Greece

Location

• Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
• strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, with an archipelago of about 2,000 islands

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Athens	664,046	Capital
Thessaloníki	317,778
Pátra	168,034
Piraeus	163,688
Lárisa	146,926
Peristéri	139,981
Irákleion	137,154
Kallithéa	100,641
Acharnés	99,346
Kalamariá	91,518

Size

• 50,942 square miles
• 131,940 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than Alabama

History

Greece won independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 and became a kingdom. 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-communist and communist rebels. The communists were defeated in 1949, and Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a military coup forced the king to flee the country. The ensuing military dictatorship collapsed in 1974, and Greece abolished the monarchy to become a parliamentary republic. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. From 2009 until 2019, Greece suffered a severe economic crisis due to nearly a decade of chronic overspending and structural rigidities. Beginning in 2010, Greece entered three bailout agreements -- the first two with the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF; and the third in 2015 with the European Stability Mechanism -- worth in total about $300 billion. The Greek Government formally exited the third bailout in 2018, and Greece's economy has since improved significantly. In 2022, the country finalized its early repayment to the IMF and graduated on schedule from the EU's enhanced surveillance framework.

Climate

temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain

mountainous with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Languages

Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%major-language sample(s): Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Greek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est.)

Government

parliamentary republic

• Constitution: history: many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975amendment process: proposed by at least 50 members of Parliament and agreed by three-fifths majority vote in two separate ballots at least 30 days apart; passage requires absolute majority vote by the next elected Parliament; entry into force finalized through a "special parliamentary resolution"; articles on human rights and freedoms and the form of government cannot be amended
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal and compulsory
• Legal System: civil legal system based on Roman law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Konstantinos TASOULAS (since 13 March 2025)head of government: Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 26 June 2023)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime ministerelection/appointment process: president elected by Hellenic Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); president appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Hellenic Parliamentmost recent election date: 12 February 2025election results: 2025: Konstantinos TASOULAS (ND) elected president by Parliament - 160 of 300 votes2020: Katerina SAKELLAROPOULOU (independent) elected president by Parliament - 261 of 300 votesexpected date of next election: 2030
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Civil and Criminal Court or Areios Pagos (consists of 56 judges, including the court presidents); Council of State (supreme administrative court) consists of the president, 7 vice presidents, 42 privy councilors, 48 associate councilors and 50 reporting judges, organized into six 5- and 7-member chambers; Court of Audit (government audit and enforcement) consists of the president, 5 vice presidents, 20 councilors, and 90 associate and reporting judgesjudge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by presidential decree on the advice of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which includes the president of the Supreme Court, other judges, and the prosecutor of the Supreme Court; judges appointed for life after a 2-year probationary period; Council of State president appointed by the Greek Cabinet to serve a 4-year term; other judge appointments and tenure NA; Court of Audit president appointed by decree of the president of the republic on the advice of the SJC; court president serves a 4-year term or until age 67; tenure of vice presidents, councilors, and judges NAsubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal and Courts of First Instance (district courts)
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Hellenic Parliament (Vouli Ton Ellinon)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 300 (all directly elected)electoral system: proportional representationscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 6/25/2023parties elected and seats per party: New Democracy (ND) (158); Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) (47); Panhellenic Socialist Movement - Movement for Change (PASOK-KINAL) (32); Communist Party (KKE) (21); Other (42)percentage of women in chamber: 22.9%expected date of next election: June 2027note: only parties surpassing a 3% vote 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

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• high-income EU and eurozone economy; growth above euro average, supported by private consumption and EU fund investments; structural reforms strengthening public finances and enhancing resilience within banking system; declining unemployment but low labor productivity and skill shortages
• Budget: revenues: $111.938 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $114.497 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
• Industries: tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
• Agricultural Products: maize, wheat, sheep milk, oranges, tomatoes, milk, peaches/nectarines, grapes, watermelons, barley (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 44.3% (2022 est.)arable land: 14.1% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 8% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 22.3% (2022 est.)forest: 30.3% (2022 est.)other: 25.4% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, packaged medicine (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Germany 10%, China 10%, Italy 8%, Iraq 7%, Netherlands 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: refined petroleum, packaged medicine, aluminum, olive oil, tobacco (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Italy 12%, Germany 6%, Cyprus 6%, Bulgaria 4%, USA 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports