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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) - Greece (2005)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) z Greece (2005)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2006)Greece (2005)
 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: 14.4% (male 791,227/female 744,178)


15-64 years: 66.8% (male 3,561,689/female 3,564,675)


65 years and over: 18.8% (male 884,497/female 1,122,088) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products - wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products
Airports 1 (2006) 80 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
total: 66


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 16


1,524 to 2,437 m: 20


914 to 1,523 m: 16


under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)
Area total: 54,400 sq km


land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km


water: 54,340 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
total: 131,940 sq km


land: 130,800 sq km


water: 1,140 sq km
Area - comparative land area is 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 that 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, 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 royalist supporters of the king and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece was able to join 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. Greece joined the European Community or EC in 1981 (which became the EU in 1992); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.
Birth rate - 9.72 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget - revenues: $54.39 billion


expenditures: $64.4 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 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
Death rate - 10.15 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external - $67.23 billion (2004 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 Charles RIES


embassy: 91 Vasilissis 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 Yeoryios SAVVAIDIS


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, and Tampa


consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to 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
Economic aid - recipient - $8 billion from EU (2000-06)
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. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP 70% of the leading euro-zone 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 annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by about 4.0% for the past two years, largely because of an investment boom and infrastructure upgrades for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Despite strong growth, Greece has failed to meet the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of 3% of GDP since 2000; public debt, inflation, and unemployment are also above the eurozone average. Further restructuring of the economy will need to include privatizing of several state enterprises, undertaking pension and other reforms, and minimizing bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 47.42 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports - 1.1 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports - 4.6 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 47.22 billion kWh (2002)
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 - Greek 98%, other 2%


note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Exchange rates - euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); 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 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; 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 parlimentary votes, 279 out of 300
Exports - 84,720 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities - food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles
Exports - partners - Germany 13.2%, Italy 10.3%, UK 7.5%, Bulgaria 6.3%, US 5.3%, Cyprus 4.6%, Turkey 4.5%, France 4.2% (2004)
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: 7%


industry: 22%


services: 71% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $21,300 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3.7% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E 39 00 N, 22 00 E
Geography - note archipelago of 55 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 (2004 est.)
Highways - total: 117,000 km


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


unpaved: 9,594 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 28.3% (1998 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 - 468,300 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities - machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners - Germany 13.3%, Italy 12.8%, France 6.4%, Netherlands 5.5%, Russia 5.5%, US 4.4%, UK 4.2%, South Korea 4.1% (2004)
Independence - 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Industrial production growth rate - 4.1% (2004 est.)
Industries - tourism; food and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
Infant mortality rate - total: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 6.08 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.9% (2004 est.)
International organization participation - Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 0 sq km 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 - 4.4 million (2004 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: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
arable land: 21.1%


permanent crops: 8.78%


other: 70.12% (2001)
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 7 March 2004 (next to be held by March 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - ND 45.4%, PASOK 40.6%, KKE 5.9%, Synaspismos 3.3%; seats by party - ND 165, PASOK 117, KKE 12, Synaspismos 6
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 79.09 years


male: 76.59 years


female: 81.76 years (2005 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.5%


male: 98.6%


female: 96.5% (2003 est.)
Location archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, 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 territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine - total: 861 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,186,624 GRT/52,943,968 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 296, cargo 65, chemical tanker 47, combination ore/oil 2, container 46, liquefied gas 2, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 121, petroleum tanker 252, roll on/roll off 17


foreign-owned: 25 (Chile 1, China 1, Cyprus 5, Norway 6, Sweden 1, United Kingdom 11)


registered in other countries: 2,208 (2005)
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 (Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $5.89 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 4.3% (2003)
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 (2005 est.)
People - note - women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor
Pipelines - gas 1,166 km; oil 94 km (2004)
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 [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders - General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos POLYZOGOPOLOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas KYRIAKOPOULOS]; 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 in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.)
10,668,354 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA
Population growth rate - 0.19% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Agioitheodoroi, Aspropyrgos, Irakleion, Pachi, Peiraiefs, Thessaloniki
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998)
Railways - total: 2,571 km (764 km electrified)


standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge


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) (2004)
Religions - Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 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; 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 5,205,100 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 8,936,200 (2003)
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 two meters in elevation) mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Total fertility rate - 1.33 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate - 10% (2004 est.)
Waterways - 6 km


note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens sea voyage by 325 km (2004)
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