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. Greenland voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 and acquired complete responsibilty for internal affairs in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Home Rule Government.

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

72 00 N, 40 00 W

North America

slightly more than three times the size of Texas

0 km

44,087 km

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

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

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

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

57,600 (July 2009 est.)

0.062% (2009 est.)

14.76 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

8.14 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

-5.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

2.19 children born/woman (2009 est.)

NA

100 (1999)

NA

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

Evangelical Lutheran

Greenlandic (East Inuit) (official), Danish, English

NA

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

parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy

3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)

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)

June 21 (longest day)

(November 2008) Act on Greenland Self Government

the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Parliament or Landsting (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

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) [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)

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 shrimp and fish and on a substantial subsidy - about $700 million in 2008-09 - from the Danish Government, which supplies about 60% 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 and in 2007 a US firm signed an agreement with the Greenland Home Rule government to study the feasibility of building a multi-billion dollar aluminum smelter and hydropower plant. Denmark plans to reduce its subsidies to Greenland as revenues from oil exports come onstream.

$1.1 billion (2001 est.)

$1.7 billion (2005)

2% (2005 est.)

$20,000 (2001 est.)

32,120 (2004)

9.3% (2005 est.)

NA%

1% (2005 est.)

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%

305 million kWh (2006 est.)

283.7 million kWh (2006 est.)

0 kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

3,927 bbl/day (2006 est.)

149.5 bbl/day (2005)

4,089 bbl/day (2005)

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$480 million f.o.b. (2006)

fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%) (2001 est.)

Denmark 61.8%, Japan 9.9%, Canada 7.3%, China 5.8% (2007)

$712 million c.i.f. (2006)

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

Denmark 68.1%, Sweden 19.3%, Canada 2.5% (2007)

$25 million (1999)

Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.0236 (2008 est.), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004)

36,000 (2006)

66,400 (2007)

AM 5, FM 14, shortwave 0 (2008)

1 (plus some local low-power stations, and 3 American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) stations (1997)

.gl

14,132 (2008)

52,000 (2007)

15 (2008)

Sisimiut

no regular military forces

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