Greece

Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Ellinikí Dimokratía Hellenic Republic
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος (Transliteration: Eleftheria i thanatos) (Translation: "Freedom or Death")
Anthem: Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν ("Hymn to Freedom")
Capital	Athens
Largest city	Athens
Official language	Greek
Government	Parliamentary Republic
- President	Karolos Papoulias
- Prime Minister	Kostas Karamanlis
Independence	from Ottoman Empire
- Start of Independent Greek Civilizations	~3000 BC with Minoan and Cycladic civilizations
- Last prior independent Greek state	1461 Empire of Trebizond
- Declared	25 March 1821
- Recognized	1829
Accession to EU	January 1, 1981
Area
- Total	131,990 km² (96th) 50,944 sq mi
- Water (%)	0.8669
Population
- 2005 estimate	11,244,118 [1] (74th)
- 2001 census	10,964,020 [2]
- Density	84/km² (108th) 218/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
- Total	$261.018 billion (37th)
- Per capita	$23,518 (30th)
HDI  (2004)	0.921 (high) (24th)
Currency	Euro (€)2 (EUR)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD	.gr 3
Calling code	+30
1 Monarchy rejected by referendum on December 8, 1974. 2 Prior to 2001: Greek Drachma. 3 The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Greece (Greek: Ελλάδα [eˈlaða] or Ελλάς [eˈlas]), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία [eliniˈci ðimokraˈtia]), is a country in south-eastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan peninsula. It is bordered by Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the north and by 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 classical Greece, the Byzantine Empire,^[1] and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule^[2]. Regarded as the cradle of western civilization and being the birthplace of democracy,^[3] Western philosophy,^[4] the Olympic Games, western literature, political science, major scientific principles and drama^[5] (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 country, a member of the European Union since 1981 and a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union since 2001. Athens, Thessaloniki, Piraeus and Patra are the country's major cities.

History

See also: Ancient Greece and Names of the Greeks

The shores of Greece's Aegean Sea saw the emergence of the first advanced civilizations in Europe whose impact is inseparable from today's western institutions and western cultural and political development. Home first to the Minoan and Mycenean worlds and above all the Classical civilization and its Hellenistic inheritor, Greece was then subject to Roman governance and in the process transformed Rome itself. 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 Rome, while Greek culture continued to dominate the eastern Mediterranean.

The western side of the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens.

When the Roman Empire finally split in two, the Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire and centered around Constantinople (known in ancient times as Byzantium), remained Greek in nature, encompassing Greece itself. During the Byzantine imperial period Greece experienced fluctuating fortunes, but succeeded in Hellenizing and institutionalizing most of its new invaders, and by the late 8th century Greeks from Sicily and Asia Minor were brought in as settlers. The 11th and 12th centuries are said to have been the Golden Age of Byzantine art in Greece, while the crusading epochs between 1204 and 1458 saw Greece hit by a series of non-Orthodox armies in the name of religion. The Byzantine era persisted, nevertheless, until the Fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453, to the Ottoman Empire.

Theodore Vryzakis, The sortie of Messolonghi

While the Ottomans were completing the main conquest of 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 Western European 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 monarchy. The first king, Otto, was of the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach. The War of Independence also set in motion the establishment of major new cities and centres of trade such as Hermoupolis, Athens and Pireaus. In 1843, King Otto was forced, as a result of an uprising, to grant his subjects a constitution and representative assembly. He was deposed in 1863, to be replaced by a Danish Prince who took the name George I of Greece and brought the Ionian Islands as a coronation gift from Britain.

Greece was growing economically, whilst becoming politically more liberal. In 1877, Prime Minister Charilaos Trikoupis curbed the power of the monarchy to interfere in the Assembly.

The Hellenic Parliament, covening as Charilaos Trikoupis gives a speech, during the late 19th century.

This period was punctuated by the undertaking of one of the largest construction initiatives in Europe: the creation of the Corinth Canal (1881 - 1893), and in 1896 the Olympic Games were revived in Athens, judged a success. As a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, Crete, Chios, Samos, most of Epirus and southern Macedonia, including Thessaloniki, were incorporated into Greece. King George was assassinated in Thessaloniki in 1913 and succeeded by his Germanophile son, King Constantine I, whose struggle with Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos resulted in Greece's joining of the Entente against Germany and Austria, and the abdication of King Constantine in favour of his son, Alexander. A small part of Asia Minor, which was centred around the city of Smyrna (known today as İzmir) and still retained a majority Greek population, 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, 3 years later, Turkish nationalists, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, denounced the Sultan's government in Istanbul and formed a new one in Ankara, eventually defeating the Greeks, (Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)) when the Great Powers stopped supplying the Greek armies.^{[citations needed]}

Following the withdrawal of Greek forces and the destruction of Smyrna, a new government was established. 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 disputed referendum was held, resulting in a 'yes' to restore the monarchy under King George II.

On October 28, 1940, the Italian dictator Mussolini demanded that Greece allow 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 (see 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 civil war between the Greek Democratic Army and Hellenic Army lasting until 1949 when left-wing forces 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 US-supported military junta (Regime of the Colonels). In the ensuing years, a number of sympathisers of the left, 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 other European countries such as France and Sweden, but the then-head of state, King Constantine, officially acknowledged the new regime, which was also then duly recognized by the international community, and diplomatic relations continued; he attempted a counter coup in December, 1967 which was to fail, and he went to Rome in exile. The regime collapsed in July 1974.

Ex Premier Constantine Karamanlis was invited back on July 23, 1974 from Paris, where he resided since 1963. Marking the beginning 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 interim prime minister under President Gizikis, and founded the conservative New Democracy party, going on to win the ensuing elections by a large margin. Democracy was finally restored and a democratic republican constitution came into force in 1975. 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.

The widely praised 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony was held on August 13 in the Athens Olympic Stadium.

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 stage for almost 15 years until his death in June 23, 1996, by which time Kostas Simitis, another prominent political figure of PASOK, had already succeeded him as Prime Minister. Simitis remained 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 and ever since the nation has experienced 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.

Politics

The 1995 Constitution (Greek: Σύνταγμα), describes Greece as a "presidential parliamentary republic” (Greek: Προεδρευομένη Κοινοβουλευτική Δημοκρατία), 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 (Greek: Πρωθυπουργός) 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 Court of Auditors (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.

Kostas Karamanlis is the current Prime Minister of Greece.

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.

Further information: List of political parties in Greece

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 20 years. Karamanlis took over Government from Kostas Simitis of PASOK, who had been in office since January 1996.

Administrative divisions

The Hermoupolis port in the island of Syros is the capital of the Cyclades.

Peripheries: Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as peripheries, which subdivide further into the 54 prefectures (nomoi, singular — nomos). 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 (Agio Oros — Holy Mountain) in Macedonia.

Geography

Map 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 3,000), 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 10th longest coastline in the world with over 15,000 kilometres; its land boundary is 1,160 kilometres (721 mi).

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 rugged coastline of the volcanic island of Santorini.

View of the rocky Meteora formation in central Greece.

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 lie 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 highest mountain in the country, located in the southwestern Pieria prefecture, near Thessaloniki. Mytikas in Olympus range has a height of 2,919 metres (9,570 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

The famous Porto Katsiki beach in the island of Lefkada.

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 southwesterlies) wetter 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 Crete 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 Peloponessus, including the prefectures of Achaea, Arcadia and parts of Laconia, where the Pindus range passes by). Finally, the Temperate type affects Central and East Macedonia and Thrace, mainly affecting the cities of Komotini, Xanthi and the towns of northern Evros; it features cold, damp winters (with 52 inches of rain in Corfu and 25 inches in Crete) and hot, dry summers. Athens is located in a transitional area featuring both the Mediterranean and the temperate types. It averages about 16 inches 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

Greek 1 euro coin depicting Goddess Athena's symbol, the owl.

Greece operates on a capitalist mixed economy. The nation's main economic activity is primarily based on tourism, shipping, banking & finance, manufacturing and construction and telecommunications sectors while the country serves as the regional business hub for many of the world's major multinational companies. Greece enjoys a high standard of living, ranking 24th on the 2006 Human Development Index and 22nd on The Economist's 2005 world-wide quality-of-life index[3] and it has an average per capita income that has been estimated at $23,518^[6] for the year 2006. Greece's present prosperity is largely owed to the post-WWII "Greek economic miracle". The implementation of a number of structural and fiscal reforms, combined with considerable European Union funding over the last 25 years and increasing private consumption have contributed to the fact that the Greek GDP annual growth consistently out-performs the European average. [4]

The Rio-Antirio bridge connects the Peloponnese with mainland Greece.

The tourism industry constitutes an important sector of the Greek economy. Here, the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos.

Services, make up the largest, most vital and fastest-growing sector of the Greek economy, followed by manufacturing and agriculture.

The 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 2005 Greece welcomed almost 18 million visitors and in 2006 that figure almost reached the 20 mn mark.

The shipping industry is considered as one of Greece's most important industries, earns €12 bn in foreign exchange and maintains a leading fleet on a global basis. In fact, according to a 2007 economic report published in Belgium, greek ships make 20% of the global fleet, with more than 3500 ships of greek interest worldwide. One in five (1/5) oil tankers of the global fleet belong to greek shipping companies.

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.

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 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, 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 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.

Demography

The official Statistical body of Greece is the National Statistical Service of Greece (NSSG).

Numbers

Vital Statistics:

Thessaloniki is Greece's second largest city and a major economic, industrial, commercial and cultural center. Here, an aerial view of the city's eastern districts.

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 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)

Minorities

Ethnic Minorities: The only minority in Greece which receives special minority treatment is the Muslim minority (Μουσουλμανική μειονότητα) in Thrace, which amounts to approximately 0.95% of the total population and mainly consists of ethnic Turks, Pomaks and Roma. Other recognized ethnic minorities are approximately 35,000 Armenians, and 5,500 Jews.

Immigration

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

Religious Affiliation:

The bell tower of the church of St. Spyridon can be seen in the background among the busy kantounia of the city of Corfu.

The majority of Greek citizens (95-98%) are baptised into the Greek Orthodox Church and most of them 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 2005[5] maintains that approximately 97 percent of citizens identify themselves at least nominally with the Greek Orthodox faith. Estimates of the officially recognised Muslim minority range from 98,000 to 140,000, while the the immigrant Muslim community is between 200,000 and 300,000. 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 Moslems live in our country." ^[7] Greek members of the Roman Catholic faith (including both Byzantine Greek Catholics and Latin Catholics) are estimated at 50,000, with the immigrant Catholic community (mostly Poles and Byzantine Catholic Ukrainians) approximating 200,000. The Jehovah's Witnesses report having 30,000 active members. The State Department report calculates Protestants, including evangelicals and Pentecostals, at about 30,000. The longstanding Jewish community numbers approximately 5,000 adherents, about 2,000 of whom reside in Thessaloniki.

According to the most recent Eurostat Eurobarometer poll, in 2005,^[8] 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

Entrance of the Philosophy School building at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Greece's largest University

Compulsory education is comprised of Primary Schools (Dimotikó Scholeio, Greek: Δημοτικό Σχολείο) and Gymnasia (Greek: Γυμνάσιο). There are also kindergartens (Paidikós Stathmós, Greek: Παιδικός σταθμός) and nursery schools (Nipiagogeío, Greek: Νηπιαγωγείο) for children of 4 and 5 years of age respectively but, albeit popular, are not of compulsory attendance. Attendance at Primary Schools lasts for six years and children are admitted at the age of 6. There are also all-day primary schools in operation with an extended timetable and an enriched syllabus. Attendance at Gymnasia starts at the age of 12 and last for three years.

Post-compulsory Secondary Education, consists of two school types: Eniaia Lykeia (Unified Upper Secondary Schools, Greek: Ενιαίο Λύκειο) and the Technical Vocational Educational Schools (TEE, Greek: Τεχνικά και Επαγγελματικά Εκπαιδευτήρια). Post-compulsory Secondary Education also includes the Vocational Training Institutes (IEK, Greek: Ινστιτούτα Επαγγελματικής Κατάρτισης) , 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, the so called Highest Educational Institutions (Anótata Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata, Greek: Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα, ΑΕΙ) and the Highest Technological Educational Institutions (Anótata Technologiká Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata, Greek: Ανώτατα Τεχνολογικά Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα, 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 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.

The Greek Education System also provides Special kindergartens, primary and secondary education schools for people with special needs or difficulties in learning. Musical, Ecclesiastical and Physical Education Gymnasia and High Schools are also in operation.

Culture

Achilles binds the wound of Patroclus on a late archaic Kylix by Sosias, inspired by Homer's Iliad.

Greek culture evolved over thousands of years, with its beginnings in the Mycenean and Minoan Civilizations, 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 with revitalizing Greece and giving birth to a single entity of its multi-faceted culture throughout the ages.

Greece is often known as the cradle of Western civilisation.

Further information: List of Greeks

Photo Gallery

Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki was named after philosopher Aristotle.	The popular Oia resort, Santorini at night.	The Chora of the island of Ios.	The famous Myconos windmills.
The famous Road of the Knights in the Old City of Rhodes.	The 6.3 Km long Corinth Canal, built from 1881 to 1893, connects the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf.Image:Mykonos_Windmills.JPG|The Mykonos windmills.	The Pontikonissi island in Corfu.	The old Venetian Port in the city of Rethymno, Crete.
The Old City of Monemvasia, in southern Peloponnese.	The famous town of Metsovo in western Greece.	Part of the Old Town of Corfu.	The Tholos at the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia in the ancient site of Delphi.
Naxos City, Temple entrance landmark or the Portara.	The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, near Athens.	Navagio Bay in the island of Zakynthos.	Spring in Agrafa.
Greek Orthodox monasteries in the autonomous region of Mount Athos, Chalkidiki.	View of the port of Piraeus, near Athens.

See also

Notes

1. ↑ Sir Steven Runciman, The Fall of Constantinople
2. ↑ "Greece." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 6 Sept. 2006 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9106266>.
3. ↑ Finley, M. I. Democracy Ancient and Modern. 2d ed., 1985. London: Hogarth.
4. ↑ History of Philosophy, Volume 1 by Frederick Copleston
5. ↑ Brockett, Oscar G. History of the Theatre. 6th ed., 1991. Boston; London: Allyn and Bacon.
6. ↑ IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2006.
7. ↑ Εκκλησία, Official Gazette of the Church of Greece, October 2006, page 737
8. ↑ Eurobarometer, http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf

Further reading

• Richard Clogg, A Concise History of Greece, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press 2002

External links

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• Greek News Agenda Newsletter
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• Encyclopaedia Britannica - Greece's country page
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