Some facts about Greek

THE GREEK LANGUAGE is a language of Greece.
Population: 9,859,850 in Greece, 98.5% of the population (1986). Population total all countries 12,000,000 (1999 WA).
Region: Thoughout the country. Also spoken in 35 other countries including Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Canada, Congo, Cyprus, DRC, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan.
Alternate names: ELLINIKA, GREC, GRAECAE, ROMAIC, NEO-HELLENIC
Dialects: KATHAREVOUSA, DIMOTIKI, SARACATSAN.
Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic.
Comments: Katharevousa is an archaic literary dialect, Dimotiki is the spoken literary dialect and now the official dialect. The Saracatsan are nomadic shepherds of northern Greece. Greeks in Russia and Ukraine speak either Greek or Turkish and are called 'Urums'. The Karamanli were Orthodox Christian Turks who came from central Turkey. National language. Dictionary. Grammar. SVO. Bible 1840-1955.

Also spoken in:
Albania
Population: 60,000 in Albania, 1.8% of the population (1989).
Comments: Bible 1840-1994. See main entry under Greece.

Cyprus
Population: 578,000 in Cyprus (1995), 75% of the population.
Dialects: CYPRIOT GREEK.
Comments: The dialect is reported to be closer to Classical Greek than that spoken in Greece in some vocabulary and grammar, and to have many Arabic and Turkish loan words. National language. Christian. Bible 1840-1994. See main entry under Greece.

Egypt
Population: 60,000 in Egypt (1977 Voegelin and Voegelin).
Comments: Bible 1840-1994. See main entry under Greece.

France
Dialects: CARGESE.
Comments: The Greek of Italy and that of Corsica are probably separate languages (R. Zamponi 1992). The last native speaker died about 1982 (Nick Nicalas 1997). The ethnic group speaks French. Bible 1840-1994. See main entry under Greece.

Italy
Population: 20,000 in Italy (N. Vincent in B. Comrie 1987).
Dialects: SALENTO, ASPROMONTE.
Comments: The Greek spoken in Italy and that of Corsica are probably two separate languages (R. Zamponi 1992). Mainly older speakers. Not used in schools. Investigation needed: intelligibility with Greek of Greece, Corsica. Bible 1840-1994. See main entry under Greece.

Romania
Comments: The Karakatchan are Romanian nomadic shepherds who speak Greek. Bible 1840-1955. See main entry under Greece.

Turkey (Europe)
Population: 4,000 in Turkey (1993).
Comments: Nearly all Greeks have now emigrated from Turkey. There were 1,500,000 in Turkey in 1900. Bible 1840-1994.

Greece