Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. 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 Communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952.

A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy.

In 1981 Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 10,706,290 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.3% (male 789,637/female 742,535) 15-64 years: 66.7% (male 3,565,237/female 3,570,630) 65 years and over: 19% (male 895,384/female 1,142,867) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 41.2 years male: 40 years female: 42.3 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 0.163% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 9.62 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 10.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.063 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.998 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.783 male(s)/female total population: 0.962 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.38 years male: 76.85 years female: 82.06 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 9,100 (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek

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Ethnic groups: population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census) note: percents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity

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Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%

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Languages: Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 97.8% female: 94.2% (2001 census) People - note: women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor

Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP at least 75% of the leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in agricultural and unskilled jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by nearly 4.0% per year between 2003 and 2006, due partly to infrastructural spending related to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and in part to an increased availability of credit, which has sustained record levels of consumer spending. Greece violated the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of no more than 3% of GDP from 2001 to 2005, but finally appears on track to meet that criteria in 2006. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment are above the euro-zone average, but are falling. The Greek Government continues to grapple with cutting government spending, reducing the size of the public sector, and reforming the labor and pension systems, in the face of often vocal opposition from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $256.3 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $223.8 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 4.2% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $24,000 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.1% industry: 20.6% services: 74.4% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 4.88 million (2006 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 12% industry: 20% services: 68% (2004 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 9.2% (2006 est.)

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Population below poverty line: NA%

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 28.3% (1998 est.)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 35.1 (2003)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 25.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $99.16 billion expenditures: $106.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 104.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products

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Industries: tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum

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Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 55.51 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 53.5 billion kWh (2005 est.)

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Electricity - exports: 1.5 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 3.4 billion kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 5,401 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 435,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)

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Oil - exports: 119,200 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - imports: 550,400 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - proved reserves: 7 million bbl (1 January 2005)

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Natural gas - production: 23 million cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 2.34 billion cu m (2005 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 2.641 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 991.1 million cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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Current account balance: -$21.37 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $24.42 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles

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Exports - partners: Germany 11.4%, Italy 11.2%, Bulgaria 6.4%, UK 6%, Cyprus 5.4%, Turkey 5.2%, France 4.5%, US 4.4%, Spain 4% (2006)

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Imports: $59.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

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Imports - partners: Germany 12.6%, Italy 11.6%, Russia 7.1%, France 5.8%, Netherlands 5.2%, South Korea 4.2% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.5 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $301.9 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $8 billion annually from EU (2000-06); Greece will receive about $3.8 billion per year between 2007-13 under the EU's Community Support Funds IV

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Currency (code): euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

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Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year