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Europe / Southern Europe · Card 019

Greece

Greece is a country in Southern Europe. Its capital is Athens.

Find Greece

● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital: Athens
Language guide: Languages spoken & official status
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Population: 10.4 million2025 · World Bank
Area: 131,990 km²50,961.60 square miles
Independence: 1830from the Ottoman Empire

Greece in context

Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Athens; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Greece has a mountainous mainland and a large number of islands in the surrounding seas. Valleys and basins provide patches of agricultural lowland between ranges. Its coast is deeply indented, with peninsulas, gulfs and rocky headlands.

Meteora’s tall rock formations illustrate the variety of mainland geology. Crete has its own mountain ranges, gorges and coastal plains. Island landscapes differ considerably, so one beach or village cannot represent the geography of the entire country.

Climate & seasons

Summers are generally hot and dry, while winters are milder and wetter near the coast. Inland mountains have colder conditions than the islands and coastal plains.

Mediterranean habitats

Many lowland areas have hot, dry summers and wetter winters. Higher mountains are colder and can receive snow. Forest, scrub, alpine grassland and coastal wetlands occur in different combinations across the mainland and islands.

Flag

Nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue square with a white cross is in the upper-left corner

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Landscapes & nature

Languages

Public and official use

Greek is the official language and the main language of public life. It uses the Greek alphabet.

Community and regional languages

Turkish, Pomak, Romani, Aromanian, Arvanitika and other community languages also have a presence, with use varying by region and generation. English is widely learned as an additional language, especially in tourism and education.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & independence

The Greek War of Independence began in 1821 against Ottoman rule. Independence was internationally recognized in 1830. The country later experienced monarchy, occupation, civil war and military rule before democracy was restored in 1974.

1821
The War of Independence begins
1830
Greek independence is recognized
1974
Democratic government is restored

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Tourism, shipping, commerce and other services are central to the economy. Food production, agriculture and manufacturing also contribute. The debt crisis of the 2010s led to extensive economic adjustment.

Industry and production

tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people

10.42025 · millions of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
Year	People	Millions of people
1970	8,792,806	8.793
1980	9,642,505	9.643
1990	10,196,792	10.197
2000	10,805,808	10.806
2010	11,121,341	11.121
2020	10,698,599	10.699
2025	10,413,962	10.414

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars

228.32025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year	Constant 2015 US$	Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990	157,426,168,114	157.426
1991	162,306,378,863	162.306
1992	163,442,524,062	163.443
1993	160,827,443,642	160.827
1994	164,043,992,269	164.044
1995	167,488,456,016	167.488
1996	169,803,934,634	169.804
1997	175,921,772,179	175.922
1998	181,968,090,541	181.968
1999	186,806,231,971	186.806
2000	194,535,950,664	194.536
2001	203,582,678,905	203.583
2002	213,116,735,217	213.117
2003	225,470,734,593	225.471
2004	237,596,249,349	237.596
2005	240,408,216,059	240.408
2006	255,898,673,343	255.899
2007	264,872,706,551	264.873
2008	265,024,939,553	265.025
2009	254,107,830,646	254.108
2010	239,639,588,360	239.640
2011	215,970,916,413	215.971
2012	197,978,089,510	197.978
2013	193,479,795,684	193.480
2014	195,012,591,114	195.013
2015	194,567,373,678	194.567
2016	194,505,511,433	194.506
2017	197,370,820,218	197.371
2018	201,445,880,435	201.446
2019	206,033,167,051	206.033
2020	187,085,880,048	187.086
2021	203,277,223,533	203.277
2022	214,502,162,963	214.502
2023	219,083,738,943	219.084
2024	223,655,084,019	223.655
2025	228,291,607,841	228.292

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.908Very High human developmentRank 34 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.770

20000.828

20100.876

20200.896

20230.908

81.9 yearsLife expectancy at birth

11.6 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

Parliamentary republic. Hellenic Parliament (Vouli Ton Ellinon) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Greece.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

In which year did this event occur in Greece: The War of Independence begins?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.