Greece - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Greece, it was the English name derives from the Roman (Latin) designation "Graecia," meaning "Land of the Greeks"; the Greeks call their country "Hellas" or "Ellada". The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 13 regions (perifereies, singular - perifereia) and 1 autonomous monastic state* (aftonomi monastiki politeia); Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki (East Macedonia and Thrace), Attiki (Attica), Dytiki Ellada (West Greece), Dytiki Makedonia (West Macedonia), Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands), Ipeiros (Epirus), Kentriki Makedonia (Central Macedonia), Kriti (Crete), Notio Aigaio (South Aegean), Peloponnisos (Peloponnese), Sterea Ellada (Central Greece), Thessalia (Thessaly), Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)
National symbols
Greek cross (white cross on blue field, arms equal length); national colors: blue, white.
The flag
The National flag of Greece has nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue square bearing a white cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country; there is no agreed upon meaning for the nine stripes or for the colors.
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note: Greek legislation states that the flag colors are cyan and white, but cyan can mean "blue" in Greek, so the exact shade of blue has never been set and has varied from a light to a dark blue over time; in general, the hue of blue normally encountered is a form of azure
The National Anthem
| Title | "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS |
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note: adopted 1864; the anthem is based on a 158-stanza poem by the same name, which was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottomans (only the first two stanzas are used); Cyprus also uses "Hymn to Liberty" as its anthem
More about the government of Greece
| Date of Independence | 3 February 1830 (from the Ottoman Empire); note - 25 March 1821, outbreak of the national revolt against the Ottomans; 3 February 1830, signing of the London Protocol recognizing Greek independence by Great Britain, France, and Russia |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 25 March (1821) |
| Legal system | civil legal system based on Roman law |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975 |
| Amendments | Proposed by at least 50 members of Parliament and agreed by three-fifths majority vote in two separate ballots at least 30 days apart; passage requires absolute majority vote by the next elected Parliament; entry into force finalized through a "special parliamentary resolution"; articles on human rights and freedoms and the form of government cannot be amended; amended 1986, 2001, 2008, 2019 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Greece |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 10 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Ekaterini SAKELLAROPOULOU (since 13 March 2020) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 26 June 2023) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister |
| Elections/appointments | president elected by Hellenic Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 January 2020 (next to be held by February 2025); president appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Hellenic Parliament |
| Election results | 2020: Katerina SAKELLAROPOULOU (independent) elected president by Parliament - 261 of 300 votes; note - SAKELLAROPOULOU is Greece's first woman president 2015: Prokopis PAVLOPOULOS (ND) elected president by Parliament - 233 of 300 votes |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral Hellenic Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; 280 members in multi-seat and single-seat constituencies and 15 members - including 3 seats for Greek diaspora - in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by open party-list proportional representation vote; members serve up to 4 years) |
| Elections | Last held on 25 June 2023 (next to be held in 2027) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party - ND 40.6%, SYRIZA-PS 17.8%, PASOK-KINAL 11.9%, KKE 7.7%, Spartans 4.6%, Greek Solution 4.4%, NIKI 3.7%, Course of Freedom 3.2%, other 6.1%; seats by party - ND 158, SYRIZA-PS 48, PASOK-KINAL 32, KKE 20, Spartans 12, Greek Solution 12, NIKI 10, Course of Freedom 8; composition - men 231, women 69, percentage women 23% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Civil and Criminal Court or Areios Pagos (consists of 56 judges, including the court presidents); Council of State (supreme administrative court) (consists of the president, 7 vice presidents, 42 privy councilors, 48 associate councilors and 50 reporting judges, organized into six 5- and 7-member chambers; Court of Audit (government audit and enforcement) consists of the president, 5 vice presidents, 20 councilors, and 90 associate and reporting judges |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges appointed by presidential decree on the advice of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which includes the president of the Supreme Court, other judges, and the prosecutor of the Supreme Court; judges appointed for life following a 2-year probationary period; Council of State president appointed by the Greek Cabinet to serve a 4-year term; other judge appointments and tenure NA; Court of Audit president appointed by decree of the president of the republic on the advice of the SJC; court president serves a 4-year term or until age 67; tenure of vice presidents, councilors, and judges NA |
| Subordinate courts | Courts of Appeal and Courts of First Instance (district courts) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Ekaterini NASSIKA (since 27 February 2024) |
| Chancery | 2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 939-1300 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 939-1324 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/the-embassy/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa (FL), San Francisco |
| Consulate(s) | Atlanta, Houston |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador George James TSUNIS (since 10 May 2022) |
| Embassy | 91 Vasillisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens |
| Mailing address | 7100 Athens Place, Washington DC 20521-7100 |
| Telephone | [30] (210) 721-2951 |
| FAX | [30] (210) 724-5313 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://gr.usembassy.gov/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Thessaloniki |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 19 (17 cultural, 2 mixed) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Acropolis, Athens (c); Archaeological site of Delphi (c); Meteora (m); Medieval City of Rhodes (c); Archaeological site of Olympia (c); Archaeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns (c); Old Town of Corfu (c); Mount Athos (m); Delos (c); Archaeological Site of Philippi (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Greece
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Greece
Want to know more about Greece? Check all different factbooks for Greece below.
