GREECE

Name of the country: Elliniki Dimokratia (Ellas, Ellada)

People: Ellines (Hellenes) Women: Ellinides Men: Ellines

Population: just under 11000000 (46% men, 54% women)

Religion: 98% Greek Orthodox, 1,3 Muslim, 0,7 Other

Life expectancy: 82,21 (women), 76,98 (men)

Literacy: 95%

Language: Greek (Ellinika)

Currency: EURO €

Capital: Athens

State System: "presidential parliamentary republic"

Chief of State: Karolos Papoulias , since 2005 (elected by parliament every 5 years)

Prime Minister: Georgios Papandreou, Socialist party since October-06-2009 ( voted by people every 4 years) Elections: every 4 years

Parliament: 300 seats, the MP's are voted by the people for four years.

Highlights of the Modern Hellenic History

1821 : The Greeks rose up against the Ottoman Empire.

1828 : The autonomy of Greece .....by the Great Powers

1831: Ioannis Kapodistrias was assassinated .

1832: Monarchy .....by the Great Powers

1833–1863: Reign of King Otto

1864–1913 : Reign of King George I

1891 : liberalization of Trikala

Highlights of the Modern Hellenic History

1912–1922: Wars and crises: King: Konstantinos I

Prime Minister : Eleftherios Venizelos

8.10.1912 : The First Balkan War broke out

16 .06.1913 : The Second Balkan War broke out

August 1914 : World War I

The National Schism

Greek genocide

1919–1922 : Asia Minor Catastrophe

Highlights of the Modern Hellenic History

1922–1940 : Republic and Monarchy

1924 to 1935 The Second Hellenic Republic by Eleftherios Venizelos

1936 to 1941 4th of August Regime ( King George II to return to Greece)

September 1939 World War II

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1941-1945: The Axis occupation of Greece began in April 1941

The Greek Resistance ( . "National Resistance")

1946- 1949: The Greek Civil War

1950 – 1966: Unstable governments

1967 - 1974: Military junta (suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country)

1974 - today : Transition to democracy

Famous persons at the Modern Greek History

Politicians: ELEFTHERIOS

VENIZELOS KONSTANTINOS

KARAMANLIS ANDREAS

PAPANDREOU MELINA MERKOYRI SPYRO AGNEW

Thinkers:

NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS

ODYSSEAS ELYTIS

GEORGE SEFERIS

YANNIS RITSOS

KOSTIS PALAMAS

Famous persons at the Modern Greek History

El Greco (Dominikos Theotokopoulos) : The famous painter

Aristotelis Onasis: The famous entrepreneur

George Papanicolaou : the inventor of the pap smear for cancer detection in women

Konstantinos Karatheodori: the famous mathematician ,

one of the teacher of Ainstein

Famous persons at the Modern Greek History

MUSIC

Maria Callas Nana Mouskouri Herbert Von Karajan Demis Roussos Vicky Leandros Georges Moustaki

COMPOSERS:

Mikis Theodorakis

Manos Hatzidakis

Vangelis Papathanasiou

Famous persons at the Modern Greek History

THEATRE IRENE PAPAS JOHN CASSAVETES KATINA PAXINOU OLYMPIA DUKAKIS NIA VARDALOS

CINEMA

COSTAS GAVRAS

MICHAEL KAKOGIANNIS

ELIA KASAN

JENNIFER ANISTON

Economy and BusinessIs based on a capitalist economic structure

Economy is dominated by public sector spending and tourism.

Business is centered around: Tourism, mining, petroleum, chemicals,

textiles food processing, , metal products , Activities in the services sector ( Insurance, real estate,

Stock exchange)

The Greek Educational System comprises of three consecutive levels:

A. Primary :

Pre-school Education

Compulsory Primary Education.

B. Secondary:

Gymnasium

Lyceum

C. Tertiary

University

Higher Technological Educational Institutes

Life style in Greece

Culture :

Greece is located at a meeting point of the eastern and the western countries and this affects its culture.

The country had been under the occupation of a number of countries and has also passed through several historical phases.

Traditions, religious practices, music, food are all integral part of the culture

Large numbers of religious festivals are celebrated by the Greeks with great enthusiasm.

Life Style in Greece

Society:

Greek Society consists of close knit families.

Women are given great importance and are provided with good educational facilities.

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Entertainment :

archaeological sites, museums and galleries.

restaurants and taverns , bars, cafes and clubs

Sports(tennis, basket,volley, and various kinds of water-sports)

Life style

Food: offers an array of delicacies

Fruits and fresh vegetables ( garlic, onions, fennel, zucchini, grapes, apples)

Seasonings and herbs ( dill, mint, oregano, lemon rind)

olive oil

pasta , wheat and rice

Meat: Lamb, Pork, and beef

Fish

Moussaka, Paidakia, Dolmades , Pastitsio and Kokoretsi

The Greek Flag The Greek flag is called

"Galanolefci" which means "blue and white".

The cross symbolizes the Christian faith

The number of the lines is based on the number of the syllables in the Greek phrase:

Eleutheria H Thanatos

(Freedom or Death).

GREEK ALPHABET

Greek Vocabulary

Kalimera -- Good morning

Kalispera -- Good afternoon

Kalinichta -- Good night

Efcharisto -- Thanks

Parakalo -- Please

Ne -- Yes

Oxi -- No

Nero --- water

Poso kostizi --- How much?

Ti kanis -- How are you?

General position of woman in Greece

In Greece, women take home about three-quarters what men earn at the same job. Reports published by the Statistical Office of the EU (Eurostar) show that the greatest pay inequalities are found in the higher income groups, the older age groups and among the highest educated.

More than 50 percent of university graduates in Greece are female, yet women make up only 37 percent of the country's workforce.