Greece

Greece

Introduction

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

Location

Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

Geographic coordinates

39 00 N, 22 00 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 131,957 sq km
country comparison to the world: 97 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

15,500 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources

72 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 8.7cu km/yr (16%/3%/81%)
per capita:782cu m/yr (1997)

Natural hazards

severe earthquakes
volcanism:Santorini (elev. 367 m) 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, Air Pollution-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, Ship Pollution, 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 and Society

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

Languages

Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%

Religions

Greek Orthodox (official) 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%

Population

10,760,136 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.2% (male 787,143/female 741,356)
15-64 years:66.2% (male 3,555,447/female 3,567,383)
65 years and over:19.6% (male 923,177/female 1,185,630) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 42.5 years
male:41.4 years
female:43.6 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

0.083% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

Birth rate

9.21 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205

Death rate

10.7 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44

Net migration rate

2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36

Urbanization

urban population: 61% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

ATHENS (capital) 3.252 million

Thessaloniki 834,000 (2009)

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 (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 172

Infant mortality rate

total: 5 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 182 male:5.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female:4.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.92 years
country comparison to the world: 30 male:77.36 years
female:82.65 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.38 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202

Health expenditures

7.4% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 66

Physicians density

6.043 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 3

Hospital bed density

4.77 beds/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 43

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 99% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: 1% of population
total: 0% of population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
urban: 99% of population
rural: 97% of population
total: 98% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1% of population
rural: 3% of population
total: 2% of population (2008)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

8,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103

HIV/AIDS – deaths

fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86

Obesity – adult prevalence rate

22.5% (2003)
country comparison to the world: 17

Education expenditures

4% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 104

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)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 25.8%
country comparison to the world: 25 male:19.4%
female:33.9% (2009)

Government

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

13 regions (perifereies, singular – perifereia) and 1 autonomous monastic state* (aftonomi monastiki politeia)

Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki (East Macedonia and Thrace), Attiki (Attica), Dytiki Ellada (Western Greece), Dytiki Makedonia (Western Macedonia), Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands), Ipeiros (Epirus), Kentriki Makedonia (Central Macedonia), Kriti (Crete), Notio Aigaio (South Aegean), Peloponnisos (Peloponnese), Sterea Ellada (Central Greece), Thessalia (Thessaly), Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)

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

civil legal system based on Roman law

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age

universal and compulsory

Executive branch

chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
head of government:Interim Prime Minister Lukas PAPANDEMOS(since 10 November 2011)
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 surpassing 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 Civil and Criminal Court

all judges are appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council

Supreme Administrative Court and Court of Auditors

Courts of Appeal

Courts of First Instance

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]

Golden Dawn [Nikolaos MICHALOLIAKOS]

New Democracy or ND [Antonis SAMARAS]

Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Georgios PAPANDREOU]

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, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, 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
FAX:[1] (202) 939-1324
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
FAX:[30] (210) 645-6282
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 symbol(s)

Greek cross (white cross on blue field

arms equal length)

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

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 10.5% 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)

$318.1 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39 $333.2 billion (2009 est.)
$340.1 billion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$305.4 billion (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

-4.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211 -2% (2009 est.)
1% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$29,600 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47 $31,000 (2009 est.)
$31,700 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 3.3%
industry:17.9%
services:78.8% (2010 est.)

Labor force

5.013 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

12.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134 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: 101 35.4 (1998)

Investment (gross fixed)

14.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Budget

revenues: $119.6 billion
expenditures:$151.5 billion (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

39.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-10.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197

Public debt

142.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4 127.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144 1.2% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate

1.75% (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 114 1.75% (31 December 2009)
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

5.984% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146 6.055% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$151.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23 $177.8 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 17 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

$316.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27 $379 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$442.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28 $383.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$72.64 billion (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 52 $54.72 billion (31 December 2009)
$90.4 billion (31 December 2008)

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

-5.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Electricity – production

51.5 billion kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47

Electricity – consumption

59.53 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40

Electricity – exports

3.233 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

4.368 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

7,946 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90

Oil – consumption

371,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35

Oil – exports

181,600 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57

Oil – imports

496,600 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

Oil – proved reserves

10 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90

Natural gas – production

1 million cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Natural gas – consumption

3.824 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65

Natural gas – exports

0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107

Natural gas – imports

3.815 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36

Natural gas – proved reserves

991.1 million cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100

Current account balance

-$19.89 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186 -$35.97 billion (2009 est.)

Exports

$22.66 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 10.9%, Italy 10.9%, Cyprus 7.3%, Bulgaria 6.5%, Turkey 5.4%, UK 5.3%, Belgium 5.1%, China 4.8%, Switzerland 4.5%, Poland 4.2% (2010)

Imports

$60.19 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44 $64.21 billion (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

Imports – partners

Germany 10.6%, Italy 9.9%, Russia 9.6%, China 6.1%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.9%, Austria 4.5% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$6.37 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81 $5.546 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$583.3 billion (30 June 2011)
country comparison to the world: 20 $532.9 billion (30 June 2010)

Stock of direct foreign investment – at home

$33.56 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58 $42.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad

$37.88 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34 $39.45 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)

Transportation

Airports

81 (2010)
country comparison to the world:69

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 1,240 km

oil 75 km (2010)

Railways

total: 2,548 km
country comparison to the world: 64 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 (2009)

Roadways

total: 116,711 km (includes 948 km of expressways) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 37

Waterways

6 km (the 6 km long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth

it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 107

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 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Agioi Theodoroi, Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki

Military

Military branches

Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Ellinikos Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2011)

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: 2,485,389
females age 16-49:2,469,854 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 2,032,378
females age 16-49:2,016,552 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 52,754
female:49,485 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Transnational Issues

Disputes – international

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

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