Comprehensive introduction to various industries in Greece

Agriculture Greece’s agricultural population accounts for 1/6 of the total population. The three pillars of agricultural products are olives, cotton and tobacco. In addition to meeting domestic demand, olive oil is also exported in large quantities. In addition, Greece is also rich in wheat, corn, potatoes, asparagus, beets, tomatoes, peaches, grapes, citrus and lemons. 30% of the total land area is arable land, but due to the high terrain and sparse pasture, it is only suitable for raising sheep and goats. Greece also produces a famous dairy product, sheep cheese, which is habitually called "Greek cheese" around the world. Coastal fisheries are developed.

Industry and Mining

Greece’s traditional industries are mainly textile, food and tobacco processing. In recent years, heavy industries such as steel, shipbuilding, oil refining, aluminum smelting, fertilizers and cement have developed rapidly. Athens and Thessaloniki are two major industrial centers. Mineral resources include lignite, bauxite, magnesium, nickel, chromium, gold, iron, lead and zinc. Marble is particularly abundant and was used as a raw material in many buildings and sculptures in ancient Greece. Greece's marble production accounts for about 5% of the world's total and is exported to foreign countries in large quantities.

Foreign Trade

Greece imports a large amount of industrial products, oil, meat and feed every year; exports textiles, olive oil, cotton, tobacco, sheep cheese, marble, aluminum Soil etc.

Tourism

Greece’s tourism industry is very prosperous. About 16 million foreign tourists come to Greece every year, exceeding the total population of Greece. Tourism brings about $14 billion in revenue to Greece every year. At the same time, their remittances are also important foreign exchange earnings.

Transportation industry

Domestic transportation is mainly highway and sea transportation, supplemented by railway, and foreign trade mainly relies on sea transportation.

Due to the mountainous terrain in Greece, the railway network is relatively sparse. In 2004, the total length of railways was 2,385 kilometers, with an annual freight volume of 2.59 million tons and an annual passenger volume of 8.88 million passengers. Nearly one-third of them are narrow-gauge railways with a gauge of 1 meter. Such narrow-gauge lines are mainly distributed in the Peloponnese Peninsula. The railway from Athens to the north via Thessaloniki is an international trunk line connecting Central and Eastern Europe. The railway from Thessaloniki to Istanbul is an important channel connecting the Eurasian continent.

Greece’s road network is very dense, with a total length of 116,700 kilometers. In 2005, the total length of highways was 2,186 kilometers, and the national highways were more than 9,100 kilometers. There are many long-distance bus lines linking Athens to other places with frequent services.

Greece has vast seas and numerous islands, so sea ferries are an indispensable means of transportation. The maritime industry is an important part of the country's economy. In addition to ordinary passenger ships, faster hydrofoil boats are also used. The main port connecting the Aegean Sea is Piraeus, the outer port of Athens. Passenger ferries to the Ionian Islands mostly depart from Patras and Igoumenitsa. The main ports are Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Volos and Patras.

Air transportation between mainland Greece and the islands is developing rapidly. The state-owned Olympic Airline connects Athens with more than 30 other cities and islands. There are also 7 private airlines, mainly operating domestic routes. There are 35 airports in the country. The main airports are Zenizelos International Airport, Thessaloniki Airport and Crete Airport. However, due to the debt crisis, Greece decided to sell 14 airports across the country.