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Greece
Fact
Sheet :
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Area : 131,940
sq km
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Population : 10,706,290 (July 2007 est.)
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Capital : Athens
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Languages : Greek
99% (official), English, French
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Currency : euro
(EUR)
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Government type :
parliamentary republic
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Elements of History :
Greece
achieved its 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. Following
the defeat of Communist rebels 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. Democratic elections in 1974 and a referendum
created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy;
Greece joined the European Community or EC in 1981 (which
became the EU in 1992); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.
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Climate :
mostly
mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas
or chains of islands
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