Greece (2002) | Mauritius (2005) | |
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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 | 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne |
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.) |
0-14 years: 24.4% (male 151,043/female 148,847)
15-64 years: 69.1% (male 424,472/female 425,974) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 31,506/female 48,760) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products | sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish |
Airports | 79 (note - new Athens airport at Spata opened in March 2001) (2001) | 6 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | 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) |
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 13 14
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 10 (2002) |
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 131,940 sq km
land: 130,800 sq km water: 1,140 sq km |
total: 2,040 sq km
land: 2,030 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Alabama | almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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). | Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community. |
Birth rate | 9.82 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 15.62 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $45 billion
expenditures: $47.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
revenues: $1.231 billion
expenditures: $1.582 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Athens | Port Louis |
Climate | temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers | tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May) |
Coastline | 13,676 km | 177 km |
Constitution | 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 and April 2001 | 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia local short form: Ellas or Ellada former: Kingdom of Greece |
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form: Mauritius |
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 |
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Death rate | 9.79 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $63.4 billion (2002 est.) | $1.78 billion (2004 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE
embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 202-4400 FAX: [230] 208-9534 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH
chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983 |
Disputes - international | 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 | Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship but no right to patriation in the UK; claims French-administered Tromelin Island |
Economic aid - recipient | $5.4 billion from EU (1997 est.) | $42 million (1997) |
Economy - overview | 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. | Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic information telecommunications industry. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). |
Electricity - consumption | 46.099 billion kWh (2000) | 1.707 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 1.74 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 1.729 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 49.581 billion kWh (2000) | 1.836 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 92%
hydro: 7% nuclear: 0% other: 2% (2000) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Piton 828 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution; water pollution | water pollution, degradation of coral reefs |
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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Greek 98%, other 2%
note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece |
Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2% |
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 |
Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.129 (2001), 26.25 (2000) |
Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 30 September 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA%; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003 |
Exports | $12.6 billion f.o.b. (2002) | NA |
Exports - commodities | food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles | clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses |
Exports - partners | EU 51.6% (Germany 15.9%, Italy 13.5%, UK 6.4%), US 5.7% (1999) | UK 33.1%, France 20.4%, US 14.8%, Madagascar 5.1%, Italy 4.1% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | 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 | four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $201.1 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 9%
industry: 22% services: 70% (2000) (2000) |
agriculture: 7.6%
industry: 30% services: 62.4% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $12,800 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2002 est.) | 4.7% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 39 00 N, 22 00 E | 20 17 S, 57 33 E |
Geography - note | strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands | the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs |
Heliports | 7 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 117,000 km
paved: 107,406 km (including 470 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,594 km (1996) |
total: 2,000 km
paved: 1,960 km (including 60 km of expressways) unpaved: 40 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 25% (1993 est.) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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 | minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry |
Imports | $31.4 billion f.o.b. (2002) | NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals | manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
Imports - partners | EU 66.2% (Italy 15.6%, Germany 15%, France 9.2%, Netherlands 6.4%) (1999) | South Africa 11.3%, China 9.4%, India 9.3%, France 9.2%, Bahrain 5.3%, Japan 4.1% (2004) |
Independence | 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire) | 12 March 1968 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 7% (2000 est.) | 8% (2000 est.) |
Industries | tourism; food and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum | food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 6.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 15.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (2002) | 4.5% (2004 est.) |
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 | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 27 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 14,220 sq km (1998 est.) | 200 sq km (2000 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council | Supreme Court |
Labor force | 4.32 million (1999 est.) | 560,000 (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | industry 21%, agriculture 20%, services 59% (2000 est.) | agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry 36%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, finance 3%, other services 24% (1995) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,228 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 246 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 22.12%
permanent crops: 8.47% other: 69.41% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 49.26%
permanent crops: 2.96% other: 47.78% (2001) |
Languages | Greek 99% (official), English, French | Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4% (official), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census) |
Legal system | based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts | based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas |
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 |
unicameral National Assembly (66 seats; 62 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held September 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.74 years
male: 76.17 years female: 81.48 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 72.38 years
male: 68.4 years female: 76.41 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 98.5% female: 96% (1999) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.6% male: 88.6% female: 82.7% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar |
Map references | Europe | Political Map of the World |
Maritime claims | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 6 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
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.) |
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 22,946 GRT/27,102 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 4, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 6 (India 4, Switzerland 2) (2005) |
Military branches | Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force, Police, National Guard | National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $6.12 billion (FY99/00 est.) | $12.5 million (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.91% (FY99/00 est.) | 0.2% (2004) |
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) | Independence Day, 12 March (1968) |
Nationality | noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek |
noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective: Mauritian |
Natural hazards | severe earthquakes | cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards |
Natural resources | bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble, hydropower potential | arable land, fish |
Net migration rate | 1.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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] | Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | various labor unions |
Population | 10,645,343 (July 2002 est.) | 1,230,602 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 10% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.2% (2002 est.) | 0.84% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Alexandroupolis, Elefsis, Irakleion (Crete), Kavala, Kerkyra, Chalkis, Igoumenitsa, Lavrion, Patrai, Peiraiefs (Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Volos | Port Louis |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002) |
Radios | 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.) |
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Religions | Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% | Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, other Christian 8.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census) |
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.) |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: small system with good service
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system international: country code - 230; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia |
Telephones - main lines in use | 5.431 million (1997) | 348,200 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 937,700 (1997) | 462,400 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995) | 2 (plus several repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands | small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau |
Total fertility rate | 1.34 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.96 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10.3% (2002 est.) | 10.8% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | 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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