Greece:
Geography

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Background	Definition Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001.

Location	Definition Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates	Definition 39 00 N, 22 00 E
Map references	Definition Europe
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 131,940 sq km land: 130,800 sq km water: 1,140 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly smaller than Alabama
Land boundaries	Definition total: 1,228 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km
Coastline	Definition 13,676 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate	Definition temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain	Definition mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m
Natural resources	Definition lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 20.45% permanent crops: 8.59% other: 70.96% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 14,530 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 72 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 8.7 cu km/yr (16%/3%/81%) per capita: 782 cu m/yr (1997)
Natural hazards	Definition severe earthquakes
Environment - current issues	Definition air pollution; water pollution
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Geography - note	Definition strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands