GREECE| Capital: | Athens |
| Population: | 10,707,135 |
| Government type: | Parliamentary Republic |
| Location: | Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the ;Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey |
| Area: | 131,940 kmē |
| Land boundaries: | Total 1,210 km; Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 228 km |
| Ethnic groups: | Greek (98%), other (2%) |
| Religions: | Greek Orthodox (98%), Mulsim (1.3%), other (0.7%) |
| Languages: | Greek |
History
Greek scholars in all disciplines have contributed to the western culture in the areas of science, arts, politics, and philosophy. Greece has accomplished many of its achievements during the 500's B.C. However, Rome engulfed the Greek lands and other invaders followed and in 1453 with the fall of Constantinople the area became a Turkish province. The area became independent in the 1820's. Political stability has been elusive, and government has shifted between civil and military, many times brought about by social disturbances and military coups.
Government
The country of Greece is divided into 9 provinces, each of these areas is further divided into smaller regions and communities.
The government consists of a president, prime minister and cabinet, unicameral legislature, and judicial system. The legal system is derived from local custom and Roman law and consists of civil, criminal, and administrative courts.
Economy
Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about half of GDP, although the government plans to privatise some leading state enterprises. Tourism is a key industry, providing a large portion of GDP and foreign exchange earnings. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 4% of GDP. The economy has improved steadily over the last few years, as the government has tightened policy with the goal of qualifying Greece to join the Euro in 2001.
Police
There is one police force in Greece: the Hellenic national police.The Ministry of Public Order is the highest coordinating department and responsible for the Greek Police.
The organization of the Greek police is based on the administrative division of the country into 52 prefectures. Each prefecture constitutes a Police district, with the exception of two prefectures (Attica and Thessalonica) that are subdivided into two districts each. The total number of Police districts is 53.
In every police district there is a Police Department, that:
The head of the police department is a senior police officer (Police Director). In Attica and Thessalonica there is a General Police Department, directed by a Major General or Brigadier General. The work of the Police departments is supervised and co-ordinated by 8 district inspectors and 3 general inspectors, who are directly responsible to the Chief of Police.
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