Greenland

the Greenland Broadcasting Company provides public radio and TV services throughout the island with a broadcast station and a series of repeaters; a few private local TV and radio stations; Danish public radio rebroadcasts are available (2019)

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total: 39,544 | percent of population: 68.5% (July 2016 est.)

general assessment: adequate domestic and international service provided by satellite, cables, and microwave radio relay; the fundamental telecommunications infrastructure consists of a digital radio link from Nanortalik in south Greenland to Uummannaq in north Greenland; satellites cover north and east Greenland for domestic and foreign telecommunications; a marine cable connects south and west Greenland to the rest of the world, extending from Nuuk and Qaqortoq to Canada and Iceland (2018) | domestic: 14 per 100 for fixed-line subscriptions and 111 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2018) | international: country code - 299; landing points for Greenland Connect, Greenland Connect North, Nunavut Undersea Fiber System submarine cables to Greenland, Iceland, and Canada; satellite earth stations - 15 (12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)) (2019)

total subscriptions: 16,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 28 (July 2016 est.)

total subscriptions: 61,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (July 2016 est.)

sheep, cow, reindeer, fish, shellfish

revenues: 1.719 billion (2016 est.) | expenditures: 1.594 billion (2016 est.)

5.6% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

NA

$36.4 million (2010) | $58 million (2009)

33.9 (2015 est.) | 34.3 (2014 est.)

Greenland’s economy depends on exports of shrimp and fish, and on a substantial subsidy from the Danish Government. Fish account for over 90% of its exports, subjecting the economy to price fluctuations. The subsidy from the Danish Government is budgeted to be about $535 million in 2017, more than 50% of government revenues, and 25% of GDP. The economy is expanding after a period of decline. The economy contracted between 2012 and 2014, grew by 1.7% in 2015 and by 7.7%in 2016. The expansion has been driven by larger quotas for shrimp, the predominant Greenlandic export, and also by increased activity in the construction sector, especially in Nuuk, the capital. Private consumption and tourism also are contributing to GDP growth more than in previous years. Tourism in Greenland grew annually around 20% in 2015 and 2016, largely a result of increasing numbers of cruise lines now operating in Greenland's western and southern waters during the peak summer tourism season. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays a dominant role in Greenland's economy. During the last decade the Greenland Self Rule Government pursued conservative fiscal and monetary policies, but public pressure has increased for better schools, health care, and retirement systems. The budget was in deficit in 2014 and 2016, but public debt remains low at about 5% of GDP. The government plans a balanced budget for the 2017–20 period. Significant challenges face the island, including low levels of qualified labor, geographic dispersion, lack of industry diversification, the long-term sustainability of the public budget, and a declining population due to emigration. Hydrocarbon exploration has ceased with declining oil prices. The island has potential for natural resource exploitation with rare-earth, uranium, and iron ore mineral projects proposed, but a lack of infrastructure hinders development.

Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - | 6.586 (2017 est.) | 6.7309 (2016 est.) | 6.7309 (2015 est.) | 6.7326 (2014 est.) | 5.6125 (2013 est.)

$407.1 million (2015 est.) | $599.7 million (2014 est.)

fish and fish products 91% (2015 est.)

Denmark 82.5%, Iceland 4.4% (2017)

calendar year

$2.221 billion (2015 est.) (2015 est.)

$2.413 billion (2015 est.) | $2.24 billion (2014 est.) | $2.203 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars

household consumption: 68.1% (2015 est.) | government consumption: 28% (2015 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 14.3% (2015 est.) | investment in inventories: -13.9% (2015 est.) | exports of goods and services: 18.2% (2015 est.) | imports of goods and services: -28.6% (2015 est.)

agriculture: 15.9% (2015 est.) | industry: 10.1% (2015 est.) | services: 73.9% (2015)

$41,800 (2015 est.) | $38,800 (2014 est.) | $38,500 (2013 est.)

7.7% (2016 est.) | 1.7% (2015 est.) | -0.8% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

$783.5 million (2015 est.) | $866.1 million (2014 est.)

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

Denmark 69.7%, Sweden 10.6% (2017)

NA

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

0.3% (January 2017 est.) | 1.2% (January 2016 est.)

26,840 (2015 est.)

agriculture: 15.9% | industry: 10.1% | services: 73.9% (2015 est.)

16.2% (2015 est.)

13% of GDP (2015 est.)

77.4% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

9.1% (2015 est.) | 10.3% (2014 est.)

613,800 Mt (2017 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

468 million kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

51% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

49% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

187,000 kW (2016 est.)

538 million kWh (2016 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

4,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

3,973 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

total: 2,166,086 sq km | land: 2,166,086 sq km (approximately 1,710,000 sq km ice-covered)

slightly more than three times the size of Texas

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

44,087 km

mean elevation: 1,792 m | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Gunnbjorn Fjeld 3,694 m

especially vulnerable to climate change and disruption of the Arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting

72 00 N, 40 00 W

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 sheet after that of Antarctica covering an area of 1.71 million sq km (660,000 sq mi) or about 79% of the island, and containing 2.85 million cu km (684 thousand cu mi) of ice (this is almost 7% of all of the world's fresh water); if all this ice were converted to liquid water, one estimate is that it would be sufficient to raise the height of the world's oceans by 7.2 m (24 ft)

NA

0 km

agricultural land: 0.6% (2011 est.) | arable land: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 0.6% (2011 est.) | forest: 0% (2011 est.) | other: 99.4% (2011 est.)

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

Arctic Region

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

continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

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

settlement concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast; interior is uninhabited

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

5 municipalities (kommuner, singular kommune); Avannaata, Kujalleq, Qeqertalik, Qeqqata, Sermersooq | note: Northeast Greenland National Park (Kalaallit Nunaanni Nuna Eqqissisimatitaq) and the Thule Air Base in Pituffik (in northwest Greenland) are two unincorporated areas; the national park's 972,000 sq km - about 46% of the island - makes it the largest national park in the world and also the most northerly

name: Nuuk (Godthaab) | geographic coordinates: 64 11 N, 51 45 W | time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October | note: Greenland has four time zones etymology: "nuuk" is the Inuit word for "cape" and refers to the city's position at the end of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord

see Denmark

history: previous 1953 (Greenland established as a constituency in the Danish constitution), 1979 (Greenland Home Rule Act); latest 21 June 2009 (Greenland Self-Government Act)

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Greenland | local long form: none | local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat | note: named by Norwegian adventurer Erik THORVALDSSON (Erik the Red) in A.D. 985 in order to entice settlers to the island

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

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); note - Greenland has an office in the Danish Embassy in the US; it also has offices in the Danish consulates in Chicago and New York

chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Mikaela ENGELL (since April 2011) | head of government: Premier Kim KIELSEN (since 30 September 2014) | cabinet: Self-rule Government (Naalakkersuisut) elected by the Parliament (Inatsisartut) on the basis of the strength of parties | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; premier indirectly elected by Parliament for a 4-year term | election results: Kim KIELSEN elected premier; Parliament vote - Kim KIELSEN (S) 27.2%, Sara OLSVIG (IA) 25.5%, Randi Vestergaard EVALDSEN (D) 19.5%, other 27.8%

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 design represents the sun reflecting off a field of ice; the colors are the same as those of the Danish flag and symbolize Greenland's links to the Kingdom of Denmark

parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Greenland or Inatsisartut)

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)

Arctic Council, ICC, NC, NIB, UPU

highest courts: High Court of Greenland (consists of the presiding professional judge and 2 lay assessors); note - appeals beyond the High Court of Greenland can be heard by the Supreme Court (in Copenhagen) | judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Council, a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70 | subordinate courts: Court of Greenland; 18 district or magistrates' courts

the laws of Denmark apply where applicable and Greenlandic law applies to other areas

description: unicameral Parliament or Inatsisartut (31 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) Greenland elects 2 members to the Danish Parliament to serve 4-year terms | elections: Greenland Parliament - last held on 24 April 2018 (next to be held by 2022) Greenland members to Danish Parliament - last held on 18 June 2015 (next to be held by June 2019) | election results: Greenland Parliament percent of vote by party - S 27.2%, IA 25.5%, D 19.5%, PN 13.4%, A 5.9%, SA 4.1%, NQ 3.4% other 1%; seats by party - S 9, IA 8, D 6, PN 4, A 2, SA 1, NQ 1; composition - men 19, women 12, percent of women 38.7% Greenland members in Danish Parliament - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - IA 1, S 1; composition - 2 women

name: "Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit" ("Our Country, Who's Become So Old" also translated as "You Our Ancient Land") | lyrics/music: Henrik LUND/Jonathan PETERSEN | note: adopted 1916; the government also recognizes "Nuna asiilasooq" as a secondary anthem

National Day, June 21; note - marks the summer solstice and the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere

polar bear; national colors: red, white

Cooperation Party (Suleqatigiissitsisut or Samarbejdspartiet) or SA [Michael ROSING] Democrats Party (Demokraatit) or D [Niels THOMSEN] Forward Party (Siumut) or S [Kim KIELSEN] Inuit Community (Inuit Ataqatigiit) or IA [Sara OLSVIG] Our Country's Future (Nunatta Qitornai) or NQ [Vittus QUJAUKITSOQ] Signpost Party (Partii Naleraq) or PN [Hans ENOKSEN] Fellowship Party (Atassut) or A [Siverth Karl HEILMANN]

18 years of age; universal

Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 80% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland became an integral part of the Danish Realm 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 Overseas Countries and Territories Association of the EU. 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 greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in June 2009. 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.

The Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk is responsible for territorial defense of Greenland (2019)

no regular military forces or conscription. (2019)

0-14 years: 21% (male 6,151 /female 5,962) | 15-24 years: 15.1% (male 4,388 /female 4,321) | 25-54 years: 40.83% (male 12,349 /female 11,209) | 55-64 years: 13.5% (male 4,259 /female 3,529) | 65 years and over: 9.57% (male 2,944 /female 2,579) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × North America :: Greenland Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Greenland. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

14.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

8.8 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

improved: urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | unimproved: urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

NA

Greenlandic 89.7%, Danish 7.8%, other Nordic 1.1%, and other 1.4% (2018 est.) | note: data represent population by country of birth

NA

NA

NA

8.2 beds/1,000 population (2015)

total: 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Greenlandic (West Greenlandic or Kalaallisut is the official language), Danish, English

total population: 72.9 years (2018 est.) | male: 70.2 years | female: 75.8 years

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 100% | male: 100% | female: 100% (2015)

18,000 NUUK (capital) (2018)

total: 34 years (2018 est.) | male: 35 years | female: 32.9 years

noun: Greenlander(s) | adjective: Greenlandic

-6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

1.87 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

57,691 (July 2018 est.)

settlement concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast; interior is uninhabited

-0.04% (2018 est.)

Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs

improved: urban: 100% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 100% of population (2015 est.) | total: 100% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 0% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 0% of population (2015 est.) | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.1 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.21 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female | total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

1.97 children born/woman (2018 est.)

urban population: 87.1% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 0.42% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission

15 (2013)

total: 10 (2019) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 6

total: 5 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013) | under 914 m: 2 (2013)

OY-H (2016)

total: 8 | by type: general cargo 1, other 7 (2018)

number of registered air carriers: 1 (registered in Denmark) (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8 (registered in Denmark) (2015)

major seaport(s): Sisimiut

note: although there are short roads in towns, there are no roads between towns; inter-urban transport is either by sea or by air