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| ==Minority Ethnic and Linguistic Groups== | ==Minority Ethnic and Linguistic Groups== | ||
| According to a publication by "Human Rights Watch" - Greece, , the Macedonians of Greece are countinually being harrased and are denied their ethnic identity by the Greek government: | |||
| ''Although ethnic ] in northern Greece make up a large minority with their own language and culture, their internationally recognized human rights and even their existence are vigorously denied by the Greek government. Free expression is restricted; several Macedonians have been prosecuted and convicted for the peaceful expression of their views. Moreover, ethnic Macedonians are discriminated against by the government's failure to permit the teaching of the ]. And ethnic Macedonians, particularly rights activists, are harassed by the government - followed and threatened by security forces - and subjected to economic and social pressures resulting from this harassment. All of these actions have led to a marked climate of fear in which a large number of ethnic Macedonians are reluctant to assert their Macedonian identity or to express their views openly. Ethnic Macedonian political refugees who fled northern Greece after the ] of 1946-49, as well as their families who identify themselves as Macedonians, are denied permission to regain their citizenship, to resettle in, or even to visit, northern Greece. But ironically, all of these are possible for the political refugees who define themselves as Greeks. Ultimately, the government is pursuing every avenue to deny the Macedonians of Greece their ethnic identity.'' | |||
| According to the report by ''Greek Helsinki Monitor'' and ''Minority Rights Group - Greece'' from 1999, in Greece there are various autochtonous minority groups, but their estimations are often accused of being biased, or imaginary: | |||
| * 100,000-200,000 ] speakers in Macedonia. 10,000-30,000 of them have an official ] national identity. The rest have a Greek national identity or no national identity at all. | |||
| * 90,000 ]s and the very large majority of them have a ] national identity. Among the Muslims 50,000 have ] as a mother tongue, 30,000 ] and 10,000 ]. (''see main article: ]'') | |||
| * 300,000-350,000 ], the vast majority of them speak Greek as their native language and proclaim a Greek national identity. | |||
| * 200,000 people of ] origin, who proclaim a Greek national identity. | |||
| * 200,000 people of ] origin, who proclaim a Greek national identity. | |||
| * 5,000 ]s, who proclaim a Greek national identity. | |||
| The report also mentions 700,000 immigrants (mostly illegal) and taking them into account, concludes that, among the residents of Greece, 7% have a non-Greek national identity (but less than 1% are autochtonous) and another 7% have a Greek national identity but also an ethnolinguistic and/or religious specificity. | |||
| In a survey conducted by the VPRC Institute in 2001 the following results were recorded: | In a survey conducted by the VPRC Institute in 2001 the following results were recorded: | ||
Revision as of 15:57, 11 November 2005
Historical Overview
Greece was inhabited as early as the Paleolithic period and by 3000 BC had become home, in the Cycladic Islands, to a culture whose art remains among the most evocative in world history. Early in the 2nd millennium BC, the island of Crete nurtured the sophisticated maritime empire of the Minoans, whose trade reached from Egypt to Sicily. The Minoans were challenged and eventually supplanted by the Mycenaeans of the Greek mainland, who spoke a dialect of ancient Greek.
Initially, Greece's mosaic of small city-states were considered to be ethnically similar. During the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires (1st century-19th century), Greece's ethnic composition became more diverse, incorporating a variety of migrant from neighboring regions and members of the various powers that occupied Greece over the centuries. The country's ethnic diversity was somewhat reduced during population exchanges in the 20th century, but minor minority populations still exist.
Since independence in 1829 and an exchange of populations with Turkey in 1923, Greece has developed a national state which claims roots reaching back 3,000 years.
The Greek language dates back at least 3,500 years. See the main articles History of the Greek language and Modern Greek.
Modern Greece
Greek education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 15. English language study is compulsory from 5th grade through high school. University education, including books, is also free, contingent upon the student's ability to meet stiff entrance requirements. Recent statistics indicate progressively poorer results in the annual entrance examinations. Low salaries and status of teachers; lack of books, supplies, labs, and computers; frequent strikes; and continuing reliance on rote memorization methods are all matters of concern for Greek educators.
A high percentage of the student population seeks higher education. About 100,000 students are registered at Greek universities, and 15% of the population currently holds a university degree. Entrance to a university is determined by state-administered exams, the candidate's grade-point average from high school, and his/her priority choices of major. About one in four candidates gains admission to Greek universities.
Since Greek law does not permit the operation of private universities in Greece, a large and growing number of students are pursuing higher education abroad. The Greek Government decides through an evaluation procedure whether to recognize degrees from specific foreign universities as qualification for public sector hiring. Other students attend private, post-secondary educational institutions in Greece that are not recognized by the Greek Government.
The number of Greek students studying at European institutions is increasing along with EU support for educational exchange. In addition, nearly 5,000 Greeks are studying in the United States, about half of whom are in graduate school. Greek per capita student representation in the U.S. is the highest of any European country.
Religion Groups in Greece
Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religion in Greece. During the centuries of Ottoman domination, the Greek Orthodox Church preserved Greek language, values, and national identity and was an important rallying point in the struggle for independence. There is a Muslim minority concentrated in Thrace. Other religious communities in Greece include Catholics, Jews, Old Calendar Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and Protestants.
Minority Ethnic and Linguistic Groups
In a survey conducted by the VPRC Institute in 2001 the following results were recorded:
- 3.3% Arvanitic speakers
- 2.2% Turkish speakers
- 2.0% Aromanian speakers
- 1.4% Italian speakers
- 0.7% Russian speakers
- 0.6% Macedonian Slavic speakers
- 0.6% Roma speakers
The survey mentioned that most of the respondants were using Greek language in everyday life.
Statistics
Population: 10,964,020 (2001 Census)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
15% (male 828,585; female 779,902)
15-64 years:
67% (male 3,580,079; female 3,574,788)
65 years and over:
18% (male 815,247; female 1,022,926) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.21% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 9.82 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 9.64 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
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 (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
78.44 years
male:
75.89 years
female:
81.16 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Greek(s)
adjective:
Greek
Ethnic groups:
Greek 98%, other 2%
note:
the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Languages: Greek 99% (official), English, French
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
95%
male:
98%
female:
93% (1991 est.)