Overview
Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 80% ice capped. The Inuit came to Greenland from North America in a series of migrations that stretched from 2500 BC to the11th century. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland became part of the Kingdom 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 remains a member of the EU's Overseas Countries and Territories Association. The Danish parliament granted Greenland home rule in 1979; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of self-government in 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in 2009. The Kingdom of Denmark, however, continues to exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland, including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy, in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government.
Geography
- Location
- Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada
- Total Area
- 2,166,086 sq km
- Climate
- arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
- Terrain
- flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
- Natural Resources
- coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
- Coastline
- 44,087 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- 57,751 (2024 est.)
- Languages
- Greenlandic, Danish, English
- Religions
- Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs
- Ethnic Groups
- Greenlandic 88.1%, Danish 7.1%, Filipino 1.6%, other Nordic peoples 0.9%, and other 2.3% (2024 est.)
- Life Expectancy
- 74.5 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 87.9% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Greenland or Inatsisartut)
- Capital
- Nuuk
- Independence
- none (extensive self-rule as part of the Kingdom of Denmark)
- Constitution
- previous 1953 (Greenland established as a constituency in the Danish constitution), 1979 (Greenland Home Rule Act); latest 21 June 2009 (Greenland Self-Government Act)
- Legal System
- Denmark's laws apply in some areas, and Greenland's law for the remainder
- Executive Branch
- King FREDERIK X of Denmark (since 14 January 2024), represented by High Commissioner Julie Praest WILCHE (since May 2022) (2024)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- high-income, self-governing Danish territorial economy; non-EU member but preferential market access; dependent on Danish financial support; exports led by fishing industry; growing tourism and interest in untapped mineral deposits; relies on hydropower for fuel
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $3.327 billion (2023 est.)
- Major Industries
- fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut), anorthosite and ruby mining, handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards