Location: Europe, in the Southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, bordering the Aegean Sea, the Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. Common land borders with Albania, FYROM, Bulgaria and Turkey.
Total area: 131,957 sq. km
Population: 10,737,428 (July 2009 est.)
Capital city: Athens
Major cities: Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Iraklion, Volos, Larissa
Local time: GΜΤ +2
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
Languages: Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Government type: Parliamentary Republic
President: Karolos Papoulias (since 12 March 2005)
Prime Minister: Georgios Papandreou (since 6 October 2009)
Greece
