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In this section you will
find useful information about Greece, concerning
various aspects of the nation's services and
sectors. This section could be particularly
useful to travelers who have never been to
Greece before. Browse through the various
sectors of the page by using the anchored
links of the index table,
or scroll down to the bottom of the page to
see them one by one. |
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| Area |
| Total |
131,940 sq km |
| Water |
1,140 sq km |
| Land |
130,800 sq km |
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| Geographic coordinates |
| 39°
00´ N |
22°
00´ E |
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| Terrain |
| Mostly
mountains with ranges
extending into the
sea as peninsulas
or chains of islands |
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| Robinson
Projection 1:30,000,000 |
Map
source: Christopher
Lukinbeal, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor
Department of Geography,
Southern Connecticut State
University |
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| Population |
| 10,934,097
(2001) |
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| Religions |
| Greek Orthodox |
97.6% |
| Muslim |
1.3% |
| Roman Catholic |
0,4% |
| Protestant |
0,1% |
| Other (including Jewish) |
0.6% |
| source: www.Greekembassy.org |
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| Languages |
• The official language
is Greek (spoken by 99%
of the population).
• The most commonly
used foreign language is
English.
• Most
of Greek people dealing
with tourism also speak
some French, German or Italian. |
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| Regime |
| Parliamentary
republic |
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| Flag
description |
 |
| Nine
equal horizontal stripes
of blue alternating
with white; there
is a blue square in
the upper hoist-side
corner bearing a white
cross |
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| International
organization participation |
Australia
Group, BIS, BSEC,
CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE,
DAW,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB,
EMU, EU
(since 1981), FAO,
G- 6, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG,
UPU,
WEU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO,
ZC,
IMSO , IPU , ITSO , ITUC , MIGA , OIF, UNWTO. |
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| Environment
- international agreements |
Party
to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen
Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur
94, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Bio diversity, Climate
Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands
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| Signed,
but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants,
Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol. |
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| According to the latest
information from the Hellenic National
Statistics Service and the World
Tourism Organization Greece was
the 15th most popular destination regarding
tourist arrivals in 2001. |
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| January 1, January 6,
Lent Monday, March 25, Holy and Good
Friday, Easter Monday, May 1, Whit Monday,
August 15, October 28, December 25,26
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The
climate varies according to region.
In central and western Greece
the temperature is higher than
in Northern Greece. Generally
mild winters and warm summers.
From April to October, the winds
vary significantly from area to
area, in terms of direction, strength
and duration. Long periods of
sunshine.
Annual rainfall also varies according
to region. The average annual
rainfall in the Greek capital,
Athens, is 400 mm. Snow is common
on the mountains and in Northern
Greece. |
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| Average
Temperatures |
Month |
Athens & Southern Greece |
Thessaloniki & Northern Greece |
| January |
52°F - 12°C |
45°F - 8°C |
| February |
54°F - 13°C |
51°F - 11°C |
| March |
58°F - 15°C |
54°F - 13°C |
| April |
65°F - 19°C |
65°F - 19°C |
| May |
74°F - 24°C |
74°F - 24°C |
| June |
86°F - 30°C |
86°F - 30°C |
| July |
92°F - 33°C |
90°F - 32°C |
| August |
92°F - 33°C |
90°F - 32°C |
| September |
82°F - 28°C |
80°F - 27°C |
| October |
72°F - 23°C |
69°F - 21°C |
| November |
63°F - 18°C |
58°F - 15°C |
| December |
56°F - 14°C |
50°F - 10°C |
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| Alternating current,
220 volts, 50 Hz. Appliances for 110
or 120 volts may be operated by using
step-down transformers of 220/110 volts
connected to each outlet, provided that
these transformers have two separate
windings which will eliminate any danger
of electric shock. |
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| Adequate, modern networks
reach all areas. IDD available throughout
the country. |
- domestic: microwave
radio relay trunk system; extensive
open wire connections; submarine cable
to offshore islands
- international: tropospheric scatter;
8 submarine cables; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intel sat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat,
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region).
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| The telephone system
supports international payphone cards
usage. |
| OTE is the Greek
Telecommunication Organization. |
| There are two different
dialing systems in Greece. Tone and
pulse. Therefore telephone sets must
be able to change from one system to
the other. Dual voltage (220/110 volts
50/60 hz) power adapters for wireless
telephone sets are required. |
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| Dialing
codes |
Country
code: +30
Every city has a different area
code (e.g. for Athens 210 or 211
for new numbers). |
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| Call
Information |
•
Call 11888 for telephone directory
information
• Call 139
for international call information |
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| Mobile
telephony |
Good
mobile telephone service supported
by GSM 900 and 1800 networks around
the country |
| Greek
cell phone companies |
| Cosmote |
(+30) 697 plus seven
digits |
| Vodafone |
(+30)
694 694 or 695 plus seven digits |
| Wind |
(+30)
693 plus seven digits |
| Q-telecom |
(+30)
699 plus seven digits |
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| Public
telephones |
Most
public telephones do not accept
coins. A telephone card is necessary.
In some cases using your credit
card is possible. |
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| Fax
services |
Available
at: Post offices, OTE shops, Hotels,
Bookstores, photocopy shops etc |
|
| Telegram
services |
Available
at: Post offices, OTE shops, Hotels
etc
Call 136 to send a telegram or
to obtain more information. |
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| Tourism
police |
171 |
| Telephone Directory information
(plus information on entertainment) |
11888 |
| OTE (Organization of Greek Telecommunications)
customer service |
134 |
| Telex service |
1322 |
| Telegram service domestic - international |
136 |
| International calls information |
139 |
| Emergency police
line |
100 |
| Fire
Brigade |
199
(forests 191) |
| Emergency port authority line |
108 |
| Emergency air police line |
210-9642000 |
| Ferry
schedules, KTEL
bus schedules and Railway schedule
information (recorded messages) |
14944 |
| Telepost |
210
3237051 |
| National center of emergency
Aid |
166
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| Athens & Piraeus Pharmacy information |
1434 |
| Weather & Pollution report |
14944 |
| Time |
14844 |
| ELPA
(Hellenic Automobile Touring Club) Tourism Information (08:00-15:00) |
10400 |
| Consumers Institute |
1721
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| Consumer Protection Organization |
210
3304444 |
| European emergency service |
112 |
| GNTO
(Hellenic Tourism Organization) |
210- 8707000 |
| Olympic
Games Committee |
210-6878888 |
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| AM 26, FM 88, short wave
4 (1998) |
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| Television
broadcast stations |
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| 36 (plus 1,341 low-power
repeaters); also two stations in the
US Armed Forces Radio and Television
Service (1995) |
| Greek television systems
are PAL-SECAM-M. TV sets with the North
American system (NTSC) only, will not
operate in Greece. |
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| Easy access in many internet
cafes all over the country. |
| Internet country code:
.gr |
| Internet Service Providers
(ISPs): 27 (2000) |
| Greek search engines:
in.gr, hol.gr, lycos.gr, google.gr |
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| There are Post offices in
most towns and cities and on most of
the islands. |
| Post office hours: Mon
to Fri 0800 – 1400. There are some central
Post Offices in big cities that are
open Mon to Fri from 0800-2000 and Sat
0800 – 13.30 |
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| 27 Daily newspapers |
| International press available
at many kiosks. |
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| Euro (EUR) (since 1/1/2002) |
| Former currency: drachma
(GRD) (1 euro=340.75 grd) |
| See
also: Traveling to Greece > Currency
regulations |
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| There are many Bureaus
de Change throughout the country
open from morning until late evening.
You can also exchange money at banks
(commission varies). Banks are open
Mon-Thu from 0800 - 1400 and Fri from
0800-1330. There are some banks in central
locations in Athens (Omonia, Syntagma)
open in the afternoon. |
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| Visa, Diners Club, American
Express, Master Card are accepted at
most shops and restaurants. |
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| Shopping hours vary.
In Athens and other big cities shopping
hours are: |
| In
winter |
| Mon., Wed and Sat |
0900 - 1500 |
| Tue, Thu and Fri |
from 0900 - 1400 &
1700 - 2000 |
| Biggest stores
& Super markets |
| Mon., Wed
and Sat |
0800 or 0900
- 1800 |
| Thu and Fri |
0800 or 0900
- 2000 |
|
| In
summer |
| Mon., Wed and Sat |
0900 - 1500 |
| Tue, Thu and Fri |
0900 - 1400 & 1700
- 2100 |
| Biggest stores
& Super markets |
| Mon., Wed
and Sat |
0800 or 0900
- 1800 |
| Tue, Thu and
Fri |
0800 or 0900
- 2100 |
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| Entertainment
and culture |
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| Nightlife |
Restaurants
and cafe bars are open until
0230 or 0300 on Friday and
Saturday and until 0130
on other weekdays.
Usually, nightclubs are
open from 10.00p.m until
dawn. |
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| Cultural
Entertainment |
There
are many Theatres in Greece.
Every summer, many festivals
take place in different
Greek
ancient theatres. Greek
Museums
are one more attraction.
Contact the Ministry
of Culture for information
on opening hours and ticket
prices. |
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| Information
on entering Greece |
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| Greece is signatory to
the 1995 Schengen Agreement. |
All E.U. citizens can
enter Greece without a passport or visa.
A valid ID card is required. British
citizens should have their passport
as they have no other ID card. Driving
licenses are not accepted instead of
an ID card. The following documents
are also valid: a) Laissez-passer issued
by the U.N., the E.U, the High Authority
of European Coal and Steel Community
or the E.E.C. and Laissez-passer issued
according to the Dublin Convention of
1990, only valid for the transfer described
therein. b) documents issued to stateless
persons and refugees according to the
Geneva convention of 1951 and the New
York convention of 1954. c) Hong Kong
certificate of Identity issued by the
previous British Administration.
d)Expired passports of nationals of
Austria,
Belgium, France,
Luxembourg,
Portugal,
Spain
and Switzerland
(maximum five years) and nationals
of
Germany (maximum one year). |
A Visa is not required
for the following people if they intend
to stay in Greece for up to three months:
a) Nationals of Andora,
Argentina, Australia,
Bolivia,
Brazil,
Brunei,
Bulgaria,
Canada, Chile,
Costa
Rica,
Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech
Republic, Ecuador,
El
Salvador,
Estonia, Guatemala,
Honduras,
Hungary,
Iceland,
Israel, Japan,
Korea Rep., Latvia,
Liechtenstein,
Lithuania,
Malaysia, Malta,
Mexico, Monaco,
New Zealand, Nicaragua,
Norway,
Panama,
Paraguay,
Poland,
Romania, San
Marino, Singapore,
Slovak
Rep., Slovenia,
Uruguay,
U.S.A.,
Vatican City and Venezuela.
b) holders of passports who are described
as "British Subject, Citizen of
the
United Kingdom, Islands and Colonies"
c) holders of Hong
Kong, China
or Macao and China passports. |
| For visits exceeding
3 months, authorization must be obtained
in person by applying to the Aliens
Bureau at least 20 days prior to the
3-month expiration date. |
| Information |
| Office |
Address |
Contact
|
| Aliens
Bureau |
173,
Alexandras Ave., 11522 Athens |
(+30)
210 7705711-7 |
| Aliens
Center |
37,
Iroon Politechniou St., 185 10
Piraeus |
(+30)
210 4122501, 210 4241333, 210
4128607 |
| Aliens
Center |
25,
Tsimiski St. Thessaloniki |
(+30)
2310 521067 |
| Aliens
Center |
73
D. Gounari, Maroussi (Athens Suburbs) |
(+30)
210 8024808 |
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| In all nationality cases
a Visa is required if the traveler does
not hold a valid ID card or a valid
passport. |
| Citizens of all other
countries should contact the nearest
Greek
Consulate office or the Greek
Embassy in order to be properly
informed on visa requirements. |
Entrance is refused to
a) Nationals of Turkey whose passport
indicates that they have visited or
intend to visit North Cyprus and holders
of documents issued by the Authorities
of North Cyprus.
b) Holders of passports issued by Bophutaswana,
Ciskei, Transkei or Venda, of Norwegian
"Fremmedpass" or "Reisbevis",
Somalian passports issued after 23/01/1991and
Ethiopian Emergency passports. |
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•
Tourist and business (single and
multiple entry)
• Transit
(single and double) |
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