278 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
278 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
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GREECE
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 131,940 km2; land area: 130,800 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alabama
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Land boundaries: 1,228 km total; Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km,
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Turkey 206 km, Yugoslavia 246 km
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Coastline: 13,676 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
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Territorial sea: 6 nm
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Disputes: complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes
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with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Macedonia question with
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Bulgaria and Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question with Albania
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Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
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Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as
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peninsulas or chains of islands
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Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, crude oil, marble
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Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures
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40%; forest and woodland 20%; other 9%; includes irrigated 7%
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Environment: subject to severe earthquakes; air pollution;
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archipelago of 2,000 islands
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Note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern
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approach to Turkish Straits
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PEOPLE
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Population: 10,042,956 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
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Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 80 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Greek(s); adjective--Greek
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Ethnic divisions: Greek 98%, other 2%; note--the Greek Government
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states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
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Religion: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
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Language: Greek (official); English and French widely understood
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Literacy: 93% (male 98%, female 89%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 3,860,000; services 43%, agriculture 27%,
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manufacturing and mining 20%, construction 7% (1985)
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Organized labor: 10-15% of total labor force, 20-25% of urban
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labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Hellenic Republic
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Type: presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by
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referendum 8 December 1974
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Capital: Athens
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Administrative divisions: 51 departments (nomoi,
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singular--nomos); Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis,
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Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Evritania,
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Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia,
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Imathia, Ioannina, Iraklion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala,
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Kefallinia, Kerkira, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes,
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Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi,
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Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza,
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Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki,
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Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos
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Independence: 1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)
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Constitution: 11 June 1975
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Legal system: NA
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National holiday: Independence Day (proclamation of the war of
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independence), 25 March (1821)
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Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: unicameral Greek Chamber of Deputies
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(Vouli ton Ellinon)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Constantinos KARAMANLIS (since 5 May
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1990);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Constantinos MITSOTAKIS
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(since 11 April 1990)
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Political parties and leaders:
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New Democracy (ND; conservative), Constantinos MITSOTAKIS;
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Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas PAPANDREOU;
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Democratic Renewal (DIANA), Constantine STEFANOPOULOS;
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Communist Party (KKE), Aleka PAPARIGA;
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Greek Left Party (EAR), Leonidas KYRKOS;
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Ecologist-Alternative List, leader NA;
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note--KKE and EAR have joined in the Left Alliance, Maria DAMANAKI,
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president
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Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held 4 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995);
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results--Constantinos KARAMANLIS was elected by Parliament;
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Parliament--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held
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April 1994);
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results--ND 46.89%, PASOK 38.62%, Left Alliance 10.27%, PASOK/Left
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Alliance 1.02%, Ecologist-Alternative List 0.77%, DIANA 0.67%,
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Muslim independents 0.5%;
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seats--(300 total) ND 150, PASOK 123, Left Alliance 19,
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PASOK-Left Alliance 4, Muslim independents 2, DIANA 1,
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Ecologist-Alternative List 1;
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note--one DIANA deputy joined ND in July, giving ND 151 seats; in
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November a special electoral court ruled in favor of ND on a
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contested seat, giving ND 152 seats and taking one from PASOK (now 122)
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Communists: an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers
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Member of: BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB,
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FAO, G-6, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
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IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
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NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
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UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery
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at 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
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667-3168; there are Greek Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,
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Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in New Orleans;
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US--Ambassador Michael G. SOTIRHOS; Embassy at 91 Vasilissis
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Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens (mailing address is APO New York
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09255-0006); telephone 30 (1) 721-2951 or 721-8401; there is a US
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Consulate General in Thessaloniki
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Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue (top and bottom)
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alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side
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corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Christianity, the
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established religion of the country
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Greece has a mixed capitalistic economy with the basic
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entrepreneurial system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist government
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that enlarged the public sector from 55% of GDP in 1981 to about 70%
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when Prime Minister Mitsotakis took office. Mitsotakis inherited several
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severe economic problems from the preceding socialist and caretaker
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governments, which neglected the runaway budget deficit, a ballooning
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current account deficit, and accelerating inflation. With only a
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two-seat majority in the Chamber of Deputies, Mitsotakis has concentrated
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on cutting the public-sector payroll, cautiously expanding the tax base,
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and adopting guidelines for privatizing Greece's loss-ridden state-owned
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enterprises. Once the political situation is sorted out, Greece will have
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to face the challenges posed by the steadily increasing integration of
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the European Community, including the progressive lowering of trade and
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investment barriers. Tourism continues as a major industry, providing a
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vital offset to the sizable commodity trade deficit.
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GDP: $76.7 billion, per capita $7,650; real growth rate 0.9%
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(1990)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19.0% (1990)
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Unemployment rate: 9.0% (1989)
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Budget: revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $34.1 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
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Exports: $9.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
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commodities--manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels and
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lubricants, raw materials;
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partners--FRG 20%, Italy 17%, France 8%, UK 7%, US 6%
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Imports: $20.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
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commodities--machinery and transport equipment, light manufactures,
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fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs, chemicals;
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partners--FRG 21%, Italy 16%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, UK 6%
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External debt: $18.7 billion (1989)
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Industrial production: growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.); accounts
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for 22% of GDP
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Electricity: 10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh produced,
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3,630 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal
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products, tourism, mining, petroleum
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Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 13% of
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GNP and 27% of the labor force; principal products--wheat, corn, barley,
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sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, mutton,
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pork, dairy products; self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 135,000
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metric tons in 1987
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $525
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $1.35 billion
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Currency: drachma (plural--drachmas); 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
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Exchange rates: drachma (Dr) per US$1--159.87 (January 1991),
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158.51 (1990), 162.42 (1989), 141.86 (1988), 135.43 (1987), 139.98
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(1986), 138.12 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 2,479 km total; 1,565 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, of
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which 36 km electrified and 100 km double track, 892 km 1.000-meter
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gauge; 22 km 0.750-meter narrow gauge; all government owned
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Highways: 38,938 km total; 16,090 km paved, 13,676 km crushed stone
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and gravel, 5,632 km improved earth, 3,540 km unimproved earth
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Inland waterways: 80 km; system consists of three coastal canals
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and three unconnected rivers
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Pipelines: crude oil, 26 km; refined products, 547 km
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Ports: Piraeus, Thessaloniki
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Merchant marine: 958 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,585,048
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GRT/39,011,361 DWT; includes 13 passenger, 63 short-sea passenger,
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2 passenger-cargo, 152 cargo, 21 container, 17 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
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23 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 185 petroleum, oils, and
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lubricants (POL) tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 25
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combination ore/oil, 5 specialized tanker, 407 bulk, 19 combination bulk;
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note--ethnic Greeks also own large numbers of ships under the registry of
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Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, and Lebanon
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Civil air: 35 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 81 total, 79 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: adequate, modern networks reach all areas;
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4,122,317 telephones; stations--30 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 39 (560
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repeaters) TV; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations operating in
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INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and MARISAT
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systems
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,434,762; 1,870,699 fit for
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military service; 72,707 reach military age (21) annually
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Defense expenditures: $3.7 billion, 5.5% of GDP (1990)
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