Name:

Conventional:  Hellenic Republic / Greece
Local:  Hellas or Hellada

Capital:  Athens
   

Government:

Parliamentary Governmental Republic

Chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
Head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos KARAMANLIS (since 7 March 2004)

Population:  10,688,058 (July 2006 est.)

Ethnic Groups:  Greek 98%, other 2%
note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece

Religion:  Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1,3% other 0,7%

Language:  Greek 99% (official), English, French

Geography:

Area: total, 131,940 sq km
land: 130,800 sq km
water: 1,140 sq km

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

Border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km

Climate:  temperate, mild, wet winters, hot dry summers

Natural resources:  lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, and hydropower potential

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

Greece History: Greece is a country with a particularly rich and ancient history.  Excavations show that the first settlement is dating from the Paleolithic era (11.000-3000 BC). During the second millennium BC, Greece gave birth to the great civilizations of the Minoan (2600-1500 BC), the Mycenaean (1500-1150 BC) and the Cycladic civilization on the Greek islands of the Centre Aegean.

The Classical Period of Greece History (6th -4th centuries BC) was the Golden Age and the most famous worldwide; during this period lived the greatest philosophers and mathematicians.

Then, the history of Greece is a succession of various invasions and dominations: the Macedonians formed a strong Empire, followed by the Romans and the Byzantine Empire, which ended with the invasion of the Turks. The Ottoman rule lasted for 400 years and was a dark period for the inhabitants of the Ex-Byzantine Empire. Wanting to finally win their freedom, people of the Greece territory started to organize themselves and various revolts exploded against the Turkish oppressor.

The Independence War started from the Peloponnesus in 1821 and ended on March 1831, with the establishment of the new and independent Greek State. A monarchy was established a few years after that by the Great Powers. Then Greeks elected Eleftherios Venizelos as their Prime Minister; but only a few years after, he was assassinated. A civilian war followed as well as the terrible German and Italian occupation and the dictatorship of Metaxas (1967), which ended in 1974. This very incomplete and summarized recapitulation of the Greek history gives a taste of its complexity and of the sufferings alienation of its population who often fought for its freedom.