Greek voice-over agency

Which countries have Greek as a national language?

Greek is the official language of Greece and Cyprus (nominally along with Turkish). It is a recognised minority language in Albania, Armenia, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary and parts of Italy. It is one of the official languages of the European Union.

How many people speak Greek as their first language?

It is estimated that approximately 13 million people speak Greek, mainly in Greece, Albania and Cyprus. There are significant Greek-speaking communities in Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Did you know…

• The Greek alphabet has been used from around 750 BC. It was developed from the Canaanite/Phoenician alphabet and some of the meanings of the letter names derive from Canaanite (eg alpha from aleph, which means ox, and beta from beth, which means house).
• Different versions of the alphabet were used in different cities. These are divided into three groups – green, blue and red. The blue group developed into the modern Greek alphabet, while the red group developed into the Etruscan and then the Latin alphabet.
• Koine Greek is also sometimes called New Testament Greek, as this was the original language in which the New Testament was written.
• It is estimated that around 12% of the English vocabulary (over 50,000 words) is derived from Greek. Greek roots have continued to be used in coining new words, for example photography, biomechanics.

The Greek economy

Greece’s economy is the 42nd largest in the world in terms of GDP, and the 45th largest in terms of purchasing power parity. In 2013 Greece had the 13th largest economy out of 28 in the European Union, and the largest economy in the Balkans – larger than all the other Balkan economies combined.

The service sector accounts for around 80% of the Greek economy, and industry contributes 16%. Major industries include tourism and shipping; Greece is the sixteenth most visited country in the world, and the Greek Merchant Navy is the largest in the world.

Greece was a founding member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and is a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation. Greece formally joined the European Union in 1981, and adopted the euro in 2001.