Greenland

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The world's largest non-continental island, about 84% ice-capped, Greenland was granted self-government in 1978 by the Danish parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs.

Table of contents

1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

Geography

Location 

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

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) (est.)

Area - comparative 

slightly more than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

44,087 km

Maritime claims 

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

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 

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

Land use 

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

NA sq km

Natural hazards 

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, but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

People

Population 

56,376 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 26.3% (male 7,561; female 7,284)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 20,880; female 17,489)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male 1,442; female 1,720) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

0.03% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

16.27 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

-8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

17.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 68.69 years
female: 72.32 years (2002 est.)
male: 65.13 years

Total fertility rate 

2.43 children born/woman (2002 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% (January 2000)

Religions 

Evangelical Lutheran

Languages 

Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English

Literacy 

definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
note: similar to Denmark proper

Government

Country name 

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

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 

Nuuk (Godthab)

Administrative divisions 

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

Independence 

none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979)
note: 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 

Danish

Suffrage 

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch 

chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Gunnar MARTENS (since NA 1995)
note: government coalition - Siumut and Atassut
election results: Hans ENOKSEN elected prime minister
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 NA December 2006)

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)
note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or Folketing on 20 November 2001 (next to be held no later than November 2005); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit Ataqatigiit 1
election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 28.7%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 25.5%, Atassut Party 20.4%, Demokratiit 15.6%, Katusseqatigiit 5.3%; seats by party - Siumut 10, Inuit Ataqatigiit 8, Atassut 7, Demokratiit 5, Katusseqatigiit 1
elections: last held on 3 December 2002 (next to be held by NA December 2006)

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 

Akulliit Party [Bjarne KREUTZMANN]; Atassut Party (Solidarity, a conservative party favoring continuing close relations with Denmark) [Daniel SKIFTE]; Demokratiit [leader NA]; 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 [leader NA]; Siumut (Forward Party, a social democratic party advocating more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark) [Hans ENOKSEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders 

NA

International organization participation 

NC, NIB

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

Economy - overview 

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 minerals exploration activities, it will take several 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.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

NA%

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

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

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

1.6% (1999 est.)

Labor force 

24,500 (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate 

10% (2000 est.)

Budget 

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

Industries 

fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut), handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards, mining

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

250 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil fuel to hydroelectric power production (2000)
hydro: 0%
other: 0%
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

232.5 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

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

Exports 

$264 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities 

fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%)

Exports - partners 

EU (mainly Denmark) 85%, Japan 8%, US 2% (1999)

Imports 

$349 million c.i.f. (2000)

Imports - commodities 

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

Imports - partners 

EU (mostly Denmark), Norway, US, Canada

Debt - external 

$25 million (1999) (1999)

Economic aid - recipient 

$380 million subsidy from Denmark (1999)

Currency 

Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code 

DKK

Exchange rates 

Danish kroner per US dollar - 8.418 (January 2002), 8.323 (2001), 8.083 (2000), 6.976 (1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

25,617 (yearend 1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

12,676 (yearend 1999)

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: satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios 

30,000 (1998 est.)

Television broadcast stations 

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

Televisions 

30,000 (1998 est.)

Internet country code 

.gl

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

1 (2000)

Internet users 

20,000 (2002)

Transportation

Railways 

0 km

Highways 

total: 150 km
paved: 60 km
unpaved: 90 km

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Aasiaat (Egedesminde), Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Kangerlussuaq, Nanortalik, Narsarsuaq, Nuuk (Godthab), Qaqortoq (Julianehab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Tasiilaq (March 2001)

Merchant marine 

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,289 GRT/1,500 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 1 (2002 est.)

Airports 

15 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Military

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none