Greece is a nation.
Greece ( Ελλάδα , [ eˈlaða ] ) , officially the Hellenic Republic ( Greek : Ελληνική Δημοκρατία , [ eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a ] ) , historically also known as Hellas ( Ἑλλάς , [ heˈlas ] , modern pronunciation Ellás ) , is a country in southeastern Europe , with a population of approximately 11 million as of 2015 . Falling under Ottoman dominion in the mid-15th century , the modern nation state of Greece emerged in 1830 following a war of independence . A founding member of the United Nations , Greece was the tenth member to join the European Communities ( precursor to the European Union ) and has been part of the Eurozone since 2001 . Greece competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens , from 13 to 29 August 2004 , as the host nation .