During prehistoric times Greece was
heavily populated, and around 3,000 BCE a stable civilization began to develop
on the island of Crete. Overtime, this civilization began to inhabit the
mainland of Greece in the form of many city-states. As a result, Athens became a primary
trading center.
The population of Greece is approximately
11.3 million people. Athens, the capital of Greece has a population of
approximately 3.5 million people. Greece has no natural growth rate (0.0), and
a total fertility rate of 1.4. As a result, the population of Greece is
expected to decline in the future. A large majority of the inhabitants of
Greece live in urban areas (60%). Most of the people in Greece live in cities
and along the coast or near bodies of water such as rivers and harbors.
Greece faces a new problem of
immigration. Immigrants have found new ways to enter the country and just under
58,000 entered Greece by land in 2011. Many of these new immigrants are coming
from central and eastern Europe. The number of people entering from Iraq,
Pakistan, and India have also increased significantly. Although immigration
seems to be an emerging problem, the population of Greece is still primarily of
Greek origin at 93%. Due to the current economic problems facing Greece, its
population may be suffering. The country currently has a 25.8 percent
unemployment rate.
References:
Rowntree, Lewis, Price & Wyckoff. (2011). Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a Changing World. Pearson.