Country Map and Facts
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FACTS & FIGURES
POPULATION
- Greece has a population of around 11 million people.
- 4 million of them live in the capital, Athens. Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, is home to another 1 million.
- Population growth in Greece is low at 0.2%. In many areas, particularly the smaller islands, populations are falling as traditional industries decline.
- Greece is the only member of the EU not to share a land border with another member state, although this would change with the accession of Turkey.
- Greece still experiences high levels of economic immigration through its land borders with former Eastern bloc countries.
GEOGRAPHY
- The total land area of Greece is 131,940km2.
- The islands make up around one fifth of the total area.
- Several small mountain ranges converge on the Northern Mainland and Peloponnese areas. The highest peak is Mount Olympus in the Peloponnese. Many of the islands as well as much of the mainland are mountainous in character.
- The longest river in Greece is the Aliakmon at 297km.
CLIMATE
- Scorching. Most of Greece, including the islands, enjoys the typical Mediterranean climate – extremely hot, dry summers from May to October and very clement winters.
- The Northern Mainland, comprising Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Epirus and Thrace, has a climate closer to that of Eastern Europe, with cooler summers and snow in winter supporting the region’s ski resorts.
ECONOMY
- Unemployment is relatively high for an EU member at 10%. Figures for youth unemployment are notably higher at around 25%, causing concern in many areas.
- Much of the population is still employed in agriculture although numbers are falling as resources are diverted to increasing tourism.
- High national budget deficit levels, which the country has struggled to contain, mean that Greece has had problems in complying with the terms of the EU Growth and Stability Pact for the single currency, of which it is a member.
- The 2004 Athens Olympics attracted increased foreign investment, but simultaneously increased government debt.
