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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Greece (2002)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Greece (2002)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)Greece (2002)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryGreece
Administrative divisions - 51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos)and 1 autonomous region*; Agion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Achaia, Aitolia kai Akarmania, 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
Age structure - 0-14 years: 14.8% (male 814,605; female 765,613)


15-64 years: 67.1% (male 3,579,945; female 3,564,068)


65 years and over: 18.1% (male 851,087; female 1,070,025) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products - wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products
Airports 1 (2001) 79 (note - new Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 66


over 3,047 m: 6


2,438 to 3,047 m: 15


1,524 to 2,437 m: 19


914 to 1,523 m: 17


under 914 m: 9 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 13 14


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 10 (2002)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total: 131,940 sq km


land: 130,800 sq km


water: 1,140 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Alabama
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. Greece achieved its 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 with Greek-speaking populations. Following the defeat of Communist rebels 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. Democratic elections in 1974 and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy; Greece joined the European Community or EC in 1981 (which became the EU in 1992).
Birth rate - 9.82 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget - revenues: $45 billion


expenditures: $47.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Capital - Athens
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Coastline 698 km 13,676 km
Constitution - 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic


conventional short form: Greece


local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia


local short form: Ellas or Ellada


former: Kingdom of Greece
Currency - euro (EUR); drachma (GRD)


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
Death rate - 9.79 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external - $63.4 billion (2002 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas J. MILLER


embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, 101 60 Athens


mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108


telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951


FAX: [30] (210) 725-3025


consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Yeoryious SAVVAIDES


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, and San Francisco


consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain Greece and Turkey have resumed discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; dispute with The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over its name
Economic aid - recipient - $5.4 billion from EU (1997 est.)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about half of GDP and with per capita GDP 70% of the Big Four European 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 GDP. The economy has improved steadily over the last few years, as the government tightened policy in the run-up to Greece's entry into the EU's Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) on 1 January 2001. Major challenges remaining include the reduction of unemployment and further restructuring of the economy, including privatizing several state enterprises, undertaking social security reforms, overhauling the tax system, and minimizing bureaucratic inefficiencies. Economic growth is forecast at roughly 4% in 2003.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 46.099 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports - 1.74 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports - 1.729 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 49.581 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 92%


hydro: 7%


nuclear: 0%


other: 2% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m
Environment - current issues NA air pollution; water pollution
Environment - international agreements - party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups - Greek 98%, other 2%


note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Exchange rates - euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001); drachmae per US dollar - 380.21 (December 2000), 365.40 (2000), 305.65 (1999), 295.53 (1998), 273.06 (1997)


note: in January 2001, the drachma became a participating currency within the Eurosystem, and the euro market rate became applicable to all transactions
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state: President Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since 10 March 1995)


head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos SIMITIS (since 19 January 1996)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 8 February 2000 (next to be held by NA February 2005); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS reelected president; percent of Parliament vote - 90%
Exports - $12.6 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities - food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles
Exports - partners - EU 51.6% (Germany 15.9%, Italy 13.5%, UK 6.4%), US 5.7% (1999)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag 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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $201.1 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 9%


industry: 22%


services: 70% (2000) (2000)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3.5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 39 00 N, 22 00 E
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
Heliports - 7 (2002)
Highways total: NA km


paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
total: 117,000 km


paved: 107,406 km (including 470 km of expressways)


unpaved: 9,594 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 25% (1993 est.)
Illicit drugs - a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime
Imports - $31.4 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities - machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners - EU 66.2% (Italy 15.6%, Germany 15%, France 9.2%, Netherlands 6.4%) (1999)
Independence - 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Industrial production growth rate - 7% (2000 est.)
Industries - tourism; food and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
Infant mortality rate - 6.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 3.6% (2002)
International organization participation - Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 27 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 14,220 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council
Labor force - 4.32 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - industry 21%, agriculture 20%, services 59% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,228 km


border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 246 km
Land use arable land: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 22.12%


permanent crops: 8.47%


other: 69.41% (1998 est.)
Languages - Greek 99% (official), English, French
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts
Legislative branch - unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: elections last held 9 April 2000 (next to be held by NA April 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - PASOK 43.8%, ND 42.7%, KKE 5.5%, Coalition of the Left and Progress 3.2%; seats by party - PASOK 158, ND 125, KKE 11, Coalition of the Left and Progress 6; note - seats by party as of January 2002 - PASOK 156, ND 122, KKE 11, Coalition of the Left and Progress 6, independents 5
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 78.74 years


male: 76.17 years


female: 81.48 years (2002 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 98.5%


female: 96% (1999)
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Map references Political Map of the World Europe
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


territorial sea: 6 NM
Merchant marine - total: 802 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,998,523 GRT/49,458,125 DWT


ships by type: bulk 294, cargo 54, chemical tanker 25, combination bulk 7, combination ore/oil 5, container 45, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 13, petroleum tanker 265, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 23, short-sea passenger 54, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Ireland 1, Japan 1, Liberia 1, Norway 1, Panama 2, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, Police, National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $6.12 billion (FY99/00 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 4.91% (FY99/00 est.)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 2,668,872 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 2,034,192 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 21 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 77,976 (2002 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
Nationality - noun: Greek(s)


adjective: Greek
Natural hazards NA severe earthquakes
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble, hydropower potential
Net migration rate - 1.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 26 km; petroleum products 547 km
Political parties and leaders - Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Nikolaos KONSTANDOPOULOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Konstandinos SIMITIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
10,645,343 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 0.2% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia Alexandroupolis, Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Volos
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios NA 5.02 million (1997)
Railways - total: 2,571 km


standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (36 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (a rack-type railway for steep grades)


dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2001 est.)
Religions - Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good mobile telephone and international service


domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands


international: tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use NA 5.431 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 937,700 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Total fertility rate - 1.34 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate - 10.3% (2002 est.)
Waterways none 80 km


note: system consists of three coastal canals including the Corinth Canal (6 km) which crosses the Isthmus of Corinth connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf and shortens the sea voyage from the Adriatic to Peiraiefs (Piraeus) by 325 km; there are also three unconnected rivers
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