Background: The world's largest non-continental island about 81% ice-capped Greenland was granted self-government in 1978 by the Danish parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs.

Geographic coordinates: 72 00 N 40 00 W

Map reference: Arctic Region

Area
Total: 2,166,086 km²
Land: 2,166,086 km² (410,449 km² ice-free, 1,755,637 km² ice-covered) (2000 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%
Other: 100% (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: 56,385 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 0.01% (2003 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: 25.9% (male 7,463; female 7,161)
15-64 years: 68.3% (male 20,885; female 17,605)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,508; female 1,763) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 33.1 years
Male: 34.3 years
Female: 31.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 0.01% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 16.09 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 7.66 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.37 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 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: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male/female
Total population: 1.13 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 16.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 15.47 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 18.09 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69 years
Male: 65.44 years
Female: 72.65 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.43 children born/woman (2003 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 short form: Kalaallit Nunaat
Local long form: none

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)
Note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit
Election results: Hans ENOKSEN elected prime minister
Head of government: Prime Minister Hans ENOKSEN (since 14 December 2002)
Cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the Parliament (Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of parties
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; prime minister is elected by Parliament (usually the leader of the majority party); election last held 3 December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2006)

Legislative branch
Note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or Folketing on 20 November 2001 (next to be held no later than November 2005); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit Ataqatigiit 1
Election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 28.7%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 25.5%, Atassut Party 20.4%, Demokratiit 15.6%, Katusseqatigiit 5.3%; seats by party - Siumut 10, Inuit Ataqatigiit 8, Atassut 7, Demokratiit 5, Katusseqatigiit 1
Elections: last held on 3 December 2002 (next to be held by NA December 2006)

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) [Augusta SALLING]; Demokratiit [Per BERTHELSEN]; 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) [Hans ENOKSEN]

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 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: 1.8% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2001 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 hides and skins small shipyards mining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 24,500 (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10% (2000 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: $364 million f.o.b. (2001)
Commodities: fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%)
Partners: Denmark 60.3% Japan 15.5% US 6% Thailand 5% Germany 4% (2002)

Imports: $403 million c.i.f. (2001)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food petroleum products
Partners: Denmark 74.6% Norway 14.2% Russia 2.3% (2002)

Debt external: $25 million (1999)

Exchange rates: Danish kroner per US dollar - 7.8947 (2002) 8.323 (2001) 8.083 (2000) 6.976 (1999) 6.701 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 245 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil fuel to hydropower production (2001)
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 227.9 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 25,617 (yearend 1999)
Mobile cellular: 12,676 (yearend 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: 20,000 (2002)

Airports: 14 (2002)
With paved runways total: 9
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: 5 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,593 GRT/3,640 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 2, passenger 1
Note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 1 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: uncontested dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland