Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute over stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs.

Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada

72 00 N, 40 00 W

Arctic Region

total: 2,166,086 sq km
land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (2000 est.)

slightly more than three times the size of Texas

0 km

44,087 km

territorial sea: 3 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m

coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

NA

continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting

dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast, but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

56,361 (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 24.5% (male 7,072/female 6,740)
15-64 years: 68.9% (male 20,904/female 17,919)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 1,768/female 1,958) (2006 est.)

total: 34 years
male: 35.3 years
female: 32.3 years (2006 est.)

-0.03% (2006 est.)

15.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

7.84 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

-8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 69.94 years
male: 66.36 years
female: 73.6 years (2006 est.)

2.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

NA

100 (1999)

NA

noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic

Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (2000)

Evangelical Lutheran

Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2001 est.)

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Greenland
local long form: none
local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat

part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979

parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy

Nuuk (Godthab)

3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland

none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in international agreements relating to Greenland)

June 21 (longest day)

5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Danish

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Soren MOLLER (since April 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Hans ENOKSEN (since 14 December 2002)
cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the parliament (Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of parties
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; prime minister is elected by parliament (usually the leader of the majority party); election last held 3 December 2002 (next to be held December 2006)
election results: Hans ENOKSEN elected prime minister
note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit

unicameral Parliament or Landstinget (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 15 November 2005 (next to be held by December 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 30.7%, Demokratiit 22.8%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 22.6%, Atassut Party 19.1%; Katusseqatigiit 4.1%, other 0.7%; seats by party - Siumut 10, Demokratiit 7, Inuit Ataqatigiit 7, Atassut 6, Katusseqatigiit 1
note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or Folketing on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit Ataqatigiit 1

High Court or Landsret (appeals can be made to the Ostre Landsret or Eastern Division of the High Court or Supreme Court in Copenhagen)

Atassut Party (Solidarity, a conservative party favoring continuing close relations with Denmark) [Finn KARLSEN]; Demokratiit [Per BERTHELSEN]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA (Eskimo Brotherhood, a leftist party favoring complete independence from Denmark rather than home rule) [Josef MOTZFELDT]; Issituup (Polar Party) [Nicolai HEINRICH]; Kattusseqatigiit (Candidate List, an independent right-of-center party with no official platform; Siumut (Forward Party, a social democratic party advocating more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark) [Hans ENOKSEN]

NA

Arctic Council, NC, NIB, UPU

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half of the disk is red, the bottom half is white

The economy remains critically dependent on exports of fish and substantial support from the Danish Government, which supplies about half of government revenues. The public sector, including publicly-owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in the economy. Despite several interesting hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities, it will take a number of years before production can materialize. Tourism is the only sector offering any near-term potential, and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs.

$1.1 billion (2001 est.)

NA

1.8% (2001 est.)

$20,000 (2001 est.)

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

24,500 (1999 est.)

10% (2000 est.)

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

1.6% (1999 est.)

revenues: $646 million
expenditures: $629 million; including capital expenditures of $85 million (1999)

forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish

fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut); gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining; handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards

NA%

242.2 million kWh (2003)

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%
note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil fuel to hydropower production (2001)

225.3 million kWh (2003)

0 kWh (2003)

0 kWh (2003)

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

3,850 bbl/day (2003 est.)

NA bbl/day

NA bbl/day

0 cu m (2003 est.)

0 cu m (2003 est.)

$480 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%)

Denmark 63.3%, Japan 12.5%, China 3.9% (2004)

$601 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products

Denmark 78.4%, Sweden 11.9%, Norway 2.7% (2004)

$25 million (1999)

$380 million subsidy from Denmark (1997)

Danish krone (DKK)

DKK

Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)

calendar year

25,300 (2002)

19,900 (2002)

general assessment: adequate domestic and international service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay; totally digitalized in 1995
domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite
international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)

AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

30,000 (1998 est.)

1 publicly-owned station, some local low-power stations, and three AFRTS (US Air Force) stations (1997)

30,000 (1998 est.)

.gl

8,775 (2005)

1 (2000)

38,000 (2005)

14 (2005)

total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2005)

total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2005)

total: NA
note: while there are short roads in towns, there are no roads between towns; inter-town transport takes place either by sea or air (2005)

total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,236 GRT/400 DWT
by type: passenger 2
registered in other countries: 2 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 1) (2005)

Sisimiut

males age 18-49: 14,653 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49: 10,199 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49: 440 (2005 est.)

defense is the responsibility of Denmark

managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland