Greece

A Quick Look at Greece

Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Area (Comparative): slightly smaller than Alabama
Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
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)
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
Religion: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census)
Languages: Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
Capital: Athens
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
Political Parties:Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow or ANTARSYA; Coalition of the Radical Left or SYRIZA; Communist Party of Greece or KKE; Democratic Left; Democratic Alliance or DISY; Ecologist Greens; Golden Dawn; New Democracy or ND; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK; Popular Orthodox Rally or LAOS
Labor Force by Occupation: agriculture: 12.4%; industry: 22.4%; services: 65.1% (2005 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 12% (2010 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line: 20% (2009 est.)
Agriculture: wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products
Industry: tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
International Disputes: Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; Greece rejects the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia; the mass migration of unemployed Albanians still remains a problem for developed countries, chiefly Greece and Italy.

The following links will provide more information about the nation of Greece:

• U.S. State Department – Religious Freedom in Greece
• U.S. State Department – Greece Info.
• U.S. State Department – Terrorism Notes