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 centered on 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 in consultation with Greenland's Home Rule Government.
Geography
Greenland
Location:
Northern North America, island
between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Greenland
Geographic coordinates:
72 00 N, 40 00 W
Map references:
Arctic Region
Area:
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.)
Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times
the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
44,087 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median
line continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median
line
Climate:
arctic to subarctic; cool
summers, cold winters
Terrain:
flat to gradually sloping
icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic
Ocean 0 m highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, lead, zinc,
molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish,
seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
continuous permafrost over
northern two-thirds of the island
Environment - current issues:
protection of the arctic
environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including
whaling and seal hunting
Geography - note:
dominates North Atlantic Ocean
between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small
settlements along coast; close to one-quarter of the population lives in
the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap
total: 34 years
male: 35.4 years female: 32.3 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.034% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
16.08 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
8.04 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-8.38 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1.15 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94
male(s)/female total population: 1.11 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.56
deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.53
years male: 66.95 years female: 74.2 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.39 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
100 (1999)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic
Ethnic groups:
Greenlander 88% (Inuit and
Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (2000)
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran
Languages:
Greenlandic (East Inuit),
Danish, English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 100% male:
100% female: 100% (2001 est.)
Government
Greenland
Country name:
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Greenland local long
form: none local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat
Dependency status:
part of the Kingdom of Denmark;
self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979
Government type:
parliamentary democracy within
a constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Nuuk (Godthab)
geographic coordinates: 64 11 N, 51 45 W time
difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March;
ends last Sunday in October note: Greenland is divided into
four time zones
Administrative divisions:
3 districts (landsdele);
Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland
Independence:
none (extensive self-rule as
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the responsibility of
Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in international agreements
relating to Greenland)
National holiday:
June 21 (longest day)
Constitution:
5 June 1953 (Danish
constitution)
Legal system:
the laws of Denmark, where
applicable, apply
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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 results: Hans
ENOKSEN reelected prime minister note: government coalition -
Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit
Legislative branch:
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%, IA 22.6%, Atassut Party 19.1%;
Katusseqatigiit 4.1%, other 0.7%; seats by party - Siumut 10, Demokratiit
7, IA 7, Atassut 6, Katusseqatigiit 1 note: two representatives
were elected to the Danish Parliament or Folketing on 13 November 2007
(next to be held in November 2011); percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - Siumut 1, Inuit Ataqatigiit 1
Judicial branch:
High Court or Landsret (appeals
can be made to the Ostre Landsret or Eastern Division of the High Court or
Supreme Court in Copenhagen)
Political parties and leaders:
Atassut Party (Solidarity)
[Finn KARLSEN] (a conservative party favoring continuing close relations
with Denmark); Demokratiit [Per BERTHELSEN]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA
(Eskimo Brotherhood) [Josef MOTZFELDT] (a leftist party favoring complete
independence from Denmark rather than home rule); Kattusseqatigiit
(Candidate List) (an independent right-of-center party with no official
platform); Siumut (Forward Party) [Hans ENOKSEN] (a social democratic
party advocating more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy
from Denmark)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Arctic Council, NC, NIB, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark)
Flag description:
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
Economy
Greenland
Economy - overview:
The economy remains critically
dependent on exports of fish and a substantial subsidy 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. Several interesting hydrocarbon and
mineral exploration activities are ongoing. Press reports in early 2007
indicated that two international aluminum companies were considering
building smelters in Greenland to take advantage of local hydropower
potential. Tourism is the only sector offering any near-term potential,
and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs. Air
Greenland began summer-season direct flights to the US east coast in May
2007, potentially opening a major new tourism market.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.7 billion (2005)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$20,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA%
Labor force:
32,120 (2004)
Unemployment rate:
9.3% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
forage crops, garden and
greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish
Industries:
fish processing (mainly shrimp
and Greenland halibut); gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and
diamond mining; handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
300 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0%
note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from
fossil fuel to hydropower production (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
279 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
3,880 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
149.1 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
4,013 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
$480 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products 94%
(prawns 63%) (2001 est.)
Exports - partners:
Denmark 67.1%, Japan 12.1%,
China 5.6% (2006)
Imports:
$712 million c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport
equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Denmark 69.9%, Sweden 16.3%,
Norway 3.7% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$512 million; note - subsidy
from Denmark (2005)
Debt - external:
$25 million (1999)
Currency (code):
Danish krone (DKK)
Currency code:
DKK
Exchange rates:
Danish kroner per US dollar -
5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Greenland
Telephones - main lines in use:
25,300 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
32,200 (2004)
Telephone system:
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 -
15 (12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)) (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
30,000 (1998 est.)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus some local low-power
stations, and 3 Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) stations
(1997)
Televisions:
30,000 (1998 est.)
Internet country code:
.gl
Internet hosts:
15,329 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
38,000 (2005)
Transportation
Greenland
Airports:
14 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
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 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5 1,524 to
2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2
(2007)
Roadways:
total: NA
note: although there are short roads in towns, there are no
roads between towns; inter-urban transport takes place either by sea or
air (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT
or over) 3,422 GRT/2,340 DWT by type: cargo 1, passenger 1
registered in other countries: 1 (Denmark 1) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Sisimiut
Military
Greenland
Military branches:
no regular military forces
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 15,221
(2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,739
(2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 509
(2008 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility
of Denmark
Transnational Issues
Greenland
Disputes - international:
managed dispute between Greenland
and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Greenland's
Ellesmere Island and Greenland
