Communists:
an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers
Member of:
AG, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, FAO, G-6, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery at 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-5800; there are Greek Consulates
General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San
Francisco, and a Consulate in New Orleans
US:
Ambassador Michael G. SOTIRHOS; Embassy at 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard,
10160 Athens (mailing address is APO AE 09842; telephone [30] (1) 721-2951
or 721-8401; there is a US Consulate General in Thessaloniki
Flag:
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
:Greece Economy
Overview:
Greece has a mixed capitalistic economy with the basic entrepreneurial
system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist government that enlarged the
public sector from 55% of GDP in 1981 to about 70% when Prime Minister
Mitsotakis took office. Tourism continues as a major industry, and
agriculture - although handicapped by geographic limitations and fragmented,
small farms - is self-sufficient except for meat, dairy products, and animal
feedstuffs. The Mitsotakis government inherited several severe economic
problems from the preceding socialist and caretaker administrations, which
had neglected the runaway budget deficit, a ballooning current account
deficit, and accelerating inflation. In early 1991, the government secured a
$2.5 billion assistance package from the EC under the strictest terms yet
imposed on a member country, as the EC finally ran out of patience with
Greece's failure to put its financial affairs in order. Over the next three
years, Athens must bring inflation down to 7%, cut the current account
deficit and central government borrowing as a percentage of GDP, slash
public-sector employment by 10%, curb public-sector pay raises, and broaden
the tax base.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $77.6 billion, per capita $7,730; real growth
rate 1.0% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17.8% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
8.6% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $24.0 billion; expenditures $33.0 billion, including capital
expenditures of $3.3 billion (1991)
Exports:
$6.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
manufactured goods 48%, food and beverages 22%, fuels and lubricants 6%
partners:
Germany 22%, Italy 17%, France 10%, UK 7%, US 6%
Imports:
$18.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
consumer goods 33%, machinery 17%, foodstuffs 12%, fuels and lubricants 8%
partners:
Germany 21%, Italy 15%, Netherlands 11%, France 8%, UK 5%
External debt:
$25.5 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate - 2.4% (1990); accounts for 22% of GDP
Electricity:
10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh produced, 3,630 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism,
mining, petroleum
Agriculture:
including fishing and forestry, accounts for 17% of GDP and 27% of the labor
force; principal products - wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives,
tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; self-sufficient in food except meat,
dairy products, and animal feedstuffs; fish catch of 115,000 metric tons in
1988
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $525 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1,390 million
:Greece Economy
Currency:
drachma (plural - drachmas); 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
Exchange rates:
drachma (Dr) per US$1 - 182.33 (January 1992), 182.27 (1991), 158.51 (1990),
162.42 (1989), 141.86 (1988), 135.43 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Greece Communications
Railroads:
2,479 km total; 1,565 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, of which 36 km
electrified and 100 km double track, 892 km 1.000-meter gauge; 22 km
0.750-meter narrow gauge; all government owned
Highways:
38,938 km total; 16,090 km paved, 13,676 km crushed stone and gravel, 5,632
km improved earth, 3,540 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
80 km; system consists of three coastal canals and three unconnected rivers
Pipelines:
crude oil 26 km; petroleum products 547 km
Ports:
Piraievs, Thessaloniki
Merchant marine:
977 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,450,910 GRT/42,934,863 DWT;
includes 15 passenger, 66 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 136 cargo,
24 container, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 18 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle
carrier, 196 petroleum tanker, 18 chemical tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 37
combination ore/oil, 3 specialized tanker, 417 bulk, 19 combination bulk, 1
livestock carrier; note - ethnic Greeks also own large numbers of ships
under the registry of Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, Malta, and The Bahamas
Civil air:
39 major transport aircraft
Airports:
77 total, 77 usable; 77 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 19 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 23 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
adequate, modern networks reach all areas; 4,080,000 telephones; microwave
carries most traffic; extensive open-wire network; submarine cables to
off-shore islands; broadcast stations - 29 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 361 TV;
tropospheric links, 8 submarine cables; 1 satellite earth station operating
in INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean antenna), and EUTELSAT
systems
:Greece Defense Forces
Branches:
Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, Police
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 2,453,756; 1,883,152 fit for military service; 73,913 reach
military age (21) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $3.8 billion, 5.6% of GDP (1991)
:Greenland Geography