Statistical information Greenland 1999Greenland

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

Greenland in the World
Greenland in the World

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Greenland - Introduction 1999
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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.


Greenland - Geography 1999
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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 referenceArctic Region

Area
Total: total:2,175,600 km²; land:2,175,600 km² (341,600 km² ice-free, 1,834,000 km² ice-covered) (est.)
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 44,087 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone:200 nm; 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
Land use

Land use: arable land:0%; permanent crops:0%; permanent pastures:1%; forests and woodland:0%; other:99% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

Geography
Note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast


Greenland - People 1999
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Population: 59,827 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 0.84% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Ethnic groups: Greenlander 87% (Eskimos and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 13%

Languages: Eskimo dialects, Danish, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect)

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure: 0-14 years:26% (male 7,789; female 7,728); 15-64 years:68% (male 22,248; female 18,678); 65 years and over:6% (male 1,562; female 1,822) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.84% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 15.23 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.79 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: protection of the arctic environment; preservation of their traditional way of life, including whaling; note_Greenland participates actively in Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC)
International agreements: party to:NA; signed, but not ratified:NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio: at birth:1 male(s)/female; under 15 years:1.01 male(s)/female; 15-64 years:1.19 male(s)/female; 65 years and over:0.86 male(s)/female; total population:1.12 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 20.06 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population:70.1 years; male:65.98 years; female:74.24 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.14 children born/woman (1999 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: NA; note:similar to Denmark proper

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Greenland - Government 1999
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Country name: conventional long form: none; conventional short form: Greenland; local long form: none; local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat

Government type: NA

Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)

Administrative divisions: 3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979)

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

Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system: Danish

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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 NA September 1997); cabinet:Landsstyre is formed from the Parliament on the basis of the strength of parties; elections:the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; prime minister is elected by the Parliament (usually the leader of the majority party); election last held 11 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2003); election results:Jonathan MOTZFELDT reelected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote_23 out of 31 votes

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Landsting (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); elections:last held on 17 February 1999 (next to be held by NA 2003); election results:percent of vote by party_Siumut 35.2%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 22%, Atassut Party 25.2%, Candidates' League 12.3%; seats by party_Siumut 11, Atassut Party 8, Inuit Ataqatigiit 7, Candidates' League 4, independent 1; note:2 representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or Folketing on NA March 1998 (next to be held by NA 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

Judicial branch: High Court or Landsret

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: NC, NIB

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
From the us: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Flag descriptionflag of Greenland: 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


Greenland - Economy 1999
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Economy overview: Greenland suffered negative economic growth in the early 1990s, but since 1993 the economy has improved. The Greenland Home Rule Government (GHRG) has pursued a light fiscal policy since the late 1980s which has helped create surpluses in the public budget and low inflation. Since 1990, Greenland has registered a foreign trade deficit following the closure of the last remaining lead and zinc mine in 1989. Greenland today is critically dependent on fishing and fish exports; the shrimp fishery is by far the largest income earner. Despite resumption of 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. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's economy. About half the government revenues come from grants from the Danish Government, an important supplement of GDP.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 0.6% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity_$16,100 (1997 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: forage crops, garden vegetables; sheep; fish

Industries: fish processing (mainly shrimp), handicrafts, furs, small shipyards

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 24,500 (1995 est.)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 10.5% (1995 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$706 million; expenditures:$697 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1995)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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: $363.4 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: fish and fish products 95%
Partners: Denmark 89%, Japan 5%, UK 5%

Imports: $421 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 25%, manufactured goods 18%, food and live animals 11%, petroleum products 6%
Partners: Denmark 7.5%, Iceland 3.8%, Japan 3.3%, Norway 3.1%, US 2.4%, Germany 2.4%, Sweden 1.8%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $243 million (1995)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1_6.401 (January 1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997), 5.799 (1996), 5.602 (1995), 6.361 (1994)


Greenland - Energy 1999
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Electricity
Production: 245 million kWh (1996)
Production by source: fossil fuel:100%; hydro:0%; nuclear:0%; other:0% (1996)
Consumption: 245 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Greenland - Communication 1999
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Telephones: 19,600 (1995 est.)

Telephone system: adequate domestic and international service provided by cables and microwave radio relay; totally digitalized in 1995; domestic:microwave radio relay; international:2 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Greenland - Military 1999
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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Greenland - Transportation 1999
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 13 (1998 est.)
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:2; under 914 m:4 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways: total:4; 1,524 to 2,437 m:1; 914 to 1,523 m:2; under 914 m:1 (1998 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: total:1 passenger (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,211 GRT/162 DWT (1998 est.)

Ports and terminals


Greenland - Transnational issues 1999
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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


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