March 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - ND 45.4%, PASOK 40.6%,
KKE 5.9%, Synaspismos 3.3%; seats by party - ND 165, PASOK 117, KKE
12, Synaspismos 6
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges
appointed for life by the president after consultation with a
judicial council
Political parties and leaders:
Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Alekos ALAVANOS];
Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or
ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist
Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox Rally
[Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos
POLYZOGOPOLOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas
KYRIAKOPOULOS]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros
PAPASPYROS]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU,
FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yeoryios SAVVAIDIS
chancery: 2221 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, and Tampa
consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles RIES embassy: 91 Vasilissis 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 70% of the leading
euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up
nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in menial jobs. Greece is
a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP.
The Greek economy grew by about 4.0% for the past two years, largely
because of an investment boom and infrastructure upgrades for the
2004 Athens Olympic Games. Despite strong growth, Greece has failed
to meet the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria
of 3% of GDP since 2000; public debt, inflation, and unemployment
are also above the eurozone average. Further restructuring of the
economy will need to include privatizing of several state
enterprises, undertaking pension and other reforms, and minimizing
bureaucratic inefficiencies.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$226.4 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $21,300 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 22% services: 71% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
4.4 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 12%, industry 20%, services 68% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
10% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 28.3% (1998 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.4 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
27% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $54.39 billion
expenditures: $64.4 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)
Public debt:
112% of GDP (2004 est.)
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:
4.1% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:
47.22 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 94.5% hydro: 3.8% nuclear: 0% other: 1.7% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
47.42 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
1.1 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
4.6 billion kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
5,992 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
405,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
84,720 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
468,300 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
4.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:
35 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural