ends. (the islands of the Aegean are peaks of underwater mountains that once constituted an extension of the mainland). Pindus is characterized by its high, steep peaks, often dissected by numerous canyons and a variety of other karstic landscapes. Most notably, the impressive Meteora formation consisting of high, steep boulders provides a breathtaking experience for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit the area each year. Special lifts transfer visitors to the scenic monasteries that lie on top of those rocks.

Meteora is situated in the Trikala prefecture. The Vikos-Aoos Gorge is yet another spectacular formation. The Vikos-Aoos Gorge is a popular hotspot for those fond of extreme sports. Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in the country, located in the southwestern Pieria prefecture, near Thessaloniki. Mytikas in the Olympus range has a height of Modèle:Formatnum:2917 metres ({{formatnum:{{rnd/+|2917*1/0.3048|0|Modèle:Rnd/00}}}} ft) at its highest peak. Once considered the throne of the Gods, it is today extremely popular among hikers and climbers who deem its height as a challenge. Moreover, northeastern Greece features yet another high-altitude mountain range, the Rhodope range, spreading across the periphery of East Macedonia and Thrace; this area is covered with vast, thick, ancient forests. The famous Dadia forest is in the prefecture of Evros, in the far northeast of the country.

Expansive plains are primarily located in the prefectures of Thessaly, Central Macedonia and Thrace. They constitute key economic regions as they are among the few arable places in the country. Volos and Larissa are the two largest cities of Thessaly. Rare marine species such as the Pinniped Seals and the Loggerhead Sea Turtle live in the seas surrounding mainland Greece, while its dense forests are home to the endangered brown bear, the lynx, the Roe Deer and the Wild Goat.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Greece

The climate of Greece can be categorised into three types that influence well-defined regions of its territory. The Pindus mountain range strongly affects the climate of the country by making the western side of it (areas prone to the south-westerlies) wetter on average than the areas lying to the east of it (lee side of the mountains). The three distinct types are the Mediterranean, the Alpine and the Temperate types. The first one features mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Crete, Eastern Peloponessus and parts of the Sterea Ellada region are mostly affected by this particular type. Temperatures rarely reach extreme values although snowfalls do occur occasionally even in the Cyclades or the Dodecanese during the winter months.

The Alpine type is dominant mainly in the mountainous areas of Northwestern Greece (Epirus, Central Greece, Thessaly, Western Macedonia) as well as in the central parts of Peloponnese, including the prefectures of Achaia, Arcadia and parts of Laconia, where extensions of the Pindus mountain range pass by). Finally, the Temperate type affects Central Macedonia and East Macedonia and Thrace; it features cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers. Athens is located in a transitional area featuring both the Mediterranean and the Temperate types. It averages about Modèle:Convert/in of rain annually. The city's northern suburbs are dominated by the temperate type while the downtown area and the southern suburbs enjoy a typical Mediterranean type.

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Greece and Tourism in Greece

Greece operates a capitalist economy that produced a GDP of $305.595 billion in 2006. Its principal economic activities include tourism and shipping industries, banking and finance, manufacturing and construction and telecommunications. The country serves as the regional business hub for many of the world's largest multinational companies.<ref name="ciaecon"> Greece

.</ref>

The people of Greece enjoy a high standard of living. Greece ranks 24th<ref> Country Fact Sheets: Greece

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. Retrieved on 2007-04-08. </ref> in the 2006 HDI, 22nd on The Economist's 2005 world-wide quality-of-life index,<ref> The Economist Intelligence Unit's quality-of-life index (2005)

. The Economist
. www.economist.com  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-04-08. </ref> and, according to the International Monetary Fund it has an estimated average per capita income of $33,004<ref> IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2007.

. International Monetary Fund
. www.imf.org 
 
 (2007-10)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-10-18. </ref> for the year 2006, comparable to that of Germany, France and Italy, and approximately equal to the EU average.

Greece's present prosperity is largely owed to the post-World War II "Greek economic miracle" (when GDP growth averaged 7% between 1950 and 1973), the implementation of a number of structural and fiscal reforms, combined with considerable European Union funding over the last twenty-five years and increasing private consumption. The latter facts have contributed to a consistent annual growth of the Greek GDP that was surpassing the respective one of most other EU partners.<ref>http://www.elke.gr/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=765</ref>

Today, the service industry (74.4%) makes up the largest, most vital and fastest-growing sector of the Greek economy, followed by industry (20.6%) and agriculture (5.1%).<ref name="ciaecon" /> The tourism industry is a major source of foreign exchange earnings and revenue accounting for 15% of Greece’s total GDP<ref name="ciaecon" /> and employing (directly or indirectly) 659,719 people (or 16.5% of total employment). In 2005, Greece welcomed almost 18 million visitors and in 2006 that figure almost reached 20 million.

The Greek banking & finance sector is also an important source of revenue and employment and Greek banks have invested heavily in the Balkan region. The manufacturing sector accounts for about 13% of GDP with the food industry leading in growth, profit and export potential.

High-technology equipment production, especially for telecommunications, is also a fast-growing sector. Other important areas include textiles, building materials, machinery, transport equipment, and electrical appliances. Construction (10%GDP) and agriculture (7%) are yet two other significant sectors of the Greek economic activity.

Maritime Industry

Main articles: Greek shipping and List of ports in Greece

The shipping industry is a key element of Greek economic activity.<ref name=shipping> Polemis , Spyros M.

.    The History of Greek Shipping 
. www.greece.org 
   

. Retrieved on 2007-04-09. </ref> Given that Greece is a peninsula, shipping in ancient times was the natural way for Greeks to reach their neighboring people, trade with them and expand by establishing colonies. Today, shipping is one of the country's most important industries. It accounts for 4.5% of GDP, employs about 160,000 people (4% of the workforce), and represents 1/3 of the country's trade deficit.<ref name =nbg> Greek shipping is modernized to remain a global leader and expand its contribution to the Greek economy

. National Bank of Greece
. www.nbg.gr 
 
 (2006-05-11)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-04-08. </ref>

During the 1960s the size of the Greek fleet nearly doubled, primarily through the investment undertaken by the shipping magnates Onassis and Niarchos.<ref name=slate> Engber , Daniel

  . 
 "
   So Many Greek Shipping Magnates... 
     
 " , Slate , Washington Post/slate.msn.com
  , 2005-08-17
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-04-09
 . </ref> The basis of the modern Greek maritime industry was formed after World War II when Greek shipping businessmen were able to amass surplus ships sold to them by the United States Government through the Ship Sales Act of the 1940s.<ref name=slate/> According to the BTS, the Greek-owned maritime fleet is today the largest in the world, with 3,079 vessels accounting for 18% of the world's fleet capacity (making it the largest of any other country) with a total dwt of 141,931 thousand (142 million dwt).<ref name=BTS>   Top 20 Ranking of World Merchant Fleet by Country of Owner as of January 1, 2001a 
. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
. www.bts.gov 
 
 (2001)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-04-08. </ref> In terms of ship categories, Greece ranks first in both tankers and dry bulk carriers, fourth in the number of containers, and fourth in other ships.<ref name=BTS/> However, today's fleet roster is smaller than an all-time high of 5,000 ships in the late 70's.<ref name=shipping/>

Science and Technology

Because of its strategic location, qualified workforce and political and economic stability, many multinational companies, such as Ericsson, Siemens, SAP, Motorola, Coca-Cola have their regional R&D Headquarters in Greece.

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Hellenic Ministry of Development is responsible for designing, implementing and supervising national research and technological policy.

In 2003, public spending on R&D was 456,37 million Euros (12,6% increase from 2002). Total research and development (R&D) spending (both public and private) as a percentage of GDP has increased considerably since the beginning of the past decade, from 0,38% in 1989, to 0,65% in 2001. R&D spending in Greece remains lower than the EU average of 1,93%, but, according to Research DC, based on OECD and Eurostat data, between 1990 and 1998, total R&D expenditure in Greece enjoyed the third highest increase in Europe, after Finland and Ireland.

In 2001, there were 55,626 researchers (from 30,500 in 1993)in such fields as telecommunications, microelectronics, multimedia, computer science, computer networks and software engineering, attracting the interest of many multinational companies and producing an increasing number of high quality publications. Of that number, approximately 33,507 were employed in Higher Education Foundations, 13,100 by private companies, 8,800 in State-owned Research Centres and approximately 200 in non-profit private research centres.

Greece's technology parks with incubator facilities include the Science and Technology Park of Crete (Heraklion), the Thessaloniki Technology Park,the Lavrio Technology Park and the Patras Science Park.

Greece has been a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2005.<ref name = ESA/> Cooperation between ESA and the Hellenic National Space Committee began in the early 1990s. In 1994, Greece and ESA signed their first cooperation agreement. Having formally applied for full membership in 2003, Greece became ESA's sixteenth member on March 16 2005. As member of the ESA, Greece participates in the agency's telecommunication and technology activities, and the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Initiative.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Greece

The official Statistical body of Greece is the National Statistical Service of Greece (NSSG). According to the NSSG, Greece's total population in 2001 was 10,964,020.<ref name=nssg> Greece in Numbers

. National Statistical Service of Greece
. www.statistis.gr 
 
 (2006)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-12-14. </ref> That figure is divided into 5,427,682 males and 5,536,338 females.<ref name=nssg/> As statistics from 1971, 1981, and 2001 show, the Greek population has been aging the past several decades.<ref name=nssg/> The birth rate in 2003 stood 9.5 per 1,000 inhabitants (14.5 per 1,000 in 1981). At the same time the mortality rate increased slightly from 8.9 per 1,000 inhabitants in 1981 to 9.6 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2003. In 2001, 16.71% of the population were 65 years old and older, 68.12% between the ages of 15 and 64 years old, and 15.18% were 14 years old and younger.<ref name=nssg/> In 1971 the figures were 10.92%, 63.72%, and 25.36% respectively.<ref name=nssg/> Greek society has also rapidly changed with the passage of time. Marriage rates kept falling from almost 71 per 1,000 inhabitants in 1981 until 2002, only to increase slightly in 2003 to 61 per 1,000 and then fall again to 51 in 2004.<ref name=nssg/> Divorce rates on the other hand, have seen an increase – from 191.2 per 1,000 marriages in 1991 to 239.5 per 1,000 marriages in 2004.<ref name=nssg/> Almost two-thirds of the Greek people live in urban areas. Greece's largest cities in 2001 were: Athens (745,514),<ref name=cities> Athena 2001 Census

. National Statistical Service of Greece
. www.statistics.gr  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-12-14. </ref> Thessaloniki (363,987),<ref name=cities/> Patras (161,114),<ref name=cities/> Iraklio (133,012),<ref name=cities/> Larissa (124,786),<ref name=cities/> and Volos (82,439).<ref name=cities/>

Minorities

Main article: Minorities in Greece

The only minority in Greece which has a specially recognised legal status is the Muslim minority (Μουσουλμανική μειονότητα) in Thrace, which amounts to approximately 0.95% of the total population. Its members are predominantly of Turkish, Pomak and Roma ethnic origins. Other recognized minorities include approximately 35,000 Armenians and 5,500 Jews. There are also a number of linguistic minority groups, whose members also speak Greek and generally identify ethnically as Greeks. These include the Arvanites, who speak an archaic form of Albanian known as Arvanitika, and the Aromanians and Moglenites, also known as Vlachs, whose languages are closely related to Romanian. In northern Greece there are also Slavic-speaking groups, whose language is variously identified as Macedonian or Bulgarian by linguists but simply as Slavic by Greeks.

Immigration

Due to the complexity of Greek immigration policy, practices and data collection, truly reliable data on immigrant populations in Greece is difficult to gather and therefore subject to much speculation. A study from the Mediterranean Migration Observatory maintains that the 2001 Census from the NSSG recorded 762,191 persons residing in Greece without Greek citizenship, constituting around 7% of total population and that, of these, 48,560 were EU or EFTA nationals and 17,426 Cypriots with privileged status. At the same time, Albanians constituted some 56% of total immigrants, followed by Bulgarians (5%), Georgians (3%) and Romanians (3%). Americans, Cypriots, British and Germans appeared as sizeable foreign communities at around 2% each of total foreign population. The rest were around 690,000 persons of non-EU or non-homogeneis status.

The greatest cluster of non-EU immigrant population is in the Municipality of Athens –some 132,000 immigrants, at 17% of local population. Thessaloniki is the second largest cluster, with 27,000 – but reaching only 7% of local population. After this, the predominant areas of location are the Athens environs.

According to the same study, the foreign population (documented and undocumented) residing in Greece may in reality figure upwards to 8.5% or 10.3%, that is approximately meaning 1.15 million - if immigrants with homogeneis cards are accounted for.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Greece

The constitution of Greece recognizes the Greek Orthodox faith as the "prevailing" religion of the country, while guaranteeing freedom of religious belief for all.<ref name="con1"/> The majority of Greek citizens (97%) identify themselves as Greek Orthodox,<ref name=religion> International Religious Freedom Report 2006: Greece

. US Dept. of State/Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
. www.state.gov 
 
 (2006-09-15)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-04-14. </ref> and most of them celebrate at least the main religious feasts, especially Pascha (Greek Orthodox Easter).

The Greek Government does not keep statistics on religious groups and censuses do not ask for religious affiliation.<ref name=religion/> Judaism has existed in Greece for more than 2,000 years. Sephardi Jews had such a large presence in the city of Thessaloniki that their traditional language, Ladino, had been spoken by the non-Jews of the city as well. Few Greek Jews survived the Holocaust, and today the Jewish community is estimated to number around 5,500.<ref name=religion/><ref name=religion2/> Estimates of the recognised Muslim minority, which is mostly located in Thrace, range from 98,000 to 140,000,<ref name=religion/><ref name=religion2/> (between 0.9% and 1.2%) while the immigrant Muslim community numbers between 200,000 and 300,000.<ref name=religion/> In an address to the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece on 10 October 2006 Archbishop Christodoulos stated: "Today more than 500,000 Muslims live in our country."<ref>Εκκλησία, Official Gazette of the Church of Greece, October 2006, page 737</ref>

Greek members of Roman Catholic faith (including both Byzantine Greek Catholics and Latin Catholics) are estimated at 50,000 <ref name=religion/><ref name=religion2/> with the Roman Catholic immigrant community approximating 200,000.<ref name=religion/> Old Calendarists account for 500,000 followers.<ref name=religion2> Executive Summary Discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief GREECE

. Dr Ioannis Ktistakis & Dr Nicholas Sitaropoulos
. ec.europa.eu 
 
 (2004-06-22)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-04-14. </ref> The Jehovah's Witnesses report having 30,000 active members.<ref name=religion/><ref name=religion2/> Protestants including Evangelicals stand at about 30,000.<ref name=religion2/><ref name=religion/> Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost and other Pentecostals denominations are about 12,000.<ref>Synod of Apostolic Church of Christ</ref> Mormons can also be found with 420 followers,<ref name=religion/> and Scientologists with 500 followers.<ref name=religion/>

The ancient Greek religion has also reappeared,<ref name="Polytheist Comeback"> CNN, http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/21/ancient.gods.ap/index.html</ref> with approximately 2,000 adherents, comprising 0.02% of the general population.<ref name="Greek polytheists">US Department of State, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71383.htm</ref> Some of these Greek religionists have made claims that they are not reconstructionists but are just people coming out of the closet.<ref name="I Still Worship Zeus">http://www.superfectafilms.com/</ref>

In the Eurostat - Eurobarometer poll of 2005, 81% of Greek citizens responded that they believe there is a God,<ref name=eurostat> Eurobarometer: Social values, science, and technology

. Eurobarometer
. europa.eu.int 
 
 (2005-06)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-04-14. </ref> whereas 16% answered that they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force,<ref name=eurostat/> and 3% that they do not believe there is a God, spirit, nor life force.<ref name=eurostat/> Greece's percentage of respondents asserting that they believe there is a God was the third highest among EU members behind Malta and Cyprus.<ref name=eurostat/>

Education

Main article: Education in Greece

Compulsory education in Greece comprises primary schools (Δημοτικό Σχολείο, Dimotikó Scholeio) and gymnasium (Γυμνάσιο). Nursery schools (Παιδικός σταθμός, Paidikós Stathmós) are popular but not compulsory kindergartens (Νηπιαγωγείο, Nipiagogeío) are now compulsory for any child above the 4 years of age . Children start primary school aged 6 and remain there for six years. Some primary schools are "all-day", offering an extended timetable and enriched syllabus. Attendance at gymnasia starts at age 12 and last for three years. Greece's post-compulsory secondary education consists of two school types: unified upper secondary schools (Ενιαίο Λύκειο, Eniaia Lykeia) and technical-vocational educational schools (Τεχνικά και Επαγγελματικά Εκπαιδευτήρια, "TEE"). Post-compulsory secondary education also includes vocational training institutes (Ινστιτούτα Επαγγελματικής Κατάρτισης, "IEK") which provide a formal but unclassified level of education. As they can accept both Gymnasio (lower secondary school) and Lykeio (upper secondary school) graduates, these institutes are not classified as offering a particular level of education. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks the Greek secondary education as the 38th in the world, being significantly below the OECD average.[1]

Public higher education is divided into universities, "Highest Educational Institutions" (Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα, Anótata Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata, "ΑΕΙ") and "Highest Technological Educational Institutions" (Ανώτατα Τεχνολογικά Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα, Anótata Technologiká Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata, "ATEI"). Students are admitted to these Institutes according to their performance at national level examinations taking place after completion of the third grade of Lykeio. Additionally, students over twenty-two years old may be admitted to the Hellenic Open University through a form of lottery.

The Greek education system also provides special kindergartens, primary and secondary schools for people with special needs or difficulties in learning. Specialist gymnasia and high schools offering musical, theological and physical education also exist.

Some of the main universities in Greece include:

National and Capodistrian University of AthensModèle:• National Technical University of Athens Modèle:• University of Piraeus Modèle:• University of Macedonia (in Thessaloniki) Modèle:• University of Crete Modèle:•Technical University of Crete Modèle:• Athens University of Economics and Business Modèle:• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Modèle:• University of the Aegean (across the Aegean Islands) Modèle:• Democritus University of Thrace Modèle:• University of Ioannina Modèle:• University of Thessaly Modèle:• Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences Modèle:• University of Patras Modèle:• Charokopeio University of AthensModèle:• Ionian University (across the Ionian Islands)

Culture

Main articles: Culture of Greece and List of Greeks

Greek culture evolved over several thousand years, with its earliest known civilization being in the Mycenean and Minoan era, continuing into Classical Greece, the birth of the Hellenistic era and through the influence of the Roman Empire and its Greek Eastern successor the Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Empire also had a significant influence on Greek culture, but the Greek war of independence is credited for the revitalization Greece and establishing a single [once again] sovereign single entity (though notably smaller), of its multi-faceted culture throughout the ages.

Notably Greece is known as "the cradle of Western civilization".

Sports

The Greek national football team is the reigning UEFA European Champions having won the EURO 2004.<ref name=Euro2004> McNulty , Phil

  . 
 "
   Greece win Euro 2004 
     
 " , BBC News , news.bbc.co.uk
  , 2004-07-04
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-05-07
 . </ref> In the final, the team managed to beat their Portuguese opponents by 1-0.<ref name=Euro2004/> They are as of December 2007 ranked 11th in the world,<ref>   FIFA World Rankings 
. FIFA
. www.fifa.com 
 
 (April 2007)
   

. Retrieved on 2007-05-07. </ref> and have recently qualified for Euro 2008 where they will get to defend their crown. The Greek Super League is the highest professional football league in the country. Currently sixteen clubs compete in that league, playing each other twice, once at home and once away. At the end of each season, the bottom three clubs are relegated to the Second National League only to be replaced by the top three teams from that particular league. The top three most known football clubs are Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, and AEK Athens.

The men's Greek national basketball team has a decades-long tradition of excellence in the sport. Greece is generally considered an important power in international basketball and the national team is regarded as one of the best in the world. They are as of December 2007 ranked 6th in the world<ref>Greece Fiba Ranking</ref>, They have won the European Championship twice, once in 1987 and again in 2005,<ref> Wilkinson , Simon

  . 
 "
   Greece tops Germany for Euro Title 
     
 " , ESPN , sports.espn.go.com
  , 2005-09-26
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-05-07
 . </ref> and have reached the final four in three of the last four FIBA World Championships (1994, 1998, 2006) taking second place in 2006. The domestic Greek basketball league, A1 Ethniki is composed of fourteen teams. The most successful Greek teams are Panathinaikos, Aris Salonica, Olympiacos, AEK Athens and PAOK.

Armed Forces

Main article: Military of Greece

The Hellenic Armed Forces are overseen by the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Άμυνας - ΓΕΕΘΑ) and consists of three branches:

• Hellenic Army
• Hellenic Navy
• Hellenic Air Force

The civilian authority for the Greek military is the Ministry of National Defence.

Greece currently has universal compulsory military service for males while females (who may serve in the military) are exempted from conscription.

As a member of NATO, the Greek military participates in exercises and deployments under the auspices of the alliance.

International Rankings

. United Nations Development Program
. hdr.undp.org 
 
 (2006)
   

. United Nations Development Program
. hdr.undp.org  
 

 

. The Economist
. www.economist.com 
 
 (2005)
   

. International Monetary Fund

 

. Heritage Foundation & The WSJ
. www.heritage.org 
 
 (2007)
   

. Reporters Without Borders
. www.rsf.org 
 
 (2006)
   

. Reporters without Borders
. www.ref.org 
 
 (2005)
   

. Reporters without Borders
. www.ref.org 
 
 (2004)
   

. Transparency International
. www.transparency.org 
 
 (2006)
   

. Transparency International
. www.transparency.org 
 
 (2005)
   

 (2004)
   

. World Economic Forum
. www.weforum.org 
 
 (2006)
   

. Yale and Columbia University
. www.yale.edu 
 
 (2005)
   

. Nation Master
. www.nationmaster.com  
 

 

. A.T. Kearney/FOREIGN POLICY
. www.atkearney.com 
 
 (2006)
   

. A.T. Kearney/FOREIGN POLICY
. www.atkearney.com 
 
 (2005)
   

. A.T. Kearney/FOREIGN POLICY
. www.atkearney.com 
 
 (2004)
   

See also

Modèle:Portal Modèle:Topics in Greece

Notes

References

Further reading

• Richard Clogg, A Concise History of Greece, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press 2002.
• Minorities in Greece - historical issues and new perspectives. History and Culture of South Eastern Europe. An Annual Journal. München (Slavica) 2003.

External links

Modèle:Sisterlinks

Government

• President of the Hellenic Republic Modèle:El icon(en)(fr)
• Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (en)
• Hellenic Parliament (en)
• Greek News Agenda Newsletter
• Greece — information and links related to Greece from the ministry of foreign affairs
• Greek missions abroad (embassies, consulates, representations)
• Foreign missions in Greece
• Greek National Tourism Organisation
• National Statistical Service of Greece

Other

• Encyclopaedia Britannica - Greece's country page
• Hellenic History
• The Greek Heritage
• Open Directory Project: Greece
• Chronology of Greece from the World History Database
• History of Greece: Primary Documents
• Greek Political Structure
• Historical Reconstruction of Greek Pankration
• Greek Council for Refugees

Modèle:Ancient Greece Modèle:Template group Modèle:Template group Modèle:Template group

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