Greece - Hellenic Republic
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Flag of Greece
Nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white;
there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes
Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country.
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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 euro zone in 2001.
- CIA World Factbook.
Presidency of the Hellenic Republic
Flag and emblem.
www.presidency.gr/en/shmaia.htm
Greece - Fotw
Origin and meaning of the Greek flag.
www.fotw.us/flags/gr.html
Greece - wikipedia.org
Greece lies at the juncture of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
It is heir to the heritages of classical Greece, the
Byzantine Empire, and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece
Greece - U.S. Department of State
Greece was inhabited as early as the Paleolithic period and by 3000 BC had become home, in the Cycladic Islands, to a culture whose art remains among the most evocative in world history. In the second millennium BC, the island of Crete nurtured the maritime empire of the Minoans, whose trade reached from Egypt to Sicily. The Minoans were supplanted by the Mycenaeans of the Greek mainland, who spoke a dialect of ancient Greek. During the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires (1st-19th centuries), Greece's ethnic composition became more diverse. The roots of Greek language and culture date back at least 3,500 years, and modern Greek preserves many elements of its classical predecessor.
Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religion in Greece and receives state funding. During the centuries of Ottoman domination, the Greek Orthodox Church preserved the Greek language and cultural identity and was an important rallying point in the struggle for independence. There is a centuries-old Muslim religious minority concentrated in Thrace and an estimated 300,000 Muslim immigrants living elsewhere in the country. Smaller religious communities in Greece include Old Calendar Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons.
Greek education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 15. Overall responsibility for education rests with the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs. Private colleges and universities (mostly foreign) do have campuses in Greece despite the fact that their degrees are not recognized by the Greek state. Entrance to public universities is determined by state-administered exams.
www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3395.htm
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Flag of Greece