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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Greece (2008)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Greece (2008)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)Greece (2008)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryGreece
Administrative 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
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.)
Agriculture - products - wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products
Airports 1 (2001) 81 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


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


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 15


1,524 to 2,437 m: 20


914 to 1,523 m: 17


under 914 m: 9 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 15


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 12 (2007)
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 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.
Birth rate - 9.62 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget - revenues: $111.9 billion


expenditures: $120.7 billion (2007 est.)
Capital - name: Athens


geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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
Death rate - 10.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external - $371.5 billion (30 June 2007)
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 Daniel V. SPECKHARD


embassy: 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens


mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108


telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951


FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282


consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros P. MALLIAS


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, San Francisco, Tampa


consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston
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 continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; Greece rejects the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia; the mass migration of unemployed Albanians still remains a problem for developed countries, chiefly Greece and Italy
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
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 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 2007, 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 2006, but finally met that criteria in 2007. 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. The economy remains an important domestic political issue in Greece and, while the ruling New Democracy government has had some success in improving economic growth and reducing the budget deficit, Athens faces long-term challenges in its effort to continue its economic reforms, especially social security reform and privatization.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 54.31 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity - exports - 1.836 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports - 5.616 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 56.13 billion kWh (2005)
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-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, 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
Ethnic groups - population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census)


note: percents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity
Exchange rates - euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
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 Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)


head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos (Kostas) KARAMANLIS (since 7 March 2004)


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


elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held by February 2010); according to the Greek Constitution, presidents may only serve two terms; president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election to become prime minister and form a government


election results: Karolos PAPOULIAS elected president; number of parliamentary votes, 279 out of 300
Exports - 119,200 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities - food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles
Exports - partners - Germany 11.5%, Italy 11.5%, Bulgaria 6.5%, UK 6.1%, Cyprus 5.5%, Turkey 5.2%, France 4.5%, US 4.5%, Spain 4.1% (2006)
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 - composition by sector - agriculture: 3.2%


industry: 20.6%


services: 76.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3.7% (2007 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 - 9 (2007)
Highways total: NA km


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


unpaved: NA km
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 2.5%


highest 10%: 26% (2000 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 - 550,400 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities - machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners - Germany 12.6%, Italy 11.5%, Russia 7.1%, France 6%, Netherlands 5.2%, South Korea 4.2% (2006)
Independence - 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Industrial production growth rate - 3.2% (2007 est.)
Industries - tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.6% (2007 est.)
International organization participation - Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 14,530 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council
Labor force - 4.94 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: 12%


industry: 20%


services: 68% (2004 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,228 km


border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km
Land use arable land: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 20.45%


permanent crops: 8.59%


other: 70.96% (2005)
Languages - Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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 16 September 2007 (next to be held by 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - ND 41.8%, PASOK 38.1%, KKE 8.2%, Synaspismos 5%, LAOS 3.8%, other 3.1%; seats by party - ND 152, PASOK 102, KKE 22, Synaspismos 14, LAOS 10
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 79.38 years


male: 76.85 years


female: 82.06 years (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 96%


male: 97.8%


female: 94.2% (2001 census)
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
territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine - total: 824 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,654,384 GRT/57,898,789 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 246, cargo 66, carrier 1, chemical tanker 52, combination ore/oil 1, container 43, liquefied gas 6, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 109, petroleum tanker 269, roll on/roll off 19, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 49 (Belgium 16, Cyprus 5, Italy 1, South Korea 2, UK 15, US 10)


registered in other countries: 2,324 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Bahamas 214, Barbados 11, Belgium 4, Bermuda 3, Cambodia 5, Cayman Islands 23, China 1, Comoros 8, Cyprus 292, Denmark 4, Dominica 8, Egypt 8, Georgia 7, Gibraltar 8, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 30, Isle of Man 48, Italy 13, Jamaica 8, Lebanon 2, Liberia 311, Maldives 1, Malta 448, Marshall Islands 226, Norway 6, Panama 505, Philippines 3, Portugal 4, Russia 1, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 14, Slovakia 4, St Kitts and Nevis 2, St Vincent and The Grenadines 81, UAE 3, UK 6, Uruguay 1, Venezuela 3, unknown 8) (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Ellinikos Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polimiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 4.3% (2005 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
Nationality - noun: Greek(s)


adjective: Greek
Natural hazards NA severe earthquakes
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Net migration rate - 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - gas 1,166 km; oil 94 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders - Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Alekos ALAVANOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox Rally or LAOS [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders - General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS]
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.)
10,706,290 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 0.163% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios NA -
Railways - total: 2,571 km


standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge


dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2006)
Religions - Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
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.)
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: country code - 30; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia; a number of smaller submarine cables provide connectivity to various parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Cyprus; tropospheric scatter; 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 6.185 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 11.098 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 36 (plus 1,341 repeaters); also 2 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 - 1.35 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate - 8.4% (2007 est.)
Waterways none 6 km


note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2007)
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