2023 Edition

Background

Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 80% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland became an integral part of the Danish Realm in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland remains a member of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association of the EU. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland, including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government.

Area

land

2,166,086 sq km (approximately 1,710,000 sq km ice-covered)

total

2,166,086 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than three times the size of Texas

Climate

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

Coastline

44,087 km

Elevation

highest point

Gunnbjorn Fjeld 3,694 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

1,792 m

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; close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice sheet after that of Antarctica covering an area of 1.71 million sq km (660,000 sq mi) or about 79% of the island, and containing 2.85 million cu km (684 thousand cu mi) of ice (this is almost 7% of all of the world's fresh water); if all this ice were converted to liquid water, one estimate is that it would be sufficient to raise the height of the world's oceans by 7.2 m (24 ft)

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

99.4% (2018 est.)

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

Natural hazards

continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

settlement concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast; interior is uninhabited

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

20.46% (male 5,992/female 5,827)

15-64 years

67.66% (male 20,271/female 18,820)

65 years and over

11.89% (2023 est.) (male 3,641/female 3,226)

Birth rate

13.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

39.4% (2023 est.)

Death rate

9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

13.6

potential support ratio

7.4 (2021)

total dependency ratio

43.6

youth dependency ratio

30

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

10.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Ethnic groups

Greenlandic 89.1%, Danish 7.5%, other Nordic peoples 0.9%, and other 2.5% (2022 est.)

note

note: data represent population by country of birth

Gross reproduction rate

0.92 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

14 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Infant mortality rate

female

7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

10.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Greenlandic (West Greenlandic or Kalaallisut is the official language), Danish, English

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.1 years

male

71.6 years

total population

74.3 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

100% (2015)

male

100%

total population

100%

Major urban areas - population

18,000 NUUK (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

34.4 years

male

35.7 years

total

35 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Greenlandic

noun

Greenlander(s)

Net migration rate

-5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Physicians density

1.87 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

57,777 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

settlement concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast; interior is uninhabited

Population growth rate

-0.04% (2023 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.08 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.13 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.07 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.9 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

87.9% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

5 municipalities (kommuner, singular kommune); Avannaata, Kujalleq, Qeqertalik, Qeqqata, Sermersooq

note

note: Northeast Greenland National Park (Kalaallit Nunaanni Nuna Eqqissisimatitaq) and the Thule Air Base in Pituffik (in northwest Greenland) are two unincorporated areas; the national park's 972,000 sq km - about 46% of the island - makes it the largest national park in the world and also the most northerly

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

"nuuk" is the Inuit word for "cape" and refers to the city's position at the end of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord

geographic coordinates

64 11 N, 51 45 W

name

Nuuk (Godthaab)

time difference

UTC-2 (3 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note

Greenland has four time zones

Citizenship

see Denmark

Constitution

history

previous 1953 (Greenland established as a constituency in the Danish constitution), 1979 (Greenland Home Rule Act); latest 21 June 2009 (Greenland Self-Government Act)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Greenland

etymology

named by Norwegian adventurer Erik THORVALDSSON (Erik the Red) in A.D. 985 in order to entice settlers to the island

local long form

none

local short form

Kalaallit Nunaat

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Consul Monica BLAND (since July 2023)

email address and website

https://dk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/nuuk/

embassy

Aalisartut Aqqutaa 47Nuuk 3900Greenland

telephone

(+299) 384100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

Greenland Representation3200 Whitehaven Street, NWWashington, DC  20008

chief of mission

Kenneth HOEGH, Head of Representation; note - Greenland also has offices in the Danish consulates in Chicago and New York

email address and website

washington@nanoq.glAll Greenlandic Representations | Grønlands Repræsentation (grl-rep.dk); https://naalakkersuisut.gl/en/Naalakkersuisut/Groenlands-repraesentation-Washington

FAX

+1 (202) 328-1470

telephone

[1] (202) 234-4300

Executive branch

cabinet

Self-rule Government (Naalakkersuisut) elected by the Parliament (Inatsisartut)

chief of state

Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Mikaela ENGELL (since April 2011)

election results

2021: Mute B. EGEDE elected premier; Parliament vote - Mute B. EGEDE (Inuit Ataqatigiit) unanimous2014: Kim KIELSEN elected premier; Parliament vote - Kim KIELSEN (S) 27.2%, Sara OLSVIG (IA) 25.5%, Randi Vestergaard EVALDSEN (D) 19.5%, other 27.8%

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; premier indirectly elected by Parliament for a 4-year term

head of government

Premier Mute B. EGEDE (since 23 April 2021)

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; the design represents the sun reflecting off a field of ice; the colors are the same as those of the Danish flag and symbolize Greenland's links to the Kingdom of Denmark

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Greenland or Inatsisartut)

Independence

none (extensive self-rule as part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in international agreements relating to Greenland)

International organization participation

Arctic Council, ICC, NC, NIB, UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

High Court of Greenland (consists of the presiding professional judge and 2 lay assessors); note - appeals beyond the High Court of Greenland can be heard by the Supreme Court (in Copenhagen)

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Council, a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70

subordinate courts

Court of Greenland; 18 district or magistrates' courts

Legal system

the laws of Denmark apply where applicable and Greenlandic law applies to other areas

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament or Inatsisartut (31 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote - by the d'Hondt method - to serve 4-year terms)Greenland elects 2 members to the Danish Parliament to serve 4-year terms

election results

Greenland Parliament - percent of vote by party - IA 38.7%, S 32.2%, N 12.9%, D 9.7%, A 6.5%; seats by party - IA 12, S 10, N 4, D 3, A 2; composition - men 21, women 10, percent of women 32.2%Greenland members in Danish Parliament - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - IA 1, S 1; composition - 2 women

elections

Greenland Parliament - last held on 6 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025)Greenland members to Danish Parliament - last held on 5 June 2019 (next to be held by 4 June 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Henrik LUND/Jonathan PETERSEN

name

"Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit" (Our Country, Who's Become So Old also translated as You Our Ancient Land)

note

note: adopted 1916; the government also recognizes "Nuna asiilasooq" as a secondary anthem

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Ilulissat Icefjord (n); Kujataa, Norse and Inuit Farming (c); Aasivissuit–Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground (c)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 cultural, 1 natural); note - excerpted from the Denmark entry

National holiday

National Day, June 21; note - marks the summer solstice and the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere

National symbol(s)

polar bear; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Democrats Party (Demokraatit) or D [Jens Frederik NIELSEN]Fellowship Party (Atassut) or A [Aqqalu JERIMIASSEN]Forward Party (Siumut) or S [Erik JENSEN]Inuit Community (Inuit Ataqatigiit) or IA [Mute Bourup EGEDE]Signpost Party (Naleraq) or N [Pele BROBERG] (formerly Partii Naleraq)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sheep, cattle, reindeer, fish, shellfish

Budget

expenditures

$1.594 billion (2016 est.)

revenues

$1.719 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

5.6% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2009

$58 million (2009)

Debt - external 2010

$36.4 million (2010)

Economic overview

large self-governing Danish territorial economy; preferential EU market access; high-income economy; dependent on Danish financial support, even for whaling and sealing industries; growing tourism; hydropower-fueled but environmentally fragile economy

Exchange rates

Currency

Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

6.603 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

6.315 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

6.669 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

6.542 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

6.287 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2014

$599.7 million (2014 est.)

Exports 2015

$407.1 million (2015 est.)

Exports - commodities

shrimp, halibut, fish fillets, crabs, cod, mackerel (2021)

Exports - partners

Denmark 55%, China 22%, Japan 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

18.2% (2015 est.)

government consumption

28% (2015 est.)

household consumption

68.1% (2015 est.)

imports of goods and services

-28.6% (2015 est.)

investment in fixed capital

14.3% (2015 est.)

investment in inventories

-13.9% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

15.9% (2015 est.)

industry

10.1% (2015 est.)

services

73.9% (2015)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.221 billion (2015 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015

33.9 (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2014

$866.1 million (2014 est.)

Imports 2015

$783.5 million (2015 est.)

Imports - commodities

fishing ships, refined petroleum, construction vehicles, crustaceans, delivery trucks (2019)

Imports - partners

Denmark 51%, Spain 23%, Sweden 12%, Iceland 7% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

8.56% (2019 est.) NA

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) January 2016

1.2% (January 2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) January 2017

0.3% (January 2017 est.)

Labor force

26,840 (2015 est.)

Population below poverty line

16.2% (2015 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2015

13% of GDP (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2015 US dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2013

$2.203 billion (2013 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014

$2.24 billion (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$2.413 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2018

0.62% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.27% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

0.36% (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2013

$38,500 (2013 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2014

$38,800 (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2015

$41,800 (2015 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

77.4% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2014

10.3% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate 2015

9.1% (2015 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

605,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

605,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

183 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

481.7 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

187,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

17 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

15.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

84.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,973 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

28 (2020 est.)

total

15,649 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

the Greenland Broadcasting Company provides public radio and TV services throughout the island with a broadcast station and a series of repeaters; a few private local TV and radio stations; Danish public radio rebroadcasts are available (2019)

Internet country code

.gl

Internet users

percent of population

69.5% (2021 est.)

total

38,920 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

nearly 11 per 100 for fixed-line subscriptions and 118 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2021)

general assessment

adequate domestic and international service provided by satellite, cables, and microwave radio relay; the fundamental telecommunications infrastructure consists of a digital radio link from Nanortalik in south Greenland to Uummannaq in north Greenland; satellites cover north and east Greenland for domestic and foreign telecommunications; a marine cable connects south and west Greenland to the rest of the world, extending from Nuuk and Qaqortoq to Canada and Iceland; a contract has been awarded to build a 5G network in Greenland, initially covering three towns, with 10 towns, including Greenland's capital Nuuk to follow (2022)

international

country code - 299; landing points for Greenland Connect, Greenland Connect North, Nunavut Undersea Fiber System submarine cables to Greenland, Iceland, and Canada; satellite earth stations - 15 (12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

6,352 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

118 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

66,605 (2021 est.)

Airports

15 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

10

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

5

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OY-H

Merchant marine

by type

other 6

total

6 (2022)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

8 (registered in Denmark)

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020) (registered in Denmark)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Sisimiut

Roadways

note: although there are short roads in towns, there are no roads between towns; inter-urban transport is either by sea or by air

Military - note

the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk is responsible for coordinating Denmark's defense of Greenland

Military and security forces

no regular military forces 

Disputes - international

in 2022, Canada and Denmark signed an agreement resolving a managed dispute over uninhabited Tartupaluk/Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.51 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

Environment - current issues

especially vulnerable to climate change and disruption of the Arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting

Land use

agricultural land

0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

99.4% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

87.9% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

50,000 tons (2010 est.)