Greece
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry name - conventional long form : Hellenic Republic
Country name - conventional short form : Greece
Country name - local long form : Elliniki Dhimokratia
Country name - local short form : Ellas or Ellada
Country name - former : Kingdom of Greece
Government type : parliamentary republic
Capital - name : Athens
Capital - time difference : UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
Population : 10,722,816 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Greek(s)
Nationality - adjective : Greek
Languages : Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
Currency (code) : euro (EUR)
Currency code : EUR
Greece is located Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey. The climate is temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers. The terrain is mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001.
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