1974-1989







Greece since 1989


Administration . The office of PM was held by Konstantinos Mitsotakis (ND, 1990-1993), Andreas Papandreou (PASOK, 1993-1996), Kostas Simitis (PASOK, 1996-2004) and Kostas Karamanlis (ND, since 2004). General elections were held in 1989 (twice), 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Foreign Policy . When the Republic of Macedonia (i.e. Vardar or Yugoslav Macedonia) declared independence, Greece refused to accept that name, insisting on F.Y.R.O.M. (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) instead. During the Yugoslav War of Disintegration and especially the Kosovo War, many Greeks sympathized with the Serbians, and in Greece anti-western sentiment was felt.
Relations with Turkey continued to be sensitive; Greece attempted to make the EU decision on the admission of Turkey into the EU dependent on a solution of the Aegean Sea and Cyprus issues. In 2004, Cyprus (in effect Greek Cyprus only, as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus lacks international recognition) joined the EU. On the other hand, when an earthquake struck Turkey in 1999, Greece contributed aid to Turkish victims, and Turks responded in kind when another earthquake struck Greece later that year. In 2002 an agreement was signed by both countries regarding a pipeline through Turkey, delivering natural gas to Greece.
A 1999 plan by Pope John Paul II. to visit Greece was cancelled, because Greek Orthodox clergy demanded repentence for interventions by the Catholic church in the Orthodox world from the epoch of the Crusades onward.

Political History . Greece since 1974 in effect is a functioning two-party democracy, ND and PASOK alternating in office.

The Economy . In 2002/2004 Greece introduced the Euro currency.

Ethnic, Religious Minorities . In 1999 the Greek government began implementing a policy of settling Roma (Gypsies) in designated areas.

Social History . Based on censi, the population of Greece was 10.26 million in 1991, 10.96 million in 2001. In the late 1980es and early 1990es, the country experienced an influx of refugees from Albania, desperately fleeing poverty; the census of 2001 counted 443,500 Albanians residing in Greece.

Cultural History . Greek athletes participated in the Summer Olympics of Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. The city of Athens competed for holding the Summer Olympics 1996 (the 100th anniversary of the first modern summer Olympics of Athens 1896), but was beaten by Atlanta, the home city of the largest sponsor of the Olympics, Coca Cola. Athens was awarded the 2004 Summer Olympics.
The Greek football team won the European Championship in 2004.







EXTERNAL
LINKS 		Articles Politics of Greece, Albanians in Greece, List of Prime Ministers in Greece, Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Andreas Papandreou, Kostas Simitis, Kostas Karamanlis, Elections in Greece, Greece at the 1992 Summer Olympics, Greece at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Greece at the 2000 Summer Olympics, Greece at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Terrorism in Greece, from Wikipedia
Overview over the Constitutional History of Modern Greece, from Greek Parliament
Timeline, from BBC News
Assessment for Roma in Greece, from Minorities at Risk
DOCUMENTS List of Greek Prime Ministers etc., from World Statesmen by Ben Cahoon
Historical Population Statistics : Greece, from Population Statistics, Univ. Utrecht
REFERENCE Richard Clogg, A Concise History of Greece, Cambridge : UP 1992, KMLA Lib.Sign. 949.5 C643a
Article Greece, in : Encyclopaedia Britannica, Macropaedia, 15th edition, vol.20 pp.178-205, KMLA Lib.Sign. R 032 B862n v.20
Article : Greece, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1990-1991 pp.571-577, 1991-1992 pp.569-576, 1992-1993 pp.642-648, 1993-1994 pp.647-653, 1994-1995 pp.638-644, 1995-1996 pp.636-642, 1996-1997 pp.582-587, 1997-1998 pp.587-594, 1998-1999 pp.638-645, 2000 pp.736-745, 2001 pp.716-724, 2002 pp.746-754, 2003 pp.748-756, 2004 pp.750-759, 2005 pp.750-759, 2006 pp.745-754 [G]
Entry : Background Notes - Greece, pp.148-156; Travel Warning - Greece, pp.492-494, in : Countries of the World and their Leaders Yearbook, 2000, Supplement [G]
Entry : Greece, Cabinet pp.42-43, Background Notes : Greece, pp.613-620, in : Countries of the World and their Leaders Yearbook, 2003 [G]
Entry : Greece, pp.508-513 in : IMF, International Financial Statistics Yearbook 2001 [G]
Article : Greece, in : Americana Annual 1992 pp.265-266, 1993 pp.265-266, 1994 pp.264-265, 2006 p.197 [G]
Article : Greece, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1990 pp.470-471, 1991 pp.453-454, 1992 pp.429-430, 1993 pp.439-440, 615, 1994 pp.437-439, 616, 1995 pp.412-414, 616, 1996 pp.411-412, 616, 1997 pp.425-426, 614, 2002 pp.431-432, 615 [G]


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on June 27th 2006

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