Edition 2003 — Greenland

Administrative divisions

3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland

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.)

Agriculture - products

forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish

Airports

14 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1
total: 9
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002) Military Greenland

Area

land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (2000 est.)
total: 2,166,086 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than three times the size of Texas

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. Geography Greenland

Birth rate

16.09 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures: $629 million, including capital expenditures of $85 million (1999)
revenues: $646 million

Capital

Nuuk (Godthab)

Climate

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

Coastline

44,087 km

Constitution

5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Greenland
local long form: none
local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat

Currency

Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code

DKK

Death rate

7.66 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$25 million (1999)

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Disputes - international

uncontested dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$380 million subsidy from Denmark

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.

Electricity - consumption

227.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

245 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil fuel to hydropower production (2001)
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%

Elevation extremes

highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

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

Executive branch

cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the Parliament (Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of parties
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Gunnar MARTENS (since NA 1995)
election results: Hans ENOKSEN elected prime minister
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)
head of government: Prime Minister Hans ENOKSEN (since 14 December 2002)
note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit

Exports

$364 million f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities

fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%)

Exports - partners

Denmark 60.3%, Japan 15.5%, US 6%, Thailand 5%, Germany 4% (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Greenland

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 Greenland

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.8% (2001 est.)

Geographic coordinates

72 00 N, 40 00 W

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 People Greenland

Government type

parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy

Highways

total: NA (there are no roads between towns) (2003)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

100 (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%

Imports

$403 million c.i.f. (2001)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Denmark 74.6%, Norway 14.2%, Russia 2.3% (2002)

Independence

none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979)
note: foreign affairs is the responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in international agreements relating to Greenland

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female: 15.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 16.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.6% (1999 est.)

International organization participation

NC, NIB

Internet country code

.gl

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

20,000 (2002) Transportation Greenland

Irrigated land

NA sq km

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)

Labor force

24,500 (1999 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 0%

Languages

Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English

Legal system

Danish

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament or Landstinget (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
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)
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

Life expectancy at birth

female: 72.65 years (2003 est.)
male: 65.44 years
total population: 69 years

Literacy

definition: NA
female: NA%
male: NA%
note: similar to Denmark proper Government Greenland
total population: NA%

Location

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

Map references

Arctic Region

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

Median age

female: 31.7 years (2002)
male: 34.3 years
total: 33.1 years

Merchant marine

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

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of Denmark Transnational Issues Greenland

National holiday

June 21 (longest day)

Nationality

adjective: Greenlandic
noun: Greenlander(s)

Natural hazards

continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

56,385 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.01% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Aasiaat (Egedesminde), Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Kangerlussuaq, Nanortalik, Narsarsuaq, Nuuk (Godthab), Qaqortoq (Julianehab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Tasiilaq (March 2001)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

30,000 (1998 est.)

Railways