conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Kingdom of Greece

GR

parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by
referendum 8 December 1974

Athens

51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos)and
1 autonomous region*; Ayion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania,
Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama,
Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia,
Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia,
Kerkyra, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia,
Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia,
Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia,
Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos

1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)

Independence Day, 25 March (1821) (proclamation of
the war of independence)

11 June 1975; amended March 1986

based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into
civil, criminal, and administrative courts

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

chief of state: President Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since
10 March 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos SIMITIS (since 19
January 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
election last held 8 February 2000 (next to be held by NA March 2005);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS reelected president;
percent of Parliament vote - 90%

unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300
seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: elections last held 9 April 2000 (next to be held by NA
April 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - PASOK 43.8%, ND 42.7%,
KKE 5.5%, Coalition of the Left and Progress 3.2%; seats by party -
PASOK 158, ND 125, KKE 11, Coalition of the Left and Progress 6

Supreme Judicial Court, judges appointed for life by
the president after consultation with a judicial council; Special
Supreme Tribunal, judges appointed for life by the president after
consultation with a judicial council

Coalition of the Left and Progress
(Synaspismos) ; Communist Party of Greece or
KKE ; Democratic Social Movement or DIKKI [Dhimitrios
TSOVOLAS]; Liberal Party ; New Democracy or ND
(conservative) ; Panhellenic Socialist
Movement or PASOK ; Political Spring [Andonis
SAMARAS]; Rainbow Coalition

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC,
CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros PHILON
chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:  (202) 939-5800
FAX:  (202) 939-5824
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San
Francisco
consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans

chief of mission: Ambassador R. Nicholas BURNS
embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens
mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108
telephone:  (1) 721-2951
FAX:  (1) 645-6282
consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki

nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating
with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the
established religion of the country