Cherry

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Cherry Easter Island -[ World ] Easter Island: 1722 on Easter Sunday, Dutch commander Jacob Roggeveen, became the first European to discover" the island,it's one of the most isolated places on Earth. A triangle of volcanic rock in the south Pacific, it is best known for the giant stone monoliths. How and why did it inhabitants carve and transport the massive statues which surround the island? What remains of this culture today? i dunno...mystical place! Posted by cherryoney at 2004-09-08 08:56 | Read More | Edit | Comments(0) | Trackback(0) JiuZhaiGou -[ World ] I have seen this magical place form tv show, it's let me know how beautiful our home is, and we should be more happy to live in this beautiful home our common home---EARTH! JiuZhaiGou, in SiChuan province of China,it's far to go there from GuangDong If you said there is a fairyland in this world, then it's JiuZhaiGou! See below pictures Cherry Posted by cherryoney at 2004-08-06 14:14 | Read More | Edit | Comments(2) | Trackback(0) Colorado Canyon -[ World ] Colorado Canyon plateau is a typical " table plateau" also call "table mountain"it means the top smooth but the side steep. To come into being this kind of landform because of erosion, in erosion of period, the hard rock formation constitute "the protect hat∫ between of each river valley, but into river valley the erosion active. The result made "flat-top mountain"or"Fort Mountain" Both side of canyon or the bottom of canyon, there is a big different in landscape, in south dry and warm, the plants are very rare, the north is higher than south, the climate cool, wet, in the bottom dry and hot. Wanna to visit there? ok let's see the pictures first! See Colorado River is the craftsman! made the very peculiar landforms. Fort Mountain Flat-top mountain Very cool ya is it? Cherry Posted by cherryoney at 2004-08-05 13:12 | Read More | Edit | Comments(0) | Trackback(0) lots of stuff -[ World ] My friend now is in holiday. may she is vacationing at the beach. i dunno.. anyhow i always hope she is happy now and forevr... i planted lavender, it has sprouted , now i am waiting and looking forward to it grow up... sometimes waiting is so beautiful... even if its more painful... BUT still its beautiful... I Need to Sleep now, i need to come fly with you. i go now! Cherry_ Posted by cherryoney at 2004-04-25 16:34 | Read More | Edit | Comments(0) | Trackback(0) Greece -[ World ] Greece Multimedia 12 items Dynamic Map View map of Greece Article Outline Introduction ; Land and Resources ; People and Society ; Arts ; Economy ; Government ; History I Introduction Print Preview of Section Greece (Greek Hellas ), officially known as the Hellenic Republic ( Ellinikí Dimokratía ), country in southeastern Europe, occupying the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula . Famed for the beauty of its landscape, Greece is dominated by mountains and sea. The Aegean , Mediterranean , and Ionian seas constitute the country’s eastern, southern, and western borders, and no part of mainland Greece is more than 100 km (60 mi) from the water. Islands constitute about one-fifth of the country’s land area. Greece has historically been poor with inadequate communications, but in the period after World War II ended in 1945 it has experienced rapid economic and social change. Tourism and shipping make major contributions to the Greek economy, which has also benefited from payments arising from Greece’s membership in the European Union (EU). The country’s merchant ship fleet is one of the largest in the world. Greece’s capital and largest city is Athens . Although Greece did not come into being as a modern state until the 19th century, its people have a proud history that stretches back thousands of years. In the 1st millennium bc , ancient Greek city-states led by Athens made tremendous advances in government, philosophy, and the arts. The ancient Greek civilization was concentrated on the coastlines of present-day Greece and its islands, as well as the Aegean coast of what is today Turkey. The archaeological remains of many of the cities and sacred sites of ancient Greece are located in modern Greece. For a discussion of ancient Greek civilization and history, see Ancient Greece . The Ottoman Empire gained control of Greece in stages beginning in the 15th century. After an eight-year war, Greece formally gained its independence from the Ottomans in 1830; it was the first nation in the empire to do so. Initially including just the Pelopónnisos (Peloponnesus) and the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, Greece more than tripled its area between 1880 and 1920, gaining mainland territory and islands from the Ottomans, Britain, and Bulgaria. German forces occupied Greece during World War II (1939-1945). Greek Communist rebels then waged war against the country’s right-wing government from 1946 to 1949. In 1967 a group of middle-ranking military officers took control of Greece. The military regime was overthrown in 1974, and the people of Greece voted in favor of a republic. In so doing, they brought an end to the Greek monarchy, which had been a controversial feature of the country’s government throughout most of its modern history Greece’s heritage and geographical position make it part of the European, Balkan, and Mediterranean worlds. The country is bordered to the north by (from east to west) Turkey , Bulgaria , the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), and Albania . II Land and Resources Print Preview of Section Greece’s total area is 131,957 sq km (50,949 sq mi). Islands account for about 20 percent of that figure. From north to south, the greatest distance between points on Greek territory is 793 km (493 mi); from east to west it is 992 km (616 mi). A Natural Regions Mainland Greece includes the regions of Thrace and Macedonia in the north; Epirus, Thessaly (Thessalia), and Central Greece in the central section; and the Pelopónnisos, a peninsula connected to the rest of the mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth, in the south. Of Greece’s more than 2,000 islands, only about 170 are inhabited. Major islands include Crete (Kríti), Euboea (Évvoia), Ikaría (Icaria), Khíos (Chios), Límnos (Lemnos), Lésvos (Lesbos), Sámos, Samothráki (Samothrace), and Thásos. Greece also has four island groups: the Northern Sporades, the Cyclades (Kikladhes), the Dodecanese, and the Ionian islands. Like much of the mainland of which they are geological extensions, the islands are generally mountainous and dry. The islands of the Aegean Sea are hilly, rugged, stony, and dry. About 80 percent of Greece’s land area is mountainous. The Pindus Mountains, with an average elevation of about 2,650 m (about 8,700 ft), extend from north to south through the middle of the mainland. A northeastern spur of the Pindus range includes Greece’s highest point, Mount Olympus (2,917 m/9,570 ft), considered in ancient times to be the home of the gods. Lower mountain ranges, including the Taíyetos Mountains on the Pelopónnisos, generally run from northeast to southwest through the country, including on the islands. Much of Greece lies in an earthquake zone, and earthquakes occur frequently. In 1978 an earthquake inflicted considerable damage on the city of Thessaloníki (Salonika). B Rivers Greece’s rivers are relatively short, and many dry up in the summer. None of the rivers are navigable. The country’s major rivers include the Vardar (Axiós), the Struma (Strymon), the Néstos, and the Aliákmon, all of which flow through the region of Macedonia to the Aegean. Measuring 297 km (185 mi), the Aliákmon is the longest river in Greece. C Coastline Although Greece is relatively small, its coastline totals 13,700 km (8,500 mi), making it one of the longest of any country in the world. The coastal waters of Greece are shallow and penetrate far inland. The gulfs of Corinth and Saronikós, separated by the Isthmus of Corinth, divide the Pelopónnisos from central and northern Greece. Despite its indented coasts, Greece has few good harbors. The Gulf of Saronikós has the best anchorages, notably in the natural harbor of Piraeus (Pireás), which is the port of Athens. Corfu (Kérkira), one of the Ionian Islands, also has a good harbor. D Plants and Animals Greece has diverse vegetation. From sea level to an elevation of 460 m (1,500 ft), oranges, olives, dates, pomegranates, figs, cotton, and tobacco are grown. From 120 to 460 m (400 to 1,500 ft) are deciduous and evergreen forests containing oak, black pine, chestnut, beech, and sumac. Tulips, hyacinths, and laurels are also characteristic of this elevation. Firs and wild flowers such as anemone and cyclamen are found above 1,200 m (4,000 ft), and mosses and lichens predominate above 1,500 m (5,000 ft). Wildlife in Greece includes boar, European black bear, lynx, jackal, chamois, deer, fox, badger, and weasel. Among the birds are the hawk, pelican, egret, pheasant, partridge, nightingale, turtledove, and stork. Marine life includes squid, octopus, cod, bass, whitebait, and red mullet. E Natural Resources Greece is relatively poor in natural resources. Bauxite, from which aluminum is produced, is the most significant mineral resource, and there are also deposits of asbestos, nickel, magnesite, and marble. The country has little black coal, and its lignite (brown coal) is of poor quality. The reserves of other commercially important minerals, such as chromium, copper, uranium, and magnesium, are relatively small. Greece’s small petroleum deposits, located under the Aegean Sea near the island of Thásos, are rapidly being depleted. There are no significant reserves of natural gas. Greece’s forests, probably abundant in ancient times, have been significantly depleted. Subsequent soil erosion has made reforestation efforts difficult. Although much of Greece’s soil is rocky and dry, the country’s mountains are interspersed with small valleys where the soils are of the rich Mediterranean terra rosa (red earth) variety. Cultivated fields and orchards cover 30 percent of the country. The fertile plains of Thessaly, Macedonia, and western Thrace are prime agricultural areas. F Climate Greece’s climate varies according to region. The southern and central portions of the country experience the traditional Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The continental climate of northern Greece is marked by colder winters. There is also considerable regional variation in annual rainfall, with areas to the west of the Pindus Mountains receiving far more rain than those to the east. The Ionian island of Corfu (Kérkira), located off the mainland’s northwestern coast, receives an average of 1,000 mm (40 in) of rain per year, whereas the average annual rainfall in Athens in central Greece is 400 mm (16 in). Snow is common in the mountains. The average January temperature in Athens is 10°C (50°F); the July average is 28°C (82°F). G Environmental Issues Athens is the most highly industrialized and densely populated city in Greece. Owing largely to the country’s rapid industrialization and its automobile emissions, air pollution is a severe problem in the city. Each year, hundreds of Athens residents are hospitalized because of respiratory problems caused or made worse by the pollution. Air pollution has also damaged many classical Greek antiquities, especially in Athens. In an effort to combat air pollution, the government restricts the number of automobiles allowed to enter the city, especially on days with high pollution levels. The government also encourages citizens to use vehicles that pollute less. Water pollution is another issue facing Greece. Waste from about 50 percent of the country’s industrial sites, in addition to all of the sewage from Athens, flows into the Gulf of Saronikós. Much of this waste is untreated. Water pollution from Greece has contributed to the severe pollution of the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Action Plan, devised by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in the 1970s, has aided in slowing the rate at which the waters around Greece are polluted. The plan has been adopted by all of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean, as well as by the EU. Many wetlands in the interior of Greece suffer from being drained for agricultural or other human activities, and they are in danger of further degradation. Several wetlands sites have been earmarked for conservation programs. Greece is party to treaties concerning air pollution, biodiversity, climate change, endangered species, hazardous wastes, marine dumping, ship pollution, tropical timber, and wetlands. III People and Society Print Preview of Section In 1991, at the time of the most recent census, Greece had a population of 10,259,900. In 2004 the country had an estimated population of 10,647,529. Declining birth rates have resulted in a very low rate of population increase. In 1951 the birth rate was 20.3 per 1,000 persons; by 2004 it had decreased to 9.7 per 1,000. In 2004 male life expectancy at birth was 76 years, and female life expectancy was 82 years. Since World War II (1939-1945), Greece has witnessed significant migration from rural areas—particularly mountain villages—to cities and towns. In 2002, 61 percent of Greece’s inhabitants lived in urban areas. More than one-third of the population was concentrated in the Athens metropolitan area, where job opportunities have been most plentiful. After Athens, the principal city in Greece is Thessaloníki, a major port city and a center of international shipping for the southern Balkans. Other major cities include Piraeus, a major port and industrial center, located near Athens; Pátrai, the most significant port on the Pelopónnisos; Iráklion, the capital of Crete; and Vólos and Lárisa, commercial centers in Thessaly. In the 1950s and 1960s more than 10 percent of Greece’s population emigrated. Many of the emigrants left to live as guest workers in western Europe, West Germany in particular. A significant number have since returned to Greece. The current rate of emigration is very low. Greece has seen a flood of immigrants, most of them illegal, in the 1990s. The country’s immigrant population is estimated to be between 500,000 and 800,000 people. Many of them have come from economically troubled Albania. A Ethnic Groups Greece is the most ethnically homogeneous country in the Balkans, with ethnic Greeks making up more than 95 percent of the population (not accounting for illegal immigrants). There is a significant Turkish minority in western Thrace. Other minorities include Albanians, Roma (Gypsies), Pomaks (Muslim Slavs), Armenians, Macedonian Slavs, and Vlachs. Language The first language of the overwhelming majority of the population is Modern Greek ( see Greek Language ). The Greek language demonstrates a remarkable degree of continuity. Modern Greek uses the same alphabet that was used for the Greek language spoken in ancient times. During much of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Greek language was a subject of controversy. In the 19th century Greek scholars attempted to purify the modern language to make it more similar to Ancient Greek. These purists introduced the formal Katharevousa form of Greek. Katharevousa differs in grammar, syntax, and vocabulary from Demotike, the spoken vernacular. Until the 1970s many of Greece’s books and newspapers were in Katharevousa. In 1976 Demotike was made the country’s official language. English and German are widely spoken in Greece. Languages spoken by Greece’s ethnic minorities include Turkish, Slavic Macedonian, Vlach (a Romanian dialect), Albanian, and Pomak (a Bulgarian dialect). C Religion About 94 percent of Greece’s population is at least nominally Greek Orthodox ( see Orthodox Church ). Baptisms, marriages, and burials according to the rites of the Orthodox Church are the norm for a great majority of Greeks. Civil marriage was introduced in the 1980s. The Orthodox Church is governed by a synod of bishops, which is headed by the archbishop of Athens. Although church attendance is in decline, there has been a significant revival of religious life on Mount Athos , a self-governing monastic republic on the Khalkidikí Peninsula consisting of 20 monasteries. Easter and the Feast of the Dormition (Assumption) of the Virgin are the main religious holidays. Many Greeks return to their native villages or islands for Easter festivities, which usually involve the roasting of whole lambs. Some 10 percent of Greece’s Orthodox Christians are Old Calendarists, who reject the Gregorian calendar (adopted in Greece in 1923) and still adhere to the Julian calendar . Muslims, mostly people of Turkish descent living in Thrace and on the Dodecanese islands, constitute the largest religious minority. Greece has a small Roman Catholic population, found principally on some of the Aegean Islands, and an even smaller Protestant community. Until the German occupation during World War II, Thessaloníki had a significant Jewish population. The Germans sent the great majority of the country’s Jews to Nazi death camps in Eastern Europe. However, small Jewish communities still exist in Thessaloníki and Athens. D Education In 2004 Greece had an adult literacy rate of 98 percent. Education is free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 14; the remaining years of secondary school are optional and also free. Many Greeks place a high value on education as the key to upward social mobility and a secure job. However, there are an inadequate number of public universities, and the constitution prohibits private ones, making access to higher education highly competitive. Many students of means attempt to gain an edge by attending privately run educational establishments called phrontisteria, which prepare them for university entrance examinations. Students attend the phrontisteria in addition to high school. Students who fail to gain entry to Greek universities may attend private, unofficial colleges. Many also choose to study abroad, particularly in the United Kingdom and Italy. In 2000–2001 about 478,000 students were enrolled in institutes of higher education in Greece. The country’s oldest general university is the National and Capodistrian University of Athens, founded in 1837. Other major universities include the National Metsoveion Polytechnical University of Athens; the Athens University of Economics and Business; the Aristotle University of Thessaloníki; the University of Macedonia; the Demokritos University of Thrace, in Komotiní; the University of Pátrai; the University of Ioánnina; the University of Crete; the Technical University of Crete; the University of the Aegean, which is divided between the islands of Mytilene, Khíos, Samos, and Rhodes; and the University of Thessaly. Institutions of higher education also include the Panteios University of Social and Political Sciences and the Athens School of Fine Arts, both in Athens. Athens has a number of foreign institutes devoted to archaeological research. The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the British School at Athens, the German Archaeological Institute, and the French School of Athens were all founded in the 19th century. E Social Structure Greece has no titles of nobility and no hereditary aristocracy. However, family connections are important in all walks of life, particularly in politics, where political dynasties are common. Both the paternal and maternal grandfathers of Georgios Rallis, who was prime minister from 1980 to 1981, had themselves been prime minister, as had Rallis’s father. F Way of Life Over the past 40 years, Greece has been transformed from a poor agricultural country ravaged by war and foreign occupation to a prosperous consumer society with a generally high standard of living. In the 1990s Greeks were faring far better than their northern neighbors in Albania, FYROM, and Bulgaria, countries stifled by decades of Communist rule and troubled by other forces since the Communist regimes fell. Rapid economic change in Greece has been accompanied by significant social change. Traditionally, Greek women were expected to be submissive to men and to devote themselves to the home. For example, women were not allowed to vote in national elections until 1955. Since the 1980s, however, there have been significant changes in the status of women. Family law has been changed to ensure greater equality between the sexes. The dowry system, which required brides to give property or money to the groom, has been legally abolished, but the practice has not completely died out. Family structures are tight in Greece, and many Greeks feel a deep responsibility to care not only for their children but also for their parents. As a result, it is still relatively rare for elderly people to spend their last years in nursing homes. Soccer and basketball are very popular in Greece, and there is significant rivalry between supporters of the major professional teams. For a country its size, Greece has done well at the Olympic Games, which originated in ancient Greece. (The first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens in 1896.) Many Greeks relax by sitting and discussing politics in the numerous coffee and pastry shops in villages, towns, and cities. In the past, the coffee shops ( kafeneia ) were exclusively male, and many still are. In the cool of the evenings, villagers will often take a volta —a stroll around the town or along the sea front if there is one. Greeks have traditionally taken a rest following the midday meal in the oppressive afternoon heat, although recent years have seen moves toward a continuous working day. Eating out is a major pastime in Greece, particularly in the summer, when many Greeks prefer to eat at tavernas (informal restaurants) in the cool of the late evening. The country’s cuisine reflects the influence of centuries of Turkish rule, particularly in the popularity of dishes such as souvlaki (skewered meat), doner kebab (spit-roasted meat), and honey-based sweetmeats such as baklava and kadayifi . The traditional Greek peasant diet of vegetables, beans, cheese, olives, olive oil, and rough bread, with little meat or animal fats, is now recognized as a particularly healthy one. With growing prosperity, however, consumption of meat and fatty foods has increased, as has the incidence of heart disease and other diet-related diseases. Consumption of traditional alcoholic beverages such as retsina (wine flavored with resin as a preservative; a drink dating back to ancient times) and ouzo (an aperitif distilled from grape stems flavored with anise seed) is on the decline. Vintage bottled wine is increasingly consumed instead of rough wine from the barrel, and Scotch whiskey has become very popular. One consequence of growing prosperity has been the destruction of much of the country’s traditional architecture, both in the villages and the towns. In place of tile-roofed, single-story stone village houses and the handsome neoclassical buildings of the capital, functional but unattractive concrete apartment buildings have sprung up in many places. Planning regulations are loosely enforced, and unrestricted construction has marred many attractive coastal and rural areas. Greek cities have been vibrant but noisy as a result of the constant building activity and the prevalence of motorcycles and motor scooters without mufflers. G Social Issues and Social Services Poverty does exist in Greece, but it is not readily visible; the sight of homeless people sleeping on the streets is rare. The state helps provide housing, and families will often care for poor members. Although the ratio of doctors to people in Greece is one of the best in Europe (one doctor for every 305 people), health care in general is inadequate. The country’s medical facilities are concentrated in Athens and Thessaloníki, and medical care in remote rural areas is poor. In 1983 the government created a National Health Service to ensure equal, state-funded care for all citizens. However, state and insurance payments fail to cover all health costs. Greeks who can afford it frequently choose to go abroad for more advanced medical treatment. Greece’s basic pension system is underfunded; in some instances, only 15 years of contributions (employer and employee contributions, combined with state subsidies in some cases) are required for a pension. The large numbers of foreign migrant workers in Greece fall outside of the country’s social welfare system. Greece’s crime rate, although rising, is still relatively low. Illegal drug use is a major problem in urban areas. IV Arts Print Preview of Section Greece has a thriving cultural life that draws on a celebrated classical heritage. Plays written in Athens in the 5th century bc are still performed, and Greek architects have produced notable neoclassical buildings. Greek artists and musicians have incorporated Byzantine traditions as well. A Literature Greece has a strong literary tradition, especially in poetry. Constantine Cavafy , a Greek poet who lived much of his life in Alexandria, Egypt, attained international prominence in the 20th century. His poems, many of them set in the classical era, reflect nostalgia for the past glories of the Greeks. The Greek past is also reflected in the work of 20th-century poets George Seferis and Odysseus Elýtis , who were each awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. The novels of Nikos Kazantzakis , including Zorba the Greek (1943; translated 1952), have been widely translated, and a number have been turned into films. A great deal of foreign literature is translated into Greek. See Greek Literature . B Art and Architecture During the 19th century neoclassical architecture was the dominant style in Greece, reflecting the revival of interest in everything associated with the civilization of ancient Greece. Designers in the neoclassical style included Danish-born architects and brothers Christian and Theophilos Hansen, as well as Greek architects Stamatis Kleanthes and Lysandros Kaftantzoglou. Greek painting tended to be influenced by postclassical European models. Important Greek artists of the 20th century include Photis Kontoglou, who sought inspiration in the traditions of Byzantine art, and Theophilos Khatzimikhail, who painted primitive pictures of great originality. Nikos Khatzikyriakos-Gkikas, one of Greece’s greatest modernist painters, was greatly influenced by cubism . For information about the art and architecture of ancient Greece, see Greek Art and Architecture . C Music and Dance Traditional Greek dances such as the hasapiko, the tsamiko , and the kalamatiano continue to be performed at weddings and other celebrations. Ethnic Greek refugees from Turkish lands in Asia Minor were forcibly moved to Greece during the 1920s, and they brought with them their own dance tradition. Refugees from cities of the Ottoman Empire brought rebétika , songs of the urban working class that combined Greek traditions with Eastern influences. The refugees’ music and dance have had a considerable influence on the development of contemporary Greek popular music, including bouzouki (a Greek stringed instrument) music. Important Greek classical composers of the 20th century include Manolis Kalomoiris, Nikos Skalkottas, and Yannis Xenakis . The world-famous opera soprano Maria Callas , born in New York City to Greek immigrant parents, received her musical training in Greece. Composers such as Manos Khatzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis have done much to popularize Greek music for a wider international audience. The Athens Concert Hall, completed in 1994, has given a considerable boost to the musical life of the country. See Greek Music . D Theater and Film Greece has a strong theatrical tradition. Ancient Greek tragedies are performed in the modern language in amphitheaters that survive from classical times, such as the one at Epidaurus. Many foreign plays are translated into Greek, and there is a lively tradition in satirical reviews. The motion-picture industry is well established in Greece, and a significant number of Greek films are produced each year. However, television and the large number of subtitled foreign films compete for the attention of the Greek audience. Greek actress Melina Mercouri made her international reputation in the film Never on Sunday (1960) and subsequently became a major force in the country’s cultural life. Director Theo Angelopoulos is known internationally and won the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his 1995 film Ulysses’ Gaze . E Libraries and Museums Greece’s National Library is housed in an attractive neoclassical building in Athens that was constructed by Theophilos Hansen in the 1800s. Library funding in Greece is generally poor, and it can be difficult to gain access to archives. The town of Khíos has an outstanding provincial library. Principal museums devoted to Greek antiquities include the National Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine Museum, and the Acropolis Museum, all in Athens, and the archaeological museums in Olympia and Thessaloníki. The archaeological museum in Iráklion on the island of Crete has an impressive collection of Minoan and early Greek antiquities. Also in Athens are the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art, focused on the ancient Aegean Cycladic culture; the Benaki Museum, devoted to postclassical art and antiquities; and the National Historical Museum, housed in the old parliament building, with collections relating to Greek independence and the country’s subsequent expansion. The Museum of Greek Folk Art in Athens contains a rich collection of traditional costumes. V Economy Print Preview of Section Until the 1950s, agriculture dominated the Greek economy, with subsistence farming predominating in many areas. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Greece drew most of its income from the export of a few agricultural products, principally tobacco and dried fruit; from its shipping industry; and from money sent home by Greeks living abroad. Greece became increasingly industrialized in the period following World War II, benefiting from government policies that encouraged growth, along with foreign aid and investment. Greece’s most striking economic development of the postwar period has been its emergence as a major tourist destination. Greece became a full member of the European Community (now the European Union, or EU) in 1981. The country engages in free trade with its European partners and also benefits from EU grants and subsidies. Still, Greece’s economy remains one of the least developed in the EU. The Greek government has traditionally been a major employer, both directly, through the large public sector—which includes state-owned banks, public utilities, schools, and mass transit—and indirectly, through businesses controlled by state-owned banks. Economic activity is also conducted to a significant degree by the self-employed and by small family-run businesses. This characteristic has limited the growth of labor unions outside the public sector. Greece’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2002 was $133 billion, which amounted to $12,490 per capita. The GDP understates Greece’s prosperity, because an estimated 40 percent of all economic activity takes place in a black market outside the tax and social security systems. The size of this underground economy is an obstacle to economic modernization, as black-market merchants rarely make long-term improvements to their businesses or try to comply with new regulations. Another obstacle is the large size of the public sector. Public expenditure constitutes one-third of the GDP. In the 1990s attempts were made to reduce the size of the public sector through privatization. These efforts were only partially successful, however, and the government still controls important areas of the economy. The efforts to reduce the government sector have met with severe opposition from powerful public-sector trade unions. In 1996 the government undertook efforts to qualify Greece to share a proposed single European currency, the euro , with other members of the EU. These efforts necessitated tough and unpopular measures to reduce Greece’s traditionally high rate of inflation and to increase its tax revenues. Greece’s inflation and deficits were still too high for the country to qualify in 1998 when the EU chose the participant countries, and so Greece could not adopt the euro when it was launched in January 1999. However, in 2000 Greece successfully met the qualifying criteria and was invited to join the single currency. Greece officially adopted the euro in January 2001. A Labor In 2002 Greece’s total labor force numbered 4,611,000 people; men made up 62 percent. The service sector, including tourism-related work, employs 61 percent of those who work. Agriculture employs 16 percent, while manufacturing employs 23 percent. Unemployment was 9.6 percent in 2002. About 600,000 members of the Greek workforce are members of private- and public-sector unions affiliated with the General Confederation of Greek Workers. Unions in the public sector are generally well organized. B Services Services, including tourism, account for the largest sector of the Greek economy. In 2002 services contributed 70 percent of the GDP. The hot, dry summers that characterize most of Greece, combined with the many fine beaches along its extensive coastline, make it a favored tourist destination. Tourism represents about 20 percent of service sector revenues. In 2002, 14.2 million tourists visited Greece. The majority of foreign visitors were from other European countries, the United Kingdom and Germany in particular. Popular tourist destinations include the Acropolis in Athens, the palace of Knossos (Knosós) on Crete, and the temple of Apollo at Delphi, as well as Aegean Islands such as Míkonos and Thíra, and the Ionian island of Corfu. Greece’s large ferry fleet is also an important service sector employer. C Manufacturing and Construction Industry—primarily manufacturing and construction—contributed 22 percent of the country’s GDP in 2002. Chief products include processed foods, textiles, clothing, footwear, chemicals, and ships. Greece also has a modest arms industry. Greece is home to a major cement factory, situated in Vólos. Building houses is a particularly important part of the construction industry. Investment in real estate has traditionally been seen as a shield against inflation. D Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Agriculture, forestry, and fishing remain significant, if declining, sectors of the Greek economy, contributing 7 percent of the GDP in 2002. A distinctive feature of Greek farming is the traditionally small size of landholdings. Principal crops include tobacco, cotton, sugar beets, vegetables, grapes and other fruit, and olives (from which olive oil is produced). Livestock, primarily sheep and goats, are a significant part of Greece’s agricultural output. Although forests cover 28 percent of Greece’s land area, forest products make only a small contribution to the GDP. Fires, in some cases started by developers seeking new land for construction projects, regularly lay waste to large tracts of forestland. Despite the omnipresence of the sea, fishing also makes only a small contribution to Greece’s GDP. Overfishing and pollution have damaged the fishing industry. E Mining The mining industry in Greece is a small part of the total economy but makes significant contributions to the country’s exports. Bauxite is the major mineral resource of value. Other resources mined significantly include nickel, iron ore, asbestos, bentonite, magnesite, perlite, marble, lignite coal, and petroleum. F Energy The energy sector in Greece has developed rapidly since World War II. Electricity production increased by almost 50 percent during the 1980s, due largely to the expansion of coal-burning thermoelectric stations. Two-thirds of the country’s energy is produced in power stations burning domestically produced coal. Hydroelectric power stations produce 4 percent of the country’s electricity. The rest comes from oil-fired generators. Almost all of Greece’s oil is imported. G Transportation Greece has 117,000 km (72,700 mi) of roads, of which about 10,000 km (about 6,000 mi) are classified as national highways. Improved roads and growing prosperity among Greeks led to a major increase in car ownership between 1977 and 1998, from 67 vehicles per 1,000 people to 348. Traffic congestion and the accompanying pollution are major problems in Athens, and to a lesser extent in Thessaloníki. The Athens subway, still under construction in the late 1990s, is expected to ease Athens’s notorious traffic problems. As of 1999, public transportation in the capital consisted of an overcrowded bus system and one small commuter rail line. The state-run railroad system is relatively small, with lines totaling 2,299 km (1,429 mi). The railroad system on the Pelopónnisos is narrow gauge, which limits the speed at which trains can travel and the freight that they can carry. Greece’s national airline, Olympic Airways, maintains an extensive domestic network and also flies to numerous international destinations. The airline has experienced frequent financial problems and labor disputes. The two largest international airports are Hellinikon Airport at Athens and Thessaloníki-Macedonia Airport at Thessaloníki. In 1999 a new airport was under construction at Spáta, near Athens. Greece has one of the largest merchant marines in the world. In 2002, 1,558 ships were trading under the Greek flag, totaling (without cargo) 32.2 million gross registered tons. The leading Greek seaports are Piraeus (near Athens), Pátrai, Thessaloníki, Iráklion, and Vólos. Domestic shipping has declined as the country’s roads have improved. A ship canal cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Pelopónnisos to mainland Greece. Completed in 1893 to shorten the sea route from Italy to Athens, the canal’s usefulness is limited because it is relatively shallow and narrow. A network of ferries links Piraeus and other mainland ports with the country’s numerous islands. H Communications Communications in Greece have improved greatly since the 1950s. Even the most remote villages are now connected to the national telecommunications network. Cellular telephones are widely used. Telecommunications are for the most part in the hands of the Greek Telecommunications Organization (known by its Greek acronym, OTE), which has been partially privatized. The monopoly of the government-controlled Greek Radio and Television (ERT) was broken up in 1987, and there are now numerous private television and radio stations. Greek Television (ET) provides three channels. As of 2000 there were 484 television sets and 475 radios per 1,000 people in Greece. Telephone ownership, including mobile phones, was 491 per 1,000 in 2002, reflecting a dramatic increase in recent years. There is increasing reliance on computers, and Internet access is limited but growing. Greece has a lively press, with 207 daily newspapers published in 1998. Most of the leading dailies are published in Athens or Thessaloníki. Important newspapers include the dailies Apogevmatini , Ta Nea , Kathimerini , and Eleftherotypia , and the weekly To Vima , which is published on Sundays. I Foreign Trade Greece consistently runs a trade deficit, meaning that it spends more on imports than it sells in exports. The trade deficit is offset in large part by income from tourism, shipping, EU payments, and decreasingly, remittances from Greeks working abroad. Since Greece became a member of the EU, an increasing proportion of its trade has been with European partners. Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States are the largest purchasers of Greece’s exports; leading suppliers of imports are Italy, Germany, France, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Greece’s main exports include fruit and vegetables, olive oil, textiles, and clothing. Principal imports include machinery, cars, trucks and buses, food, chemical products, and petroleum and petroleum derivatives. J Currency and Banking The monetary unit of Greece is the single currency of the EU, the euro (1.07 euros equal U.S. $1; 1999 average). Greece adopted the euro on January 1, 2001. At that time, the euro was used for electronic wire transfers and accounting purposes only, and Greece’s national currency, the drachma , was used for other purposes. On January 1, 2002, euro bills and coins went into circulation, and the drachma ceased to be legal tender. As a participant in the single currency, Greece must follow economic policies established by the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB is located in Frankfurt, Germany, and is responsible for all EU monetary policies, which include setting interest rates and regulating the money supply. On January 1, 2001, control over Greek monetary policy was transferred from the Bank of Greece to the ECB. The Bank of Greece joined the national banks of the other EU countries that adopted the euro as part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). Under the influence of EU membership, the Greek banking system has been liberalized, with many government restrictions relaxed or eliminated. A considerable number of foreign banks have opened branches in Greece. The Greek stock exchange is located in Athens. VI Government Print Preview of Section Greece formally became an independent state in 1830. Except for the period between 1923 and 1935, when a republic was instituted briefly, the country’s system of government was that of a hereditary constitutional monarchy. In 1967 a junta (group of military leaders) took control of the country. A constitution drafted the following year stripped the king of most powers. Following the collapse of military rule in 1974, the Greek people voted in favor of a republic and for the end of the monarchy. A new republican constitution took effect in 1975. A Executive The 1975 constitut Posted by cherryoney at 2004-04-24 16:41 | Read More | Edit | Comments(0) | Trackback(0) Page: Tags Updated Comments Archives Links