Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Ellinikí Dimokratía Hellenic Republic
Flag Coat of arms Anthem: Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν Ýmnos eis tīn Eleutherían Hymn to Liberty1 Motto: Ελευθερία ή θάνατος Eleftheria i thanatos  (transliteration) "Freedom or Death"	Location of  Greece  (dark green) – on the European continent  (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (light green)  —  [Legend]
Capital (and largest city) Athens 38°00′N, 23°43′E Official languages Greek Demonym Greek Government Parliamentary republic  -  President Karolos Papoulias  -  Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis  -  Speaker Dimitris Sioufas Independence 25 March 1821  -  Recognized 3 February 1830, in the London Protocol   -  Current constitution 1975, "Third Republic"  Area  -  Total 131,990 km² (96th) 50,944 sq mi   -  Water (%) 0.8669	Population  -  2008 estimate 11,216,708[1] (74th)  -  2001 census 10,964,020[2]   -  Density 84/km² (88th) 218/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2008 IMF estimate  -  Total $342.886 billion (32nd)  -  Per capita $30,745 (30th) GDP (nominal) 2008 IMF estimate  -  Total $361.577 billion (27th)  -  Per capita $32,421 (27th) GDP (nominal) 2006 estimate  -  Total $26.794 billion (78th)  -  Per capita $1,355 (117th) Gini (2000) 35.42 (low)  HDI (2005) ▲ 0.926 (high) (24th) Currency Euro (€)3 (EUR) Time zone EET (UTC+2)  -  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3) Internet TLD .gr4 Calling code +30

Greece [ˈgriːs] (help·info) (Greek: Ελλάδα, Elláda, IPA: [ɛˈlaða], or Ελλάς, Ellás, [ɛˈlas]), officially the Hellenic Republic [Ελληνική Δημοκρατία (ɛliniˈkʲi ðimokraˈtia)],[3] is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and south of mainland Greece, while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. Both parts of the Eastern Mediterranean basin feature a vast number of islands.

Greece lies at the juncture of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is heir to the heritages of ancient Greece, the Roman and Byzantine Empires,[4] and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule.[5] Greece is the birthplace of democracy,[6] Western philosophy,[7] the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama[8] including both tragedy and comedy.

Greece is a developed country, a member of the European Union since 1981,[9] a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union since 2001, NATO since 1952[10], the OECD since 1961,[11] the WEU since 1995 and ESA since 2005.[12] Athens is the capital; Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, Volos, Ioannina, Larissa and Kavala are some of the country's other major cities