daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or join Spain
Constitution:
5 June 2006; came into force 2 January 2007
Legal system:
the laws of the UK where applicable apply
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; and British citizens who have been residents six months or more
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Vice Admiral Sir Adrian JOHNS (since 26 October 2009)
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 17 elected members of the Parliament by the governor in consultation with the chief minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (18 seats: 17 members elected by popular vote, 1 for the speaker appointed by Parliament; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 October 2007 (next to be held not later than October 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 49.3%, GSLP 31.8%, Gibraltar Liberal Party 13.6%; seats by party - GSD 10, GSLP 4, Gibraltar Liberal Party 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women'sAssociation
International organization participation:
Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band; the design is that of Gibraltar's coat of arms granted on 10 July 1502 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain; the castle symbolizes Gibraltar as a fortress, while the key represents Gibraltar's strategic importance - the key to the Mediterranean
National anthem:
name: "Gibraltar Anthem"
lyrics/music: Peter EMBERLEY
note: adopted 1994; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" remains official (see United Kingdom)
Economy ::Gibraltar
Economy - overview:
Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. Tax rates are low to attract foreign investment. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), gaming revenues, shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, tourism, and the shipping sector contribute 30%, 30%, and 25%, respectively, of GDP. Telecommunications, e-commerce, and e-gaming account for the remaining 15%. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.106 billion (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 199 $1.066 billion (2005 est.)
$769 million (2000 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.106 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2006) country comparison to the world: 91 7% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$38,400 (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $38,200 (2005 est.)
$27,900 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0%
industry: 0%
services: 100% (2008)
Labor force:
12,690 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (2001) country comparison to the world: 214
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: negligible
industry: 40%
services: 60% (2001)
Unemployment rate:
3% (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Public debt:
15.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 119 15.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.6% (2006) country comparison to the world: 83 2.9% (2005)
Agriculture - products:
none
Industries:
tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:
146 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Electricity - consumption:
146 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 183
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 192
Oil - consumption:
21,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Oil - imports:
25,610 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 180
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Exports:
$271 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
Exports - commodities:
(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods
Imports:
$2.967 billion (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Imports - commodities:
fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Debt - external:
Exchange rates:
Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar - 0.6494 (2009), 0.5302 (2008), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006)
note: the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Communications ::Gibraltar
Telephones - main lines in use:
24,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 186
Telephones - mobile cellular:
28,600 (2009) country comparison to the world: 203
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media:
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides television and radio broadcasting services via 1 television station and 4 radio stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1 radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are accessible (2008)
Internet country code:
.gi
Internet hosts:
2,053 (2010) country comparison to the world: 154
Internet users:
20,200 (2009) country comparison to the world: 192
Transportation ::Gibraltar
Airports:
1 (2010) country comparison to the world: 222
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 29 km country comparison to the world: 218 paved: 29 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 265 country comparison to the world: 32 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 139, chemical tanker 65, container 35, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned: 250 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 1, Denmark 6, Finland 2, Germany 125, Greece 7, Iceland 1, Italy 4, Jersey 1, Morocco 4, Netherlands 33, Norway 42, Singapore 1, Sweden 12, UAE 5, UK 4)
registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 5, Panama 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Gibraltar
Military ::Gibraltar
Military branches:
Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,949 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,955
females age 16-49: 5,687 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 250
female: 233 (2010 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal Gibraltar Regiment replaced the last British regular infantry forces in 1992
Transnational Issues ::Gibraltar
Disputes - international:
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy
page last updated on January 26, 2011
======================================================================
@Greece (Europe)
Introduction ::Greece
Background:
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 other anti-Communists and Communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 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 European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. In 2010, the prospect of a Greek default on its euro-denominated debt created severe strains within the EMU and raised the question of whether a member country might voluntarily leave the common currency or be removed.
Geography ::Greece
Location:
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and theMediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 131,957 sq km country comparison to the world: 96 land: 130,647 sq km
water: 1,310 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Alabama
Land boundaries:
total: 1,228 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km
Coastline:
13,676 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain:
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m
Natural resources:
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 20.45%
permanent crops: 8.59%
other: 70.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,530 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
72 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.7 cu km/yr (16%/3%/81%)
per capita: 782 cu m/yr (1997)
Natural hazards:
severe earthquakes
volcanism: Santorini (elev. 367 m, 1,204 ft) has been deemed a "Decade Volcano" by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; although there have been very few eruptions in recent centuries, Methana and Nisyros in the Aegean are classified as historically active
Environment - current issues:
air pollution; water pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-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, ShipPollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Geography - 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 ::Greece
Population:
10,749,943 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.3% (male 788,722/female 742,270)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 3,568,660/female 3,578,344)
65 years and over: 19.2% (male 902,617/female 1,156,815) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.2 years
male: 41.1 years
female: 43.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.106% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Birth rate:
9.34 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Death rate:
10.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Net migration rate:
2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Urbanization:
urban population: 61% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.064 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 185 male: 5.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.8 years country comparison to the world: 29 male: 77.24 years
female: 82.52 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.37 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Nationality:
noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek
Ethnic groups:
population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census)
note: percents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity
Religions:
Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Languages:
Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 97.8%
female: 94.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
4% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 105
Government ::Greece
Country name:
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Kingdom of Greece
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Athens
geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*;Achaia, Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Argolis,Arkadia, Arta, Attiki, Chalkidiki, Chania, Chios, Dodekanisos,Drama, Evros, Evrytania, Evvoia, Florina, Fokidos, Fthiotis,Grevena, Ileia, Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Karditsa, Kastoria,Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkyra, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Kyklades,Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lefkada, Lesvos, Magnisia, Messinia,Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethymnis, Rodopi, Samos, Serres,Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakynthos
Independence:
1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
Constitution:
11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001
Legal system:
based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Georgios Andreas PAPANDREOU (since 6 October 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 February 2010 (next to be held by February 2015); president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election to become prime minister and form a government
election results: Karolos PAPOULIAS reelected president; number of parliamentary votes, 266 out of 300
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 4 October 2009 (next to be held by 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - PASOK 43.9%, ND 33.5%, KKE 7.5%, LAOS 5.6%, SYRIZA 4.6%, other 4.9%; seats by party - PASOK 160, ND 91, KKE 21, LAOS 15, SYRIZA 13; note - seats by party as of 15 December 2010 - PASOK 156, ND 86, KKE 21 LAOS 15, SYRIZA 9, DISY 5, Democratic Left 4, independents 4 (DISY and Democratic Left entered parliament as members of ND and SYRIZA, respectively, and the independents entered parliament as members of PASOK); only parties supassing a 3% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups, but can retain that status if the party participated in the last election and received the minimum 3% threshold
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges are appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council
Political parties and leaders:
Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow or ANTARSYA[Petros KONSTANTINOU]; Coalition of the Radical Left or SYRIZA[Alexis TSIPRAS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA];Democratic Left [Fotis KOUVELIS]; Democratic Alliance or DISY[Theodora BAKOGIANNI]; Ecologist Greens [Nikos CHRYSOGELOS]; GoldenDawn [Nikolaos MICHALOLIAKOS]; New Democracy or ND [AntonisSAMARAS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [GeorgiosPAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox Rally or LAOS [Georgios KARATZAFERIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS];Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS];General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU,FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO,ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF,OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Vassilis KASKARELIS
chancery: 2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tampa
consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel Bennett SMITH
embassy: 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens
mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108
telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951
consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki
Flag description:
nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue square bearing a white cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country; there is no agreed upon meaning for the nine stripes or for the colors; the exact shade of blue has never been set by law and has varied from a light to a dark blue over time
National anthem:
name: "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)
lyrics/music: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS
note: adopted 1864; the anthem is based on a 158 verse poem by the same name, which was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottomans; Cyprus also uses "Hymn to Liberty" as its anthem
Economy ::Greece
Economy - overview:
Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP about two-thirds that of the leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in agricultural and unskilled jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by nearly 4.0% per year between 2003 and 2007, due partly to infrastructural spending related to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and in part to an increased availability of credit, which has sustained record levels of consumer spending. But the economy went into recession in 2009 as a result of the world financial crisis, tightening credit conditions, and Athens' failure to address a growing budget deficit, which was triggered by falling state revenues, and increased government expenditures. The economy contracted by 2% in 2009, and 4.8% in 2010. Greece violated the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criterion of no more than 3% of GDP from 2001 to 2006, but finally met that criterion in 2007-08, before exceeding it again in 2009, with the deficit reaching 15.4% of GDP. Austerity measures reduced the deficit to 9.4% of GDP in 2010. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment are above the euro-zone average while per capita income is below; unemployment rose to 12% in 2010. Eroding public finances, a credibility gap stemming from inaccurate and misreported statistics, and consistent underperformance on following through with reforms prompted major credit rating agencies in late 2009 to downgrade Greece's international debt rating, and has led the country into a financial crisis. Under intense pressure by the EU and international market participants, the government has adopted a medium-term austerity program that includes cutting government spending, reducing the size of the public sector, decreasing tax evasion, reforming the health care and pension systems, and improving competitiveness through structural reforms to the labor and product markets. Athens, however, faces long-term challenges to push through unpopular reforms in the face of often vocal opposition from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. Greek labor unions are striking over new austerity measures, but the strikes so far have had a limited impact on the government's will to adopt reforms. An uptick in widespread unrest, however, could challenge the government's ability to implement reforms and meet budget targets, and could also lead to rioting or violence. In April 2010 a leading credit agency assigned Greek debt its lowest possible credit rating; in May, the International Monetary Fund and Eurozone governments provided Greece emergency short- and medium-term loans worth $147 billion so that the country could make debt repayments to creditors. In exchange for the largest bailout ever assembled, the government announced combined spending cuts and tax increases totaling $40 billion over three years, on top of the tough austerity measures already taken. Greece, however, struggled to boost revenues and cut spending to meet 2010 targets set by the EU and the IMF, especially after Eurostat - the EU's statistical office - revised upward Greece's deficit and debt numbers for 2009 and 2010. Greece's lenders are calling on Athens to step up efforts in 2011 to increase tax collection, shore up public enterprises, and rein in health spending, and are planning to give Greece more time to repay its EU-IMF loan. Greece responded by introducing major structural reforms, but investors still question whether Greece can sustain fiscal efforts in the face of a bleak economic outlook and public discontent.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$321.7 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 $337.9 billion (2009 est.)
$344.8 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$302 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-4.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 211 -2% (2009 est.)
2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,200 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 $31,500 (2009 est.)
$32,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 17.6%
services: 78.5% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
5.05 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 12.4%
industry: 22.4%
services: 65.1% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
12% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 127 9.4% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
20% (2009 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 26% (2000 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33 (2005) country comparison to the world: 96 35.4 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
14.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Public debt:
144% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 126.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 1.2% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1.75% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 117 3% (31 December 2008)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.59% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 8.65% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$152.8 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 22 $172.8 billion (31 December 2009 est)
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Stock of broad money:
$335.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 $368.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$419.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $394.6 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$54.72 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 37 $90.4 billion (31 December 2008)
$264.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products
Industries:
tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Electricity - production:
58.79 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Electricity - consumption:
58.28 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Electricity - exports:
1.962 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
7.575 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
6,779 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Oil - consumption:
414,400 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Oil - exports:
153,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Oil - imports:
520,900 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Oil - proved reserves:
10 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Natural gas - production:
9 million cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Natural gas - consumption:
3.528 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Natural gas - imports:
3.556 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Natural gas - proved reserves:
991.1 million cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Current account balance:
-$17.1 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 179 -$34.43 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$21.14 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 $21.34 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles
Exports - partners:
Germany 11.11%, Italy 11.05%, Cyprus 7.28%, Bulgaria 6.74%, US 4.95%, UK 4.4%, Turkey 4.23% (2009)
Imports:
$44.9 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 $64.2 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Germany 13.73%, Italy 12.71%, China 7.08%, France 6.1%, Netherlands 6.02%, South Korea 5.68%, Belgium 4.34%, Spain 4.08% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$5.546 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$532.9 billion (30 June 2010) country comparison to the world: 19 $504.6 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$48.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $44.93 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$38.66 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 $40.45 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7179 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)
Communications ::Greece
Telephones - main lines in use:
5.93 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 29
Telephones - mobile cellular:
13.295 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 54
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good mobile telephone and international service
domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands
international: country code - 30; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia; a number of smaller submarine cables provide connectivity to various parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Cyprus; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat - Indian Ocean region)
Broadcast media:
broadcast media dominated by the private sector; roughly 150 private TV channels, about a dozen of the private channels broadcast at the national or regional level; 3 publicly-owned terrestrial TV channels with national coverage, 1 publicly-owned satellite channel, and 3 stations designed for digital terrestrial transmissions; multi-channel satellite and cable TV services obtainable; upwards of 1,500 radio stations broadcasting, nearly all of them privately-owned; state-run broadcaster has 7 national stations, 2 international stations, and 19 regional stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.gr
Internet hosts:
2.574 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 31
Internet users:
4.971 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 46
Transportation ::Greece
Airports:
81 (2010) country comparison to the world: 68
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 67
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 9 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 12 (2010)
Heliports:
9 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 1,197 km; oil 75 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 2,548 km country comparison to the world: 66 standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 117,533 km country comparison to the world: 38 paved: 107,895 km (includes 880 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,638 km (2005)
Waterways:
6 km country comparison to the world: 108 note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2010)
Merchant marine:
total: 886 country comparison to the world: 12 by type: bulk carrier 263, cargo 53, carrier 1, chemical tanker 72, container 34, liquefied gas 13, passenger 8, passenger/cargo 116, petroleum tanker 312, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 62 (Belgium 16, Bermuda 3, Cyprus 4, Italy 5, UK 27, US 7)
registered in other countries: 2,391 (Antigua and Barbuda 5, Bahamas 209, Barbados 14, Belize 2, Bermuda 2, Brazil 1, Cambodia 2, Cayman Islands 11, Comoros 3, Cyprus 216, Denmark 1, Dominica 9, Egypt 8, Georgia 3, Germany 1, Gibraltar 7, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 22, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 57, Italy 8, Jamaica 8, Liberia 454, Malta 458, Marshall Islands 358, Mexico 1, Moldova 4, Panama 402, Philippines 4, Portugal 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 63, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 4, Singapore 19, Slovakia 1, Togo 1, UAE 3, UK 1, Uruguay 1, Vanuatu 4, Venezuela 4, unknown 8) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Agioi Theodoroi, Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki
Military ::Greece
Military branches:
Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (EllinikosPolemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki PolimikiAeroporia, EPA) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 1 year for all services; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,502,268
females age 16-49: 2,486,171 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,050,018
females age 16-49: 2,033,450 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 53,222
female: 49,828 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.3% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Transnational Issues ::Greece
Disputes - international:
Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complexmaritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea;Cyprus question with Turkey; Greece rejects the use of the nameMacedonia or Republic of Macedonia; the mass migration of unemployedAlbanians still remains a problem for developed countries, chieflyGreece and Italy
Illicit drugs:
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; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime
page last updated on January 12, 2011
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@Greenland (North America)
Introduction ::Greenland
Background:
Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% ice capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Home Rule Government.
Geography ::Greenland
Location:
Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and theNorth Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
North America
Area:
total: 2,166,086 sq km country comparison to the world: 13 land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered)
Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
44,087 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
Climate:
arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
Terrain:
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunnbjorn Fjeld 3,700 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%