Misplaced Pages

Greece: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 16:13, 4 October 2017 view sourceClueBot NG (talk | contribs)Bots, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers6,439,590 editsm Reverting possible vandalism by 206.211.35.13 to version by Dr.K.. Report False Positive? Thanks, ClueBot NG. (3145363) (Bot)← Previous edit Revision as of 16:20, 4 October 2017 view source 206.211.35.13 (talk) ←Blanked the pageNext edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Other uses|Greece (disambiguation)|Hellas (disambiguation){{!}}Hellas}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox country
|coordinates = {{Coord|37|58|N|23|43|E|type:city}}
|languages_type = Official language<br />{{nobold|and national language}}
|leader_name2 = ]
|leader_name3 = ]
|conventional_long_name = Hellenic Republic
|native_name = {{small|Ελληνική Δημοκρατία<br />{{native name|el|Ellinikí Dimokratía}}}}
|image_flag = Flag of Greece.svg
|image_coat ={{#property:p94}}
|common_name = Greece
|national_motto = «]»<br />Elefthería í Thánatos<br />{{small|"Freedom or Death"}}
|national_anthem = «]»<br />Ýmnos eis tin Eleftherían<br />{{small|"Hymn to Freedom"}}<br />{{center|]}}
|image_map = EU-Greece.svg
|map_caption = {{map caption |location_color=dark green |region=Europe |region_color=dark grey |subregion=the ] |subregion_color=green |legend=EU-Greece.svg}}
|capital = ]
|largest_city = capital
|languages = ]
|demonym = ]
|government_type = {{nowrap|] ]<br />]}}
|leader_title1 = ]
|leader_name1 = ]
|leader_title2 = ]
|leader_title3 = ]
|legislature = ]
|established_event1 = ] {{nobold|from the ]}}
|sovereignty_type = ]
|established_event2 = ]
|established_date1 = 25 March 1821 (traditional starting date of the ]), 15 January 1822 (official declaration in the ])
|established_event3 = {{nowrap|]}}
|established_date2 = 3 February 1830
|established_date3 = 27 June 2008
|area_km2 = 131,957
|area_footnote =<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html?countryName=Greece&countryCode=gr&regionCode=eur&rank=97#gr |title= Country Comparison: Area | work =] |publisher=] |accessdate=7 January 2013}}</ref>
|area_rank = 95th <!-- Should match ] -->
|area_sq_mi = 50,949 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|percent_water = 0.8669
|population_estimate = {{UN_Population|Greece}} {{increase}}{{UN_Population|ref}}
|population_census = 10,816,286<ref name="ELSTAT">{{cite web|format=PDF|script-title=el:Απογραφή Πληθυσμού – Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός|trans-title=Results of Population-Housing Census 2011 concerning the permanent population of the country|language=el|url=http://www.statistics.gr/documents/20181/1210503/resident_population_census2011rev.xls/956f8949-513b-45b3-8c02-74f5e8ff0230|date=20 March 2014|accessdate=25 October 2016}}</ref>
|population_estimate_year = {{UN_Population|Year}}
|population_census_year = 2011
|population_census_rank = 80th
|population_density_km2 = 82<ref>{{cite web|format=PDF |title=Announcement of the results of the 2011 Population Census for the Resident Population |url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A1602_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_02_F_EN.pdf |publisher=Hellenic Statistical Authority |date=28 December 2012 |accessdate=24 August 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113172928/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A1602_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_02_F_EN.pdf |archivedate=13 November 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>
|population_density_rank = 125th
|population_density_sq_mi = 212 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|GDP_PPP = $289.398 billion<ref name="IMF GDP">{{cite web|title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2017/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=45&pr.y=15&sy=2015&ey=2017&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=174&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a=|work=] Database, April 2017|publisher=]|accessdate=27 April 2017|location=Washington, D.C.|date=12 April 2017}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_year = 2016
|GDP_PPP_rank = 57th
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $26,669<ref name="IMF GDP" />
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 47th
|GDP_nominal = $194.248 billion<ref name="IMF GDP" />
|GDP_nominal_year = 2016
|GDP_nominal_rank = 52nd
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $17,901<ref name="IMF GDP" />
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 38th
|Gini = 34.3 <!--number only-->
|Gini_year = 2016
|Gini_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
|Gini_ref =<ref>{{cite web|title=Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income – EU-SILC survey|url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di12|publisher=Eurostat|accessdate=24 June 2017|location=Luxembourg|date=15 June 2017}}</ref>
|Gini_rank = 60th
|HDI = 0.866 <!--number only-->
|HDI_year = 2015<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
|HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
|HDI_ref =<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 1: Human Development Index and its components|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/composite/HDI|website=]s|publisher=]|accessdate=27 April 2017|location=Stockholm|date=21 March 2017}}</ref>
|HDI_rank = 29th
|currency = ] (])
|currency_code = EUR
|time_zone = ]
|utc_offset = +2
|utc_offset_DST = +3
|time_zone_DST = ]
|date_format = dd/mm/yyyy&nbsp;(])
|drives_on = right
|calling_code = ]
|cctld = ]<sup>a</sup><br />]
|footnote_a = The ] domain is also used, as in other ] member states.
|religion = ]
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|country_code =
}}

'''Greece''' ({{lang-el|Ελλάδα}}), officially the '''Hellenic Republic''' (Greek: {{lang|el|Ελληνική Δημοκρατία}}), historically also known as '''Hellas''', is a country in ], with a population of approximately {{#expr:{{replace|{{UN_Population|Greece}}|,||}}/1e6 round 0}} million as of {{UN_Population|Year}}. ] is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by ].

Greece is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Situated on the southern tip of the ], it shares land borders with ] to the northwest, the ] and ] to the north, and ] to the northeast. The ] lies to the east of the ], the ] to the west, the ] and the ] to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the ] and the ] at {{convert|13676|km|0|abbr=on}} in length, featuring a large number of ], of which 227 are inhabited. Eighty percent of Greece is mountainous, with ] being the highest peak at {{convert|2918|m|ft}}. The country consists of nine ]: ], ], the ], ], ], the ] (including the ] and ]), ], ], and the ].

Greece is considered the cradle of ], being the birthplace of ], ], the ], ], ], ], major ] and ] principles, and ].<ref name="Strickland2007">{{cite book|author=Carol Strickland|title=The Illustrated Timeline of Western Literature: A Crash Course in Words & Pictures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qw_7eINO_NcC&pg=PA2|year=2007|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|isbn=978-1-4027-4860-8|page=2|quote=Although the first writing originates in the cradle of civilization along Middle Eastern rivers — the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile — the true cradle of Western literature is Athens. As the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley says, "We are all Greeks."}}</ref> From the eighth century BC, the Greeks were organised into various independent city-states, known as '']'', which spanned the entire ] and the ]. ] united most of the Greek mainland in the fourth century BC, with his son ] ], spreading Greek culture and science from the eastern Mediterranean to the ]. Greece was ] by ] in the second century BC, becoming an integral part of the ] and its successor, the ], wherein the Greek language and culture were dominant. The ] also shaped modern Greek identity and transmitted Greek traditions to the wider ].<ref name=BritIdent>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2008 |title =Greece during the Byzantine period (c. AD 300–c. 1453), Population and languages, Emerging Greek identity |encyclopedia= Encyclopædia Britannica |id=Online Edition}}</ref> Falling under ] in the mid-15th century, the modern ] of Greece emerged in 1830 following a ]. Greece's rich historical legacy is reflected by its 18 ], among the ].<ref name=Unesco>{{cite web|title=Greece Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List (17)|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gr |publisher=Unesco}}</ref>

Greece is a democratic and ] with an advanced ], a high ], and a very high ]. A founding member of the ], Greece was the tenth member to join the ] (precursor to the ]) and has been part of the ] since 2001. It is also a member of numerous other international institutions, including the ], the ] (NATO), the ] (OECD), the ] (WTO), the ] (OSCE), and the ] (OIF). Greece's unique cultural heritage, large ], ] and ]{{efn|See:<ref>{{cite web|title=The Strategic Importance of Greece |url=https://geopoliticalfutures.com/the-strategic-importance-of-greece/ |publisher=geopoliticalfutures.com |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Geopolitics of Greece: "One cannot afford anymore to manage the Greek crisis without due consideration of its geopolitical consequences" |url=http://janelanaweb.com/crise/the-geopolitics-of-greece-one-cannot-afford-anymore-to-manage-the-greek-crisis-without-due-consideration-of-its-geopolitical-consequences-thanos-dokos-eliamep/ |publisher=janelanaweb.com |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Geostrategic Value of Greece and Sweden in the Current Struggle between Russia and NATO |url=http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/the-geostrategic-value-of-greece-and-sweden-in-the-current-struggle-between-russia-and-nato |publisher=atlanticcouncil.org |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Geopolitical Importance of Greece through the Ages |url=http://www.academia.edu/11230737/The_Geopolitical_Importance_of_Greece_through_the_Ages |publisher=academia.edu |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Role of Greece in the Geostrategic Chessboard of Natural Gas |url=http://www.naturalgasworld.com/greece-geostrategic-significance-natural-gas |publisher=naturalgasworld.com |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Geopolitical Consequences Of 'Grexit' Would Be Huge |url=http://www.bmiresearch.com/blog/geopolitical-consequences-of-grexit-would-be-huge |publisher=bmiresearch.com |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Greece can still be a geopolitical asset for the EU |url=http://europesworld.org/2013/06/01/greece-can-still-be-a-geopolitical-asset-for-the-eu/#.V-ljaCQbP9s |publisher=europesworld.org |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Greece and NATO: a long lasting relationship |url=http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2012/turkey-greece/greece-nato-partnership/en/index.htm |publisher=nato.int |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ambassador Pyatt's Remarks at the "Foreign Policy under Austerity" Book Panel|url=https://athens.usembassy.gov/amb_bookpanel_remarks.html |publisher=athens.usembassy.gov |accessdate=29 May 2017}}</ref>}} classify it as a ]. It is the ] in the ], where it is an important regional investor.

== Etymology ==
{{Main|Name of Greece}}
The names for the nation of Greece and ] differ from the names used in other languages, locations and cultures. The Greek name of the country is ''Hellas'' or ''Ellada'' ({{lang-el|Ελλάς or Ελλάδα}} (in ]: {{lang|el|Ἑλλάς, Ἑλλάδα}}) ''{{transl|el|ISO|{{Audio|Ellada.ogg|Elláda|help=no}}}}''<ref name="KoliopoulosVeremis2002">{{cite book|author1=Giannēs Koliopoulos|author2=Thanos M. Veremis|title=Greece: The Modern Sequel, from 1831 to the Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DRsh7gWUVZEC&pg=PA242|date=30 October 2002|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=978-0-8147-4767-4|page=242}}</ref><ref name="MiklóssyKorhonen2010">{{cite book|author1=Katalin Miklóssy|author2=Pekka Korhonen|title=The East and the Idea of Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5YInBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA94|date=13 September 2010|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing|isbn=978-1-4438-2531-3|page=94}}</ref><ref name="Bengtson1975">{{cite book|author=Hermann Bengtson|title=Introduction to Ancient History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=th7tGAFVPlsC&pg=PA39|year=1975|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-03150-0|page=39|quote=Thus a land like ancient Hellas, by its division into many geographic units, separated from one another mostly by mountains, seems almost predestined for political fragmentation. Historically the extensive division of Greece was a blessing and ..}}</ref><ref name="AntakiCondor2014">{{cite book|author1=Charles Antaki|author2=Susan Condor|title=Rhetoric, Ideology and Social Psychology: Essays in Honour of Michael Billig|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gIv8AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA131|date=5 March 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-73350-5|page=131|quote=In late eighteenth century, European thought “discovered” that ancient Hellas was ridden by a fundamental duality: the Hellas of Apollo, of “light”, “beauty”, “reason”, “democracy” and “law” stood against the Hellas of Dionysus, of “darkness”, ...}}</ref>) and its official name is the Hellenic Republic (Greek: {{lang|el|Ελληνική Δημοκρατία}}, ''{{transl|el|Ellinikí Dimokratía}}'' {{IPA-el|eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a|}}. In ], however, the country is usually called Greece, which comes from ] ''{{lang|la|Graecia}}'' (as used by the ]) and literally means 'the land of the Greeks'.

== History ==
{{Main|History of Greece}}

=== Ancient and Classical periods ===
{{Main|Ancient Greece|Classical Greece}}
] (1500 BC): The standing charioteer pulls at the reins and a second figure, possibly holding a sword, is depicted in front of the chariot. The spirals might point to the waves of the sea.]]

The earliest evidence of the presence of human ancestors in the southern ], dated to 270,000 BC, is to be found in the ], in the Greek province of ].<ref name="Borza">{{cite book|author=Eugene N. Borza|title=In the Shadow of Olympus: The Emergence of Macedon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=614pd07OtfQC&pg=PA58|year=1992|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-00880-9|page=58}}</ref> All three stages of the stone age (], ], and ]) are represented in Greece, for example in the ].<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Douka | first1 = K. | last2 = Perles | first2 = C. | last3 = Valladas | first3 = H. | last4 = Vanhaeren | first4 = M. | last5 = Hedges | first5 = R.E.M. | title = Franchthi Cave revisited: the age of the Aurignacian in south-eastern Europe | page = 1133 | url = http://www.academia.edu/1129937/Douka_K._Perles_C._Valladas_H._Vanhaeren_M._Hedges_R.E.M._2011._Franchthi_Cave_revisited_the_age_of_the_Aurignacian_in_south-eastern_Europe._Antiquity_85_1131-1150 | journal = Antiquity Magazine | year = 2011}}</ref> ] settlements in Greece, dating from the 7th millennium BC,<ref name="Borza" /> are the oldest in Europe by several centuries, as Greece lies on the route via which farming spread from the ] to Europe.<ref>{{cite book | last = Perlès | first = Catherine | title = The Early Neolithic in Greece: The First Farming Communities in Europe | page = 1 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LQQ3tx5_t7QC&printsec=frontcover&dq=perles+greece+farming+europe+neolithic&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6SrmT4rlDq620QXms7WACQ&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=sesklo&f=false | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 2001}}</ref>

] displaying the Minoan ritual of "bull leaping", found in ]]]

Greece is home to the first advanced civilizations in Europe and is considered the birthplace of Western civilization,<ref name="Slomp2011">{{cite book| first =Hans | last = Slomp|title=Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics: An American Companion to European Politics|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LmfAPmwE6YYC&pg=PA50 |accessdate=5 December 2012|date=30 September 2011 | publisher =ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-39182-8|page=50|quote= Greek Culture and Democracy. As the cradle of European civilization, Greece long ago discovered the value and beauty of the individual human being. Around 500 BC, Greece}}</ref><ref name="BullietCrossley2007">{{cite book| first1 = Richard W | last1 = Bulliet | first2 = Pamela | last2 = Kyle Crossley| first3= Daniel R | last3 = Headrick| first4 = Lyman L | last4 = Johnson | first5 = Steven W | last5 = Hirsch|title=The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History to 1550|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TM4cFlroi7AC&pg=PA95|accessdate=5 December 2012|date=21 February 2007 | publisher =Cengage |isbn=978-0-618-77150-9|page=95|quote= The emergence of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete and the Mycenaean civilization of Greece is another... was home to the first European civilization to have complex political and social structures and advanced technologies}}</ref><ref name="Pomeroy1999">{{cite book| first =Sarah B | last = Pomeroy|title=Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=INUT5sZku1UC|accessdate=5 December 2012|year=1999 | publisher =Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-509742-9|quote=Written by four leading authorities on the classical world, here is a new history of ancient Greece that dynamically presents a generation of new scholarship on the birthplace of Western civilization.}}</ref><ref name="Frucht2004">{{cite book| first = Richard C | last = Frucht|title=Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lVBB1a0rC70C&pg=PA847 |accessdate=5 December 2012|date=31 December 2004 | publisher =ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-800-6|page= 847|quote= People appear to have first entered Greece as hunter-gatherers from southwest Asia about 50,000 years... of Bronze Age culture and technology laid the foundations for the rise of Europe's first civilization, Minoan Crete}}</ref> beginning with the ] on the islands of the ] at around 3200 BC,<ref>{{Cite book | last = Sansone | first = David | title = Ancient Greek civilization | page = 5 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=YJONdN0dNYQC&pg=PT27&dq=cycladic+civilization&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6i_qT77vBYOe0QXUmZhc&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=cycladic%20civilization&f=false | publisher = Wiley | year = 2011}}</ref> the ] in Crete (2700–1500 BC),<ref name="Frucht2004" /><ref name="World and Its Peoples">{{cite book| title= World and Its Peoples| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5vHRWp8yqEC&pg=PA1458|accessdate=5 December 2012|date=September 2009|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-7902-4|page= 1458|quote=Greece was home to the earliest European civilizations, the Minoan civilization of Crete, which developed around 2000 BC, and the Mycenaean civilization on the Greek mainland, which emerged about 400 years later. The ancient Minoan}}</ref> and then the ] civilization on the mainland (1900–1100 BC).<ref name="World and Its Peoples" /> These civilizations possessed writing, the Minoans writing in an undeciphered script known as ], and the Mycenaeans in ], an early form of ]. The Mycenaeans gradually absorbed the Minoans, but collapsed violently around 1200 BC, during a time of regional upheaval known as the ].<ref>{{Cite book | last = Drews | first = Robert |author-link=Robert Drews | title = The End of the Bronze Age: Changes in Warfare and the Catastrophe Ca. 1200 BC | page = 3 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bFpK6aXEWN8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=greece+bronze+age+collapse&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jTDmT--vJsi70QXWp8T6CA&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=greece%20bronze%20age%20collapse&f=false | publisher = Princeton University Press | year = 1995}}</ref> This ushered in a period known as the ], from which written records are absent.

] during the ] period (750–550 BC)]]

The end of the Dark Ages is traditionally dated to 776 BC, the year of the first ].<ref>{{Cite book | first = John R | last = Short | title = An Introduction to Urban Geography | page = 10 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uGE9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA10&dq=greek+dark+ages+776+BC&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nTfmT_uSIOek0QXhtOzoCA&sqi=2&ved=0CFIQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=greek%20dark%20ages%20776%20BC&f=false | publisher = Routledge | year = 1987}}</ref> The '']'' and the '']'', the foundational texts of ], are believed to have been composed by ] in the 7th or 8th centuries BC.<ref>Vidal-Naquet, Pierre. ''Le monde d'Homère'' (The World of Homer), Perrin (2000), p. 19.</ref><ref name="The Odyssey 2003">]'s introduction to ''The Odyssey'' (Penguin, 2003), p. ''xi''.</ref> With the end of the Dark Ages, there emerged various kingdoms and ]s across the Greek peninsula, which spread to the shores of the ], ] ("Magna Graecia") and ]. These states and their colonies reached great levels of ] that resulted in an unprecedented cultural boom, that of ], expressed in ], ], ], ] and ]. In 508 BC, ] instituted the world's first ] system of government in ].<ref name="BKDunn1992">{{Cite book | first = John | last = Dunn | title = Democracy: the unfinished journey 508 BC&nbsp;– 1993 AD | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1994 | ISBN = 0-19-827934-5}}</ref><ref name="BKRaaflaud2007">{{Cite book | first1 = Kurt A | last1 = Raaflaub | first2 = Josiah | last2 = Ober | first3 = Robert W | last3 = Wallace | title = Origin of Democracy in Ancient Greece | publisher = University of California Press | year = 2007 | ISBN = 0-520-24562-8 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6qaSHHMaGVkC}}</ref>

] on the ], emblem of ].]]

By 500 BC, the ] controlled the Greek city states in Asia Minor and ].<ref>Joseph Roisman, Ian Worthington. John Wiley & Sons, 2011. {{ISBN|144435163X}} pp 135–138, p 343</ref> Attempts by some of the Greek city-states of Asia Minor to overthrow Persian rule ], and Persia ] in 492 BC, but was forced to withdraw after a defeat at the ] in 490 BC. A ] by the Persians followed in 480 BC. Following decisive Greek victories in 480 and 479 BC at ], ], and ], the Persians were forced to withdraw for a second time, marking their eventual withdrawal from all of their European territories. Led by Athens and Sparta, the Greek victories in the ] are considered a pivotal moment in world history,<ref name="Strauss2005">{{cite book|author=Barry Strauss|title=The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter That Saved Greece – and Western Civilization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nQFtMcD5dOsC|date=16 August 2005|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-7432-7453-1|pages=1–11}}</ref> as the 50 years of peace that followed are known as the ], the seminal period of ancient Greek development that laid many of the foundations of Western civilization.

], on his horse ], whose conquests led to the ].]]

Lack of political unity within Greece resulted in frequent conflict between Greek states. The most devastating intra-Greek war was the ] (431–404 BC), won by ] and marking the demise of the ] as the leading power in ancient Greece. Both Athens and Sparta were later overshadowed by ] and eventually ], with the latter uniting the Greek world in the ] (also known as the ''Hellenic League'' or ''Greek League'') under the guidance of ], who was elected leader of the first unified Greek state in history.

]'']]

Following the assassination of Phillip II, his son ] ("The Great") assumed the leadership of the League of Corinth and launched an invasion of the Persian Empire with the combined forces of all Greek states in 334 BC. Undefeated in battle, Alexander had conquered the Persian Empire in its entirety by 330 BC. By the time of his death in 323 BC, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to India. His empire split into several kingdoms upon his death, the most famous of which were the ], ], the ], and the ]. Many Greeks migrated to ], ], ], and the many other new Hellenistic cities in ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|author=Ian Morris|url=http://www.princeton.edu/~pswpc/pdfs/morris/120509.pdf|title=The growth of Greek cities in the first millennium BC|format=PDF|publisher=]|date=December 2005}}</ref> Although the political unity of Alexander's empire could not be maintained, it resulted in the ] and spread the Greek language and Greek culture in the territories conquered by Alexander.<ref>{{cite web|author=John Ferguson|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/260307/Hellenistic-Age|title=Hellenistic Age: Ancient Greek history|publisher=Online Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=29 April 2012}}</ref> Greek science, technology, and mathematics are generally considered to have reached their peak during the Hellenistic period.<ref>{{Cite book | first1 = Cynthia | last1 = Kosso | first2 = Anne | last2 = Scott | title = The Nature and Function of Water, Baths, Bathing, and Hygiene from Antiquity Through the Renaissance | publisher =
Brill | year = 2009 | page = 51 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=UTkXFLfmLTkC&pg=PA51&dq=hellenistic+mathematics+science+technology&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BxapUKriD-yM0wWvy4G4BQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=hellenistic%20mathematics%20science%20technology&f=false}}</ref>

=== Hellenistic and Roman periods (323 BC – 4th century AD) ===
{{Main|Hellenistic Greece|Roman Greece}}
{{See also|Wars of Alexander the Great|Roman Empire}}

After a ] following Alexander's death, the ], descended from one of Alexander's generals, established its control over Macedon and most of the Greek city-states by 276 BC.<ref>{{cite book | last = Spielvogel | first = Jackson | title = Western Civilization | volume = I: To 1715 | publisher = Thomson Wadsworth | year = 2005 | pages = 89–90 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xcNIBlwrjMsC&pg=PA89&dq=Antigonid+dynasty#PPA90,M1 | isbn = 0-534-64603-4}}</ref> From about 200 BC the ] became increasingly involved in Greek affairs and engaged in a ].<ref name= Flower>{{cite book |title= The Roman Republic | editor-last=Flower | editor-first=Harriet |year=2004 |isbn=0-521-00390-3 | pages=248, 258}}</ref> Macedon's defeat at the ] in 168 BC signalled the end of Antigonid power in Greece.<ref>{{Cite book | title = Britannica | contribution = Antigonid dynasty | year = 2008 | edition = online}}</ref> In 146 BC, Macedonia was annexed as a province by Rome, and the rest of Greece became a Roman protectorate.<ref name=Flower /><ref name=Ward>{{cite book |title=A history of the Roman people |last1=Ward |first1=Allen Mason |year=2003 |isbn= 978-0-13-038480-5 |page= 276|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

] (c. 100 BC) is considered to be the first known mechanical ] (]).]]

The process was completed in 27 BC when the Roman Emperor ] annexed the rest of Greece and constituted it as the ] of ].<ref name=Ward /> Despite their military superiority, the Romans admired and became ] by the achievements of Greek culture, hence ]'s famous statement: ''Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit'' ("Greece, although captured, took its wild conqueror captive").<ref>{{cite book |title=Ancient Rome: An Introductory History |last=Zoch |first=Paul | year= 2000 | isbn = 978-0-8061-3287-7 |page=136 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=95bu0O3LLlsC&pg=PA136&dq=Graecia+capta+ferum+victorem+cepit&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VUudT7z-NsH80QWt4tmVDw&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Graecia%20capta%20ferum%20victorem%20cepit&f=false |accessdate=29 April 2012}}</ref> The epics of ] inspired the ] of ], and authors such as ] wrote using Greek styles. Roman heroes such as ], tended to study ] and regarded Greek culture and science as an example to be followed. Similarly, most Roman emperors maintained an admiration for things Greek in nature. The ] ] visited Greece in AD 66, and performed at the ], despite the rules against non-Greek participation. ] was also particularly fond of the Greeks. Before becoming emperor, he served as an ] of Athens.

] in Athens, built in 161 AD]]

Greek-speaking communities of the Hellenized East were instrumental in the spread of early Christianity in the 2nd and 3rd centuries,<ref>{{cite book | title= Backgrounds of Early Christianity | last = Ferguson | first = Everett | year = 2003 |isbn= 978-0-8028-2221-5 |pages= 617–18}}</ref> and Christianity's early leaders and writers (notably ]) were mostly Greek-speaking, though generally not from Greece itself.<ref>{{cite book | title= Ancient Rome | last = Dunstan | first = William | year=2011 |isbn=978-0-7425-6834-1 |page=500 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xkOhwFzz1AkC&pg=PA500&dq=early+christian+leaders+speak+greek&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rFydT6f-OYiQ0AWjhtDlDg&ved=0CFMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=early%20christian%20leaders%20speak%20greek&f=false |accessdate=29 April 2012}}</ref> The ] was written in Greek, and some of its sections (], ], ], ] of St. John of ]) attest to the importance of churches in Greece in ]. Nevertheless, much of Greece clung tenaciously to paganism, and ancient Greek religious practices were still in vogue in the late 4th century AD,<ref>{{cite book |title=Early Christian Art and Architecture |last = Milburn |first=Robert |year=1992 |page=158 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OcRTwsDq_Z4C&pg=PA158&dq=early+christianity+greece&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-1CdT5P_Dor68QPnnbzbDg&ved=0CG4Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=early%20christianity%20greece&f=false |accessdate=29 April 2012}}</ref> when they were outlawed by the Roman emperor ] in 391–392.<ref name="FriellWilliams2005">{{cite book|author1=Gerard Friell|author2=Peabody Professor of North American Archaeology and Ethnography Emeritus Stephen Williams|author3=Stephen Williams|title=Theodosius: The Empire at Bay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I8KRAgAAQBAJ|date=8 August 2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-78262-7|page=105}}</ref> The last recorded Olympic games were held in 393,<ref name="Perrottet2004">{{cite book|author=Tony Perrottet|title=The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B2VPMUBAxUUC&pg=PA190|accessdate=1 April 2013|date=8 June 2004|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|isbn=978-1-58836-382-4|pages=190–}}</ref> and many temples were destroyed or damaged in the century that followed.<ref name="Evans2005" /> In Athens and rural areas, paganism is attested well into the sixth century AD<ref name="Evans2005">{{cite book|author=James Allan Stewart Evans|title=The Emperor Justinian and the Byzantine Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xDNv6qZ_I-IC|date=January 2005|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-32582-3|pages=65–70}}</ref> and even later.<ref name="Haldon1990">{{cite book|author=J. F. Haldon|title=Byzantium in the Seventh Century: The Transformation of a Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pSHmT1G_5T0C|year=1990|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-31917-1|page=329}}</ref> The closure of the ] Academy of Athens by the emperor Justinian in 529 is considered by many to mark the end of antiquity, although there is evidence that the Academy continued its activities for some time after that.<ref name="Evans2005" /> Some remote areas such as the southeastern Peloponnese remained pagan until well into the 10th century AD.<ref>{{cite book |title= Hellenic Temples and Christian Churches: A Concise History of the Religious Cultures of Greece from Antiquity to the Present |last=Makrides |first=Nikolaos |year=2009 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-9568-2 |page=206 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kKOY5NsekfkC&pg=PA17&dq=hellenic+polytheism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tQaeT4PAD8msjALr_rCTAQ&ved=0CEYQ6AEwAw#v=snippet&q=10th%20century&f=false |accessdate=29 April 2012}}</ref>

=== Medieval period (4th century – 1453) ===
{{Main|Byzantine Greece|Frankokratia}}
{{See also|Byzantine Empire|Fourth Crusade}}
] (8th century), an ]'s ].]]

The Roman Empire in the east, following the ] in the 5th century, is conventionally known as the Byzantine Empire (but was simply called "Roman Empire" in its own time) and lasted until 1453. With its capital in ], its language and literary culture was Greek and its religion was predominantly ].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies |editor-last=Jeffreys |editor-first=Elizabeth |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-19-925246-6 |page=4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=liFKua_cWL8C&pg=PA4&dq=byzantine+predominantly+greek+culturally&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QOucT52cL8Sm0AXG3cX2Dg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=byzantine%20predominantly%20greek%20culturally&f=false |accessdate=29 April 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606230132/https://books.google.com/books?id=liFKua_cWL8C&pg=PA4&dq=byzantine+predominantly+greek+culturally&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QOucT52cL8Sm0AXG3cX2Dg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwBg |archivedate=6 June 2013 }}</ref>

] in 1025]]

From the 4th century, the Empire's Balkan territories, including Greece, suffered from the dislocation of the '']''. The raids and devastation of the ] and ] in the 4th and 5th centuries and the ] invasion of Greece in the 7th century resulted in a dramatic collapse in imperial authority in the Greek peninsula.{{Sfn | Fine | 1991 | pp = 35–6}} Following the Slavic invasion, the imperial government retained formal control of only the islands and coastal areas, particularly the densely populated walled cities such as Athens, Corinth and Thessalonica, while some mountainous areas in the interior held out on their own and continued to recognize imperial authority.{{Sfn | Fine | 1991 | pp = 35–6}} Outside of these areas, a limited amount of Slavic settlement is generally thought to have occurred, although on a much smaller scale than previously thought.{{Sfn | Fine | 1991 | pp = 63–6}}<ref>{{Cite book | first = TE | last = Gregory | title = A History of Byzantium | publisher = Wiley-Blackwell | year = 2010 | page = 169 | quote = It is now generally agreed that the people who lived in the Balkans after the Slavic "invasions" were probably for the most part the same as those who had lived there earlier, although the creation of new political groups and arrival of small immigrants caused people to look at themselves as distinct from their neighbors, including the Byzantines.}}</ref>

The Byzantine recovery of lost provinces began toward the end of the 8th century and most of the Greek peninsula came under imperial control again, in stages, during the 9th century.<ref name= EB2>{{cite web | url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/244154/Greece/26387/Byzantine-recovery |title=Greece During the Byzantine Period: Byzantine recovery | publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica | work = Online |accessdate=28 April 2012}}</ref>{{Sfn | Fine | 1991 | pp =79–83}} This process was facilitated by a large influx of Greeks from Sicily and Asia Minor to the Greek peninsula, while at the same time many Slavs were captured and re-settled in Asia Minor and the few that remained were assimilated.{{Sfn | Fine | 1991 | pp = 63–6}} During the 11th and 12th centuries the return of stability resulted in the Greek peninsula benefiting from strong economic growth&nbsp;– much stronger than that of the Anatolian territories of the Empire.<ref name=EB2 />

], administrative centre of the ]]]

Following the ] and the fall of Constantinople to the "]" in 1204 mainland Greece was split between the Greek ] (a Byzantine successor state) and ] rule<ref name = EB3>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/244154/Greece/26389/Results-of-the-Fourth-Crusade|title=Greece During the Byzantine Period: Results of the Fourth Crusade|publisher=Online Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=28 April 2012}}</ref> (known as the '']''), while some islands came under ] rule.<ref name= EB3A>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/244154/Greece/26395/The-islands|title=Greece During the Byzantine Period: The islands|publisher=Online Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref> The re-establishment of the Byzantine imperial capital in Constantinople in 1261 was accompanied by the empire's recovery of much of the Greek peninsula, although the Frankish ] in the Peloponnese and the rival Greek ] in the north both remained important regional powers into the 14th century, while the islands remained largely under Genoese and Venetian control.<ref name = EB3 />

In the 14th century, much of the Greek peninsula was lost by the Byzantine Empire at first to the ] and then to the ].<ref name = EB4>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/244154/Greece/26391/Thessaly-and-surrounding-regions|title=Greece During the Byzantine Period: Serbian and Ottoman advances|publisher=Online Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=28 April 2012}}</ref> By the beginning of the 15th century, the Ottoman advance meant that Byzantine territory in Greece was limited mainly to its then-largest city, Thessaloniki, and the Peloponnese (]).<ref name=EB4 /> After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, the Morea was the last remnant of the Byzantine Empire to hold out against the Ottomans. However, this, too, fell to the Ottomans in 1460, completing the Ottoman conquest of mainland Greece.<ref name= EB5>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/244154/Greece/26391/Thessaly-and-surrounding-regions|title=Greece During the Byzantine Period: The Peloponnese advances|publisher=Online Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=28 April 2012}}</ref> With the Turkish conquest, many Byzantine Greek scholars, who up until then were largely responsible for preserving ] knowledge, fled to the West, taking with them a large body of literature and thereby significantly ].<ref name= JJN>{{cite book |title= A Short History of Byzantium |last= Norwich |first= John Julius|year=1997 |publisher= Vintage Books |isbn=0-679-77269-3 |page = xxi}}</ref>

=== Early modern period: Venetian possessions and Ottoman rule (15th century – 1821) ===
{{Main|Ottoman Greece|Stato da Màr}}
{{Further information|Phanariotes|Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople}}
{{See also|Kingdom of Candia|Ionian Islands under Venetian rule}}

] castle of ] successfully repulsed the ] during the ], the siege of 1571, and the ], causing them to abandon their plans to conquer ].<ref name="Stamatopoulos1993">{{cite book|author=Nondas Stamatopoulos|title=Old Corfu: history and culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6m0-AQAAIAAJ|accessdate=6 April 2013|year=1993|publisher=N. Stamatopoulos|pages=164–165|quote=Again, during the first great siege of Corfu by the Turks in 1537, Angelocastro ... and After a siege lasting a year the invaders were finally driven away by the defenders of the fortress who were helped by the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages. In 1571, when they once more invaded Corfu, the Turks again unsuccessfully attacked, Angelocastro, where 4,000 people had taken refuge. During the second great siege of the city by the Turks in 1716, Angelokastro once again served}}</ref>]]

While most of mainland Greece and the Aegean islands was under Ottoman control by the end of the 15th century, ] and ] remained ] territory and did not fall to the Ottomans until 1571 and 1670 respectively. The only part of the Greek-speaking world that escaped long-term Ottoman rule was the ], which remained Venetian until their capture by the ] in 1797, then passed to the ] in 1809 until their unification with Greece in 1864.{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992| page=10}}

While some Greeks in the Ionian Islands and ] lived in prosperity, and Greeks of Constantinople (]) achieved positions of power within the Ottoman administration,{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992|page 23}} much of the population of mainland Greece suffered the economic consequences of the Ottoman conquest. Heavy taxes were enforced, and in later years the Ottoman Empire enacted a policy of creation of hereditary estates, effectively turning the rural Greek populations into ].<ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Kourvetaris | first1 = George | last2 = Dobratz | first2 = Betty | title = A profile of modern Greece: in search of identity | page = 33 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ePwcAAAAYAAJ&q=Greece+chiflik+serfs&dq=Greece+chiflik+serfs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1bnkT-GfAcix0QXl9biBCQ&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ | publisher = Clarendon Press | year = 1987}}</ref>

The ] and the ] were considered by the Ottoman governments as the ruling authorities of the entire ] population of the Ottoman Empire, whether ethnically Greek or not. Although the Ottoman state did not force non-Muslims to convert to ], Christians faced several types of discrimination intended to highlight their inferior status in the Ottoman Empire. Discrimination against Christians, particularly when combined with harsh treatment by local Ottoman authorities, led to conversions to Islam, if only superficially. In the 19th century, many "crypto-Christians" returned to their old religious allegiance.{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992|page=14}}

], one of the best-known Ottoman structures remaining in Greece.]]

The nature of Ottoman administration of Greece varied, though it was invariably arbitrary and often harsh.{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992|page=14}} Some cities had governors appointed by the ], while others (like Athens) were self-governed municipalities. Mountainous regions in the interior and many islands remained effectively autonomous from the central Ottoman state for many centuries.{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992}}{{Rp | needed = yes | date = March 2013}}

] in 1571 prevented the Ottomans from expanding further (near-contemporary painting by an unknown artist)]]

When military conflicts broke out between the Ottoman Empire and enemies, Greeks usually took arms against the empire, with few exceptions. Prior to the Greek Revolution of 1821, there had been a number of wars which saw Greeks fight against the Ottomans, such as the Greek participation in the ] in 1571, the Epirus peasants' revolts of 1600–1601 (led by the Orthodox bishop ]), the ] of 1684–1699, and the ]-instigated ] in 1770, which aimed at breaking up the Ottoman Empire in favor of Russian interests.{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992}}{{Rp | needed = yes | date = March 2013}} These uprisings were put down by the Ottomans with great bloodshed.<ref>{{Cite book | first = Lyn | last = Harrington | title = Greece and the Greeks | page = 124 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d7BAAAAAIAAJ&q=greece+revolts+ottoman+rule+bloodshed&dq=greece+revolts+ottoman+rule+bloodshed&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BI61T4PPBaWMiAKw79nQBg&ved=0CF8Q6AEwBg | publisher = T Nelson | year = 1968}}, 221 pp.</ref><ref>{{Cite book | first1 = Jamie | last1 = Stokes | first2 = Anthony | last2 = Gorman | title = Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East | page = 256 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=stl97FdyRswC&pg=PA256&dq=greece+ottoman+rule+revolts+orlov&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XIi1T8O8J8nPiAKhwZiHBw&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=greece%20ottoman%20rule%20revolts%20orlov&f=false | publisher = Infobase | year = 2010 | ISBN = 978-1-4381-2676-0}}</ref> On the other side, many Greeks were conscripted as Ottoman citizens to serve in the Ottoman army (and especially the Ottoman navy), while also the ], responsible for the Orthodox, remained in general loyal to the empire.

The 16th and 17th centuries are regarded as something of a "dark age" in Greek history, with the prospect of overthrowing Ottoman rule appearing remote with only the Ionian islands remaining free of Turkish domination. ] withstood three major sieges in ], 1571 and ] all of which resulted in the repulsion of the Ottomans. However, in the 18th century, due to their mastery of shipping and commerce, a wealthy and dispersed Greek merchant class arose. These merchants came to dominate trade within the Ottoman Empire, establishing communities throughout the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and Western Europe. Though the Ottoman conquest had cut Greece off from significant European intellectual movements such as the ] and the ], these ideas together with the ideals of the ] and ] began to penetrate the Greek world via the mercantile diaspora.{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992|page=27}} In the late 18th century, ], the first revolutionary to envision an independent Greek state, published a series of documents relating to Greek independence, including but not limited to a national anthem and the first detailed map of Greece, in ], and was murdered by Ottoman agents in 1798.{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992|page=31}}<ref>{{Cite book | first = Olga | last = Katsiaridi-Hering | chapter = La famiglia nell'economia europea, secc. XIII-XVIII | title = Atti della "quarantesima Settimana di studi," 6–10 Aprile 2008 | publisher = Istituto internazionale di storia economica F. Datini. Simonetta Cavaciocchi. Firenze University Press | year = 2009 | ISBN = 978-88-8453-910-6 | page = 410 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=WsyHfHzeP_8C&pg=PA410&dq=rigas+feraios+murdered&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GHu1T_jTE-LjiAKuoeSUBw&ved=0CDcQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=rigas%20feraios%20murdered&f=false}}</ref>

=== Modern period ===
{{Main|History of modern Greece}}

==== Greek War of Independence (1821–1832) ====
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Greek War of Independence}}
{{See also|Modern Greek Enlightenment|Wikisource:Greek_Declaration_of_Independence|label 2=Greek Declaration of Independence|First Hellenic Republic}}

], painting by ].]]

In the late eighteenth century, an increase in secular learning during the ] led to the revival among Greeks of the diaspora of the ] tracing its existence to ], distinct from the other Orthodox peoples, and having a right to political autonomy. One of the organizations formed in this intellectual milieu was the ], a secret organization formed by merchants in ] in 1814.<ref>{{harvnb|Hatzopoulos|2009|pp=81–3}}.</ref> Appropriating a long-standing tradition of ] messianic prophecy aspiring to the resurrection of the ] and creating the impression they had the backing of ], they managed amidst a crisis of Ottoman trade, from 1815 onwards, to engage traditional strata of the Greek Orthodox world in their liberal nationalist cause.<ref>{{harvnb|Hatzopoulos|2009}}. For the crisis of maritime trade from 1815 onwards, see {{harvnb|Kremmydas|1977}} and {{harvnb|Kremmydas|2002}}.</ref> The Filiki Eteria planned to launch revolution in the ], the ] and ]. The first of these revolts began on 6 March 1821 in the Danubian Principalities under the leadership of ], but it was soon put down by the Ottomans. The events in the north spurred the Greeks of the Peloponnese into action and on 17 March 1821 the ] declared war on the Ottomans.<ref name="Brewer, D. 2001, pp. 235">Brewer, D. ''The Greek War of Independence: The Struggle for Freedom from Ottoman Oppression and the Birth of the Modern Greek Nation.'' Overlook Press, 2001, {{ISBN|1-58567-172-X}}, pp. 235–36.</ref>

By the end of the month, the Peloponnese was in open revolt against the Ottomans and by October 1821 the Greeks under ] had captured ]. The Peloponnesian revolt was quickly followed by revolts in ], ] and ], which would soon be suppressed. Meanwhile, the makeshift Greek navy was achieving success against the Ottoman navy in the ] and prevented Ottoman reinforcements from arriving by sea. In 1822 and 1824 the Turks and Egyptians ravaged the islands, including ] and ], committing wholesale ] of the population.<ref name="Brewer, D. 2001, pp. 235" /> This had the effect of galvanizing public opinion in western Europe in favor of the Greek rebels.{{Sfn | Clogg | 1992}}{{Rp | needed = yes | date = March 2013}}

Tensions soon developed among different Greek factions, leading to two consecutive civil wars. Meanwhile, the ] negotiated with ], who agreed to send his son ] to Greece with an army to suppress the revolt in return for territorial gain. Ibrahim landed in the Peloponnese in February 1825 and had immediate success: by the end of 1825, most of the Peloponnese was under Egyptian control, and the city of ]—put under siege by the Turks since April 1825—fell in April 1826. Although Ibrahim was defeated in ], he had succeeded in suppressing most of the revolt in the Peloponnese and Athens had been retaken.

After years of negotiation, three Great Powers, Russia, the ], and ], decided to intervene in the conflict and each nation sent a navy to Greece. Following news that combined Ottoman–Egyptian fleets were going to attack the Greek island of ], the allied fleet intercepted the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet at ]. After a week-long standoff, a ] began which resulted in the destruction of the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet. A ] was dispatched to supervise the evacuation of the Egyptian army from the Peloponnese, while the Greeks proceeded to the captured part of Central Greece by 1828. As a result of years of negotiation, the ] was finally recognized under the ] in 1830.

==== Kingdom of Greece ====
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Kingdom of Greece}}
] in Athens'', painted by ] in 1839.]]

In 1827, ], from ], was chosen by the ] as the first governor of the ]. Kapodistrias established a series of state, economic and military institutions. Soon tensions appeared between him and local interests. Following his assassination in 1831 and the subsequent ], the ]s of Britain, France and Russia installed Bavarian Prince ] as ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-king-of-Greece|title=Otto: King of Greece|publisher=Online Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=2 September 2015}}</ref> One of his first actions was to transfer the capital from ] to ]. In 1843 an uprising forced the king to grant a constitution and a representative assembly.

Due to his authoritarian rule, he was eventually dethroned in 1862 and a year later replaced by Prince Wilhelm (William) of Denmark, who took the name ] and brought with him the Ionian Islands as a coronation gift from Britain. In 1877 ], who is credited with significant improvement of the country's infrastructure, curbed the power of the monarchy to interfere in the assembly by issuing the rule of ] to any potential prime minister.

] was King from 1863 to 1913.]]

Corruption and Trikoupis' increased spending to create necessary infrastructure like the ] overtaxed the weak Greek economy, forcing the declaration of ] in 1893 and to accept the imposition of an International Financial Control authority to pay off the country's debtors. Another political issue in 19th-century Greece was uniquely Greek: the language question. The Greek people spoke a form of Greek called ]. Many of the educated elite saw this as a peasant dialect and were determined to restore the glories of ].

Government documents and newspapers were consequently published in '']'' (purified) Greek, a form which few ordinary Greeks could read. Liberals favoured recognising Demotic as the national language, but conservatives and the Orthodox Church resisted all such efforts, to the extent that, when the ] was translated into Demotic in 1901, riots erupted in Athens and the government fell (the ''Evangeliaka''). This issue would continue to plague Greek politics until the 1970s.

] from 1832 to 1947.]]

All Greeks were united, however, in their determination to liberate the Greek-speaking provinces of the Ottoman Empire, regardless of the dialect they spoke. Especially in ], a ] had raised nationalist fervour. When war broke out between ], Greek popular sentiment rallied to Russia's side, but Greece was too poor, and too concerned about British intervention, to officially enter the war. Nevertheless, in 1881, ] and small parts of ] were ceded to Greece as part of the ], while frustrating Greek hopes of receiving Crete.

Greeks in Crete continued to stage regular revolts, and in 1897, the Greek government under Theodoros Deligiannis, bowing to popular pressure, declared war on the Ottomans. In the ensuing ], the badly trained and equipped Greek army was defeated by the Ottomans. Through the intervention of the Great Powers, however, Greece lost only a little territory along the border to Turkey, while Crete was established as an ] under ]. With state coffers empty, fiscal policy came under ]. In the next decade, Greek efforts were focused on the ], a state-sponsored guerilla campaign against pro-]n ] in Ottoman-ruled ], which ended inconclusively with the ] in 1908.

==== Expansion, disaster, and reconstruction ====
{{See also|Balkan Wars|National Schism|Asia Minor Campaign|Second Hellenic Republic}}

] Victory Parade in ], Paris, July 1919.]]
], when the '']'' seemed close to fulfillment, featuring ] as its supervising genius.]]

Amidst general dissatisfaction with the state of the nation, a group of military officers organized a ] in August 1909 and shortly thereafter called to power ] politician ]. After winning ] ] and becoming Prime Minister, Venizelos initiated wide-ranging fiscal, social, and ], reorganized the military, made Greece a member of the ], and led the country through the ]. By 1913, Greece's territory and population had almost doubled, annexing ], ], and ]. In the following years, the struggle between ] and charismatic Venizelos over the country's foreign policy on the eve of ] dominated the country's political scene, and divided the country into ]. During parts of World War I, Greece had two governments: A royalist pro-German one in Athens and a Venizelist pro-] one in Thessaloniki. The two governments were united in 1917, when Greece officially entered the war on the side of the Entente.

In the aftermath of World War I, Greece attempted further expansion into ], a region with a large native Greek population at the time, but was defeated in the ], contributing to a massive flight of ].<ref name=Gibney>{{cite book |author=Matthew J. Gibney, ]. |title=Immigration and Asylum: from 1900 to the Present, Volume 3 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2005 |page=377 |isbn=1-57607-796-9 |quote=The total number of Christians who fled to Greece was probably in the region of I.2 million with the main wave occurring in 1922 before the signing of the convention. According to the official records of the Mixed Commission set up to monitor the movements, the Greeks who were transferred after 1923 numbered 189,916 and the number of Muslims expelled to Turkey was 355,635 (Ladas I932, 438–439), but using the same source Eddy 1931, 201 states that the post-1923 exchange involved 192,356 Greeks from Turkey and 354,647 Muslims from Greece.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sofos |first=Spyros A. |author-link=Spyros Sofos |last2=Özkirimli |first2=Umut |author2-link=Umut Özkirimli |title=Tormented by History: Nationalism in Greece and Turkey |publisher=C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd |year=2008 |pages=116–117 |isbn=1-85065-899-4 }}</ref> These events overlapped, with both happening during the ] (1914–1922),<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1080/14623520801950820 | last1 = Schaller | first1 = Dominik J | last2 = Zimmerer | first2 = Jürgen | year = 2008 | title = Late Ottoman genocides: the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and Young Turkish population and extermination policies&nbsp;– introduction | url = | journal = Journal of Genocide Research | volume = 10 | issue = 1| pages = 7–14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url = http://news.am/eng/news/16644.html | title = Genocide Resolution approved by Swedish Parliament | publisher = News.AM}}, containing both the IAGS and the Swedish resolutions.</ref><ref>Gaunt, David. ''''. Piscataway, ]: Gorgias Press, 2006.</ref><ref>{{cite news | author-link = Chris Hedges| last = Hedges | first = Chris | date = 17 September 2000 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/17/nyregion/a-few-words-in-greek-tell-of-a-homeland-lost.html | title = A Few Words in Greek Tell of a Homeland Lost | newspaper = ]}}</ref> a period during which, according to various sources,<ref>{{Cite journal | first = RJ | last = Rummel | author-link = R. J. Rummel | year = 1998 | title = The Holocaust in Comparative and Historical Perspective | journal = Idea Journal of Social Issues | volume = 3 | number = 2}}</ref> Ottoman and Turkish officials contributed to the death of several hundred thousand Asia Minor Greeks. The resultant Greek exodus from Asia Minor was made permanent, and expanded, in an official ]. The exchange was part of the terms of the ] which ended the war.<ref>{{cite web|author=Annette Grossbongardt|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/christians-in-turkey-the-diaspora-welcomes-the-pope-a-451140.html|title=Christians in Turkey: The Diaspora Welcomes the Pope|publisher=]|date=28 November 2006}}</ref>

The following era was marked by instability, as over 1.5 million propertyless Greek refugees from Turkey had to be integrated into Greek society. ], ], and ] were all subject to the exchange as well. Some of the refugees could not speak the language, and were from what had been unfamiliar environments to mainland Greeks, such as in the case of the Cappadocians and non-Greeks. The refugees also made a dramatic post-war population boost, as the amount of refugees was more than a quarter of Greece's prior population.<ref>Howland, Charles P. , ''Foreign Affairs,'' ]. July 1926.</ref>

Following the catastrophic events in Asia Minor, the monarchy was abolished ] in 1924 and the ] was declared. In 1935, a royalist general-turned-politician ] took power after a ] and abolished the republic, holding ], after which ] returned to Greece and was restored to the throne.

==== Dictatorship, World War II, and reconstruction ====
{{See also|4th of August Regime|Greco-Italian War|Battle of Greece|Axis occupation of Greece|Greek Civil War|Greek military junta of 1967–74}}

An agreement between Prime Minister ] and the head of state ] followed in 1936, which installed Metaxas as the head of a dictatorial regime known as the ], inaugurating a period of authoritarian rule that would last, with short breaks, until 1974.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hagen|first=Fleischer|title=Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes in Europe: Legacies and Lessons from the Twentieth Century|chapter=Authoritarian Rule in Greece (1936–1974) and Its Heritage|year=2006|location=New York/Oxford|publisher=Berghahn|page=237}}</ref> Although a dictatorship, Greece remained on good terms with Britain and was not allied with the ].

] (1941) in the ]. Greece's victory against ], gave the ] their first victory over ] forces on land in ].]]

On 28 October 1940, ] demanded the surrender of Greece, but the Greek administration refused, and, in the following ], Greece repelled Italian forces into Albania, giving the ] their first victory over Axis forces on land. The Greek struggle and victory against the Italians received exuberant praise at the time.<ref name="youtube.com">{{cite AV media |people=Pilavios, Konstantinos (Director); Tomai, Fotini (Texts & Presentation) |date=25 October 2010 |title=The Heroes Fight like Greeks&nbsp;– Greece during the Second World War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvDTDbqMzI4#t=51s |language= Greek |publisher=Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs |location= Athens |accessdate=28 October 2010|time= 51 sec}}</ref><ref name="Fafalios and Hadjipateras, p. 157">Fafalios and Hadjipateras, p. 157</ref> Most prominent is the quote attributed to ]: "Hence we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but we will say that heroes fight like Greeks."<ref name="youtube.com" /> French general ] was among those who praised the fierceness of the Greek resistance. In an official notice released to coincide with the Greek national celebration of the Day of Independence, De Gaulle expressed his admiration for the Greek resistance:<blockquote>In the name of the captured yet still alive French people, France wants to send her greetings to the Greek people who are fighting for their freedom. The 25 March 1941 finds Greece in the peak of their heroic struggle and in the top of their glory. Since the Battle of Salamis, Greece had not achieved the greatness and the glory which today holds.<ref name="Fafalios and Hadjipateras, p. 157" /></blockquote> The country would eventually fall to urgently dispatched ] forces during the ], despite the fierce Greek resistance, particularly in the ]. ] himself recognised the bravery and the courage of the ], stating in his address to the Reichstag on 11 December 1941, that: "Historical justice obliges me to state that of the enemies who took up positions against us, the Greek soldier particularly fought with the highest courage. He capitulated only when further resistance had become impossible and useless."<ref>{{Cite wikisource |last=Hitler |first= Adolf |authorlink= Adolf Hitler |title= Address to the Reichstag | date = 11 December 1941 |ref= harv}}</ref>

]-] resistance organization]]

The Nazis proceeded to administer Athens and Thessaloniki, while other regions of the country were given to Nazi Germany's partners, Fascist Italy and Bulgaria. The occupation brought about terrible hardships for the Greek civilian population. Over 100,000 civilians died of starvation during the winter of 1941–1942, tens of thousands more died because of reprisals by Nazis and ], the country's economy was ruined, and the great majority of ] were deported and murdered in Nazi concentration camps.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia | url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/244154/Greece/26430/Greek-history-since-World-War-IGreece | title = Greek history since World War I | work = ]}}</ref><ref name="Mazower 2001, p. 155">Mazower (2001), p. 155</ref> The ], one of the most effective resistance movements in Europe, fought vehemently against the Nazis and their collaborators. The German occupiers committed ] in reprisals. In the course of the concerted anti-guerilla campaign, hundreds of villages were systematically torched and almost 1,000,000 Greeks left homeless.<ref name="Mazower 2001, p. 155" /> In total, the Germans executed some 21,000 Greeks, the Bulgarians 40,000, and the Italians 9,000.<ref>Knopp (2009), p. 193</ref>

] celebrate the liberation from the Axis powers, October 1944. Postwar Greece would soon experience a ] and political polarization.]]

Following liberation and the Allied victory over the Axis, Greece annexed the ] from Italy and regained ] from Bulgaria. The country almost immediately descended into ] between ] forces and the anti-communist Greek government, which lasted until 1949 with the latter's victory. The conflict, considered one of the earliest struggles of the ],<ref name= Noam&Chomsky>{{cite book|last= Chomsky|first= Noam|title= ''World Orders, Old And New''|publisher= Pluto Press London|year= 1994}}</ref> resulted in further economic devastation, mass population displacement and severe political polarisation for the next thirty years.<ref>]. ''After the War was Over''.</ref>

Although the post-war decades were characterized by social strife and widespread marginalisation of the left in political and social spheres, Greece nonetheless experienced ] and recovery, propelled in part by the U.S.-administered ].<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present.|date=2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-50718-0|page=51, Figure 2.3 “Numeracy in selected Balkan and Caucasus countries”, based on data from Crayen and Baten (2010)|author=Baten, Jörg}}</ref> In 1952, Greece joined ], reinforcing its membership in the ] of the Cold War.

King ]'s ] of ]'s centrist government in July 1965 prompted a prolonged period of political turbulence, which culminated in a coup d'état on 21 April 1967 by the ]. Under the junta, civil rights were suspended, political repression was intensified, and human rights abuses, including state-sanctioned torture, were rampant. Economic growth remained rapid before plateauing in 1972. The brutal suppression of the ] on 17 November 1973 is claimed to have sent shockwaves through the regime, and a counter-coup overthrew ] to establish brigadier ] as leader. On 20 July 1974, ] in response to a Greek-backed Cypriot coup, triggering a political crisis that led to the regime's collapse.

==== Third Hellenic Republic ====
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Third Hellenic Republic}}

The former prime minister ] was invited back from Paris where he had lived in self-exile since 1963, marking the beginning of the ] era. The ] since 1964 were held on the first anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising. A democratic and republican ] was promulgated on 11 June 1975 following a ] which chose to not restore the monarchy.

] of the documents for the accession of Greece to the ] in 1979.]]

Meanwhile, ], George Papandreou's son, founded the ] (PASOK) in response to Karamanlis's conservative ] party, with the two political formations dominating in government over the next four decades. Greece rejoined NATO in 1980.{{Refn | group = lower-alpha | name="integrated1974" | On 14 August 1974 Greek forces withdrew from the integrated military structure of ] in protest at the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus; Greece rejoined NATO in 1980.}}<ref name="AdamHartDavis">History, Editorial Consultant: Adam Hart-Davis. ]. {{ISBN|978-1-85613-062-2}}.</ref> Greece became the tenth member of the ] (subsequently subsumed by the ]) on 1 January 1981, ushering in a period of sustained growth. Widespread investments in industrial enterprises and heavy infrastructure, as well as funds from the European Union and growing revenues from tourism, shipping, and a fast-growing service sector raised the country's standard of living to unprecedented levels. Traditionally strained ] ], leading to the lifting of the Greek veto against ] for EU membership.

The country adopted the ] in 2001 and successfully hosted the ] in Athens.<ref name="europa.eu">{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/about-eu/countries/member-countries/greece/index_en.htm|publisher=]|accessdate=7 April 2007|title=Greece}}</ref> More recently, Greece has suffered greatly from the ] and has been central to the related ]. Due to the adoption of the euro, when Greece experienced financial crisis, it could no longer ] its currency to regain competitiveness. ] was especially high during the 2000s.<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present.|date=2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-50718-0|page=66|author=Baten, Jörg}}</ref> The ], and subsequent ] policies, have resulted in protests.

== Geography and climate ==
{{Main|Geography of Greece}}
{| style="float:right; margin:1px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|-
|<div style="position: relative">]
<!----------------------------------- NATIONS/FLAGS -->
<div style="position:absolute;left:18px;top:38px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:11px;top:56px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:74px;top:8px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:50px;top:22px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:189px;top:0px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:175px;top:15px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:303px;top:133px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:292px;top:150px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:20px;top:254px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:27px;top:299px;"><big><span style="color: black;">'''Greece'''</span</big></div>
<!------------------------------- TOWNS/ISLANDS -->
<div style="position:absolute;left:157px;top:172px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:120px;top:71px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:160px;top:41px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:49px;top:76px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:105px;top:42px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:69px;top:63px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:184px;top:60px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:228px;top:53px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:219px;top:70px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:0;top:101px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:1px;top:117px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:113px;top:107px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:133px;top:118px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:96px;top:149px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:55px;top:155px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:58px;top:108px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:63px;top:128px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:153px;top:158px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:59px;top:173px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:90px;top:180px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:96px;top:202px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:102px;top:225px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:55px;top:211px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:137px;top:186px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:108px;top:170px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:148px;top:200px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:204px;top:290px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:154px;top:295px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<!----------------------------------------- Locations -->
<div style="position:absolute;left:91px;top:54px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:197px;top:43px;">]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:41px;top:95px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:72px;top:119px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:133px;top:150px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:54px;top:140px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:64px;top:191px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:87px;top:94px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:5px;top:139px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:8px;top:175px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:3px;top:190px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:180px;top:88px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:213px;top:126px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:211px;top:160px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:265px;top:185px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:180px;top:185px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:189px;top:195px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:205px;top:207px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:225px;top:191px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:260px;top:209px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:220px;top:220px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:181px;top:234px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:165px;top:249px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:251px;top:233px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:272px;top:260px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:278px;top:282px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:319px;top:253px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:268px;top:300px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:105px;top:258px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:170px;top:322px;">{{small|]}}</div>
<!------------------------------------- SEAS -->
<div style="position:absolute;left:194px;top:140px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:214px;top:177px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:185px;top:268px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:133px;top:228px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:147px;top:237px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:09px;top:208px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:14px;top:223px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:225px;top:319px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:238px;top:333px;">]]</div>
<!------------------------------------- ISLAND GROUPS -->
<div style="position:absolute;left:192px;top:305px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:169px;top:105px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:180px;top:117px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:143px;top:217px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:229px;top:247px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:02px;top:151px;">]]</div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:01px;top:161px;">]]</div>
|}
] (]) bay, ] island]]

Located in ],<ref>{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/ungegn/docs/23-gegn/wp/gegn23wp48.pdf|title=UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES: Working Paper No. 48|format=PDF|date=2006|accessdate=2 September 2015}}</ref> Greece is a ] that consists of a mountainous, peninsular mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the ], ending at the ] peninsula (separated from the mainland by the ] of the ]) and strategically located at the crossroads of ], ], and ].<ref name="KolliasGünlük-ŞenesenGülay2003">{{cite book|author1=Chrēstos G. Kollias|author2=Gülay Günlük-Şenesen|author3=Gülden Ayman|title=Greece and Turkey in the 21st Century: Conflict Or Cooperation: a Political Economy Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_e4CT57tZYC&pg=PA10|accessdate=12 April 2013|year=2003|publisher=Nova Publishers|isbn=978-1-59033-753-0|page=10|quote=Greece's Strategic Position In The Balkans And Eastern Mediterranean Greece is located at the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Asia and Africa). It is an integral part of the Balkans (where it is the only country that is a member of the ...)}}</ref><ref name="PaulstonKiesling2012">{{cite book|author1=Christina Bratt Paulston|author2=Scott F. Kiesling|author3=Elizabeth S. Rangel|title=The Handbook of Intercultural Discourse and Communication|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L2_JtZV7ZIYC&pg=PA292|accessdate=12 April 2013|date=13 February 2012|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-6272-2|page=292|quote=Introduction Greece and Turkey are situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and ], and their inhabitants have had a long history of cultural interaction even though their languages are neither genetically nor typologically ...}}</ref><ref name="Focas2004">{{cite book|author=Caralampo Focas|title=Transport Issues And Problems In Southeastern Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MO33_NB5sWcC&pg=PA114|accessdate=12 April 2013|year=2004|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-7546-1970-3|page=114|quote=Greece itself shows a special geopolitical importance as it is situated at the crossroads of three continents&nbsp;– Europe, Asia and Africa&nbsp;– and can be therefore considered as a natural bridge between Europe and the Middle East}}</ref><ref name="Britain2005">{{cite book|author=Centre for Economic Policy Research (Great Britain)|title=European Migration: What Do We Know?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0droTivyVUgC&pg=PA337|year=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-925735-5|page=337|quote=Introduction Migration movements from and to, or via Greece, are an age-old phenomenon. Situated at the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa), Greece has been, at different historical times, both a labour...}}</ref><ref name="PetkovicWilliamson2015">{{cite book|author1=Sladjana Petkovic|author2=Howard Williamson|title=Youth policy in Greece: Council of Europe international review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HTpCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT48|date=21 July 2015|publisher=Council of Europe|isbn=978-92-871-8181-7|page=48|quote=As reports from the GSY (2007) show, young people have the opportunity to become acquainted with many diverse civilisations and cultures, through Greece's strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Accordingly, many ...}}</ref> Due to its highly indented coastline and numerous islands, Greece has the ] in the world with {{convert|13676|km|mi|0|abbr=on}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html?countryName=Greece&countryCode=gr&regionCode=eu&#gr |title=The World Fact Book&nbsp;– Field Listing :: Coastline |accessdate=17 March 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref> its land boundary is {{convert|1160|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}. The country lies approximately between latitudes ] and ], and longitudes ] and ], with the extreme points being:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_01_0002_00061.pdf |title=Statistical Yearbook of Greece 2009&nbsp;&&nbsp;2010 |page=27 |publisher=] |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213192314/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_01_0002_00061.pdf |archivedate=13 December 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>
*North: ] village
*South: ] island
*East: ] (Kastelorizo, Megisti) island
*West: ] island

Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains or hills, making the country one of the most mountainous in Europe. ], the mythical abode of the ], culminates at Mytikas peak {{convert|2918|m|ft}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olympusfd.gr/us/infos.asp |title=Olympus the First National Park |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2008 |publisher=Management Agency of Olympus National Park |access-date=5 December 2015}}</ref> the highest in the country. Western Greece contains a number of lakes and wetlands and is dominated by the ] mountain range. The Pindus, a continuation of the ], reaches a maximum elevation of {{convert|2637|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} at ] (the second-highest in Greece) and historically has been a significant barrier to east-west travel.

The Pindus range continues through the central Peloponnese, crosses the islands of ] and Antikythera and finds its way into southwestern Aegean, in the island of Crete where it eventually ends. The islands of the Aegean are peaks of underwater mountains that once constituted an extension of the mainland. Pindus is characterized by its high, steep peaks, often dissected by numerous canyons and a variety of other karstic landscapes. The spectacular ], part of the ] in the Pindus range, is listed by the Guinness book of World Records as the deepest gorge in the world.<ref>{{cite book | title=Guinness World Records 2005: Special 50th Anniversary Edition | publisher=Guinness World Records | year=2004 |url=https://books.google.com/?id=D4wYAAAAIAAJ&dq=Vikos%2BGuines | isbn= 978-1-892051-22-6| page = 52}}</ref> Another notable formation are the ] rock pillars, atop which have been built medieval Greek Orthodox monasteries.

Northeastern Greece features another high-altitude mountain range, the ] range, spreading across the region of ]; this area is covered with vast, thick, ancient forests, including the famous Dadia forest in the ], in the far northeast of the country.

Extensive plains are primarily located in the regions of ], ] and ]. They constitute key economic regions as they are among the few arable places in the country. Rare marine species such as the pinniped seals and the ] live in the seas surrounding mainland Greece, while its dense forests are home to the endangered ], the ], the ] and the wild goat.

=== Islands ===
{{Main|List of islands of Greece}}
Greece features a ], between 1,200 and 6,000, depending on the definition,<ref>{{cite book |author1=Marker, Sherry |author2=Bowman, John |author3=Kerasiotis, Peter |author4=Sarna, Heidi |title= Frommer's Greek Islands |publisher=]|year=2010 |page=12 |isbn= 978-0-470-52664-4 |url=https://books.google.com/?id=wvlP7D9C_7gC&pg=PA12}}</ref> 227 of which are inhabited. Crete is the largest and most populous island; ], separated from the mainland by the 60m-wide ], is the second largest, followed by ] and ].

The Greek islands are traditionally grouped into the following clusters: the ] in the Saronic gulf near Athens, the Cyclades, a large but dense collection occupying the central part of the Aegean Sea, the ], a loose grouping off the west coast of Turkey, the Dodecanese, another loose collection in the southeast between Crete and Turkey, the ], a small tight group off the coast of northeast Euboea, and the Ionian Islands, located to the west of the mainland in the Ionian Sea.

=== Climate ===
{{uncited section|date=October 2017}}
{{Further information|Climate of Greece}}
], the highest mountain in Greece and mythical abode of the ]]]

The ] is primarily ], featuring mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. This climate occurs at all coastal locations, including Athens, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Crete, the Peloponnese, the Ionian Islands and parts of the Central Continental Greece region. The ] mountain range strongly affects the climate of the country, as areas to the west of the range are considerably wetter on average (due to greater exposure to south-westerly systems bringing in moisture) than the areas lying to the east of the range (due to a ] effect).

The mountainous areas of Northwestern Greece (parts of ], ], ], ]) as well as in the mountainous central parts of Peloponnese&nbsp;– including parts of the regional units of ], ] and ]&nbsp;– feature an ] with heavy snowfalls. The inland parts of northern Greece, in Central Macedonia and ] feature a ] with cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers with frequent thunderstorms. Snowfalls occur every year in the mountains and northern areas, and brief snowfalls are not unknown even in low-lying southern areas, such as Athens.

=== Ecology ===
], Greece belongs to the ] and is shared between the East Mediterranean province of the ] and the Illyrian province of the ]. According to the ] and the ], the territory of Greece can be subdivided into six ]s: the ], ], ], Rhodope montane mixed forests, Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests and Crete Mediterranean forests.

== Politics ==
{{Main|Politics of Greece}}

] in central ].]]
], first governor and founder of the modern Greek State]]

Greece is a ] ].<ref name="con51,53">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.gr/english/politeuma/syntagma.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925181747/http://www.parliament.gr/english/politeuma/syntagma.pdf |archivedate=25 September 2007 |title=Syntagma |format=PDF |language=Greek |accessdate=2 August 2009 |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }}</ref> The nominal ] is the ], who is elected by the ] for a five-year term.<ref name="con51,53" /> The current ] was drawn up and adopted by the Fifth Revisionary Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975 after the fall of the ]. It has been revised three times since, in ], ] and ]. The Constitution, which consists of 120 articles, provides for a ] into ], ], and ]es, and grants extensive specific guarantees (further reinforced in 2001) of ] and ].{{Sfn | Dagtoglou | 1991 | p = 21}}{{Sfn | Venizelos | 2002 | pp = 131–32, 165–72}} ] was guaranteed with an amendment to the 1952 Constitution.

According to the Constitution, executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic and the ].<ref name="con51,53" /> From the ] the President's duties were curtailed to a significant extent, and they are now largely ceremonial; most political power thus lies in the hands of the Prime Minister.<ref name="M477-478">{{Harvnb | Mavrias | 2002 | pp = 477–78, 486–87}}</ref> The position of ], Greece's ], belongs to the ] of the ] that can obtain a vote of confidence by the Parliament. The President of the Republic formally appoints the Prime Minister and, on his recommendation, appoints and dismisses the other members of the Cabinet.<ref name="con51,53" />

Legislative powers are exercised by a 300-member elective ].<ref name="con51,53" /> Statutes passed by the Parliament are promulgated by the President of the Republic.<ref name="con51,53" /> ] are held every four years, but the President of the Republic is obliged to dissolve the Parliament earlier on the proposal of the Cabinet, in view of dealing with a national issue of exceptional importance.<ref name="con51,53" /> The President is also obliged to dissolve the Parliament earlier, if the opposition manages to pass a ].<ref name="con51,53" />

=== Political parties ===
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Political parties of Greece|List of political parties in Greece}}
], Head of State since 2015]]

Since the restoration of democracy, the Greek party system has been dominated by the liberal-conservative ] (ND) and the social-democratic ] (PASOK).{{Refn | group = lower-alpha | For a diachronic analysis of the Greek party system see {{Harvnb | Pappas | 2003 | pp = 90–114}}, who distinguishes three distinct types of party system which developed in consecutive order, namely, a predominant-party system (from 1952 to 1963), a system of polarised pluralism (between 1963 and 1981), and a two-party system (since 1981).}} Other significant parties include the ] (KKE), the ] (SYRIZA) the ] (LAOS) and the ].

PASOK and ND largely alternated in power until the outbreak of the ] in 2009. Since then, the two major parties, New Democracy and PASOK, have seen a sharp decline in popularity.<ref name="Political Climate and Governance December 2011">{{cite news | place = GR | url = http://www.vprc.gr/uplds/File/teleytaia%20nea/Epikaira/Political%20Climate%20and%20Governance_December2011.pdf | archive-url = http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140206160954/http://www.vprc.gr/uplds/File/teleytaia%20nea/Epikaira/Political%20Climate%20and%20Governance_December2011.pdf | dead-url = yes | archive-date = 6 February 2014 | format = PDF | title = Πολιτική Συγκυρία & Διακυβέρνηση | trans_title = Political climate & governance | date= 22 December 2011 | publisher = VPRC |accessdate=22 December 2011}}</ref><ref name="Political Climate and Governance January 2012">{{cite news | format = PDF | url = http://www.eklogika.gr/uploads/files/Dimoskopiseis/Political_Conjuncture_and_Governance_Jan2012.pdf | title = Πολιτική Συγκυρία & Διακυβέρνηση | trans_title = Political conjuncture & governance | place = GR | date = 26 January 2012 | work = VPRC |accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref><ref name="Panhellenic Research for ET3">{{cite news | format = PDF | url = http://www.eklogika.gr/uploads/files/Dimoskopiseis/ToThePoint-Ert3_30-1-12.pdf |title = Πανελλαδικη Ερευνα για την ET3 | date = 29 January 2012 | work = To The Point |accessdate=29 January 2012 |place = GR}}</ref><ref name="Research from Pulse RC for Pontiki">{{cite news | via = Ek logika | place = GR | url = http://www.eklogika.gr/uploads/files/Dimoskopiseis/PulseRC-ToPontiki_2-2-2012.pdf | title = Ερευνα της Pulse RC για το Ποντικι |date=2 February 2012 |publisher=Pulse RC |accessdate=2 February 2012 |format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="Varometro Feb 2011">{{cite news |format=PDF |url=http://www.eklogika.gr/uploads/files/Dimoskopiseis/varometro_2_12.pdf |title = Πολιτικό Βαρόμετρο 99 | trans_title = Political barometer |date=7 February 2012 |work= Public Issue | publisher = Ek logika |accessdate=7 February 2011}}</ref> In November 2011, the two major parties joined the smaller ] in a ], pledging their parliamentary support for a ] headed by former ] vice-president ].<ref>{{cite news |title= Lucas Papademos named as new Greek prime minister |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15671354 |publisher=BBC News |date=10 November 2011 |accessdate=10 November 2011}}</ref> ] voted against this government and he split off from ND forming the ] ].

The coalition government led the country to the ]. The power of the traditional Greek political parties, ] and ], declined from 43% to 13% and from 33% to 18%, respectively, due to their support for austerity measures. The leftist party SYRIZA became the second major party, with an increase from 4% to 16%. No party could form a sustainable government, which led to the ]. The result of the second elections was the formation of a coalition government composed of ] (29%), ] (12%) and ] (6%) parties.

] led Syriza to victory in the ] held on 25 January 2015, falling short of an outright majority in Parliament by just two seats. The following morning, Tsipras reached an agreement with ] party to form a coalition, and he was sworn in as Prime Minister of Greece. Tsipras called snap elections in August 2015, resigning from his post, which led to a month-long caretaker administration headed by judge ], Greece's first female prime minister. In the ], Tsipras led Syriza to another victory, winning 145 out of 300 seats and re-forming the coalition with the Independent Greeks.

=== Foreign relations ===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Greece}}
]

Greece's foreign policy is conducted through the ] and its head, the ]. The current minister is ]. According to the official website, the main aims of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are to represent Greece before other states and international organizations;<ref name="MFA mission">{{cite web |url= http://www.mfa.gr/en/the-ministry/structure/mission-and-competences.html |title=Mission and Competences |publisher= ] |accessdate=23 February 2012}}</ref> safeguarding the interests of the Greek state and of its citizens abroad;<ref name="MFA mission" /> the promotion of Greek culture;<ref name="MFA mission" /> the fostering of closer relations with the ];<ref name="MFA mission" /> and the promotion of international cooperation.<ref name="MFA mission" /> Additionally, due to its political and geographical proximity to ], ], the Middle East and ], Greece is a country of significant geostrategic importance and is considered to be a ]<ref name="Thanos-Veremēs">Thanos Veremēs (1997) "Black Rose Books"</ref> and has developed a regional policy to help promote peace and stability in the ], the ], and the ].<ref name="MFA regional policy">{{cite web |url= http://www.mfa.gr/en/foreign-policy/regional-policy/ | title= Regional Policy | publisher= ] |accessdate=23 February 2012}}</ref>

The Ministry identifies three issues as of particular importance to the Greek state: ] challenges to Greek sovereignty rights in the ] and corresponding airspace;<ref name="MFA issues">{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gr/en/foreign-policy-issues/ |title=Foreign Policy Issues | publisher =] |accessdate=23 February 2012}}</ref> the legitimacy of the ] on the island of ];<ref name="MFA issues" /> and the ]<ref name="MFA issues" /> with the small Balkan country which shares a name with Greece's largest and second-most-populous region, also called ].

Greece is a member of numerous international organizations, including the ], the ], the ], the ], the ] and the ], of which it is a founding member.

=== Law and justice ===
{{Main|Judicial system of Greece|Law enforcement in Greece}}
]]]

The ] is independent of the executive and the legislature and comprises three Supreme Courts: the ] (Άρειος Πάγος), the ] (Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) and the ] (Ελεγκτικό Συνέδριο). The Judiciary system is also composed of civil courts, which judge civil and penal cases and administrative courts, which judge disputes between the citizens and the Greek administrative authorities.

The ] ({{lang-el|Ελληνική Αστυνομία}}) is the national ] force of Greece. It is a very large agency with its responsibilities ranging from ] to ]. It was established in 1984 under Law 1481/1-10-1984 (Government Gazette 152 A) as the result of the fusion of the ] (Χωροφυλακή, ''Chorofylaki'') and the ] (Αστυνομία Πόλεων, ''Astynomia Poleon'') forces.<ref>Law 1481/1 October 1984, ''Official Journal of the Hellenic Republic'', A-152</ref>

=== Military ===
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Military of Greece}}
{{multiple image
| width1 = 180
| width2 = 165
| image1 = Greek frigate HS Spetsai, F-453.jpg
| caption1 = ] used by the ]
| image2 = Hellenic Coast Guard.jpg
| caption2 = Coastal patrol boat ] of the ]
}}
{{multiple image
| width1 = 180
| width2 = 165
| image1 = Greek F-4 Phantom, Aviano Air Base.jpg
| caption1 = A ] used by the ]
| image2 = Greece Leopard 2.jpg
| caption2 = A ]A6 HEL of the ]
}}

The Hellenic Armed Forces are overseen by the ] (Greek: Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Άμυνας&nbsp;– ΓΕΕΘΑ), with civilian authority vested in the ]. It consists of three branches:
* ] (Ellinikos Stratos, ES)
* ] (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN)
* ] (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA)

Moreover, Greece maintains the ] for law enforcement at sea, search and rescue, and port operations. Though it can support the navy during wartime, it resides under the authority of the ].

Greek military personnel total 367,450, of whom 142,950 are active and 220,500 are reserve. Greece ] in the number of citizens serving in the armed forces, due largely to ] for males between the ages of 19 and 45 (females are exempted from conscription but may otherwise serve in the military). Mandatory military service is one year for the Army and nine months for the Navy and Air Force.<ref>{{cite web|title=The World Factbook -- Greece|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|accessdate=19 July 2017}}</ref> Additionally, Greek males between the ages of 18 and 60 who live in strategically sensitive areas may be required to serve part-time in the National Guard. However, as the military has sought to become a completely professional force, the government has promised to reduce mandatory military service or abolish it completely.

As a member of ], the Greek military participates in exercises and deployments under the auspices of the alliance, although its involvement in NATO missions is minimal.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dempsey|first1=Judy|title=EU and NATO Look on at Greece's Pampered Armed Forces|url=http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/49185 |publisher=Carnegie Europe|accessdate=19 July 2017}}</ref> Greece spends over 7 billion USD annually on its military, or 2.3 percent of GDP, the ] in absolute terms, the ] on a per capita basis, and the second-highest in NATO after the United States. Moreover, Greece is one of only five NATO countries to meet or surpass the minimum defence spending target of 2 percent of GDP.

=== Administrative divisions ===
{{Main|Administrative divisions of Greece}}
Since the ] reform entered into effect on 1 January 2011, Greece has consisted of thirteen ] subdivided into a total of 325 ]. The 54 old ] have been largely retained as '']'' of the regions. Seven ] group one to three regions for administrative purposes on a regional basis. There is also one ], ] ({{lang-el|Agio Oros}}, "Holy Mountain"), which borders the region of ].
{|
|-
|valign="middle"|
]
||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:center;"
!No.!! ]!! Capital!! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)!! Area (sq. mi.)!!Population<ref name="2011censusNSS">{{cite web | publisher = National Statistical Service | format = PDF | date = 22 July 2011 | url = http://www.tovima.gr/files/1/2011/07/22/apografh22.pdf |title=Πίνακας 1: Προσωρινά αποτελέσματα του Μόνιμου Πληθυσμού της Ελλάδος}}</ref> !! GDP (])<ref name="Eurostat Regional GDP">{{cite web | url = http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/graph.do?tab=graph&plugin=1&pcode=tgs00003&language=en&toolbox=sort | title = Regional gross domestic product (million EUR), by NUTS 2 regions | year = 2008 | publisher = ] |accessdate=25 October 2011}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|3,808.10|| style="text-align:right"|1,470.32|| style="text-align:right"|3,828,434 || style="text-align:right"|€103.334
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2 || ] || ] ||style="text-align:right"|15,549.31|| style="text-align:right"|6,003.62||style="text-align:right"|547,390 || style="text-align:right"|€12.530
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 3 || ] || ] ||style="text-align:right"|18,810.52|| style="text-align:right"|7,262.78|| style="text-align:right"|1,882,108 || style="text-align:right"|€34.458
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|8,259||style="text-align:right"|3,189|| style="text-align:right"|623,065 || style="text-align:right"|€12.854
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|14,157.76||style="text-align:right"|5,466.34|| style="text-align:right"|608,182 || style="text-align:right"|€9.054
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6 || ] || ] ||style="text-align:right"|9,203.22||style="text-align:right"|3,553.38|| style="text-align:right"|336,856 || style="text-align:right"|€5.827
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7 || ] || ] ||style="text-align:right"|2,306.94|| style="text-align:right"|890.71||style="text-align:right"|207,855 || style="text-align:right"|€4.464
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|3,835.91||style="text-align:right"|1,481.05|| style="text-align:right"|199,231 || style="text-align:right"|€3.579
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 9 || ] || ] ||style="text-align:right"|15,489.96|| style="text-align:right"|5,980.71||style="text-align:right"|577,903 || style="text-align:right"|€11.230
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|5,285.99||style="text-align:right"|2,040.93|| style="text-align:right"|309,015 || style="text-align:right"|€7.816
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 11 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|14,036.64||style="text-align:right"|5,419.58|| style="text-align:right"|732,762 || style="text-align:right"|€12.905
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 12 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|11,350.18||style="text-align:right"|4,382.33|| style="text-align:right"|679,796 || style="text-align:right"|€12.122
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 13 || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|9,451||style="text-align:right"|3,649|| style="text-align:right"|283,689 || style="text-align:right"|€5.564
|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:center;"
!No. !! Autonomous state !! Capital !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)!! Area (sq. mi.)!!Population !! GDP (])
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| (14) || ] || ] || style="text-align:right"|390||style="text-align:right"|151|| style="text-align:right"|1,830 || {{NA}}
|}
|}

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Greece |List of Greek subdivisions by GDP}}

=== Introduction ===
] in ].]]
], the capital of ], important financial and industrial center of ].]]
]

According to ] statistics for the year 2013, the economy of Greece is the ] largest by ] ] at $242 billion<ref name="World Bank GDP (nominal)">{{cite web|title= Gross domestic product 2013|url= http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD| publisher= ] |accessdate=14 February 2015|date=14 February 2015}}</ref> and ] largest by ] (PPP) at $284 billion.<ref name="World Bank GDP (PPP)">{{cite web |title=Gross domestic product 2013, PPP|url= http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD/countries/order%3Dwbapi_data_value_2013%20wbapi_data_value%20wbapi_data_value-last?order=wbapi_data_value_2012%20wbapi_data_value%20wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc&display=default| publisher=World Bank |accessdate=14 February 2015|date=14 February 2015}}</ref> Additionally, Greece is the 15th largest economy in the 27-member ].<ref name="Eurostat GDP">{{cite web|title=Gross domestic product at market prices (tec00001) |url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/national_accounts/data/main_tables |publisher=] |accessdate=22 February 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814000208/http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/national_accounts/data/main_tables |archivedate=14 August 2012 }}</ref> In terms of ], Greece is ranked ] or ] in the world at $21,910 and $25,705 for nominal GDP and PPP respectively.

Greece is a ] with high standards of living and high Human Development Index.<ref>, ''Newsweek''. Accessed on line 15 August 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The lottery of life|url=https://www.economist.com/news/21566430-where-be-born-2013-lottery-life|publisher=The Economist|accessdate=2 August 2014|location=London|date=21 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Table 1: Human Development Index and its components|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-1-human-development-index-and-its-components|work=Human Development Report 2014|publisher=]|accessdate=2 August 2014|location=New York|date=24 July 2014}}</ref> Its economy mainly comprises the ] (85.0%) and ] (12.0%), while ] makes up 3.0% of the national economic output.<ref name="GDP by sector">{{cite web|title=Gross Added Value by Industry (A17; Years 2000–2011) |url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/PAGE-themes?p_param=A0702&r_param=SEL12&y_param=2011_00&mytabs=0 |publisher=Hellenic Statistical Authority |accessdate=22 March 2012 |location=Piraeus |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113221602/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/PAGE-themes?p_param=A0702&r_param=SEL12&y_param=2011_00&mytabs=0 |archivedate=13 November 2012 }}</ref> Important Greek industries include ] (with 14.9 million<ref name="World Tourism Organization">{{cite web|title=UNWTO World Tourism Barometer |format=PDF |url=http://www.unwto.org/facts/eng/pdf/barometer/UNWTO_Barom10_2_en.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903225411/http://www.unwto.org/facts/eng/pdf/barometer/UNWTO_Barom10_2_en.pdf |dead-url=yes |archive-date=3 September 2015 |publisher=] |accessdate=22 February 2012 }}</ref> international tourists in 2009, it is ranked as the 7th most visited country in the European Union<ref name="World Tourism Organization" /> and 16th in the world<ref name="World Tourism Organization" /> by the ]) and ] (at 16.2%<ref name="UN Shipping report 2011" /> of the world's total capacity, the Greek merchant marine is the largest in the world<ref name="UN Shipping report 2011" />), while the country is also a considerable agricultural producer (including fisheries) within the union.

With an economy larger than all the Balkan economies combined, Greece is the largest economy in the Balkans,<ref name = BalkanInsight>{{Cite news | url = http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albania-businesses-seek-new-markets-as-greek-crisis-hits-home | newspaper = Balkan Insight | date = 11 July 2012 | first1 = Besar | last1 = Likmeta | last2 = BIRN | first2 = Gjirokastra | title = Albania Eyes New Markets as Greek Crisis Hits Home Businesses affected by the economic downturn in Greece are seeking new markets in the West, hoping that a cheap and qualified labour force will draw fresh clients | quote = Greece is the Balkan region's largest economy and has been an important investor in Southeast Europe over the past decade |accessdate=18 April 2014}}</ref><ref name= Keridis>{{Cite web | title = Greece and the Balkans: From Stabilization to Growth | first = Dimitris | last = Keridis | url=http://users.uom.gr/~keridis/files/article/article10.doc| quote = Greece has a larger economy than all the Balkan countries combined. Greece is also an important regional investor | type = lecture | publisher = Hellenic Studies Unit at Concordia University | place = Montreal, QC, ] | date = 3 March 2006}}</ref><ref name="Nicholas Economides">{{cite web|title=The Greek and EU Crisis for non-economists|url=http://www.stern.nyu.edu/networks/Economides_Greek_and_EU_Crisis_Sacramento_04262013.pdf|author=Prof. Nicholas Economides Stern School of Business, New York University & Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley|quote=Largest economy than all rest of Balkans combined}}</ref> and an important regional investor.<ref name= BalkanInsight /><ref name=Keridis /> Greece is the number-two foreign investor of capital in Albania, the number-three foreign investor in Bulgaria, at the top-three of foreign investors in Romania and Serbia and the most important trading partner and largest foreign investor of the Republic of Macedonia. Greek banks open a new branch somewhere in the Balkans on an almost weekly basis.<ref name="Bell2002" /><ref name="AydinIfantis2004">{{cite book|author1=Mustafa Aydin|author2=Kostas Ifantis|title=Turkish-Greek Relations: The Security Dilemma in the Aegean|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NuyWdJfQf4kC&pg=PA267|accessdate=27 May 2013|date=28 February 2004|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-203-50191-7|pages=266–267|quote=second largest investor of foreign capital in Albania, and the third largest foreign investor in Bulgaria. Greece is the most important trading partner of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.}}</ref><ref name="Thompson2012">{{cite book|author=Wayne C. Thompson|title=Western Europe 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lKCMvYFQCCMC&pg=PA283|accessdate=27 May 2013|date=9 August 2012|publisher=Stryker Post|isbn=978-1-61048-898-3|page=283|quote=Greeks are already among the three largest investors in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, and overall Greek investment in the ... Its banking sector represents 16% of banking activities in the region, and Greek banks open a new branch in a Balkan country almost weekly.}}</ref> The Greek telecommunications company ] has become a strong investor in Yugoslavia and other Balkan countries.<ref name="Bell2002">{{cite book|author=Imogen Bell|title=Central and South-Eastern Europe: 2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4CrpzRJCbckC&pg=PA282 |accessdate=27 May 2013 |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-85743-136-0|page=282|quote=show that Greece has become the largest investor into Macedonia (FYRM), while Greek companies such as OTE have also developed strong presences in countries of the former Yugoslavia and other Balkan countries.}}</ref>

The Greek economy is classified as advanced<ref name="Advanced economies">{{cite web| title= World Economic Outlook |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/02/pdf/text.pdf |publisher = ] | format = PDF |accessdate=23 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2013/01/weodata/groups.htm#ae|work=World Economic Outlook Database|date=April 2013|title=Groups and Aggregates Information|publisher=]|accessdate=10 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/appendix/appendix-b.html|title=Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups|work=]|publisher=]|accessdate=10 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="High income economies">{{cite web |url=http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups|title=Country and Lending Groups - Data |publisher=World Bank |accessdate=3 August 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318125456/http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups |archivedate=18 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WEO Groups and Aggregates Information|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/01/weodata/groups.htm#ae|work=] Database|publisher=]|accessdate=2 August 2014|location=Washington, D.C.|date=8 April 2014}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Country and Lending Groups|url=http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-and-lending-groups#OECD_members|publisher=]|accessdate=2 August 2014|location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref><ref name="High income economies"/> Greece was a founding member of the ] (OECD) and the ] (BSEC). In 1979 the accession of the country in the ] and the ] was signed, and the process was completed in 1982. Greece was accepted into the ] on 19 June 2000, and in January 2001 adopted the ] as its currency, replacing the ] at an exchange rate of 340.75 drachma to the Euro.<ref name="Drachma exchange rate">{{cite web|title=Fixed Euro conversion rates | url =http://www.ecb.int/euro/intro/html/index.en.html|publisher=European Central Bank|accessdate=23 February 2012}}</ref> Greece is also a member of the ] and the ], and is ranked 24th on the KOF ] for 2013.

=== Debt crisis (2010–2015) ===
{{See also|Greek government-debt crisis}}
]

By the end of 2009, as a result of a combination of international and local factors the Greek economy faced ] since the restoration of democracy in 1974 as the Greek government revised its deficit from an estimated 6% to 12.7% of gross domestic product (GDP).<ref>Lynn, Matthew (2011). ''Bust: Greece, the Euro and the Sovereign Debt Crisis''. ], New Jersey: ]. {{ISBN|978-0-470-97611-1}}.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title = Greece's Sovereign-Debt Crunch: A Very European Crisis |work=The Economist |url = http://www.economist.com/node/15452594?story_id=15452594 | date = 4 February 2010 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref>

In early 2010, it was revealed that through the assistance of ], ] and numerous other banks, financial products were developed which enabled the governments of Greece, Italy and many other European countries to hide their borrowing.<ref name=Rehn>{{cite web| title = Rehn: No Other State Will Need a Bail-Out| url = http://euobserver.com/19/30015 |publisher=] |accessdate=6 May 2010}}</ref><ref name=Goldman>{{cite web|title=Greece Paid Goldman $300 Million To Help It Hide Its Ballooning Debts |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-greece-paid-goldman-300-million-to-help-it-hide-its-ballooning-debts-2010-2 |publisher=] |accessdate=6 May 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420053023/http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-greece-paid-goldman-300-million-to-help-it-hide-its-ballooning-debts-2010-2 |archivedate=20 April 2010 }}</ref> Dozens of similar agreements were concluded across Europe whereby banks supplied cash in advance in exchange for future payments by the governments involved; in turn, the liabilities of the involved countries were "kept off the books".<ref name=Goldman /><ref>{{cite news|title=Global Business: Wall St. Helped to Mask Debt Fueling Europe's Crisis|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/business/global/14debt.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|date=13 February 2010|newspaper=]|author=LOUISE STORY|author2=LANDON THOMAS Jr|author3=NELSON D. SCHWARTZ|quote=In dozens of deals across the Continent, banks provided cash upfront in return for government payments in the future, with those liabilities then left off the books. Greece, for example, traded away the rights to airport fees and lottery proceeds in years to come.}}</ref><ref name=Bloomberg>{{cite news|title=Goldman Secret Greece Loan Shows Two Sinners as Client Unravels|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-06/goldman-secret-greece-loan-shows-two-sinners-as-client-unravels.html|date=5 March 2012|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|author1=Nicholas Dunbar |author2=Elisa Martinuzzi |quote=Greece actually executed the swap transactions to reduce its debt-to-gross-domestic-product ratio because all member states were required by the Maastricht Treaty to show an improvement in their public finances," Laffan said in an e-mail. "The swaps were one of several techniques that many European governments used to meet the terms of the treaty."}}</ref><ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite news|title=Did Goldman Sachs help Britain hide its debts too?|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/edmundconway/100003757/did-goldman-sachs-help-britain-hide-its-debts-too/|date=15 February 2010|newspaper=]|author=Edmund Conway Economics|quote=One of the more intriguing lines from that latter piece says: "Instruments developed by Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and a wide range of other banks enabled politicians to mask additional borrowing in Greece, Italy and possibly elsewhere." So, the obvious question goes, what about the UK? Did Britain hide its debts? Was Goldman Sachs involved? Should we panic?|location=London}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|title=Banks that inflated Greek debt should be investigated, EU urges|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/feb/16/greek-debt-goldman-sachs|newspaper=]|date=16 February 2010|author=Elena Moya|quote="These instruments were not invented by Greece, nor did investment banks discover them just for Greece," said Christophoros Sardelis, who was chief of Greece's debt management agency when the contracts were conducted with Goldman Sachs.Such contracts were also used by other European countries until Eurostat, the EU's statistic agency, stopped accepting them later in the decade. Eurostat has also asked Athens to clarify the contracts.}}</ref><ref name="Der Spiegel">{{cite news|title=Greek Debt Crisis: How Goldman Sachs Helped Greece to Mask its True Debt|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/greek-debt-crisis-how-goldman-sachs-helped-greece-to-mask-its-true-debt-a-676634.html|accessdate=29 October 2013|newspaper=]|date=8 February 2010|author=Beat Balzli|quote=This credit disguised as a swap didn't show up in the Greek debt statistics. Eurostat's reporting rules don't comprehensively record transactions involving financial derivatives. "The Maastricht rules can be circumvented quite legally through swaps," says a German derivatives dealer. In previous years, Italy used a similar trick to mask its true debt with the help of a different US bank.}}</ref>

According to '']'' credits given to European governments were disguised as "swaps" and consequently did not get registered as debt. As Eurostat at the time ignored statistics involving financial derivatives, a German derivatives dealer had commented to ''Der Spiegel'' that "The Maastricht rules can be circumvented quite legally through swaps," and "In previous years, Italy used a similar trick to mask its true debt with the help of a different US bank."<ref name="Der Spiegel" /> These conditions had enabled Greek as well as many other European governments to spend beyond their means, while meeting the deficit targets of the European Union.<ref name=Goldman /><ref>{{cite news| title = Wall St. Helped To Mask Debt Fueling Europe's Crisis |work=The New York Times | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/business/global/14debt.html?pagewanted=1&hp |date=14 February 2010 |accessdate=6 May 2010 |author1=Story, Louise |author2=Thomas Jr, Landon |author3=Schwartz, Nelson D. }}</ref>

In May 2010, the Greek government deficit was again revised and estimated to be 13.6%<ref>{{cite news|title=Papandreou Faces Bond Rout as Budget Worsens, Workers Strike |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aUi3XLUwIIVA |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |date=22 April 2010 |accessdate=2 May 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623231800/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aUi3XLUwIIVA |archivedate=23 June 2011 }}</ref> which was the second highest in the world relative to GDP with ] in first place at 15.7% and the ] third with 12.6%.<ref>{{cite news| author=Staff | title = Britain's Deficit Third Worst in the World, Table| url =http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/7269629/Britains-deficit-third-worst-in-the-world-table.html| date = 19 February 2010 |accessdate=5 August 2011 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London }}</ref> Public debt was forecast, according to some estimates, to hit 120% of GDP during 2010.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Melander, Ingrid |author2=Papchristou, Harry | title = Greek Debt To Reach 120.8 Pct of GDP in '10&nbsp;– Draft| url =https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/11/05/greece-budget-debt-idUSATH00496420091105 |agency=Reuters | date = 5 November 2009 |accessdate=5 August 2011}}</ref>

As a consequence, there was a crisis in international confidence in Greece's ability to repay its sovereign debt. To avert such a default, in May 2010 the other Eurozone countries, and the IMF, agreed to a rescue package which involved giving Greece an immediate €{{Nowrap|45 billion}} in loans, with more funds to follow, totaling €{{Nowrap|110 billion}}.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Thesing, Gabi |author2=Krause-Jackson, Flavia |title= Greece Faces 'Unprecedented' Cuts as $159B Rescue Nears |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-05-02/greece-faces-unprecedented-cuts-as-159b-rescue-nears.html | publisher=Bloomberg |date=3 May 2010 |accessdate=6 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Kerin Hope |title= EU Puts Positive Spin on Greek Rescue |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/08a87e4e-55c4-11df-b835-00144feab49a.html |work=Financial Times |date=2 May 2010 |accessdate=6 May 2010}}</ref> To secure the funding, Greece was required to adopt harsh austerity measures to bring its deficit under control.<ref>{{cite news|last=Newman |first=Rick |title=Lessons for Congress From the Chaos in Greece |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2011/11/03/lessons-for-congress-from-the-chaos-in-greece |accessdate=3 November 2011 |newspaper=US News |date=3 November 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104005053/http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2011/11/03/lessons-for-congress-from-the-chaos-in-greece |archivedate=4 November 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In 2011, it became apparent that the bail-out would be insufficient and a second bail-out amounting to €{{Nowrap|130 billion}} (${{Nowrap|173 billion}}) was agreed in 2012, subject to strict conditions, including financial reforms and further austerity measures.<ref name= BBCQ&A>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13798000 |title= Q&A: Greek debt |publisher=BBC News Online |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref> As part of the deal, there was to be a 53% reduction in the Greek debt burden to private creditors and any profits made by Eurozone central banks on their holdings of Greek debt are to be repatriated back to Greece.<ref name= BBCQ&A /> Greece achieved a primary government budget surplus in 2013. In April 2014, Greece returned to the global bond market as it successfully sold €3 billion worth of five-year government bonds at a yield of 4.95%. Greece returned to growth after six years of economic decline in the second quarter of 2014,<ref name="Kathimerini growth">{{cite news|last1=Bensasson|first1=Marcus|title=Greece exited recession in second quarter, says EU Commission|url=http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_1_04/11/2014_544283|accessdate=4 November 2014|work=]|date=4 November 2014}}</ref> and was the Eurozone's fastest-growing economy in the third quarter.<ref>{{cite news|title=Greek growth rates put Germany, eurozone to shame|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/greek-growth-rates-put-germany-eurozone-to-shame-2014-11-14|accessdate=16 November 2014|work=]|date=14 November 2014}}</ref>

=== Agriculture ===
{{Main|Agriculture in Greece}}
] on ]]]

In 2010, Greece was the ]'s largest producer of ] (183,800 tons) and ] (8,000 tons)<ref name="eurostat agriculture 1">{{cite web|url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do |title=Crops products (excluding fruits and vegetables) (annual data) |publisher=] |accessdate=19 October 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006122431/http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do |archivedate=6 October 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref> and ranked second in the production of ] (229,500 tons)<ref name="eurostat agriculture 1" /> and ]s (147,500 tons),<ref name="eurostat agriculture 2" /> third in the production of ] (11,000 tons),<ref name="eurostat agriculture 2" /> ]s (44,000 tons),<ref name="eurostat agriculture 2">{{cite web |url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do |title=Fruits and vegetables (annual data) |publisher=] |accessdate=19 October 2011}}</ref> ]es (1,400,000 tons),<ref name="eurostat agriculture 2" /> and ]s (578,400 tons)<ref name="eurostat agriculture 2" /> and fourth in the production of ] (22,000 tons).<ref name="eurostat agriculture 1" /> Agriculture contributes 3.8% of the country's GDP and employs 12.4% of the country's labor force.<!--ref name="CIAFactBook"/-->

Greece is a major beneficiary of the ] of the European Union. As a result of the country's entry to the European Community, much of its agricultural infrastructure has been upgraded and agricultural output increased. Between 2000 and 2007 ] in Greece increased by 885%, the highest change percentage in the EU.<!--ref name="Eurostat Sustainable" /-->

=== Energy ===
{{Main|Energy in Greece}}
]
] near ]]]
]]]

Electric energy production in Greece is dominated by the state-owned ] (known mostly by its acronym ΔΕΗ, or in English DEI). In 2009 DEI supplied for 85.6% of all electric energy demand in Greece,<ref name="DEI 2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.dei.gr/Images/ENG%20REPORT%202010%20FINAL.pdf |title=Public Power Corporation S.A. Financial Report (January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010) |year=2010 |publisher=] |accessdate=24 October 2011}}</ref> while the number fell to 77.3% in 2010.<ref name="DEI 2010" /> Almost half (48%) of DEI's power output is generated using ], a drop from the 51.6% in 2009.<ref name="DEI 2010" />

Twelve percent of Greece's electricity comes from hydroelectric power plants<ref name="Invest in Greece energy">{{cite web |url=http://www.investingreece.gov.gr/default.asp?pid=36&sectorID=38&la=1 |title=Energy |publisher=Invest in Greece Agency |accessdate=26 October 2011}}</ref> and another 20% from ].<ref name="Invest in Greece energy" /> Between 2009 and 2010, independent companies' energy production increased by 56%,<ref name="DEI 2010" /> from 2,709 ] in 2009 to 4,232 GWh in 2010.<ref name="DEI 2010" />

In 2012, renewable energy accounted for 13.8% of the country's total energy consumption,<ref name="Eurostat renewable energy">{{cite web |url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tsdcc110&plugin=0 |title=Share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption % |year=2008 |publisher=] |accessdate=24 October 2011}}</ref> a rise from the 10.6% it accounted for in 2011,<ref name="Eurostat renewable energy" /> a figure almost equal to the EU average of 14.1% in 2012.<ref name="Eurostat renewable energy" /> 10% of the country's renewable energy comes from ],<ref name="Eurostat Sustainable">{{cite web|url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-78-09-865/EN/KS-78-09-865-EN.PDF |title=Sustainable development in the European Union |year=2009 |publisher=] |accessdate=24 October 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826033757/http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-78-09-865/EN/KS-78-09-865-EN.PDF |archivedate=26 August 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref> while most comes from ] and waste recycling.<ref name="Eurostat Sustainable" /> In line with the ]'s Directive on Renewable Energy, Greece aims to get 18% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.<ref name="Directive">{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-directive/cooperation-mechanisms |title=Renewable energy – Targets by 2020 |publisher=] |accessdate=24 October 2011}}</ref>

In 2013, according to the independent power transmission operator in Greece (ΑΔΜΗΕ) more than 20% of the electricity in Greece has been produced from renewable energy sources and hydroelectric powerplants. This percentage in April reached 42%. Greece currently does not have any ]s in operation; however, in 2009 the ] suggested that research in the possibility of Greek nuclear power plants begin.<ref name="Academy of Athens nuclear power">{{cite web|url=http://www.academyofathens.gr/Documents/christoforou_porismata.pdf |title=Πορίσματα της Ομάδας Εργασίας της Επιτροπής Ενέργειας της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών επί του θέματος "Πυρηνική Ενέργεια και Ενεργειακές Ανάγκες της Ελλάδος" |publisher=] |accessdate=24 October 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122125502/http://www.academyofathens.gr/Documents/christoforou_porismata.pdf |archivedate=22 November 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>

=== Maritime industry ===
{{Main|Greek shipping|List of ports in Greece}}
{{See also|Economy of Greece#Maritime industry|label 1=Economy of Greece » Maritime industry}}
] controls 16.2% of the world's total ], making it the largest in the world. Greece is ranked in the top 5 for all kinds of ships, including first for tankers and bulk carriers.]]

The shipping industry is a key element of Greek economic activity dating back to ancient times.<ref name="shipping">{{cite web|url=http://www.greece.org/poseidon/work/articles/polemis_one.html |title=The History of Greek Shipping |author=Polemis, Spyros M. |publisher=greece.org |accessdate=9 April 2007}}</ref> Today, shipping is one of the country's most important industries. It accounts for 4.5% of GDP, employs about 160,000 people (4% of the workforce), and represents ⅓ of the country's trade deficit.<ref name=nbg>{{cite web|author=Press release |url=http://www.nbg.gr/en/pr_release_resb.asp?P_ID=463 |publisher=] |title=Greek Shipping Is Modernized To Remain a Global Leader and Expand Its Contribution to the Greek Economy |date=11 May 2006 |accessdate=8 April 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831114031/http://www.nbg.gr/en/pr_release_resb.asp?P_ID=463 |archivedate=31 August 2007 |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }}</ref>

According to a ] report in 2011, the Greek merchant navy is the largest in the world at 16.2% of the world's total capacity,<ref name="UN Shipping report 2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/rmt2011_en.pdf |title=Review of Maritime Transport 2011 |publisher=United Nations |year=2011 |accessdate=17 February 2012}}</ref> up from 15.96% in 2010.<ref name="UN Shipping report">{{cite web |url=http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/rmt2010_en.pdf|title=Review of Maritime Transport 2010 |publisher=United Nations |year=2010|accessdate=10 August 2011}}</ref> This is a drop from the equivalent number in 2006, which was 18.2%.<ref name="UN Shipping report 2">{{cite web |url=http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/rmt2006_en.pdf |title=Review of Maritime Transport 2006|publisher=United Nations |year=2006 |accessdate=10 August 2011}}</ref> The total tonnage of the country's merchant fleet is 202 million ], ranked 1st in the world.<ref name="UN Shipping report 2011" />

During the 1960s, the size of the Greek fleet nearly doubled, primarily through the investment undertaken by the shipping magnates, ] and ].<ref name="slate">{{cite news |url = http://www.slate.com/?id=2124542& |title = So Many Greek Shipping Magnates... | author=Engber, Daniel |publisher] |date=17 August 2005 |accessdate=5 August 2011}}</ref> The basis of the modern Greek maritime industry was formed after World War II when Greek shipping businessmen were able to amass surplus ships sold to them by the U.S. government through the Ship Sales Act of the 1940s.<ref name=slate />

In terms of total number of ships, the ] stands at 4th worldwide, with 3,150 ships (741 of which are registered in Greece whereas the rest 2,409 in other ports).<ref name="UN Shipping report" /> In terms of ship categories, Greece ranks first in both ] and dry ]s, fourth in the number of ], and fifth in other ships.<ref name="BTS">{{cite web|url=http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/maritime_trade_and_transportation/2007/html/table_02_01.html|title=Top 15 Ranking of World Merchant Fleet by Country of Owner, Year-End 2006|publisher=U.S. ] |year=2001 |accessdate=11 June 2013}}</ref> However, today's fleet roster is smaller than an all-time high of 5,000 ships in the late 1970s.<ref name=shipping /> Additionally, the total number of ships flying a Greek flag (includes non-Greek fleets) is 1,517, or 5.3% of the world's dwt (ranked 5th).<ref name="UN Shipping report" />

=== Tourism ===
{{Main|Tourism in Greece}}
], a ], as seen from the ]. The Bay of Garitsa is to the left and the port of ] is just visible on the top right. ] is in the foreground.]]
]]]

Tourism has been a key element of the economic activity in the country and one of the country's most important sectors, contributing 18% of the gross domestic product.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/about-greece/tourism/for-sustainable-tourism-industry.html|title=For a Sustainable Tourism Industry|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece |accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref> Greece welcomed over 28 million visitors in 2016,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsbeast.gr/travel/arthro/2545878/espase-ta-konter-o-ellinikos-tourismos-to-2016|title=«Έσπασε τα κοντέρ» ο ελληνικός τουρισμός το 2016|date=20 January 2017|publisher=Newsbeast.gr|accessdate=3 August 2017}}</ref> which is an increase from the 26.5 million tourists it welcomed in 2015 and the 19.5 million in 2009,<ref name="Eurostat Tourism table">{{cite web|url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/setupModifyTableLayout.do |title=Nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments&nbsp;– regional&nbsp;– annual data |year=2010|publisher=] |accessdate=10 August 2011}}</ref> and the 17.7 million tourists in 2007,<ref name="Eurostat Tourism">{{cite web|url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-HA-10-001-11/EN/KS-HA-10-001-11-EN.PDF|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516161713/http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-HA-10-001-11/EN/KS-HA-10-001-11-EN.PDF|archivedate=16 May 2011|title=Tourism |year=2010 |publisher=] |accessdate=10 August 2011}}</ref> making Greece one of the ] in ] in the recent years.

The vast majority of visitors in Greece in 2007 came from the European continent, numbering 12.7 million,<ref name="A2001">{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A2001/Other/A2001_STO03_TB_MM_12_2007_02_F_GR.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114095907/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A2001/Other/A2001_STO03_TB_MM_12_2007_02_F_GR.pdf|archivedate=14 November 2010|title=02. Αφίξεις αλλοδαπών από το εξωτερικό κατά υπηκοότητα και μέσο ταξιδίου ( Δεκέμβριος 2007 ) |trans_title=02. Arrivals of foreigners from abroad by nationality and means of travel (December 2007) |date=December 2007 |publisher=Hellenic National Statistics Agency|language=Greek |accessdate=10 August 2011}}</ref> while the most visitors from a single nationality were those from the United Kingdom, (2.6 million), followed closely by those from Germany (2.3 million).<ref name="A2001" /> In 2010, the most visited ] of Greece was that of ], with 18% of the country's total tourist flow (amounting to 3.6 million tourists), followed by ] with 2.6 million and the ] with 1.8 million.<ref name="Eurostat Tourism table" /> ] is the country's most-visited geographical region, with 6.5 million tourists, while Central Greece is second with 6.3 million.<ref name="Eurostat Tourism table" />

In 2010, ] ranked Greece's northern and second-largest city of ] as the world's fifth-best party town worldwide, comparable to other cities such as ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/travel-tips-and-articles/39339 |title=Ultimate party cities |publisher=] |accessdate=10 August 2011}}</ref> In 2011, ] was voted as "The World's Best Island" in '']''.<ref name="Best Islands">{{cite web|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/islands/europe-islands/242|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712230838/http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/islands/europe-islands/242|archivedate=12 July 2011|title=World's Best Awards&nbsp;– Islands |publisher=] |accessdate=10 August 2011}}</ref> Its neighboring island ], came in fifth in the European category.<ref name="Best Islands" />

=== Transport ===
{{uncited section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Transport in Greece}}
] ('']'') connects mainland Greece to the ].]]

Since the 1980s, the road and rail network of Greece has been significantly modernized. Important works include the ] motorway, that connects northwestern Greece (]) with northern Greece (Thessaloniki) and northeastern Greece (]); the ], the longest suspension cable bridge in Europe ({{convert|2250|m|0|abbr=on}} long), connecting the Peloponnese (], {{convert|7|km|0|abbr=on}} from ]) with Aetolia-Akarnania (]) in western Greece.

Also completed are the ] motorway that connects northwestern Greece (]) with western Greece (Antirrio); the last sections of the ], connecting Athens to ] and ] in northern Greece; as well as the ] (part of the ]) in Peloponnese, connecting Athens to Patras. The remaining section of Olympia Odos, connecting Patras with ], is under planning.

Other important projects that are currently underway, include the construction of the ].

The Athens Metropolitan Area in particular is served by some of the most modern and efficient transport infrastructure in Europe, such as the ], the privately run ] motorway network and the expanded ] system.

Most of the Greek islands and many main cities of Greece are connected by air mainly from the two major Greek airlines, ] and ]. Maritime connections have been improved with modern high-speed craft, including ] and ].

Railway connections play a somewhat lesser role in Greece than in many other European countries, but they too have also been expanded, with new suburban/] connections, serviced by ] around Athens, towards its airport, ] and ]; around Thessaloniki, towards the cities of ] and ]; and around Patras. A modern intercity rail connection between Athens and Thessaloniki has also been established, while an upgrade to double lines in many parts of the {{convert|2500|km|mi|abbr=on}} network is underway. International railway lines connect Greek cities with the rest of Europe, the Balkans and Turkey.

=== Telecommunications ===
{{Main|Telecommunications in Greece}}
] headquarters in Athens]]

Modern digital information and communication networks reach all areas. There are over {{convert|35000|km|0|abbr=on}} of fiber optics and an extensive open-wire network. Broadband internet availability is widespread in Greece: there were a total of 2,252,653 broadband connections {{as of|2011|alt=as of early 2011}}, translating to 20% broadband penetration.<ref name="cnbc">{{cite news | date = 2 May 2011 | url=http://news.in.gr/science-technology/article/?aid=1231106170 |script-title=el:''Το 20% του πληθυσμού πλησιάζει η διείσδυση της ευρυζωνικότητας στην Ελλάδα'' |trans_title=20% of the population approaching broadband penetration in Greece |language=Greek |publisher=in.gr |accessdate=18 April 2014}}</ref> According to 2017 data, around 82% of the general population used the internet regularly.<ref name="Kathimerini article">{{cite web |url=http://www.kathimerini.gr/922914/article/texnologia/diadiktyo/to--818-twn-ellhnwn-serfarei-sto-diadiktyo|title=Το 81,8 των Ελληνων σερφαρει στο ιντερνετ|trans-title=81.8 % of Greeks surf the Internet|publisher=Kathimerini.gr |accessdate=28 October 2016}}</ref>

]s that provide net access, office applications and multiplayer gaming are also a common sight in the country, while mobile internet on ] and ]- ] cellphone networks and ] connections can be found almost everywhere.<ref>{{cite web|title=Finding Free WiFi Internet in the Greek Islands |url=http://www.openjourney.com/blogs/josh/free-wifi-internet-greek-islands-47.html|publisher=Open Journey |accessdate=20 August 2011|date=29 June 2011}}</ref> 3G/4G mobile internet usage has been on a sharp increase in recent years. Based on 2016 data 70% of Greek internet users have access via 3G/4G mobile.<ref name="Kathimerini article" /> The United Nations International Telecommunication Union ranks Greece among the top 30 countries with a highly developed information and communications infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/backgrounders/general/pdf/5.pdf |title= ICT Development Index (IDI), 2010 and 2008 |accessdate=22 July 2012|publisher=The United Nations Telecommunication Union{{!}}International Telecommunication Union}} p. 15.</ref>

=== Science and technology ===
{{Main|List of Greek inventions and discoveries}}
]]]

The of the is responsible for designing, implementing and supervising national research and technological policy. In 2003, public spending on ] (R&D) was 456.37 million euros (12.6% increase from 2002). Total R&D spending (both public and private) as a percentage of GDP had increased considerably since the beginning of the past decade, from 0.38% in 1989, to 0.65% in 2001.

R&D spending in Greece remained lower than the EU average of 1.93%, but, according to Research DC, based on OECD and Eurostat data, between 1990 and 1998, total R&D expenditure in Greece enjoyed the third-highest increase in Europe, after ] and Ireland. Because of its strategic location, qualified workforce and political and economic stability, many multinational companies such as ], ], ] and ] have their regional research and development headquarters in Greece.

]]]

Greece's technology parks with incubator facilities include (Heraklion), the , the and the , the (Ioannina). Greece has been a member of the ] (ESA) since 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/Greece_becomes_16th_ESA_Member_State |title=
Greece becomes 16th ESA Member State |date=22 March 2005 |publisher=ESA |accessdate=15 May 2012}}</ref> Cooperation between ESA and the Hellenic National Space Committee began in the early 1990s. In 1994 Greece and ESA signed their first cooperation agreement. Having formally applied for full membership in 2003, Greece became the ESA's sixteenth member on 16 March 2005. As member of the ESA, Greece participates in the agency's telecommunication and technology activities, and the ] Initiative.

The ] was founded in 1959. The original objective of the center was the advancement of nuclear research and technology. Today, its activities cover several fields of science and engineering.

{{As of|2007}}, Greece had the eighth highest percentage of tertiary enrollment in the world (with the percentages for female students being higher than for male) while Greeks of the Diaspora are equally active in the field of education. Hundreds of thousands of Greek students attend western universities every year while the faculty lists of leading Western universities contain a striking number of Greek names.<ref>{{cite news |title= University reforms in Greece face student protests |work=The Economist|page= |date=6 July 2006 |accessdate=19 December 2008|url= http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_STQTVNJ|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20081207061901/http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_STQTVNJ|archivedate= 7 December 2008 }}</ref>

], a pioneer in ] and early cancer detection]]

Notable Greek scientists of modern times include ] (inventor of the ]), mathematician ] (known for the ]<!--intentional link to DAB page--> and ]), astronomer ], archaeologists ], ], ], ] (discovered the tomb of ] in ]), Indologist ], such as ], ], ], ] (2007 ] for his contributions on the physics of the charm quark, a major contribution to the birth of the Standard Model, the modern theory of Elementary Particles), ] (2007 ], the "Nobel Prize" of Computer Science), ] (2002 ], 2012 ]), ] (2005 ]) and physicist ].

=== Medical sector ===
The ancient ] ] is considered the "father of western medicine",<ref name="pmid18392218">{{cite journal |vauthors=Grammaticos PC, Diamantis A | title = Useful known and unknown views of the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates and his teacher Democritus | journal = Hell J Nucl Med | volume = 11 | issue = 1 | pages = 2–4 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18392218 }}</ref><ref name="blackwellpublishing.com"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118132902/http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/eccmid16/abstract.asp?id=50854 |date=18 November 2011 }}, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases</ref> who laid the foundation for a rational approach to medicine. Hippocrates introduced the ] for physicians, which is still relevant and in use today, and was the first to categorize illnesses as ], ], ] and epidemic, and use terms such as, "exacerbation, ], resolution, crisis, ], peak, and ]".<ref name=garrison97>{{cite book | last = Garrison | first = Fielding H. | year = 1966 | title = History of Medicine | publisher = W.B. Saunders Company | place = ] | page = 97 }}</ref><ref name=mart90>{{Cite book | last = Martí-Ibáñez | first = Félix | year = 1961 | title = A Prelude to Medical History | publisher = MD Publications, Inc. | place = ] | id = Library of Congress ID: 61-11617 | page = 90 }}</ref> After the fall of the ] and the onset of the ], the Greek tradition of medicine went into decline in Western Europe, although it continued uninterrupted in the ]. Today the country is a medical services centre and an evolving destination of ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iatronet.gr/eidiseis-nea/perithalpsi-asfalisi/news/27365/elitour-prwtagwnistis-kai-oxi-oyragos-i-ellada-ston-iatriko-toyrismo.html|title=ELITOUR: Πρωταγωνιστής και όχι ουραγός η Ελλάδα στον Ιατρικό Τουρισμό|publisher=Iatronet.gr|accessdate=3 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elitour.org/|title=Elitour - Greek Medical Tourism Council|publisher=Elitour.org|accessdate=3 August 2017}}</ref>

Notable modern Greek physicians include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], while the most known worldwide is ], inventor also of the "]".

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Greece}}
], on the island of ], is the capital of the ].]]

According to the official statistical body of Greece, the ] (ELSTAT), the country's total population in 2011 was 10,816,286.<ref name="ELSTAT" /> The birth rate in 2003 stood at 9.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, significantly lower than the rate of 14.5 per 1,000 in 1981. At the same time, the mortality rate increased slightly from 8.9 per 1,000 inhabitants in 1981 to 9.6 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2003. Estimates from 2016 show the birth rate decreasing further still to 8.5 per 1,000 and mortality climbing to 11.2 per 1,000.<ref>{{cite web|title=The World Factbook|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|accessdate=19 July 2017}}</ref>

Greek society has changed rapidly over the last several decades, coinciding with the ] of declining fertility and rapid aging. The fertility rate of 1.41 is below replacement levels and is one of the lowest in the world, subsequently leading to an increase in the median age to 44.2 years, the seventh-highest in the world. In 2001, 16.71 percent of the population were 65 years old and older, 68.12 percent between the ages of 15 and 64 years old, and 15.18 percent were 14 years old and younger.<ref name="nssg">{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gr/eng_tables/hellas_in_numbers_eng.pdf|title=Greece in Numbers|publisher=]|year=2006|accessdate=14 December 2007|format=PDF|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040707190604/http://www.statistics.gr/eng_tables/hellas_in_numbers_eng.pdf|archivedate=7 July 2004}}</ref> By 2016, the proportion of the population age 65 and older rose to 20.68 percent, while those age 14 and younger declined to slightly below 14 percent.

Marriage rates began declining from almost 71 per 1,000 inhabitants in 1981 until 2002, only to increase slightly in 2003 to 61 per 1,000 and then fall again to 51 in 2004.<ref name=nssg /> Moreover, divorce rates have seen an increase from 191.2 per 1,000 marriages in 1991 to 239.5 per 1,000 marriages in 2004.<ref name=nssg /> As a result of these trends, the average Greek household is smaller and older than in previous generations.

=== Cities ===
{{See also|List of cities in Greece}}
Almost two-thirds of the Greek people live in urban areas. Greece's largest and most influential metropolitan centres are those of ] and ], which is commonly referred to in Greek as the "συμπρωτεύουσα" (lit. "co-capital"<ref name="Greek Experience">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x9TG0Q0xKJYC&pg=PA19&dq=Thessaloniki+co-capital&hl=en&ei=a8JOTqTlL4rAswap7q36Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Thessaloniki%20co-capital&f=false|title=Regional analysis and policy: the Greek experience|author1=Harry Coccossis |author2=Yannis Psycharis |year=2008|accessdate=19 August 2011}}</ref>), with metropolitan populations of approximately 4 million and 1 million inhabitants respectively. Other prominent cities with urban populations above 100,000 inhabitants include those of ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="cities">{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gr/Athena2001/Athena2001.ASP?wcu=$cmd=0$id=5200712142356520314915 |title=Athena 2001 Census |publisher=] |accessdate=14 December 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117231653/http://www.statistics.gr/Athena2001/Athena2001.ASP?wcu=%24cmd%3D0%24id%3D5200712142356520314915 |archivedate=17 January 2008 |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }}</ref>

The table below lists the largest cities in Greece, by population contained in their respective contiguous built up urban areas, which are either made up of many municipalities, evident in the cases of Athens and Thessaloniki, or are contained within a larger single municipality, case evident in most of the smaller cities of the country. The results come from the preliminary figures of the population census that took place in Greece in May 2011.

{{Largest cities of Greece}}

=== Functional urban areas ===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|-style="font-size:100%; text-align:center;"
!align=center|]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=urb_lpop1&lang=en|title= Population on 1 January by age groups and sex – functional urban areas|publisher=Eurostat|access-date=10 October 2016}}</ref>

!align=center|Population<br />{{small|2011}}
|-
| ''']''' (''Metro'')
| align=right|3,828,434
|-
| ''']''' (''Metro'')
| align=right|973,997
|-
| ''']'''
| align=right|217,555
|-
| ''']'''
| align=right| 211,370
|-
| ''']'''
| align=right| 195,120
|-
| ''']'''
| align=right|137,630
|-
| ''']'''
| align=right|132,979
|-
|}

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in Greece|Greek Orthodox Church|Church of Greece}}
{{See also|Hellenismos|Ancient Greek religion|Romaniote Jews}}
], the major ] in Greece.]]
] in ], where the ] was written]]

The Greek Constitution recognizes ] as the "prevailing" faith of the country, while guaranteeing freedom of religious belief for all.<ref name="con51,53" /><ref name=Hri.org>{{cite web|title=The Constitution of Greece|url=http://www.hri.org/docs/syntagma/artcl25.html|publisher=Hellenic Resources Network}}</ref> The Greek government does not keep statistics on religious groups and censuses do not ask for religious affiliation. According to the U.S. State Department, an estimated 97% of Greek citizens identify themselves as ], belonging to the ],<ref name="religion">{{cite web | url = https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90178.htm | work =International Religious Freedom Report 2007 | title = Greece | publisher =], Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor | date=15 September 2006 |accessdate=14 April 2007}}</ref> which uses the ] and the ], the original language of the ]. The administration of the Greek territory is shared between the ] and the ].

In a ]&nbsp;– ] 2010 poll, 79% of Greek citizens responded that they "believe there is a God".<ref name="eurostat">{{Cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_341_en.pdf |title=Special Eurobarometer, biotechnology; Fieldwork: January–February 2010 |page=204 |date=October 2010 |format=PDF |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215001129/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_341_en.pdf |archivedate=15 December 2010 |df=dmy }}</ref> According to other sources, 15.8% of Greeks describe themselves as "very religious", which is the highest among all European countries. The survey also found that just 3.5% never attend a church, compared to 4.9% in Poland and 59.1% in the Czech Republic.<ref name="forskning.no">{{cite web|url=http://forskning.no/2008/02/dagens-ess-religiositet-og-kirkebesok|title= Dagens ESS: Religiøsitet og kirkebesøk|trans_title=
Today ESS: Religiosity and church visits | publisher= Forskning|language= Norwegian|date= 11 October 2005 |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref>

Estimates of the recognized ], which is mostly located in ], range around 100,000,<ref name=religion /><ref name=religion2 /> (about 1% of the population). Some of the Albanian immigrants to Greece come from a nominally Muslim background, although most are secular in orientation.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2006/71383.htm |title=Greece |publisher= ] |date=26 August 2005 |accessdate=6 January 2009}}</ref> Following the ] and the 1923 ], Greece and Turkey agreed to a ]. About 500,000 Muslims from Greece, predominantly those defined as ], but also ] like the ] of western Macedonia, were exchanged with approximately 1,500,000 Greeks from Turkey. However, many refugees who settled in former Ottoman Muslim villages in ] and were defined as Christian Orthodox ] arrived from the former Russian ] province of ] after it had been retroceded to Turkey but in the few years before the official population exchange.<ref>{{Cite web | title = Country studies | url = http://countrystudies.us/turkey/24.htm | contribution = Turkey&nbsp;– Population | place = US | publisher = ]}}</ref>
{{Bar box
| title=Greece religiosity (2001)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html |title= The World Factbook |publisher= CIA |accessdate=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref group = lower-alpha>The newest polls show about 20% Greek citizens being irreligious which is much more than 1%. Ultimately, the statistics are disputed until the results of the ].</ref>
| titlebar=#ddd
| float=left
| bars=
{{Bar percent|Orthodoxy|blue|98}}
{{Bar percent|Islam|green|1.3}}
{{Bar percent|Others|grey|0.7}}
}}

Judaism has ] in Greece for more than 2,000 years.
The ancient community of Greek Jews are called ], while the ] were once a prominent community in the city of ], numbering some 80,000, or more than half of the population, by 1900.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Greece.html | title = Greece | publisher = ]}}</ref> However, after the ] and ] during World War II, is estimated to number around 5,500 people.<ref name=religion /><ref name=religion2 />

], an organization preserving ], the ].]]
The ] community is estimated to be around 250,000<ref name="religion" /><ref name="religion2" /> of which 50,000 are Greek citizens.<ref name="religion" /> ] is nominally separate from the smaller ], which recognizes the primacy of the ] but maintains the ] of the ].<ref>Leustean, Lucian N. (2014). "Eastern Christianity and Politics in the Twenty-First Century: an Overview" in Lucian N. Leustean (editor), ''Eastern Christianity and Politics in the Twenty-First Century'', pp. 1-20. New York: Routledge. {{ISBN|978-0-415-68490-3}}, pp 8-9.</ref> ] account for 500,000 followers.<ref name="religion2">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/pdf/aneval/religion_el.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605013415/http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/pdf/aneval/religion_el.pdf |archivedate=5 June 2007 |title=Executive Summary Discrimination on the Grounds of Religion and Belief Greece |publisher=] |last1=Ktistakis |first1=Ioannis |last2=Sitaropoulos |first2=Nicholas |date=22 June 2004 |accessdate=14 April 2007 |format=PDF |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }}</ref> Protestants, including the ] and ], stand at about 30,000.<ref name="religion" /><ref name="religion2" /> Other Christian minorities, such as ], ] and various ] churches of the ] total about 12,000 members.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.pentecost.gr/English/history.htm| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20041216225859/http://www.pentecost.gr/English/history%20keim.htm| archivedate= 16 December 2004 | title= Synod of Apostolic Church of Christ | publisher = Pentecost |accessdate=22 March 2009}}</ref> The independent ] is the biggest Protestant denomination in Greece with 120 churches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianity.gr/church/addresses.php|title=Christianity Ministries|language=Greek|publisher=christianity.gr|accessdate=22 March 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050530005647/http://www.christianity.gr/church/addresses.php|archivedate=30 May 2005}}</ref> There are no official statistics about Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost, but the Orthodox Church estimates the followers as 20,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egolpio.com/PENTECOSTAL/freechurpentecost.htm|dead-url=y|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202062529/http://www.egolpio.com/PENTECOSTAL/freechurpentecost.htm|archivedate=2 December 2008|script-title=el:Ελευθέρα Αποστολική Εκκλησία της Πεντηκοστής|trans-title=Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost|language=Greek|publisher=egolpio.com|accessdate=22 March 2009}}</ref> The ] report having 28,874 active members.<ref>{{cite web|format=PDF|url=http://download.jw.org/files/media_books/26/yb14_E.pdf|title=2014 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses|publisher=Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.|date=2014|pages=178–187}}</ref>

In recent years there has been a small-scale revival of the ], with estimates of 2,000 active practitioners and an additional 100,000 "sympathisers".<ref name="newstatesman.com"> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202123343/http://www.newstatesman.com/200703200001 |date=2 December 2008 }}</ref><ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/05/08/wgods08.xml|title=Modern Athenians fight for the right to worship the ancient Greek gods|work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/01/religion.uk | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=Helena Smith on why some Greeks are worshipping the ancient gods}}</ref>

=== Languages ===
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Greek language|Languages of Greece|Minorities in Greece}}
]
The first textual evidence of the Greek language dates back to 15th century BC and the ] script which is associated with the ]. Greek was a widely spoken ] in the Mediterranean world and beyond during ], and would eventually become the official parlance of the Byzantine Empire.

During the 19th and 20th centuries there was a major dispute known as the ], on whether the official language of Greece should be the archaic ], created in the 19th century and used as the state and scholarly language, or the ], the form of the ] which evolved naturally from ] and was the language of the people. The dispute was finally resolved in 1976, when Dimotiki was made the only official variation of the Greek language, and Katharevousa fell to disuse.

Greece is today relatively homogeneous in linguistic terms, with a large majority of the native population using Greek as their first or only language. Among the Greek-speaking population, speakers of the distinctive ] dialect came to Greece from Asia Minor after the ] and constitute a sizable group. The ] dialect came to Greece due to the genocide as well, but is endangered and is barely spoken now. Indigenous Greek dialects include the archaic Greek spoken by the ], traditionally transhument mountain shepherds of ] and other parts of ]. The ], a distinct Greek language deriving from ] instead of ], is still spoken in some villages in the southeastern Peloponnese.

]
The ] in Thrace, which amounts to approximately 0.95% of the total population, consists of speakers of ], ] (]){{Sfn | Trudgill | 2000}} and ]. Romani is also spoken by Christian ] in other parts of the country. Further minority languages have traditionally been spoken by regional population groups in various parts of the country. Their use has decreased radically in the course of the 20th century through assimilation with the Greek-speaking majority.

Today they are only maintained by the older generations and are on the verge of extinction. This goes for the ], an ]-speaking group mostly located in the rural areas around the capital Athens, and for the ] and ], also known as ], whose language is closely related to ] and who used to live scattered across several areas of mountainous central Greece. Members of these groups ethnically identify as Greeks<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.cilevics.eu/minelres/reports/greece/greece_NGO.htm | publisher = Greek Helsinki Monitor | title = Minority Rights Group, Greece, Report about Compliance with the Principles of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (along guidelines for state reports according to Article 25.1 of the Convention) | date = 8 September 1999}}</ref> and are today all at least bilingual in Greek.

Near the northern Greek borders there are also some ]–speaking groups, locally known as ''Slavomacedonian''-speaking, most of whose members identify ethnically as Greeks. It is estimated that after the population exchanges of 1923, ] had 200,000 to 400,000 Slavic speakers.<ref name="minorities">Roudometof, Victor; Robertson, Roland (2001). . ]: ]. p. 186. {{ISBN|978-0-313-31949-5}}.</ref> The Jewish community in Greece traditionally spoke ] (Judeo-Spanish), today maintained only by a few thousand speakers. Other notable minority languages include ], ], and the Greco-Turkic dialect spoken by the ], a community of ] from the ] region of central Georgia and ethnic Greeks from southeastern ] who arrived in mainly Northern Greece as economic migrants in the 1990s.

=== Migration ===
{{Main|Greek Diaspora|Immigration to Greece}}
] communities.]]
Throughout the 20th century, millions of Greeks migrated to the ], ], ], ], and ], creating a large ]. Net migration started to show positive numbers from the 1970s, but until the beginning of the 1990s, the main influx was that of returning Greek migrants or of ] and others from ], ], ] the ], and elsewhere in the former ].<ref name=eliamep>Triandafyllidou, Anna. . ''Critical Review and Policy Recommendations''. ]. No. 3, April 2009</ref>

A study from the Mediterranean Migration Observatory maintains that the 2001 census recorded 762,191 persons residing in Greece without Greek citizenship, constituting around 7% of total population. Of the non-citizen residents, 48,560 were EU or ] nationals and 17,426 were Cypriots with privileged status. The majority come from Eastern European countries: Albania (56%), Bulgaria (5%) and Romania (3%), while migrants from the former Soviet Union (Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, etc.) comprise 10% of the total.<ref>Kasimis, Charalambos; Kassimi, Chryssa (June 2004). . Migration Information Source.</ref> Some of the immigrants from Albania are from the ] centred on the region of ]. In addition the total Albanian national population which includes temporary migrants and undocumented persons is around 600,000.<ref>Managing Migration: The Promise of Cooperation. By Philip L. Martin, Susan Forbes Martin, Patrick Weil</ref>

The ] recorded 9,903,268 Greek citizens (91,56%), 480,824 ]n citizens (4,44%), 75,915 ]n citizens (0,7%), 46,523 ]n citizenship (0,43%), 34,177 ]i citizens (0,32%), 27,400 ] citizens (0,25%) and 247,090 people had other or unidentified citizenship (2,3%).<ref name="populationbycitizenship">{{cite press release|format=PDF |url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/General/nws_SAM01_EN.PDF |title=Announcement of the demographic and social characteristics of the Resident Population of Greece according to the 2011 Population |publisher=] |page=9 |date=23 August 2013 |accessdate=3 June 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225192921/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/General/nws_SAM01_EN.PDF |archivedate=25 December 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref> 189,000 people of the total population of Albanian citizens were reported in 2008 as ethnic Greeks from ], in the historical region of ].<ref name=eliamep />

The greatest cluster of non-EU ] population are the larger urban centers, especially the Municipality of Athens, with 132,000 immigrants comprising 17% of the local population, and then Thessaloniki, with 27,000 immigrants reaching 7% of the local population. There is also a considerable number of co-ethnics that came from the Greek communities of Albania and the former ].<ref name=eliamep />

Greece, together with ] and Spain, is a major entry point for ]. Illegal immigrants entering Greece mostly do so from the border with ] at the ] and the islands of the eastern Aegean across from Turkey (mainly ], ], ], and ]). In 2012, the majority of illegal immigrants entering Greece came from ], followed by ]is and ]is.<ref>{{cite news|title=In crisis, Greece rounds up immigrants&nbsp;– Associated Press|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/10403249|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=11 June 2013|date=22 August 2012|location=London}}</ref> In 2015, arrivals of refugees by sea had increased dramatically mainly due to the ongoing ]. There were 856,723 arrivals by sea in Greece, an almost fivefold increase to the same period of 2014, of which the ] represent almost 45%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/country.php?id=83|title=Refugees/Migrants Emergency Response – Mediterranean, Greece|date=13 February 2016|publisher=]|accessdate=20 February 2016}}</ref> The majority of refugees and migrants use Greece as a transit country, while their intended destinations are northern European Nations such as ], ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911|title=Migrant crisis: Migration to Europe explained in seven charts|date=4 March 2016|publisher=]|access-date=7 June 2017B}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-35091772|title=This migrant crisis is different from all others|last=Simpson|first=John|date=24 December 2015|publisher=]|access-date=7 June 2017B}}</ref>

=== Education ===
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Education in Greece}}
] is Greece's ] and the highest research establishment in the country.]]
] in ], the first ] of modern Greece.]]

Greeks have a long tradition of valuing and investing in '']'' (education). ''Paideia'' was one of the highest societal values in the Greek and Hellenistic world while the first European institution described as a university was founded in 5th century Constantinople and operated in various incarnations until the ] to the Ottomans in 1453.<ref name="texor">{{cite web|url= http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/OriginUniversities.html|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090220164836/http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/OriginUniversities.html|archivedate= 20 February 2009 |title=Jerome Bump, University of Constantinople|accessdate=19 December 2008|work= The Origin of Universities |publisher= University of Texas at Austin }}</ref> The ] was Christian Europe's first secular institution of higher learning since no theological subjects were taught,<ref>{{cite book |last=Tatakes |first=Vasileios N. |author2=Moutafakis, Nicholas J. |title=Byzantine Philosophy |year=2003 |publisher=Hackett Publishing|isbn=0-87220-563-0|page=189}}</ref> and considering the original meaning of the world university as a corporation of students, the world’s first university as well.<ref name="texor" />

Compulsory education in Greece comprises primary schools (Δημοτικό Σχολείο, ''Dimotikó Scholeio'') and ] (Γυμνάσιο). Nursery schools (Παιδικός σταθμός, ''Paidikós Stathmós'') are popular but not compulsory. ]s (Νηπιαγωγείο, ''Nipiagogeío'') are now compulsory for any child above 4 years of age. Children start primary school aged 6 and remain there for six years. Attendance at gymnasia starts at age 12 and lasts for three years.

Greece's post-compulsory secondary education consists of two school types: unified upper secondary schools (Γενικό Λύκειο, ''Genikό Lykeiό'') and ]–] educational schools (Τεχνικά και Επαγγελματικά Εκπαιδευτήρια, "TEE"). Post-compulsory secondary education also includes vocational training institutes (Ινστιτούτα Επαγγελματικής Κατάρτισης, "IEK") which provide a formal but unclassified level of education. As they can accept both ''Gymnasio'' (lower secondary school) and ''Lykeio'' (upper secondary school) graduates, these institutes are not classified as offering a particular level of education.

According to the Framework Law (3549/2007), Public higher education "Highest Educational Institutions" (Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα, ''Anótata Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata'', "ΑΕΙ") consists of two parallel sectors:the University sector (Universities, Polytechnics, Fine Arts Schools, the Open University) and the Technological sector (Technological Education Institutions (TEI) and the School of Pedagogic and Technological Education). There are also State Non-University Tertiary Institutes offering vocationally oriented courses of shorter duration (2 to 3 years) which operate under the authority of other Ministries. Students are admitted to these Institutes according to their performance at national level examinations taking place after completion of the third grade of ''Lykeio''. Additionally, students over twenty-two years old may be admitted to the ] through a form of lottery. The ] is the oldest university in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Greek education system also provides special kindergartens, primary and secondary schools for people with special needs or difficulties in learning. Specialist gymnasia and high schools offering musical, theological and physical education also exist.

=== Healthcare system ===
{{Main|Health care in Greece}}

Greece has ]. In a 2000 ] report, its ] ranked 14th in overall performance of 191 countries surveyed.<ref name="WHO report">{{cite web |url= http://www.who.int/whr/2000/en/whr00_en.pdf | format = PDF | title = Health Systems: Improving Performance |work=] | year = 2000 |publisher = ] |accessdate=22 July 2011}}</ref> In a 2013 ] report, Greece was ranked the 19th best country (out of 176 countries surveyed) for the state of mothers and newborn babies.<ref name="Save the Children report">{{cite web|url=http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8585863/k.9F31/State_of_the_Worlds_Mothers.htm|title=State of the World's Mothers 2013 |year=2013|publisher=]|accessdate=7 May 2013}}</ref> In 2010, there were 138 hospitals with 31,000 beds in the country, but on 1 July 2011, the ] announced its plans to decrease the number to 77 hospitals with 36,035 beds, as a necessary reform to reduce expenses and further enhance healthcare standards.<ref name="Health Reform">{{cite web|url = http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=22768&subid=2&pubid=63299225 | script-title=el:Προταση Λειτουργικων Αναδιαταξεων Μοναδων Υγειασ Εσυ | language =Greek | format = PDF| date= 1 July 2011 | publisher = Ethnos | trans_title = Proposals for functional rearrangements of the NHS health units | accessdate = 23 March 2016}}</ref>{{disputed inline|text=What that article actually says is that they're merging their management bodies, i.e. existing hospitals will remain but some will become depts of new hospital 'bodies'.|date=April 2013}} Greece's healthcare expenditures as a percentage of GDP were 9.6% in 2007 according to a 2011 ] report, just above the OECD average of 9.5%.<ref name="OECD">{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/45/54/38979850.pdf |work=Health Data |year=2011 |title=How Does Greece Compare |publisher=] |format=PDF |accessdate=22 July 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902163839/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/45/54/38979850.pdf |archivedate=2 September 2009 }}</ref> The country has the largest number of doctors-to-population ratio of any OECD country.<ref name="OECD" />

] in Greece is 80.3 years, above the OECD average of 79.5,<ref name="OECD" /> and among the highest in the world. The island of ] has the highest percentage of 90-year-olds in the world; approximately 33% of the islanders make it to 90 (and beyond).<ref name=NPR>{{cite news|title=The Island Where People Live Longer|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103744881|accessdate=6 April 2013|newspaper=NPR|date=2 May 2009<!-- 8:00 AM-->|quote=Buettner and a team of demographers work with census data to identify blue zones around the world. They found Icaria had the highest percentage of 90-year-olds anywhere on the planet&nbsp;— nearly 1 out of 3 people make it to their 90s.}}</ref> '']'' author ] wrote an article in '']'' about the longevity of Icarians under the title "The Island Where People Forget to Die".<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|title=The Island Where People Forget to Die|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|accessdate=6 April 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=24 October 2012|author=DAN BUETTNER}}</ref>

The 2011 OECD report showed that Greece had the largest percentage of adult daily smokers of any of the 34 OECD members.<ref name="OECD" /> The country's obesity rate is 18.1%, which is above the OECD average of 15.1%, but considerably lower than the ] rate of 27.7%.<ref name="OECD" /> In 2008, Greece had the highest rate of perceived good health in the OECD, at 98.5%.<ref name="OECD Health Status">{{cite web|url = http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?DataSetCode=HEALTH_STAT |title= Perceived Health Status | publisher = ] |accessdate=22 July 2011}}</ref> Infant mortality, with a rate of 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, was below the 2007 OECD average of 4.9.<ref name="OECD" />

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Greece|Greeks|List of Greeks}}
], still used for theatrical plays.]]

The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in ] and continuing most notably into ], through the influence of the ] and its ]ern continuation, the Eastern Roman or ]. Other cultures and nations, such as the ], the ], the ], the ], and the ] have also left their influence on modern Greek culture, although historians credit the ] with revitalising Greece and giving birth to a single, cohesive entity of its multi-faceted culture.

], key figure of the ] and with significant influence on the ]]]

In ancient times, Greece was the birthplace of ].<ref>Mazlish, Bruce. Stanford University Press, 2004. p. 3. Web. 25 June 2012.</ref> Modern democracies owe a debt to Greek beliefs in government by the people, trial by jury, and equality under the law. The ancient Greeks pioneered in many fields that rely on systematic thought, including biology, geometry, history,<ref>Myres, John. ''Herodotus, Father of History''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1953. Web. 25 June 2012.</ref> philosophy,<ref>]. ''History of Philosophy, Volume 1''.</ref> physics and mathematics.<ref name="Heath1981">{{cite book|author=Thomas Heath|title=A History of Greek Mathematics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=drnY3Vjix3kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ancient+Greek+mathematicians&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oYYSUuWLDIXM2gXFp4CYCw&ved=0CDsQuwUwAA#v=onepage&q=ancient%20Greek%20mathematicians&f=false|accessdate=19 August 2013|year=1981|publisher=Courier Dover Publications|isbn=978-0-486-24073-2|page=1}}</ref> They introduced such important literary forms as epic and lyric poetry, history, tragedy, and comedy. In their pursuit of order and proportion, the Greeks created an ideal of beauty that strongly influenced ].<ref>Peter Krentz, Ph.D., W. R. Grey Professor of History, Davidson College.<br /> "Greece, Ancient." ''World Book Advanced.'' World Book, 2012. Web. 8 July 2012.</ref>

=== Visual arts ===
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{See also|Greek art|Byzantine art|Modern Greek art}}
Artistic production in Greece began in the prehistoric pre-Greek ] and the ] civilizations, both of which were influenced by local traditions and the ].<ref>http://www.digital.library.upenn.edu/women/edwards/pharaohs/pharaohs-5.html</ref>

There were several interconnected traditions of painting in ancient Greece. Due to their technical differences, they underwent somewhat differentiated developments. Not all painting techniques are equally well represented in the archaeological record. The most respected form of art, according to authors like ] or ], were individual, mobile paintings on wooden boards, technically described as ]s. Also, the tradition of wall painting in Greece goes back at least to the ] and ] ], with the lavish fresco decoration of sites like ], ] and ]. Much of the figural or architectural sculpture of ancient Greece was painted colourfully. This aspect of Greek stonework is described as ] (from ] ''πολυχρωμία'', ''πολύ'' = many and ''χρώμα'' = colour).

] was composed almost entirely of ] or ]; with cast bronze becoming the favoured medium for major works by the early 5th century. Both marble and bronze are fortunately easy to form and very durable. ] sculptures, used for temple ]s and luxury works, used ], most often in ] and ] for all or parts (faces and hands) of the figure, and probably gems and other materials, but were much less common, and only fragments have survived. By the early 19th century, the systematic excavation of ancient Greek sites had brought forth a plethora of sculptures with traces of notably multicolored surfaces. It was not until published findings by German archaeologist Vinzenz Brinkmann in the late 20th and early 21st century that the painting of ancient Greek sculptures became an established fact.

The art production continued also during the Byzantine era. The most salient feature of this new aesthetic was its “abstract,” or anti-naturalistic character. If classical art was marked by the attempt to create representations that mimicked reality as closely as possible, Byzantine art seems to have abandoned this attempt in favor of a more symbolic approach. The Byzantine painting concentrated mainly on ]s and ]. The ] was the artistic expression of ], a label sometimes used to describe the period of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire (867–1056), especially the 10th century, which some scholars have seen as a time of increased interest in classical scholarship and the assimilation of classical motifs into ]work.

Post Byzantine art schools include the ] and ].

The first artistic movement in the ] can be considered the ] (''Munich School''). Notable modern Greek painters include ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], while some notable sculptors are ], ], ], ], ] and ].

<gallery perrow="9" class="center">
File:Nike of Paionios, Olympia Archaeological Museum (16149728289).jpg|Nike by ] at the ] (5th BC)
File:Amphipolis Lion.jpg|The ], erected in 4th BC in honour of ], admiral of Alexander the Great
File:Stag hunt mosaic, Pella.jpg|The ] at the ] (3rd BC)
File:Hosios Loukas Katholikon (sanctuary vault, conch of the apse) 01.jpg|Byzantine mosaics of ] (11th century), artistic example of the ]
File:Miaoulissyros.jpg|Statue of ] in ] by ]
</gallery>

=== Architecture ===
{{uncited section|date=October 2017}}
{{See also|Ancient Greek architecture|Byzantine architecture|Modern Greek architecture}}
The architecture of ancient Greece was produced by the ancient Greeks (''Hellenes''), whose ] flourished on the Greek mainland, the ] and their ], for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest remaining architectural works dating from around 600 BC. The formal vocabulary of ancient Greek architecture, in particular the division of architectural style into three defined orders: the ], the ] and the ], was to have profound effect on ] of later periods.

Byzantine architecture is the ] promoted by the ], also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, which dominated Greece and the Greek speaking world during the Middle Ages. The empire endured for more than a ], dramatically influencing ] throughout Europe and the Near East, and becoming the primary progenitor of the ] and ] traditions that followed its collapse.

], ]]]

After the ], the modern Greek architects tried to combine traditional Greek and Byzantine elements and motives with the western European movements and styles. ] was the first city of the modern Greek state to develop a city plan. In January 1829, ], a Greek engineer of the French army, presented the plan of the new city to the Governor ], who approved it. Voulgaris applied the orthogonal rule in the urban complex of Patras.

Two special genres can be considered the ], featuring white-colour houses, in the ] and the ] in the region of ].

After the establishment of the ], the architecture of Athens and other cities was mostly influenced by the ]. For Athens, the first ], ], commissioned the architects ] and ] to design a modern city plan fit for the capital of a state. Other modern Greek architects include ], ], ], ] and ].

=== Theatre ===
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{See also|Theatre of ancient Greece|Modern Greek theatre}}
], the first theatre and ] house of modern Greece and the place where the first Greek opera, "The Parliamentary Candidate" of ], based on an exclusively Greek ] was performed.]]

Theatre in its western form was born in Greece.<ref>Brockett, Oscar G. (1991) ''History of the Theatre'' (sixth edition). Boston; London: ].</ref> The ] of ], which became a significant cultural, political, and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was ]alised as part of a ] called the ], which honoured the god ]. ] (late 6th century BC), ] (486 BC), and the ] were the three ]tic ]s to emerge there.

During the Byzantine period, the theatrical art was heavily declined. According to Marios Ploritis, the only form survived was the folk theatre (''Mimos'' and ''Pantomimos''), despite the hostility of the official state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.24grammata.com/?p=32749 |title=Culture e-Magazine&nbsp;– Free eBooks&nbsp;– WebTV » Τo Θέατρο στο Βυζάντιο και την Οθωμανική περίοδο |publisher=24grammata.com |date=18 March 2012 |accessdate=23 April 2014}}</ref> Later, during the Ottoman period, the main theatrical folk art was the '']''. The renaissance which led to the modern Greek theatre, took place in the ]. Significal dramatists include ] and ].

The modern Greek theatre was born after the ], in the early 19th century, and initially was influenced by the Heptanesean theatre and melodrama, such as the Italian opera. The ] was the first theatre and ] house of modern Greece and the place where the first Greek opera, ]' ''The Parliamentary Candidate'' (based on an exclusively Greek ]) was performed. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the Athenian theatre scene was dominated by ], ], ] and ] and notable playwrights included ], ], ] and others.

], important novelist and playwright]]

The ] was founded in 1880. Notable playwrights of the modern Greek theatre include ], ], ], ] and ], while notable actors include ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Significant directors include ], ] and ].

=== Literature ===
{{uncited section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Greek literature|Byzantine literature|Modern Greek literature}}
] in ], deathplace of the poet.]]

Greek literature can be divided into three main categories: Ancient, Byzantine and modern Greek literature.

At the beginning of Greek literature stand the two monumental works of ]: the '']'' and the '']''. Though dates of composition vary, these works were fixed around 800&nbsp;BC or after. In the classical period many of the genres of western literature became more prominent. ], ]s, ], ], ]; dramatic presentations of comedy and ]; ], ] treatises, philosophical dialectics, and philosophical treatises all arose in this period. The two major lyrical poets were ] and ]. The Classical era also saw the dawn of drama.

Of the hundreds of ] written and performed during the classical age, only a limited number of plays by three authors have survived: those of ], ], and ]. The surviving plays by ] are also a treasure trove of comic presentation, while ] and ] are two of the most influential historians in this period. The greatest prose achievement of the 4th century was in philosophy with the works of the three great philosophers.

] refers to literature of the Byzantine Empire written in ], ] and early ], and it is the expression of the intellectual life of the ] during the Christian ].

{{triple image|right|Konstantinos Kavafis.jpg|100|Odysseas Elytis 1974.jpg|150|Giorgos Seferis 1963.jpg|100|], whose work was inspired mainly by the ], while ] (centre) and ] (right) were representatives of the Generation of the '30s and ].}}

] refers to literature written in common Modern Greek, emerging from late Byzantine times in the 11th century. The Cretan Renaissance poem '']'' is undoubtedly the masterpiece of this period of Greek literature. It is a verse ] written around 1600 by ] (1553–1613). Later, during the period of Greek enlightenment (]), writers such as ] and ] prepared with their works the ] (1821–1830).

Leading figures of modern Greek literature include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Two Greek authors have been awarded the ]: ] in 1963 and ] in 1979.

=== Philosophy ===
{{Main|Ancient Greek philosophy|Modern Greek Enlightenment}}
], Athens. "The safest general characterisation of the ] is that it consists of a series of footnotes to ]." (], '']'', 1929).]]

Most western philosophical traditions began in ] in the 6th century BC. The first philosophers are called "Presocratics," which designates that they came before ], whose contributions mark a turning point in western thought. The Presocratics were from the western or the eastern colonies of Greece and only fragments of their original writings survive, in some cases merely a single sentence.

A new period of philosophy started with Socrates. Like the ], he rejected entirely the physical speculations in which his predecessors had indulged, and made the thoughts and opinions of people his starting-point. Aspects of Socrates were first united from ], who also combined with them many of the principles established by earlier philosophers, and developed the whole of this material into the unity of a comprehensive system.

] of ], the most important disciple of Plato, shared with his teacher the title of the greatest philosopher of antiquity. But while Plato had sought to elucidate and explain things from the supra-sensual standpoint of the forms, his pupil preferred to start from the facts given us by experience. Except from these three most significant Greek philosophers other known schools of ] from other founders during ancient times were ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iep.utm.edu/greekphi/|title=Ancient Greek Philosophy |publisher= Internet encyclopedia of philosophy|accessdate= 23 March 2016}}</ref>

] refers to the distinctive philosophical ideas of the philosophers and scholars of the ], especially between the 8th and 15th centuries. It was characterised by a ] world-view, but one which could draw ideas directly from the Greek texts of ], ], and the ].

On the eve of the ], ] tried to restore the use of the term "Hellene" and advocated the return to the ] of the ancient world. After 1453 a number of ] who fled to western Europe contributed to the ].

In modern period, ] (Greek: Διαφωτισμός, "enlightenment", "illumination") was the Greek expression of the ] and its philosophical and political ideas. Some notable representatives were ], ] and ].

Other modern era Greek philosophers include ], ] and ].

=== Music and dances ===
{{refimprove section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Music of Greece}}
] dancers of ]]]
] in Karaiskaki, ] (1933). Left ] with ].]]

Greek vocal music extends far back into ancient times where mixed-gender choruses performed for entertainment, celebration and spiritual reasons. Instruments during that period included the double-reed ] and the plucked string instrument, the ], especially the special kind called a ]. Music played an important role in the education system during ancient times. Boys were taught music from the age of six. Later influences from the ], Middle East, and the ] also had effect on Greek music.

While the new technique of polyphony was developing in the West, the ] resisted any type of change. Therefore, ] remained monophonic and without any form of instrumental accompaniment. As a result, and despite certain attempts by certain Greek chanters (such as Manouel Gazis, Ioannis Plousiadinos or the Cypriot Ieronimos o Tragoudistis), Byzantine music was deprived of elements of which in the West encouraged an unimpeded development of art. However, this method which kept music away from polyphony, along with centuries of continuous culture, enabled monophonic music to develop to the greatest heights of perfection. Byzantium presented the monophonic ]; a melodic treasury of inestimable value for its rhythmical variety and expressive power.

Along with the Byzantine (Church) chant and music, the Greek people also cultivated the ] (''Demotiko'') which is divided into two cycles, the ] and ]. The akritic was created between the 9th and 10th centuries and expressed the life and struggles of the ] (frontier guards) of the Byzantine empire, the most well known being the stories associated with ]. The klephtic cycle came into being between the late Byzantine period and the start of the ]. The klephtic cycle, together with historical songs, ''paraloghes'' (narrative song or ballad), love songs, ], wedding songs, songs of exile and dirges express the life of the Greeks. There is a unity between the Greek people's struggles for freedom, their joys and sorrow and attitudes towards love and death.

] is one of the most popular and significant Greek songwriters]]

The ]an ] (καντάδες ']s'; sing.: καντάδα) became the forerunners of the Greek modern urban popular song, influencing its development to a considerable degree. For the first part of the next century, several Greek composers continued to borrow elements from the Heptanesean style. The most successful songs during the period 1870–1930 were the so-called Athenian serenades, and the songs performed on stage (επιθεωρησιακά τραγούδια 'theatrical revue songs') in ], ]s and ]s that were dominating Athens' theater scene.

], initially a music associated with the lower classes, later (and especially after the ]) reached greater general acceptance as the rough edges of its overt subcultural character were softened and polished, sometimes to the point of unrecognizability. It was the base of the later ] (song of the people). The leading performers of the genre include ], ], ], ], ] and ].

Regarding the classical music, it was through the ] (which were under western rule and influence) that all the major advances of the western European classical music were introduced to mainland Greeks. The region is notable for the birth of the first School of modern Greek classical music (], Greek: ''Επτανησιακή Σχολή''), established in 1815. Prominent representatives of this genre include ], ], ] and ]. ] is considered the founder of the Greek National School of Music.

], one of the most renowned and influential ] singers of the 20th century]]

In the 20th century, Greek composers have had a significant impact on the development of ] and modern ], with figures such as ], ], and ] achieving international prominence. At the same time, composers and musicians such as ], ], ], ] and ] garnered an international following for their music, which include famous ]s such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], among others. ] composers known for their film scores include also ] and ]. Notable Greek ] singers and ]ians of the 20th and 21st century include ], ], ], ], ] and others.

During the ], the music of Mikis Theodorakis was banned by the junta and the composer was jailed, internally exiled, and put in a ],<ref name="Hischak2015">{{cite book|author=Thomas S. Hischak|title=The Encyclopedia of Film Composers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xz99CAAAQBAJ&pg=PA664|date=16 April 2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-4550-1|page=664}}</ref> before finally being allowed to leave Greece due to international reaction to his detention. Released during the junta years, ''Anthrope Agapa, ti Fotia Stamata'' (Make Love, Stop the Gunfire), by the ] group ] is considered the first anti-war protest song in the history of ].<ref name=europopmusic.eu>{{cite web|title=Kostas Tournas|url=http://www.europopmusic.eu/Greece_pages/Kostas_Tournas.html#about|publisher=europopmusic.eu|accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref> The song was echoing the hippie slogan ] and was inspired directly by the ], becoming a "smash hit" in Greece.<ref name="Kornetis2013">{{cite book|author=Kostis Kornetis|title=Children of the Dictatorship: Student Resistance, Cultural Politics and the 'Long 1960s' in Greece|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g_UcAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA190|date=30 November 2013|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-1-78238-001-6|page=190}}</ref>

Greece participated in the ] 35 times after its debut at the ]. In ], Greece won with the song "]", performed by Greek-Swedish singer ]. The song received 230 points with 10 sets of 12 points from Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Albania, Cyprus, Serbia & Montenegro, Sweden and Germany and also became a smash hit in different countries and especially in Greece. The ] was held in ] at the ] of the ] in ], with hosted by ] and ].

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Greek cuisine|Greek wine}}
]]]

] is characteristic of the healthy ], which is epitomized by dishes of ].<ref>{{cite book |first=Sari |last=Edelstein |title=Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lj0CeaIIETkC&pg=PA147 |accessdate=27 December 2011 |date=22 October 2010 |publisher=Jones & Bartlett |isbn= 978-0-7637-5965-0 |pages=147–49}}</ref> Greek cuisine incorporates fresh ingredients into a variety of local dishes such as ], ], classic ], ], ] and ]. Some dishes can be traced back to ancient Greece like ] (a thick purée of walnuts, almonds, crushed garlic and olive oil), ] ], ] (white or rosé wine sealed with pine resin) and ] (candy bar with sesame seeds baked with honey). Throughout Greece people often enjoy eating from small dishes such as ] with various dips such as ], grilled octopus and small fish, ], ] (rice, currants and pine kernels wrapped in vine leaves), various ], ]s and cheese. ] is added to almost every dish.

Some sweet desserts include ], ] and ], and drinks such as ], ] and a variety of wines including retsina. Greek cuisine differs widely from different parts of the mainland and from island to island. It uses some flavorings more often than other Mediterranean cuisines: ], ], garlic, ], ] and ] leaves. Other common herbs and spices include ], ] and ] seed. Many Greek recipes, especially in the northern parts of the country, use "sweet" spices in combination with meat, for example ] and ]s in stews.

<gallery perrow="7" class="center">
File:Naxos Taverna.jpg|Greek ]
File:Spanikopita Greek dish.jpg|]
File:Retsina.JPG|]
File:ASSYRTIKO.jpg|] grapes
</gallery>

=== Cinema ===
{{uncited section|date=October 2017}}
{{Main|Greek cinema}}
] during a visit to ], 1964]]

Cinema first appeared in Greece in 1896, but the first actual cine-theatre was opened in 1907 in Athens. In 1914 the ''Asty Films Company'' was founded and the production of long films began. ''Golfo'' (Γκόλφω), a well known traditional love story, is considered the first Greek ], although there were several minor productions such as newscasts before this. In 1931 ] directed ''Daphnis and Chloe'' (''Δάφνις και Χλόη''), containing one of the first nude scene in the history of European cinema; it was also the first Greek movie which was played abroad. In 1944 ] was honoured with the ] ] for '']''.

], winner of the ] in ], notable director in the history of the ]]]

The 1950s and early 1960s are considered by many to be a "golden age" of Greek cinema. Directors and actors of this era were recognized as important figures in Greece and some gained international acclaim: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and others. More than sixty films per year were made, with the majority having film noir elements. Some notable films include '']'' (1950, directed by ]), '']'' (1955, by ]), ''Πικρό Ψωμί'' (1951, by ]), '']'' (1956, by ]), '']'' (1955, directed by Cacoyannis and written by Kampanellis), '']'' (1961, by ]), '']'' (1962, by ]) and '']'' (1963, by ])

Cacoyannis also directed '']'' with Anthony Quinn which received Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film nominations. ] also contributed in this period with movies such as ''Λατέρνα, Φτώχεια και Φιλότιμο'', '']'', '']'', ''Το ξύλο βγήκε από τον Παράδεισο'' and many more.

During the 1970s and 1980s, ] directed a series of notable and appreciated movies. His film '']'' won the ] and the ] at the ].

There are also internationally renowned filmmakers in the Greek diaspora, such as the Greek-French ] and the Greek-Americans ], ] and ].

=== Sports ===
{{Main|Sports in Greece}}
] entering the ] at the end of the marathon; ].]]
] scoring Greece's winning goal in the ]]]

Greece is the birthplace of the ], first recorded in 776 BC in ], and hosted the modern ] twice, the inaugural ] and the ]. During the parade of nations Greece is always called first, as the founding nation of the ancient precursor of modern Olympics. The nation has competed at every ], one of only four countries to have done so. Having won a total of 110 medals (30 gold, 42 silver and 38 bronze), Greece is ranked 32nd by gold medals in the ]. Their best ever performance was in the 1896 Summer Olympics, when Greece finished second in the ] with 10 gold medals.

The ], ranking 12th in the ] in 2014 (and having reached a high of 8th in the world in 2008 and 2011),<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/lastranking/gender=m/fullranking.html |title= World Rankings |publisher=] |accessdate=23 July 2009 |date=July 2009}}</ref> were crowned ] in ] in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.<ref name="Euro2004">{{cite news |last= McNulty |first= Phil |title= Greece Win Euro 2004 | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/3860105.stm |publisher= BBC | work = News |accessdate=7 May 2007 |date= 4 July 2004}}</ref> The ] is the highest professional football league in the country, comprising sixteen teams. The most successful are ], ], ], ], ] and ].

The ] has a decades-long tradition of excellence in the sport, being considered among the world's top basketball powers. {{As of|2012}}, it ranked 4th in the ] and 2nd in ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/rankMen.asp | title = Ranking Men after Olympic Games: Tournament Men (2008) |date=August 2008 |accessdate=24 August 2008 | publisher= ]}}</ref> They have won the ] twice in ] and ],<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilkinson |first=Simon |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2172612 |title=Greece Tops Germany for Euro Title |accessdate=7 May 2007 |date=26 September 2005 |publisher=]}}</ref> and have reached the final four in two of the last four ]s, taking the second place in the world in ], after a 101–95 win against ] in the tournament's semifinal. The domestic top basketball league, ], is composed of fourteen teams. The most successful Greek teams are ], ], ], ] and ]. Greek basketball teams are the ] in ], having won 9 ] since the establishment of the modern era ] format in 1988, while no other nation has won more than 4 Euroleague championships in this period. Besides the 9 Euroleagues, Greek basketball teams (Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Aris Thessaloniki, AEK Athens, P.A.O.K, ]) have won 3 ], 5 ], 2 ] and 1 ]. After the ] triumph of the Greek national basketball team, Greece became the reigning European Champion in both football and basketball.

] after their memorable 101–95 win against the ].]]

The ] have emerged as one of the leading powers in the world, becoming ] after their gold medal win against the hosts ] at the ]. They also won the silver medal at the ], the gold medal at the ] and the silver medals at the ] and ]. The ] became the third best water polo team in the world in 2005, after their win against ] in the bronze medal game at the ] in Canada. The domestic top water polo leagues, ] and ] are considered amongst the top national leagues in European water polo, as its clubs have made significant success in European competitions. In men's European competitions, ] has won the ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.onsports.gr/Polo/Afierwmata/item/216317-Otan-i-Eyropi-ypoklithike-ston-Olympiako-%28photos-videos%29|script-title=el:Όταν η Ευρώπη υποκλίθηκε στον Ολυμπιακό|publisher=onsports.gr|language=Greek|accessdate=14 June 2012}}</ref> the European Super Cup and the ] in 2002<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsnowgr.com/article/105413/san-simerakokkinise-ton-dounavi-protathlitis-evropis-sto-polo-o-thrylos-vinteo.html|script-title=el:Σαν σήμερα κοκκίνησε τον Δούναβη, Πρωταθλητής Ευρώπης στο πόλο ο Θρύλος|publisher=newsnow.gr|language=Greek|accessdate=11 January 2013}}</ref> becoming the first club in water polo history to win every title in which it has competed within a single year (], ], Champions League and European Super Cup),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.sport.gr/news/021229/polo.asp |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213190337/http://archive.sport.gr/news/021229/polo.asp |archivedate=13 December 2013|script-title=el:Έγραψε ιστορία ο Θρύλος|publisher=sport.gr|language=Greek|accessdate=18 December 2012}}</ref> while ] has won the ] in 1997. In women's European competitions, Greek water polo teams (], ], ], ]) are amongst the most successful in European water polο, having won 4 ], 3 ] and 2 European Supercups.

The ] has won two bronze medals, one in the ] and another one in the ], a 5th place in the ] and a 6th place in the ]. The Greek league, the ], is considered one of the top volleyball leagues in Europe and the Greek clubs have had significant success in European competitions. ] is the most successful volleyball club in the country having won the most domestic titles and being the only Greek club to have won European titles; they have won two ], they have been ] runners-up twice and they have played in 12 Final Fours in the European competitions, making them one of the most traditional volleyball clubs in Europe. ] have also seen significant success in European competitions, having been three times runners-up of the ].

In handball, ] is the only Greek club to have won a ].

Apart from these, ] is relatively popular in ].

=== Mythology ===
{{Main|Greek mythology}}
] was the King of the ancient Greek ].]]

The numerous gods of the ] as well as the mythical heroes and events of the ancient Greek ] ('']'' and '']'') and other pieces of art and literature from the time make up what is nowadays colloquially referred to as Greek mythology. Apart from serving a religious function, the mythology of the ] world also served a cosmological role as it was meant to try to explain how the world was formed and operated.

The principal gods of the ancient Greek religion were the ], or the ''Twelve Gods'', who lived on the top of Mount Olympus. The most important of all ancient Greek gods was ], the king of the gods, who was married to ], who was also Zeus's sister. The other Greek gods that made up the ] were ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Apart from these twelve gods, Greeks also had a variety of other mystical beliefs, such as ] and other magical creatures.

=== Public holidays and festivals ===
{{Main|Public holidays in Greece}}
] (15 August)]]

According to Greek law, every Sunday of the year is a public holiday. Since the late '70s, Saturday also is a non school and not working day. In addition, there are four mandatory official public holidays: 25 March (''Greek Independence Day''), ], 15 August ('']''), and 25 December ('']''). 1 May ('']'') and 28 October ('']'') are regulated by law as being optional but it is customary for employees to be given the day off. There are, however, more public holidays celebrated in Greece than are announced by the Ministry of Labour each year as either obligatory or optional. The list of these non-fixed national holidays rarely changes and has not changed in recent decades, giving a total of eleven national holidays each year.

In addition to the national holidays, there are public holidays that are not celebrated nationwide, but only by a specific professional group or a local community. For example, many municipalities have a "Patron Saint" parallel to "]", or a "Liberation Day". On such days it is customary for schools to take the day off.

Notable festivals, beyond the religious fests, include ], ] and various local wine festivals. The city of ] is also home of a number of festivals and events. The ] is one of the most important film festivals in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmfestival.gr/default.aspx?lang=el-GR&loc=1&page=586|script-title=el:Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Κινηματογράφου Θεσσαλονίκης – Προφίλ|trans-title=Thessaloniki International Film Festival – Profile|language=el|accessdate=3 September 2015}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Greece|Ancient Greece|Europe|European Union|United Nations|NATO}}
* ]
** ]
* ]
{{Clear}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group="lower-alpha"}}

== References ==

=== Specific ===
{{reflist|30em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Main|Bibliography of Greece}}
{{refbegin|30em}}
* "Minorities in Greece&nbsp;– Historical Issues and New Perspectives". ''History and Culture of South Eastern Europe''. An Annual Journal. München (Slavica) 2003.
*{{cite book | title = The Constitution of Greece | url = http://www.hellenicparliament.gr/UserFiles/f3c70a23-7696-49db-9148-f24dce6a27c8/001-156%20aggliko.pdf |accessdate=21 March 2011 |year=2008 | publisher = ] |location=Athens|isbn= 978-960-560-073-0|format= PDF| others = Paparrigopoulos, Xenophon; Vassilouni, Stavroula (translators)}}
*{{Cite book | last = Clogg | first = Richard | title = A Concise History of Greece | pages = 10–37 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 1992 | edition = 1st | ISBN = 0-521-37228-3 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=H5pyUIY4THYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=richard+clogg+greece&hl=en&sa=X&ei=uurkT5nGNNKyhAfFkay9CQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=richard%20clogg%20greece&f=false | accessdate = 23 March 2016}}, 257 pp.
*{{Cite book | author-link = Richard Clogg| last = Clogg | first = Richard | title= A Concise History of Greece | edition = 2nd |location= Cambridge | publisher= ]| origyear = 1992 | year= 2002 | isbn = 978-0-521-00479-4}}.
*{{cite book | last =Dagtoglou | first = PD | title = Constitutional Law&nbsp;– Individual Rights | volume = I | year = 1991 |publisher=Ant. N. Sakkoulas |location=Athens-Komotini |language=Greek |chapter=Protection of Individual Rights}}
*{{Cite book | first = John Van Antwerp | last = Fine | title = The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century | publisher = University of Michigan Press | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0-472-08149-3 | url=https://books.google.com/?id=Y0NBxG9Id58C | accessdate=23 March 2016}}, 376 pp.
* {{cite book|last=Hatzopoulos|first=Marios|title=The making of Modern Greece: Nationalism, Romanticism, and the Uses of the Past (1797–1896)|chapter=From resurrection to insurrection: ‘sacred’ myths, motifs, and symbols in the Greek War of Independence|year=2009|publisher=Ashgate|editor1-first=Roderick|editor1-last=Beaton|editor2-first=David|editor2-last=Ricks|pages=81–93|url=http://www.academia.edu/985519/From_resurrection_to_insurrection_sacredmyths_motifs_and_symbols_in_the_Greek_War_of_Independence|ref=harv}}
*{{Cite book | last = Kalaitzidis | first = Akis | year = 2010 | title = Europe's Greece: A Giant in the Making | publisher = ]}}, 219 pp. The impact of European Union membership on Greek politics, economics, and society.
*{{cite journal|first=Vassilis|last=Kremmydas|title=Η οικονομική κρίση στον ελλαδικό χώρο στις αρχές του 19ου αιώνα και οι επιπτώσεις της στην Επανάσταση του 1821|trans-title=The economic crisis in Greek lands in the beginning of 19th century and its effects on the Revolution of 1821|language=Greek|journal=Μνήμων|volume=6|date=1977|pages=16–33|url=http://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/mnimon/article/view/7875/7588|ref=harv}}
*{{cite journal|first=Vassilis|last=Kremmydas|title=Προεπαναστατικές πραγματικότητες. Η οικονομική κρίση και η πορεία προς το Εικοσιένα|trans-title=Pre-revolutionary realities. The economic crisis and the course to '21|language=Greek|journal=Μνήμων|volume=24|date=2002|pages=71–84|url=http://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/mnimon/article/view/8429/8657|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |last= Mavrias | first= Kostas G |title= Constitutional Law |year= 2002| publisher= Ant. N. Sakkoulas | location =Athens |language=Greek |isbn=978-960-15-0663-0}}
*{{cite journal | last =Pappas | first = Takis |date=April 2003 | title= The Transformation of the Greek Party System Since 1951 |journal=]| volume= 26 | issue = 2 | pages = 90–114| doi = 10.1080/01402380512331341121| url = http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/wep/2003/00000026/00000002/art00005 |accessdate=8 June 2008}}
*{{Cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/business/global/14debt.html?pagewanted=all | title = Wall St. Helped to Mask Debt Fueling Europe's Crisis | newspaper= The New York Times | first1 = Louise | last1 = Story | first2=Landon Jr |last2=Thomas |first3=Nelson D |last3=Schwartz |date= 14 February 2010 |accessdate=26 March 2013}}.
*{{Cite book | last = Trudgill | first = P | contribution = Greece and European Turkey: From Religious to Linguistic Identity | editor1-first = S | editor1-last = Barbour | editor2-first = C | editor2-last = Carmichael | year = 2000 | title = Language and Nationalism in Europe | place = ] | publisher = ]}}.
*{{cite book | author-link = Evangelos Venizelos| last = Venizelos | first = Evangelos | title = The "Acquis" of the Constitutional Revision | year= 2002 | publisher= Ant. N. Sakkoulas |location= Athens | language = Greek | isbn = 978-960-15-0617-3 |chapter=The Contribution of the Revision of 2001}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|Greece|voy =Greece}}

=== Government ===
*
*
*
*
*

=== General information ===
*{{Cite encyclopedia | url = http://www.britannica.com/place/Greece | title = Greece | work = ]}}.
*{{Cite web | url = http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/greece-guide/ | type = guide | title = Greece | publisher = ] }}.
*{{CIA World Factbook link|gr|Greece}}
*{{Cite web | url = http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/greece.htm | title = Greece | publisher = UCB Libraries GovPubs | accessdate = 23 March 2016}}.
*{{dmoz |Regional/Europe/Greece}}
*{{Cite news | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17372520 | title = Greece profile | publisher = ] | date=25 December 2013 | accessdate=23 March 2016}}.
*{{Cite web | url = http://www.gcr.gr/ | title = Greek Council for Refugees | accessdate = 23 March 2016}}.
*{{Cite web | url = http://www.fhw.gr/chronos/en/ | title = Hellenic History | publisher = FHW | place = GR | accessdate = 23 March 2016}}.
*{{Cite web | url = http://www.hellenism.net/ | title = Hellenism | accessdate = 23 March 2016}}&nbsp;– Everything about Greece.
*
*
*
* {{Wikiatlas |Greece}}
* {{osmrelation-inline |192307}}

'''Trade'''
*

{{Greece topics |expanded}}
{{Countries of Europe}}
{{Navboxes
|title=International membership
|list=
{{Member states of the European Union}}
{{Founding member states of the United Nations}}
{{NATO}}
{{Member states of the OECD}}
}}

{{coord |39|N|22|E|type:country_region:GR|display =title}}

{{Portalbar|Greece|Ancient Greece|Europe|European Union|United Nations|NATO}}
{{Authority control}}

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Revision as of 16:20, 4 October 2017

Greece: Difference between revisions Add topic