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.

Geographic coordinates: 72 00 N 40 00 W

Map reference: Arctic Region

Area
Total: 2,175,600 km²
Land: 2,175,600 km² (341,700 km² ice-free, 1,833,900 km² ice-covered) (est.)
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 44,087 km

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
Extremes 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.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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 but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

Population: 56,352 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.06% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Greenlander
Adjective: Greenlandic

Ethnic groups: Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites) Danish and others 12% (January 2000)

Languages: Greenlandic (East Inuit) Danish English

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

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) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.06% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 16.52 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 7.58 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.38 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Environment
Current issues: protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life including whaling and seal hunting

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 1.2 male/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male/female
Total population: 1.13 male/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.77 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.37 years
Male: 64.82 years
Female: 72.01 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.44 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: 100 (1999)
Deaths: NA

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

Government type: parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy

Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)

Administrative divisions
Note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland

Independence
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)

Legal system: Danish

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
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]

International organization participation: ICC 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 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.

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2000 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: forage crops garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep reindeer; fish

Industries: fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut) handicrafts furs small shipyards

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 24,500 (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $646 million
Expenditures: $629 million, including capital expenditures of $85 million (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.6% (1999 est.)

Exports: $276 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: fish and fish products 94%
Partners: EU (mainly Denmark) 85% Japan 8% US 2% (1999)

Imports: $400 million (c.i.f. 1999)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food petroleum products
Partners: EU (mostly Denmark) Norway US Canada

Debt external: $25 million (1999)

Exchange rates: Danish kroner per US dollar - 7.951 (January 2000) 8.083 (2000) 6.976 (1999) 6.701 (1998) 6.604 (1997) 5.799 (1996)

Electricity
Production: 250 million kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 41%
Production by source hydro: 59%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0%
Production by source note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil fuel to hydroelectric power production (1999)
Consumption: 232.5 million kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 25,617 (end 1999)
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)

Internet
Country code: .gl
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: 4,008 (1999)

Airports: 13 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

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.)