$NA
Exchange rates:
Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5434 (2006), 0.5504 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)
note: the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Communications ::Gibraltar
Telephones - main lines in use:
24,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 185
Telephones - mobile cellular:
18,400 (2004) country comparison to the world: 207
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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 3 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.gi
Internet hosts:
1,955 (2009) country comparison to the world: 149
Internet users:
6,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 202
Transportation ::Gibraltar
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 231
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 29 km country comparison to the world: 216 paved: 29 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 240 country comparison to the world: 32 by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 125, chemical tanker 51, container 43, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 225 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 1, Denmark 7, Finland 3, Germany 129, Greece 6, Iceland 1, Morocco 4, Netherlands 21, Norway 33, Sweden 13, UAE 3, UK 2)
registered in other countries: 7 (Liberia 5, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Gibraltar
Military ::Gibraltar
Military branches:
Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,308 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,234
females age 16-49: 5,242 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 186
female: 179 (2009 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 October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@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 Communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 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.
Geography ::Greece
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: 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
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 ::Greece
Population:
10,737,428 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
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) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.8 years
male: 40.7 years
female: 42.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.127% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Birth rate:
9.45 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Death rate:
10.51 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Net migration rate:
2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Urbanization:
urban population: 61% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 187 male: 5.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.66 years country comparison to the world: 26 male: 77.11 years
female: 82.37 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.37 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
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: 146
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: 17 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.4% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 92
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* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Argolis,
Arkadia, Arta, Attiki, Chalkidiki, Chanion, 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, Lefkas, Lesvos, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella,
Pieria, Preveza, Rethynnis, Rodopi, Samos, Serrai, 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 Yeoryios PAPANDREOU (since 6 October 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held by February 2010); president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election to become prime minister and form a government
election results: Karolos PAPOULIAS elected president; number of parliamentary votes, 279 out of 300
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 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
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:
Coalition of the Radical Left or SYRIZA [Alekos ALAVANOS]; Communist
Party (Marxist-Leninist) [Gr. KONSTANTOPOULOS]; Communist Party of
Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; Democratic Revival [Stelios
PAPATHEMELIS]; Democratic Universal Hellas [Stergio KRIKELISI];
Ecologist Greens [Ioanna KONTOULI]; Fighting Socialist Party [Nikos
KARGOPOULOS]; Greek Ecologists [Dimosthenis VERGIS]; Liberal
Alliance [Foris PERIKOS]; Liberal Party [Manolis KALIGIANNIS];
Light-Truth-Justice [Konstantinos MELISSOURGOS]; New Democracy or ND
[Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Organization for the Reconstruction of
the Communist Party of Greece [Ilias ZAFIROPOULOS]; Panhellenic
Socialist Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox
Rally or LAOS [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]; Radical Left Front [D.
DESILLAS]; Regional Urban Development [Nikolaos KOLITIS]; Salvation
Party Christian Democracy [Alkiviadis STOILIS]; Union of Centrists
[Vassilis LEVENTIS]; United Anti-Capitalist Left [Konstantinos
PAPDAKIS]
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, 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, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU,
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 V. SPECKHARD
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; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country
Economy ::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 growth dropped to 2.9% in 2008, as a result of the world financial crisis and tightening credit conditions. Greece violated the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of no more than 3% of GDP from 2001 to 2006, but finally met that criteria in 2007-08. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment are above the euro-zone average, but are falling. The Greek Government continues to grapple with cutting government spending, reducing the size of the public sector, and reforming the labor and pension systems, in the face of often vocal opposition from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. The economy remains an important domestic political issue in Greece and, while the ruling New Democracy government has had some success in improving economic growth and reducing the budget deficit, Athens faces long-term challenges in its effort to continue its economic reforms, especially social security reform and privatization.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$343.8 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 $334.1 billion (2007 est.)
$321.3 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$357.5 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 4% (2007 est.)
4.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$32,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $31,200 (2007 est.)
$30,100 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.7%
industry: 20.6%
services: 75.7% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.96 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 12.4%
industry: 22.4%
services: 65.1% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103 8.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
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):
20.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Budget:
revenues: $126.5 billion
expenditures: $144.4 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
97.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 112% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 2.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 92 5% (31 December 2007)
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:
8.65% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 112 7.71% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money: