hopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki,
Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos

Independence: 1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)

Constitution: 11 June 1975

Legal system: NA

National holiday: Independence Day (proclamation of the war of
independence), 25 March (1821)

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Vouli)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders:
Chief of State--President Christos SARTZETAKIS (since 30 March 1985);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Constantin MITSOTAKIS
(since 11 April 1990)

Political parties and leaders: New Democracy (ND; conservative),
Constantine Mitsotakis; Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas
Papandreou; Democratic Renewal (DR), Constantine Stefanopoulos;
Communist Party (KKE), Grigorios Farakos; Greek Left Party (EAR),
Leonidas Kyrkos; KKE and EAR have joined in the Left Alliance,
Harilaos Florakis, president

Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18

Elections:
President--last held 30 March 1985 (next to be held 29 April 1990);
results--Christos Sartzetakis was elected by Parliament;

Parliament:--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held
April 1994);
results--New Democracy 46.89%, Panhellenic Socialist Movement 38.62%,
Left Alliance 10.27%, PASOK-Left Alliance Cooperation 1.02%,
Ecologist-Alternative 0.77%, Democratic Renewal 0.67%, Muslim 0.5%;
seats--(300 total) New Democracy 150, Panhellenic Socialist Movement 123,
Left Alliance 19, PASOK-Left Alliance Cooperation 4, Muslim
independent 2, Democratic Renewal 1, Ecologist-Alternative 1

Communists: an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers

Member of: CCC, EC, EIB (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU,
IWC--International Wheat Council, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery at
2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-3168;
there are Greek Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los
Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in New Orleans;
US--Ambassador Michael G. SOTIRHOS; Embassy at 91 Vasilissis
Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens (mailing address is APO New York 09253);
telephone p30o (1) 721-2951 or 721-8401; there is a US Consulate General
in Thessaloniki

Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue (top and bottom) alternating