Greenland

Internet country code

.gl

Internet hosts

2,642 (2004)

Internet users

20,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

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 - 12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

26,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

16,747 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

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

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

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

Currency (code)

Danish krone (DKK)

Debt - external

$25 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$380 million subsidy from Denmark (1997)

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.

Electricity - consumption

227.9 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

245 million kWh (2002)

Exchange rates

Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001), 8.0831 (2000)

Exports

$388 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%)

Exports - partners

Denmark 63.8%, Japan 12.6%, China 3.9% (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.1 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

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

GDP - real growth rate

1.8% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$445 million c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Denmark 78.7%, Sweden 11.9%, Norway 2.7% (2004)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.6% (1999 est.)

Labor force

24,500 (1999 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

10% (2000 est.)

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

Climate

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

Coastline

44,087 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

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

Geographic coordinates

72 00 N, 40 00 W

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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)

Location

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

Map references

Arctic Region

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Nuuk (Godthab)

Constitution

5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Peter LAURITEEN (since NA 2002) 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

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy

Independence

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

International organization participation

NC, NIB, UPU

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)

Legal system

Danish

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 3 December 2002 (next to be held by December 2006) 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 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

National holiday

June 21 (longest day)

Political parties and leaders

Atassut Party (Solidarity, a conservative party favoring continuing close relations with Denmark) [Augusta SALLING]; 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 [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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The world's largest island, Greenland 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 European Union) 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.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Age structure

0-14 years: 25% (male 7,216/female 6,888) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 20,897/female 17,823) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 1,672/female 1,879) (2005 est.)

Birth rate

15.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate

7.77 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

100 (1999)

Infant mortality rate

total: 15.82 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Languages

Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.65 years male: 66.07 years female: 73.31 years (2005 est.)

Literacy

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

Median age

total: 33.83 years male: 35.15 years female: 32.14 years (2005 est.)

Nationality

noun: Greenlander(s) adjective: Greenlandic

Net migration rate

-8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Population

56,375 (July 2005 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.02% (2005 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran

Sex ratio

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: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.41 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Disputes - international

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

Airports

14 (2004 est.)

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 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: NA (there are no roads between towns) (2003)

Merchant marine

total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,593 GRT/3,640 DWT by type: cargo 1, passenger 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1) registered in other countries: 1 (2005)

Ports and harbors

Sisimiut