The Government of Greece
Overview
- Capital: Athens
- Administrative regions: 13 regions
- Government & legal system: Parliamentary republic; civil law system. (government site)
- Head of state / government: Konstantinos Tasoulas, President (ceremonial); Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister (head of government) (official page)
- Official language(s): Greek (official)
- National Day: March 25 (Greek Independence Day, 1821); October 28 (Ochi Day) also a major national holiday
- Independence: March 25, 1821 (declared); recognized 1830
- Other official holidays: Ochi Day (Oct 28), Orthodox Easter
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (official site)
- Regional / international memberships: United Nations/ UN, European Union/ EU, North Atlantic Treaty Organization/ NATO, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/ OECD, Council of Europe
- Visa / entry requirements: Schengen visa rules apply for non-EU/EEA visitors. (visa info)
- Currency: Euro (EUR, shared currency) — Greek euro coins carry national designs (the owl of Athena, and figures such as Rigas Feraios); banknotes use common EU designs.
- Flag symbolism: Nine horizontal blue-and-white stripes with a white cross on a blue canton — blue and white represent the sky and sea (also purity and faith), the cross represents Greek Orthodox Christianity, and the nine stripes are popularly linked to the nine syllables of the independence motto ‘Eleftheria i Thanatos’ (Freedom or Death).
