| Background: |
The world's
largest 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. |
| 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:
2,175,600 sq km
land: 2,175,600 sq km (341,700 sq km ice-free,
1,833,900 sq km ice-covered) (est.) |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly more
than three times the size of Texas |
| 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%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 99% (1998 est.) |
| 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 |
| Population: |
56,352 (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
26.69% (male 7,649; female 7,392)
15-64 years: 67.87% (male 20,868; female
17,376)
65 years and over: 5.44% (male 1,385; female
1,682) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.06% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
16.52
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.58 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-8.38 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
17.77
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 68.37 years
male: 64.82 years
female: 72.01 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.44 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
100 (1999) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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)
head of government: Prime Minister Jonathan
MOTZFELDT (since 19 September 1997)
cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the
Parliament (Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of
parties
elections: the monarch is hereditary; high
commissioner appointed by the monarch; prime minister is
elected by Parliament (usually the leader of the majority
party); election last held 16 February 1999 (next to be held
NA February 2003)
election results: Jonathan MOTZFELDT reelected
prime minister following the 16 February 1999 elections;
percent of parliamentary vote - 57.3%
note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit
Ataqatigiit (IA) |
| 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 16 February 1999 (next
to be held by NA February 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party -
Siumut 35.2%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 22.1%, Atassut Party 25.2%,
Candidate's League 12.3%, independent 5.2%; seats by party -
Siumut 11, Atassut 8, Inuit Ataqatigiit 7, Candidate List 4,
independent 1
note: two representatives were elected to the
Danish Parliament or Folketing on 11 March 1998 (next to be
held by not later than March 2002); percent of vote by party
- Siumut 35.6%, Atassut 35.2%; seats by party - Siumut 1,
Atassut 1; Greenlandic representatives are affiliated with
Danish political parties (Siamut with Social Democratic
Party and Atassut with Liberal Party) |
| 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]; 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) [Jonathan
MOTZFELDT] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ICC, 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
- 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 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
NA% |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $20,000 (2000 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: |
7% (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$646 million
expenditures: $629 million, including capital
expenditures of $85 million (1999) |
| Industries: |
fish processing
(mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut), handicrafts, furs,
small shipyards |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
250 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
41%
hydro: 59%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%
note: Greenland is shifting its electricity
production from fossil fuel to hydroelectric power
production (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
232.5 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
forage crops,
garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish |
| Exports: |
$276 million
(f.o.b., 1999) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
fish and fish
products 94% |
| Exports
- partners: |
EU (mainly
Denmark) 85%, Japan 8%, US 2% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$400 million
(c.i.f., 1999) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum
products |
| Imports
- partners: |
EU (mostly
Denmark), Norway, US, Canada |
| Debt
- external: |
$25 million
(1999) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$380 million
subsidy from Denmark (1999) |
| Currency: |
Danish krone (DKK) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Danish kroner per
US dollar - 7.951 (January 2001), 8.083 (2000), 6.976
(1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997), 5.799 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
25,617 (end 1999) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
12,676 (end 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: |
4,008 (1999) |
| Highways: |
total:
150 km
paved: 60 km
unpaved: 90 km |
| 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 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
8
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: 4 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of Denmark |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
