Map of Greenland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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Location: in the North Atlantic Ocean, between Canada and Norway

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Arctic Region, North America, Standard Time Zones of the; World

Area
Total: total: 2,175,600 km²; land: 341,700 km² (ice free)

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 44,087 km; exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; territorial sea: 3 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

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

Elevation

Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, cryolite, uranium, fish

Land use: arable land: 0%; permanent crops: 0%; meadows and pastures: 1%; forest and woodland: 0%; other: 99%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 56,533 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.84% (1993 est.)

Nationality: noun: Greenlander(s); adjective: Greenlandic

Ethnic groups: Greenlander 86% (Eskimos and Greenland-born Caucasians),; Danish 14%

Languages: Eskimo dialects, Danish; total population: NA%; male: NA%; female: NA%

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.84% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 19.62 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 7.66 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.54 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island; Note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 28.4 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.19 years; male: 61.79 years; female: 70.6 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.33 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: none; conventional short form: Greenland; local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat

Government type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division

Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)

Administrative divisions: 3 municipalities (kommuner, singular - kommun);; Nordgronland, Ostgronland, Vestgronland

Dependent areas

Independence: none (part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division)

National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Constitution: Danish

Legal system: Danish

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, home rule chairman, prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyre)

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Landsting)

Judicial branch: High Court (Landsret)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (self-governing overseas
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Greenland's economic situation at present is difficult and unemployment increases. Prospects for economic growth in the immediate future are not bright. The Home Rule Government's economic restraint measures introduced in the late 1980s have assisted in shifting red figures into a balance in the public budget. Foreign trade produced a surplus in 1989 and 1990, but has now returned to a deficit. Following the closing of the Black Angel lead and zinc mine in 1989, Greenland today is fully dependent on fishing and fish processing, this sector accounting for 95% of exports. Prospects for fisheries are not bright, as the important shrimp catches will at best stabilize and cod catches have dropped. Resumption of mining and hydrocarbon activities is not around the corner, thus leaving only tourism with some potential for the near future. The public sector in Greenland, i.e. the HRG and its commercial entities and the municipalities, plays a dominant role in Greenland accounting for about two thirds of total employment. About half the government's revenues come from grants from the Danish Government.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -10% (1990)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: sector dominated by fishing and sheep raising; crops limited to forage and small garden vegetables; 1988 fish catch of 133,500 metric tons

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%

Labor force: 22,800; by occupation: largely engaged in fishing, hunting, sheep breeding

Unemployment rate: 9% (1990 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $381 million; expenditures $381 million, including capital expenditures of $36 million (1989)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $340.6 million (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: fish and fish products 95%
Partners: Denmark 79%, Benelux 9%, Germany 5%

Imports: $403 million (c.i.f., 1991)
Commodoties: manufactured goods 28%, machinery and transport equipment 24%, food and live animals 12.4%, petroleum products 12%
Partners: Denmark 65%, Norway 8.8%, US 4.6%, Germany 3.8%, Japan 3.8%,; Sweden 2.4%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.236 (January 1993), 6.036 (1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 84,000 kW capacity; 176 million kWh produced, 3,060 kWh per capita (1992)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: total: 11; usable: 8; with permanent-surface runways: 5; with runways over 3,659 m: 0; with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2; with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs