Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. 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 other anti-communist and communist rebels. Following the latter’s defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 1974 following the collapse of the dictatorship, 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 (EMU) in 2001. Greece has suffered a severe economic crisis since late 2009, due to nearly a decade of chronic overspending and structural rigidities. Since 2010, Greece has entered three bailout agreements with the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), and the IMF. The Greek Government agreed to its current, $96 billion bailout in July 2015, which will conclude in August 2018.
Tourism Information...
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The Best of Greece...
Greece's Most Popular Sights...
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Here is a list of some of the most interesting and visited places. Cities or areas listed will always have more than just one thing see and do. With the popular cities or areas we list some of the best known, which should go on everyone’s, must see list when they visit. |
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Divisions of Greece…
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Country Information...
| Capital | Athens |
| Largest City | Athens |
| Government | Parliamentary Republic |
| Currency | Euro (€) |
| Area | total: 131,957 km2 ranked 97th water: 1,310 km2 land: 130,647 km2 |
| Population | 110,773,253 (July 2016 est.) ranked 85th |
| Language | Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1% |
| Ethnic Groups | population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census) note: data represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity |
| Religion | Greek Orthodox (official) 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% |
| Electricity | 220V/50Hz (European plug) |
| Country code | +30 |
| Internet TLD | .gr |
| Time Zone | CET (UTC+2) |
| Drives on the | Right |
| Anthem | Il : Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν “Hymn to Liberty” |
| Motto | Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος, “Freedom or Death” (traditional) |
| President | Ekaterini Sakellaroulou |
| Prime Minister | Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
Holidays and Observances in Greece in 2020
| Date | Name | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Wednesday | New Year’s Day | De facto holiday |
| Jan 6 | Monday | Epiphany | De facto holiday |
| Jan 30 | Thursday | The Three Holy Hierarchs | Observance |
| Feb 14 | Friday | Valentine’s Day | Observance |
| Mar 2 | Monday | Clean Monday | De facto holiday |
| Mar 20 | Friday | March Equinox | Season |
| Mar 25 | Wednesday | 25th of March (national holiday) | National holiday |
| Mar 25 | Wednesday | Annunciation of the Lord | National holiday |
| Apr 17 | Friday | Orthodox Good Friday | De facto holiday |
| Apr 19 | Sunday | Orthodox Easter Sunday | Observance |
| Apr 20 | Monday | Orthodox Easter Monday | National holiday |
| May 1 | Friday | Labor Day / May Day | De facto holiday |
| Jun 7 | Sunday | Orthodox Holy Spirit Sunday | Observance |
| Jun 8 | Monday | Orthodox Holy Spirit Monday | De facto holiday |
| Jun 21 | Sunday | June Solstice | Season |
| Jul 24 | Friday | The Restoration of Democracy | Observance |
| Aug 15 | Saturday | Dormition of the Holy Virgin | National holiday |
| Sep 22 | Tuesday | September Equinox | Season |
| Oct 28 | Wednesday | The Ochi day | De facto holiday |
| Nov 17 | Tuesday | Polytechneio | Observance |
| Nov 21 | Saturday | Armed Forces Day | Observance |
| Dec 21 | Monday | December Solstice | Season |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | National holiday |
| Dec 26 | Saturday | Synaxis of the Mother of God | De facto holiday |