Greece is a country.
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 . Greece is a democratic and developed country with an advanced high-income economy , a high quality of life , and a very high standard of living . 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 .