Greece
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(Translation: "Freedom or Death") |national_anthem =
("Hymn to Freedom") |official_languages = Greek language |capital = Athens | |latd=38 |latm=00 |latNS=N |longd=23 |longm=43 |longEW=E |largest_city = Athens |government_type = Parliamentary Republic |leader_title1 = List of Presidents of Greece |leader_title2 = List of Prime Ministers of Greece |leader_name1 =Karolos Papoulias |leader_name2 = Kostas Karamanlis |accessionEUdate = January 1, 1981 |area_rank = 96th |area_magnitude = 1 E11 |area= 131,957 |areami²= 50,944 |percent_water = 0.8669 |population_estimate = 11,244,118
http://www.statistics.gr |population_estimate_rank = 74th |population_estimate_year = 2005 |population_census = 10,964,020
http://www.statistics.gr |population_census_year = 2001 |population_density = 84 |population_densitymi² =218 |population_density_rank = 108th |GDP_PPP = $261.018 billion |GDP_PPP_rank = 37th |GDP_PPP_year= 2006 |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $23,518 |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 30th |sovereignty_type = Independence |sovereignty_note = From Ottoman Empire |established_event1 = Declared |established_event2 = Recognized |established_date1 = 25 March 1821 |established_date2 = 1829 |HDI = 0.912 |HDI_rank = 24th |HDI_year = 2004 |HDI_category =
high |currency = Euro(€)
2 |currency_code = EUR |country_code = |time_zone = Eastern European Time |utc_offset = +2 |time_zone_DST = EEST |utc_offset_DST = +3 |cctld = .gr |calling_code = 30 |footnotes =
1 Monarchy rejected by referendum December 8th, 1974. 2 Prior to 2001: Drachma. }} 'Greece ' (, (IPA ), or 'Hellas ' (, (IPA )), officially the 'Hellenic Republic ' (, (IPA ), is a country in south-eastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan peninsula. It is bordered by Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the north and by Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. Both, parts of the eastern Mediterranean basin, feature a vast number of Greek islands. Regarded as the cradle of western world and being the birthplace of democracy[Finley, M. I. Democracy Ancient and Modern. 2d ed., 1985. London: Hogarth.], Western philosophy[History of Philosophy, Volume 1 by Frederick Copleston], Olympic Games, western literature, political science and drama[Brockett, Oscar G. History of the Theatre. 6th ed., 1991. Boston; London: Allyn and Bacon.] including both tragedy and comedy, Greece has a particularly long and eventful history and a cultural heritage considerably influential in Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. Today, Greece is a developed nation, member of the European Union since 1981 and a member of the Eurozone since 2001. History
: See also: Names of the Greeks for a different angle. The shores of Greece's Aegean Sea saw the emergence of the first civilizations in Europe, the Minoan civilization and the Mycenae civilizations. Soon, around the Greek isles and shores there sprouted city-states, or poleis : each with their own individual governments and social infra-structure which united under Athens and Sparta to repel the 'eastern threat' of the Persians. This enabled the flowering of Athens and dawning of the Classical Era, which was brought to an end with the culmination of the perennial struggle between Sparta and Athens, the Peloponnesian war. Shortly after, all Greek tribes were united under the rule of Alexander the Great and aimed to defeat the Persians for the second time in history. Alexander led the Greeks on a victorious campaign which united the Greek and Oriental worlds. The death of Alexander the Great heralded the onset of the Hellenistic period of Greek history (see Hellenistic Greece), ending in part with the annexation of the Greek peninsula and islands by Rome in 146 BC. Although the establishment of Roman rule did not break the continuity of Hellenistic society and culture, which remained essentially unchanged until the advent of Christianity, it did mark the end of Greek political independence. The Greek peninsula became a province of the Roman Empire, while Greek culture continued to dominate the eastern Mediterranean. See also:Ancient Greece . When the Roman Empire finally split in two, the Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire, centered around Constantinople (known in ancient times as Byzantium), remained Greek in nature, encompassing Greece itself. During the period of the Byzantine Empire Greece experienced fluctuating fortunes, but it succeeded in Hellenizing and institutionalizing most of its new invaders. By the late 8th century, Greeks from Sicily and Asia Minor were brought in as settlers. The 11th and 12th centuries are said to be the Golden Age of Byzantine art in Greece. During the Crusading epochs between 1204 and 1458, Greece was hit by a series of western European armies in the name of religion. However, the Byzantine era continued until the Fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453 to the Ottoman Empire. While the Ottomans were completing the main conquest of the Greek Mainland Ottoman Greece, two Greek migrations occurred. The first saw the Greek intelligentsia migrate to Western Europe — especially to Italy — and was a significant factor in the advent of the Renaissance. The second migration of Greeks left the plains of the Greek peninsula and resettled in the mountains, the islands and other Greek regions where the Ottomans were unable to create a permanent military and administrative presence. As a result some Greek mountain clans across the peninsula, as well as some islands, were able to maintain a status of independence. The millet system contributed to the ethnic cohesion of Orthodox Greeks by segregating the various peoples within the Ottoman Empire based on religion. Eventually, religion played an integral part in the formation of the Modern Greek and other post-Ottoman national identities. The Ottomans ruled Greece until the early 19th century. On March 25, 1821 the Greeks rebelled thus declaring their strong will for independence (Greek War of Independence). Their struggle ended in 1829, when the newly formed Greek state was finally created and recognized (History of modern Greece). In 1830, the Russian ex-minister of foreign affairs, Ioannis Kapodistrias, a noble Greek from the Ionian Islands, was chosen as the President of the new Republic. However, the Great Powers soon dissolved that republic and installed a "Greek" monarchy. The first king, Otto of Bavaria, was of the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach. The War of Independence also set in motion the establishment of major new cities and centers of trade such as Hermoupolis, Athens and Pireaus. Soon one of the largest construction initiatives in Europe was set in motion, namely the creation of the Corinth Canal (1881 until 1893). As a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912-13 Crete, Chios, Samos, most of Epirus and southern Macedonia were incorporated into Greece. A small part of Asia Minor, which still had a majority Greek population and was centred around the city of Smyrna (known as Izmir today), was awarded to Greece by the Great Powers for having sided with the entente powers in World War I against the Ottoman Empire. Very soon, however, Turkish nationalists, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, denounced the Sultan's government in Istanbul and formed a new one in Ankara, eventually defeating the Greek armies (Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)) by regaining control of Asia Minor. Soon afterwards, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed, fixing the borders to this date. A population exchange was included in the agreement and immediately afterward, around five hundred thousand Muslims then living in mainland Greek territory left for Turkey in exchange for more than 1.22 million Greek residents of Asia Minor (excluding Constantinople, Imvros and Tenedos). In 1936, General Ioannis Metaxas established an authoritarian conservative dictatorship in Greece known as the 4th of August Regime and, shortly before the outbreak of World War II, a referendum was held resulting in a controversial 'yes' to restore the monarchy, under King Constantine I. On 28 October 1940, the Italian dictator Mussolini demanded that Greece allows Axis troops to enter the country and to surrender its arms ; the Greek government gave what became known as the simple negative response of “No” (see Okhi Day) — thereby immediately siding with the Allies (Military history of Greece during World War II). Italian troops poured over from Albania but were foiled by the Greeks at the Albanian front, giving the Allies their first victory against fascism (see Greco-Italian War). Since Hitler and his generals needed to secure their strategic southern flank, German forces, whose ranks included troops from Bulgaria and Italy, successfully invaded, and the occupation of Greece by Nazi Germany began in April–May 1941 ( see Battle of Greece). Greek partisan resistance to the occupation was fierce, often with bitter retaliation from the occupiers. Greek Resistance however, such as that waged in Crete, is believed to have forced a delay in German plans to initiate invasion against the Soviet Union, thereby extending the campaign into the punishing Russian winter, while the extremely heavy losses of German paratroop forces foiled a planned German campaign in the Middle East against British-held Iraq and its oil fields. Germany retained its grip on the country until 1944 when German troops withdrew. The Jewish community of Thessaloniki suffered the heaviest toll by far and the Greek economy languished. After liberation from Nazi Germany, Greece experienced an equally bitter Greek Civil War between the communist-led Democratic Army and the Hellenic Army that lasted until 1949, when the communists were defeated in the battle of Grammos-Vitsi. During the 1950s and 1960s, Greece experienced a gradual and consistent economic growth, aided by significant grants and loans by the United States through the Marshall Plan. However, starting in 1965, a period of turbulence and the subsequent political uncertainty led to a coup d’etat against the elected government and King Constantine II that took place in the dawn of April 21, 1967, and the establishment of a military junta(Regime of the Colonels). In the ensuing years, a number of supporters of the left wing, as well as a number of politicians and communists, were arrested and brutally tortured by the regime. Many politicians evaded capture and found political refuge in European countries such as France and Sweden, but the then head of state, former King Constantine, officially acknowledged the new regime, which was also then duly recognized by the international community, and diplomatic relations continued. In 1973, the junta abolished the Greek monarchy. Later that same year, in October of 1973, the head of the junta, Colonel George Papadopoulos, appointed politician Spiros Markezinis as the Prime Minister. A few weeks later, on November 14, law students decided to take control of the Athens Law School and in so doing inspired the students of the Athens Polytechnic School, who followed their lead. It should be noted that institutions of higher education in Greece are considered to provide political asylum. By November 16, however, the streets around the Polytechnic School resembled a battlefield, leaving no choice in the junta's mind than to respond with the military force most familiar to it. In the early hours of November 17, a tank smashed the gate of the historical building of the Athens Polytechnic School causing tragic loss of life. Twenty students were killed and the now famous Athens Polytechnic Uprising marked the beginning of the end for Papadopoulos' rule. On November 25 both Papadopoulos and Markezinis were overthrown by a countercoup headed by junta hardliner Brigadier Ioannides. A new head, Phaedon Gizikis and a new Prime Minister, Adamantios Androutsopoulos, were appointed by the regime and they soon backed a planned coup d'etat in order to overthrow the Cypriot President, Archbishop Makarios, giving pretext for neighbouring Turkey to invade. Turkey invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974 allegedly to protect its minority residing on the island, and managed to occupy the northern part or a third of its territory. This signalled the end for a regime that disintegrated within a matter of days. Ex Premier Constantine Karamanlis was invited back on July 23, 1974 from Paris, where he had found political refuge. Marking the beiginning of the Metapolitefsi era of Greek history, the plane carrying Constantine Karamanlis landed in Athens amidst massive celebrations and enormous crowds in Syntagma square ; Karamanlis was immediately appointed as the interim prime minister under President Gizikis, founded the conservative Nea Dimokratia party and went on to win the ensuing elections. Democracy was finally restored and a democratic republican constitution came into force in 1975. In addition, the Monarchy was abolished by a referendum held that same year, denying King Constantine II and his family any access to the country until 2004. Meanwhile, another prominent figure of the past, politician Andreas Papandreou, had also returned from the United States and founded the Panhellenic Socialist Party, or PASOK. Karamanlis won the 1977 parliamentary elections, but resigned in 1980, giving way to George Rallis. Papandreou, however, won the elections held on October 18, 1981 by a landslide and formed the first socialist government in Greece's history. Papandreou dominated the Greek political scene for almost 15 years, until his death in June 23, 1996. Kostas Simitis, another prominent political figure of PASOK, had already succeded Papandreou as Prime Minister, and stayed in office until March 7, 2004 when Kostas Karamanlis of the conservative New Democracy party won elections. Greece became the tenth member of the European Union on January 1, 1981, since when 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 standard of living to unprecedented levels. The country adopted the Euro in 2001. In 2004 Greece successfuly organised the 2004 Olympic Games in its capital, Athens. Politics
The 1975 Constitution, describes Greece as a "presidential parliamentary republic”, grants extensive specific guarantees of civil liberties and vests the powers of the head of state in a President elected by parliament for a 5 year term. The Greek governmental structure is similar to that found in many Western democracies, and has been described as a compromise between the French and German models. The Prime Minister and cabinet play the central role in the political process, while the President performs some executive and legislative functions in addition to ceremonial duties. The Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government, and Executive power is exercised by that government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Hellenic Parliament. 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 Chamber of Accounts (Ελεγκτικό Συνέδριο). The Judiciary system is also comprised of civil courts, which judge civil and penal cases and administrative courts, which judge administrative cases, namely disputes between the citizens and the State. Greece elects a legislature by universal suffrage of all citizens over the age of 18. The Hellenic Parliament (Vouli ton Ellinon) has 300 members, elected for a four-year term. Since the restoration of democracy the party system is dominated by the liberal-conservative New Democracy (Νέα Δημοκρατία - Nea Dimokratia) and the socialist PASOK, or Panhellenic Socialist Movement (Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα - Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima). Non-negligible parties include the Communist Party of Greece and the Coalition of the Radical Left. 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 11 years. Karamanlis took over Government from Kostas Simitis of PASOK, who had been in office since January 1996. Administrative Divisions
'Peripheries: ' Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as peripheries, which subdivide further into the 54 Prefectures of Greeces (, singular — ). For more detailed maps of the peripheries and/or prefectures, see the Peripheries of Greece or Prefectures of Greece articles. 'Autonomous region: 'Greece has one autonomous region, Mount Athos ( — Holy Mountain) in Macedonia (Greece), a monastic state under Greek sovereignty. 'Prefectures: ' The 54 Prefectures of Greece ( , singular ) subdivide into 147 provinces of Greece (, singular ), which contain 1,033 Communities and Municipalities of Greece: 900 urban municipalities (, singular ) and 133 rural communities (, singular ). Before 1999, Greece's local government structure featured 5,775 local authorities: 457 and 5,318 , subdivided into 12,817 localities (, singular ). Geography
Greece consists of a mountainous and craggy mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the Balkans; though small, it has the 9th longest coastline in the world. The Peloponnese peninsula (separated from the mainland by the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth); and Greek islands (around 3,000), including Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Euboea, the Dodecanese and the Cyclades groups of the Aegean Sea as well as the Ionian Sea islands. Greece has the 7th or 8th longest coastline in the world with more than 15,000 kilometres (9,300 mile) of coastline; its land boundary is 1,160 kilometres (721 mi). Hardly anyone lives further than 50 km from the sea. 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 foot (unit of length)) 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 consisted 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 lye on top of those rocks. Meteora are situated in the Trikala prefecture. The Vikos-Aoos Gorge is yet another spectacular formation. The Vicos-Aoos Gorge is a popular hotspot for those in fond of extreme sports. The mythical Mount Olympus is the tallest mountain in the country, located in the northern Pieria prefecture, near Thessaloniki. Mytikas in Olympus range has a height of 2,919 metres (9,570 ft) at its tallest 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 including the famous Dadia. Expansive plains are primarily located in the prefectures of Thessaly, Central Macedonia and Western 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. Greece's climate consists of three types that influence well defined regions of its territory. Those 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 Crete during the winter months. The Alpine type is dominant mainly in Western Greece (Epirus, Central Greece, Thessaly, Western Macedonia as well as in the western and central parts of Peloponessus, including the prefectures of Achaea, Arcadia and parts of Laconia, where the Pindus range passes by). Finally the Temperate type affects Central and Eastern Macedonia as well as Thrace, mainly affecting the cities of Komotini, Xanthi and the towns of northern Evros; it features cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers. Athens is located in a transitional area featuring both the Mediterranean and the Alpine types. The city's northern suburbs are dominated by the Alpine type while the downtown area and the southern suburbs enjoy a typical Mediterranean type. 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. Economy
Greece has a mixed capitalist economy. The nation's main economic activity is primarily based on the tourism, shipping, banking & finance and construction sectors while the country serves as the regional business hub for many of the world's largest multinational companies. Greece enjoys a high standard of living, ranking 24th on the 2005 Human Development Index and 22nd on The Economist's 2005 world-wide quality-of-life indexhttp://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf and it has an average per capita income that has been estimated at $23,518[IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2006.] for the year 2006. The implementation of a number of structural and fiscal reforms combined with a considerable European Union funding over the last 25 years have contributed to the fact that the Greek GDP growth significantly and systematically out-performs the European average. http://www.elke.gr/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=765. Services, make up the largest, most vital and fastest-growing sector of the Greek economy, accounting for about 70% of GDP in 2002 followed by manufacturing and agriculture. The thriving tourism industry is a major source of foreign exchange earnings and revenue accounting for 14.3% of Greece’s total GDP and employing (directly or indirectly) 659,719 people (or 16.5% of total employment). In 2004, Greece welcomed over 16.5 million visitors and since then these numbers keep growing at an impressive rate. With earnings of €12 bn in foreign exchange and a leading fleet on a global basis, the shipping industry is arguably considered as one of Greece's most important industries. 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. After the end of the Greek Civil War in 1949 and for more than two decades Greece achieved the second highest economic growth rate in the world after Japan, resulting in a dramatic improvement of living standards (the "Greek economic miracle"). Since Greece became a full member of the European Union, on January 1, 1981, it has benefited from cohesion funds, along with Portugal, Spain and Ireland that have contributed considerably to the nation's remarkable economic development since the 1980s. Starting in 1989, Greece joined the ranks of (22 at that time) "developed countries". During the first quarter of 2006, Greece experienced a strong 4,1% growth rate, while in the same period of the prvious year, the growth rate was 3.4%. This is among the highest rates in the EU and the Eurozone, where the average growth rates for these periods were estimated to stand as 1.6% and 1.3% respectively. Current challenges include the further reduction of unemployment which currently stands at 9.5%, the reform of the social security system, the further privatization of the public sector, the overhauling of the tax system and the further reduction of certain bureaucratic inefficiencies. Reduction of the fiscal deficit to the Eurozone target of 3% of gross domestic product had also become a key issue. Under a negotiated agreement, the EU has given Greece a two year deadline (budgets of 2005 and 2006) in order to bring the deficit in line with the criteria of the European stability pact, namely below 3%. In 2005, the deficit had declined significantly and stood at 4,5% of GDP, in line with Greece's commitments to the European Union. As of mid 2006, the achievement of that goal is deemed as certain within the time constraints set by Eurostat. see: Economy of Greece Science and Technology
Because of its strategic location, qualified workforce and political and economic stability, many multinational companies, such has Ericsson, Siemens, SAP, Motorola, have their regional R&D Headquarters in Greece. The General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Hellenic Ministry of Development is repsonsible for designing, implementing and supervising national research and technological policy. In 2003, public spending on R&D was 456,37 mln Euros (12,6% increase from 2002). Total 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 aproximately, 33,507 were employed in Higher Education Foundations, 13,100 by private companies, 8,800 in State-owned Research Centres and aprox. 200 in non-profit private research centres. Greece has five main technology parks with incubator facilities: the Science and Technology Park of Crete (Heraklion), the Thessaloniki Technology Park , the Athens Technology Park , the Lavrio Technology Park and the Patras Science Park . Greece is a full member of the European Space Agency, or ESA, since 2005. 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 16th member on March 16th 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. Demography
The official Statistical body of Greece is the National Statistical Service of Greece (NSSG). 'Vital Statistics: 'According to the NSSG, in 2005, Greece had a total population of 11,082,752 of whom 5.486.632 were males and 5.596.119 females. As statistics from 1971, 1981 and 2001 show, the Greek population has been ageing the past several decades. The greek birth rate in 2003 stood 9,5/1,000 inhabitants (14,5/1,000 in 1981). At the same time the mortality rate increased slightly from 8,9/1,000 inhabitants in 1981 to 9,6/1,000 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. In 1971 the figures were 10.92%, 63.72% and 25,36% respectively. Greek societal traits have also rapidly changed through the passage of time. For example, marriage rates kept falling from almost 71/1,000 inhabitants in 1981 until 2002, only to increase slightly in 2003 to 61/1,000. Divorce rates on the other hand, have seen an everlasting and accelerating increase – from 89,2/1,000 marriages in 1981 to 191/1,000 marriages in 2002. Almost 2/3 of Greeks live in urban areas. Greece's largest cities in 2005 were: Athens (3,190,336), Thessaloniki (980,419), Patra (216,592), Iraklio (188,650) and Volos (151,591). (source: The Regions of Greece, All Media Publication, 2005 ) For more information see: Demographics of Greece. 'Minorities: 'The main officially recognized "minority" in Greece (μειονότητα) is the Muslim minority (Μουσουλμανική μειονότητα) in Thrace, which amounts to approximately 1,3% of the total population and mainly consists of people of Turkish, Pomak and Roma origins. Other recognized minority groups - referred to as "nationalities" (εθνότητες) - are approximately 35,000 people of Armenian, and 5,500 of Jewish origins. For more information and minority-related issues see: Minorities in Greece and Demographics of Greece. '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 Mediterranian 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 Muncipality 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) resiging in Greece may in reality figure upwards to 8,5% or 10,3%, that is aprox meaning 1,15 million - if immigrants with ‘’homogeneis’’ cards are accounted for. 'Religious Affiliation: 'The majority of Greek citizens (95-98%) are baptised into the Greek Orthodox Church and most celebrate at least the main religious feasts, especially Pascha (Greek Orthodox Easter). According to the US Department of State, the Greek Government does not keep statistics on religious groups and censuses do not ask for religious affiliation. The Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report of 2005http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51555.htm maintains that approximately 97 percent of citizens identify themselves at least nominally with the Greek Orthodox faith. Estimates of the Turcophone Muslim community range from 98,000 to 140,000 – the immigrant Muslim community is between 200,000 and 300,000. Members of the Roman Catholic faith are estimated at 50,000, with the immigrant Catholic Community approximating 200,000. The Jehovah's Witnesses report having 30,000 active members. The State Department report calculates Protestants, including evangelicals, at about 30,000. The longstanding Jewish community numbers approximately 5,000 adherents, about 2,000 of whom reside in Thessaloniki. Followers of the neo-pagan religion claim 2,000 members. According to the most recent Eurostat Eurobarometer poll, in 2005 [ Eurobarometer, http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf], 81% of Greek citizens responded that they "believe there is a God", whereas 16% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 3% that they "do not believe there is a God, spirit, nor life force". Greece's percentage of respondents asserting that they "believe there is a God" was the third highest among EU members. Education
Education in Greece is compulsory for all children 6-15 years old. 'Compulsory education ' is comprised of Primary (Dimotiko) and Lower Secondary (Gymnasio) Education but the school life of the students, can start from the age of 2.5 years (pre-school education) in institutions (private and public) called "Vrefonipiakoi Paidikoi Stathmi" (creches). In some Vrefonipiakoi Stathmoi there are also Nipiaka Tmimata (nursery classes) which operate along with the Nipiagogeia (kindergartens). Attendance at Primary Education (Dimotiko) lasts for six years, and children are admitted at the age of 6. Along with the regular kindergartens (Nipiagogeia) and the Dimotika, All-day primary schools are in operation, with an extended timetable and an enriched Curriculum. The Greek Education System also provides Special Nipagogeia (kindergartens), Dimotika, Gymnasia, Lykeia and special upper secondary classes in operation, for students with special educational needs. Musical, Ecclesiastical and Physical Education Gymnasia and Lykeia are also in operation. 'Post-compulsory Secondary Education ', consists of two school types: Eniaia Lykeia (Unified Upper Secondary Schools) and the Technical Vocational Educational Schools (TEE). Post-compulsory Secondary Education also includes the Vocational Training Institutes (IEK) , which provide formal but unclassified level of education. These Institutes are not classified as an educational level, because they accept both Gymnasio (lower secondary school) and Lykeio (upper secondary school) graduates according to the relevant specializations they provide. 'Public higher education ' is divided into Universities and Technological Education Institutes (TEI). Students are admitted to these Institutes according to their performance at national level examinations taking place at the second and third grade of Lykeio. Additionally, students are admitted to the Hellenic Open University upon the completion of the 22 year of age by drawing lots. Formal education is characterized by the fixed length of study, the possibility of repetition and the award of a formal school-leaving certificate which is the official authorization. As a consequence of the classification of the education institutions, a title (school-leaving certificate, degree etc.) is compulsory for students at each education level in order to continue to the next. Culture
Greece has a particularly rich culture and it has produced a vast number of contributions to philosophy, astronomy, science, and the arts. Greek culture evolved over thousands of years, with its beginnings in Mycenaean Greece, continuing into Classical Greece, the birth of The Hellenistic Greece and through the influence of the Roman Empire and its Greek East successor the Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Empire too had a significant influence on Greek Culture, but the Greek War of Independence is credited with revitalizing Greece and giving birth to a single entity of its multi-faceted culture throughout the ages. Greece is often called the cradle of Western civilisation . Notes
Further reading
- Richard Clogg, A Concise History of Greece , Second Edition, Cambridge University Press 2002
See also
- List of cities in Greece
- Classics
- Greek products
- List of Greek companies
- Education in Greece
- List of folk dances sorted by origin#Greece
- List of museums in Greece
- Greek National Holidays
- List of research institutes in Greece
- List of universities in Greece
- Agriculture in Greece
- History of Greece
- Ancient Greece
- Greek mythology
- Hellenistic civilization
- Byzantine Empire
- Byzantium
- Ottoman Empire
- Philhellenism
- Greek products
- Greek Language
- Communications in Greece
- List of Greek language television channels
- List of radio stations in Greece
- Greek newspapers
- Transportation in Greece
- List of Greek roads
- Rio-Antirio bridge
- Greek Steamship Company founded in Ermoupoli (Hermoupolis), 1856
- Corinth Canal
- Foreign relations of Greece
- Military of Greece
- Postage stamps and postal history of Greece
- Conscription in Greece
- Plateia Syntagmatos and Vouli ton Ellinon
- Greeks
- Minorities in Greece
- Pontian Greek Genocide
- List of Greeks
- Greek American
- Greek Canadians
- Greek Australian
- Greek Jews
- Human rights in Greece
- Hellenic National Intelligence Service
- National Statistical Service of Greece
- Soma Hellinon Proskopon
- Eurovision Song Contest 2006
- Radical Greek Left
- Neo-Nazism#Neo-Nazism in Greece
External links
Explain Greece 
CIA - The World Factbook -- Greece
Greece
Greece Travel Information
