Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 provided courtesy of The Libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Match 95 DB Rec# - 55,842 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 094 Title :GREECE Data type :TEXT End year :1994 Date of record:02/16/1994 Keywords 3 : | GREECE Text : GREECE GEOGRAPHY Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and Bulgaria Map references: Africa, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: land area: 130,800 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Alabama Land boundaries: total 1,210 km, Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 228 km Coastline: 13,676 km continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 6 nm, but Greece has threatened to claim 12 nm 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 Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble Land use: arable land: 23% permanent crops: 8% meadows and pastures: 40% forest and woodland: 20% other: 9% Irrigated land: 11,900 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: subject to severe earthquakes; air pollution Note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands PEOPLE Population: 10,470,460 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.95% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 10.42 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 9.36 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 8.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: male: 75.02 years female: 80.12 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.44 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek Ethnic divisions: Greek 98%, other 2% note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% Languages: Greek (official), English, French Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 93% male: 98% female: 89% Labor force: 3,966,900 by occupation: services 45%, agriculture 27%, industry 28% (1990) GOVERNMENT Names: conventional long form: Hellenic Republic conventional short form: Greece local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia local short form: Ellas former: Kingdom of Greece Digraph: GR Type: presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974 Capital: Athens 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, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos, autonomous region: Agion Oros (Mt. Athos) Independence: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire) Constitution: 11 June 1975 Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts 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 Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Elections: President: last held 4 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results - Konstantinos KARAMANLIS was elected by Parliament 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 coalitions have resulted in the following seating arrangement: ND 152, PASOK 124, Left Alliance 14, KKE 7, Muslim deputies 2, Ecologist-Alternative List 1 Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral Greek Chamber of Deputies (Vouli ton Ellinon) Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court, Special Supreme Tribunal Leaders: Chief of State: President Konstantinos KARAMANLIS (since 5 May 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Konstantinos MITSOTAKIS (since 11 April 1990) 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 939-5800 FAX: (202) 939-5824 consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate: New Orleans 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 FAX: 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 ECONOMY 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 coming to grips with Greece's main economic problems: an inflation rate 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. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $82.9 billion (1992) National product per capita: $8,200 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.6% (1992) Unemployment rate: 9.1% (1992) Budget: revenues $37.6 billion; expenditures $45.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.4 billion (1993) 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% 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% External debt: $23.7 billion (1991) Industrial production: growth rate -1.0% (1991); accounts for 20% of GDP Electricity: 10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,400 million kWh produced, 3,610 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, mining, petroleum 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 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 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 Currency: 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta 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) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS 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 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 Pipelines: crude oil 26 km; petroleum products 547 km Ports: Piraievs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki 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 Airports: total: 78 usable: 77 with permanent-surface runways: 63 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 24 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 Defense forces Branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, National Guard, Police 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.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $4.2 billion, 5.1% of GDP (1992) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 produced by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK CD-ROM, July, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/7/v.1-2 / R. Muns, UM-St. Louis Libraries Local Filename: WF940093.TXT