PEOPLE
Greece
was inhabited as early as the Paleolithic period and by 3000 BC
had become home, in the Cycladic Islands, to a culture whose art
remains among the most evocative in world history. In the second
millennium BC, the island of Crete nurtured the maritime empire
of the Minoans, whose trade reached from Egypt to Sicily. The
Minoans were supplanted by the Mycenaeans of the Greek mainland,
who spoke a dialect of ancient Greek. During the Roman, Byzantine,
and Ottoman Empires (1st-19th centuries), Greece's ethnic composition
became more diverse. Since independence in 1830 and an exchange
of populations with Turkey in 1923, Greece has forged a national
state that claims roots reaching back 3,000 years. The Greek language
dates back at least 3,500 years, and modern Greek preserves many
elements of its classical predecessor.
Eastern
Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religion in Greece and receives
state funding. During the centuries of Ottoman domination, the
Greek Orthodox Church preserved the Greek language and cultural
identity and was an important rallying point in the struggle for
independence. There is a long-established Muslim religious minority
concentrated in Thrace and an estimated 300,000 Muslim illegal
immigrants living elsewhere in the country. Smaller religious
communities in Greece include Old Calendar Orthodox, Catholics,
Protestants, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons.
Greek
education is free and compulsory for children between the ages
of 6 and 15. Overall responsibility for education rests with the
Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs. Private
colleges and universities (mostly foreign) do have campuses in
Greece in spite of the fact that their degrees are not recognized
by the Greek state. Entrance to public universities is determined
by state-administered exams.
Population (2005 est.): 11,104,000 million. (Immigrants make up approximately 10% of the population.)
Growth rate (2007 estimated): 0.163%.
Languages: Greek 99% (official); Turkish, others. Albanian is spoken by approximately 700,000 Albanian immigrants. English is the predominant second language.
Religions: Greek Orthodox (approximately 98% of citizens), with Muslim (1.3%), Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and other religious communities.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--97.5%. All levels are free.
Health: Infant mortality rate--5.43/1,000. Life expectancy--male 76.72 years, female 81.91 years.
Work force: 4.72 million.
