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Greece

Greece, also known as Hellas, is the birthplace of politics and democracy. Its democratic ideals inspired, among others, the framers of the US constitution. The present Greek Constitution, voted in 1975 and amended in 1986, defines the country's political system as a Parliamentary Democracy headed by a President.

Legislative powers are exercised by a single Chamber Parliament (the "Vouli") and executive powers are vested in the Government and the President. The Prime Minister, whose Government must enjoy the confidence of the Parliament, has extensive powers. The judiciary is independent. Civil, political and human rights are constitutionally guaranteed. General elections for the 300 parliamentary seats are held every four years. The President of the Republic is elected by the members of Parliament for a five-year term, renewable only once.

The Flag:
The National Flag of Greece consists of four white and five blue alternating horizontal stripes, with a white cross on the upper inner corner. Blue and white are the national colours of Greece.

Greece in the world:
Greece is a member of UN, IMF, CSCE, and other major Western and European institutions such as the OECD, NATO, WEU, Council of Europe and the European Community which she joined in 1981. The country's commitment to the European Union enjoys overwhelming political support.

Education:
Greece spends 4.5% of its GDP on education, which is compulsory for nine years and free of charge at all levels in any state institution.

Welfare:
Two main social insurance organisations known by their Greek acronyms as IKA (for labourers) and OGA (for farmers) cover more than 80% of the working population.

Population:
10.259.900 (1991 - census) 10.498.836 (1997- estimate).
More than 4 millions Greeks are estimated to live abroad, including over 2 millions in America.

Sex distribution:
Male 49.31% , female: 50.69% (1997).

Population by areas:
Urban: 57,7%, Rural: 42,3% (1991).

Area (sq. km):
131.957

Density:
79.6 inhabitants per sq. km. (1997)

Birth rate:
9.72 per 1000 inhabitants (1997)

Life expectancy:
males 74,6 years (1990), females 79,40 years (1990)

Capital City:
Athens (3.072.866 inhabitants - 1991)

Religious affiliations:
Of all citizens of the Hellenic Republic 97.6% are Greek Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, 0.4% Roman Catholic, 0.1% Protestant, 0.6% other, including Jews. The Greek Orthodox Church is autocephalous, with its own Charter but indissolubly united in doctrine with the Great Church of Constantinople, i.e. the Ecumenical Patriarchate. On the peninsula of Chalkidiki, located in southeastern Macedonia, is the famous Mount Athos, where a number of monasteries of the Greek Orthodox Church form, as they have for centuries, an autonomous monastic community.

Language:
The Greek language with a documented record spanning three and a half millennia is a strong element of national continuity. Modern Greek derives from the same idiom used by Homer. Greek is also the language of the Gospels. The Greek alphabet and the Greek language have contributed much to all western languages. Today's Greeks, however, are the only ones who ensure this linguistic continuity. In this respect Greek, is to be distinguished sharply from Latin which generated numerous neo-latin languages from Rumanian to Portuguese before it became itself extinct.

Electric Current:
The standard in Greece is 220V AC (50Hz). Appliances from North America require a transformer and British ones an adaptor. We recommend that you pack one together with your electrical appliance, so that you do not have to spend valuable time looking for adaptors and transformers during your stay.

Time:
Greek time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, an hour ahead of Central European Time and seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Along with the rest of continental Europe, the clock is advanced one hour during summer -from the end of March to the end of September- almost a month earlier than the UK, the US and Canada. Therefore keep in mind that the time difference with these countries is one hour greater for some weeks in April and October. If you want to find out what is the exact time call 141 (recorded message in Greek).

Public Holidays:
New Year's Day: January 1st
Epiphany: January 6th. The seas around Piraeus are blessed. A Cross is thrown into the sea and young men dive to retrieve it.
Ash Monday: 41 days before Easter. Lent begins. On Ash Monday, Greeks fly kites, eat lenten food and celebrate the koulouma.
Independence Day and the Feast of the Annunciation: March 25th , Military parade.
Easter: Good Friday-Easter Monday. In the evening of Good Friday, every church decorates an Epitaphios. The Epitaphios processions, followed by people holding lit candles and chanting hymns, fill the streets of every city, town and village in the country.
Anastasi: celebrated with fire-works and lit candles at midnight, on the eve of Easter Day.
Pascha: on Easter Day Greeks traditionally eat lamb, spit-roasted on charcoal. The festivities include singing and dancing through the day.
Labour Day: May 1st . Many Flower Festivals all over Greece.
Whit Monday: 50 days after Easter.
Dormition (Assumption) of The Virgin: August 15th.
October 28th: rejection of the Italian ultimatum in 1940. Military parade.
Christmas: December 25th -26th.

Telephone:
OTE (the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization) offices are the cheapest way to make local or international calls. To do so, just walk in and wait for a booth to be free. At the end of the call, the desk operator will present you with a bill. OTE offices are open from 08:00 to 14:00. Local and international calls can also be made from public cardphone booths and kiosks (periptera) equipped with meters. Telecards can be purchased from kiosks and OTE offices.

Postal Service:
Signs denoting post offices are usually bright yellow, as are post-boxes. If you need to send a letter there are stamp vending machines and post-boxes outside all central post offices. Parcels sent abroad must be inspected, so do not wrap and seal them beforehand. Brown paper, soft padded envelopes and cardboard boxes can be bought at the post offices themselves.

What to Wear
You are expected to dress in a respectable manner when visiting churches and monasteries: long trousers for men, sleeved dresses and no miniskirts for women.

Instructions for Safe Driving:
While travelling on the National Highway, if you spot a dead or wounded animal please contact emergency telephone 171 (Panafon network subscribers should dial 9-171). If you are in regions out of Athens please call any of the following numbers: (01) 3235 307, (01) 3235 455, (01) 3235 465, (01) 3235 496, (01) 3235 513, (01) 3236 610, (01) 3236 608, (01) 3237 356. Thank you for your sensitivity to keep the roads safe. Have a pleasant trip.

Currency: The unit of currency is the drachma (GrD). You will have to deal with coins of 5, 10 (silver), 20, 50 & 100 GrD (bronze), and notes of 500 (green), 1.000 (brown), 5.000 (blue) and 10.000 GrD (purple).

Currency Exchange:
Exchange Rates fluctuate daily, so you need to find out the current rate before exchanging your money. You can do that by calling any Greek or foreign bank or the National Bank of Greece: tel.: +30-1-3340011/5 All the major international banks have branches in Athens and Piraeus.

Banking Hours:
each bank has its own but if you do your banking in the mornings, all of them are certain to be open from Monday to Friday, 08:00-13:00.

Credit Cards:
All major Credit Cards as well as Euro-cheques are recognized and accepted in most hotels, shops, travel and car rental agencies and restaurants. Stickers in the front windows will advise you as to which cards are acceptable.

Traveller's cheques:
Are issued by all the major companies are widely recognized. You can cash your traveller's cheques in all Greek and foreign banks, exchange bureaus and big hotels, but do not forget to have your passport with you. Identification is necessary for the transaction.