Ask any question about Greece here. "Hellas" redirects here. For other uses, see Hellas (disambiguation). For other uses, see Greece (disambiguation). Hellenic Republic
Ελληνική Δημοκρατία
Elliniki Dimokratia
Flag
National emblem
Motto: Eleftheria i Thanatos, (Greek: "Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος", "Freedom or Death") (traditional)
Anthem: "Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν
Ýmnos is tin Eleftherían
Hymn
to Liberty1"
Location of Greece (dark green)
– in Europe (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (green) — [Legend]
Capital
(and largest city)
Athens
37°58′N 23°43′E
Official language(s)
Greek
Ethnic groups
94% Greek,
4% Albanian,
2% others[1][2][3][4][5]
Demonym
Greek (Officially: Hellenic)
Government
Unitary parliamentary republic
-
President
Karolos Papoulias
-
Prime Minister
Lucas Papademos
Legislature
Parliament
Independence from the Ottoman Empire
-
Declared
1 January 1822, at the First National Assembly
-
Recognized
3 February 1830, in the London Protocol
-
Current constitution
11 June 1975,
Third Hellenic Republic
Area
-
Total
131,990 km2 (96th)
50,944 sq mi
-
Water (%)
0.8669
Population
-
2010 estimate
11,305,118[6] (74th)
-
2011 (preliminary data) census
10,787,690[7]
-
Density
85.3/km2 (88th)
221.0/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2011 estimate
-
Total
$318.082 billion[8] (37th)
-
Per capita
$27,624[8] (29th)
GDP (nominal)
2011 estimate
-
Total
$305.415 billion[8] (32nd)
-
Per capita
$27,875[8] (29th)
Currency
Euro (€)2 (EUR)
Time zone
EET (UTC+2)
Also the national anthem of Cyprus. Before 2001, the Greek drachma. The .eu domain is also used, as in other European Union member states. Greece i/ˈɡriːs/ (Greek: Ελλάδα, Ellada, IPA: [eˈlaða] ( listen)), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Elliniki Dimokratia, IPA: [eliniˈci ðimokraˈtia][10]), and historically Hellas (Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellas, IPA: [hellás]), is a country in Southern Europe,[11] politically also considered part of Western Europe.[12]
Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of ancient Greece, generally considered the cradle of Western civilization. As such it is the birthplace of democracy,[13] Western philosophy,[14] the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama,[15] including both tragedy and comedy. This legacy is partly reflected in the seventeen UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Greece, ranking Greece 7th in Europe and 13th in the world. The modern Greek state was established in 1830, following the Greek War of Independence. Greece has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft). A developed country with an advanced,[16][17] high-income economy[18] and very high standards of living (including the 21st highest quality of life as of 2010),[19][20][21] Greece has been a member of what is now the European Union since 1981 and the eurozone since 2001,[22] NATO since 1952,[23] and the European Space Agency since 2005.[24] It is also a founding member of the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,[25] and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. Greece is the largest economy of the Balkans. Athens is the capital and the largest city in the country (its urban area also including Piraeus).
