World Factbook
Greece
Elliniki Dimokratia
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue square with a white cross is in the upper-left corner meaning: the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion; there is no set meaning for the stripes and colors
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; the blue is now usually an azure
Capital
name
Athens
etymology
the origin of the name is uncertain; according to tradition, the city is named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, but the name is probably pre-Hellenic
time difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
37 59 N, 23 44 E
Suffrage
17 years of age; universal and compulsory
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
Constitution
history
many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975
amendment process
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
Country name
former
Hellenic State, Kingdom of Greece
etymology
the English name derives from the Roman (Latin) designation Graecia , meaning "Land of the Greeks"; the Greeks call their country Ellas or Ellada, which is probably derived from Hellas, the name of the mythical son of Deucalian
local long form
Elliniki Dimokratia
local short form
Ellas or Ellada
conventional long form
Hellenic Republic
conventional short form
Greece
Independence
3 February 1830 (from the Ottoman Empire)
note: the national revolt against the Ottomans began on 25 March 1821; the London Protocol recognizing Greek independence was signed on 3 February 1830 by Great Britain, France, and Russia
Legal system
civil legal system based on Roman law
Government type
parliamentary republic
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
subordinate courts
Courts of Appeal and Courts of First Instance (district courts)
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 after 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
Executive branch
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state
President Konstantinos TASOULAS (since 13 March 2025)
election results
2025: Konstantinos TASOULAS (ND) elected president by Parliament - 160 of 300 votes 2020: Katerina SAKELLAROPOULOU (independent) elected president by Parliament - 261 of 300 votes
head of government
Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 26 June 2023)
most recent election date
12 February 2025
election/appointment process
president elected by Hellenic Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); president appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Hellenic Parliament
expected date of next election
2030
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
National color(s)
blue, white
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
20 (18 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); Minoan Palatial Centres (c)
Political parties
Coalition of the Radical Left-Progressive Alliance or SYRIZA-PS Communist Party of Greece or KKE Course of Freedom Democratic Patriotic Movement-Victory or NIKI Greek Solution New Democracy or ND PASOK - Movement for Change or PASOK-KINAL Spartans
Legislative branch
note
note: only parties surpassing a 3% vote threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups but can retain that status if the party participated in the last election and received the minimum 3% threshold
term in office
4 years
number of seats
300 (all directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
legislature name
Hellenic Parliament (Vouli Ton Ellinon)
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
6/25/2023
expected date of next election
June 2027
percentage of women in chamber
22.9%
parties elected and seats per party
New Democracy (ND) (158); Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) (47); Panhellenic Socialist Movement - Movement for Change (PASOK-KINAL) (32); Communist Party (KKE) (21); Other (42)
National anthem(s)
title
"Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Freedom)
history
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 Freedom" as its anthem
lyrics/music
Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS
National symbol(s)
Greek cross (white cross on a blue field)
National coat of arms
the coat of arms was designed by Greek artist Kostas Grammatopoulos and has been in use since 1975; depicted in the national colors of blue and white; the white cross represents the country’s primary religion, Greek Orthodoxy, and the laurel branches symbolize victory
Administrative divisions
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)
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 939-1324
chancery
2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 939-1300
consulate(s)
Atlanta, Houston
chief of mission
Ambassador Ekaterini NASSIKA (since 27 February 2024)
consulate(s) general
Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa (FL), San Francisco
email address and website
gremb.was@mfa.gr https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/the-embassy/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[30] (210) 724-5313
embassy
91 Vasillisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens
telephone
[30] (210) 721-2951
mailing address
7100 Athens Place, Washington DC 20521-7100
chief of mission
Ambassador Kimberly Ann GUILFOYLE (since 4 November 2025)
consulate(s) general
Thessaloniki
email address and website
athensamericancitizenservices@state.gov https://gr.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction