2024 Edition Primary

Background

Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 80% ice capped. The Inuit came to Greenland from North America in a series of migrations that stretched from 2500 BC to the11th century.  Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland became part of the Kingdom of Denmark 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 EU's Overseas Countries and Territories Association. The Danish parliament granted Greenland home rule in 1979; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of self-government in 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in 2009. The Kingdom of 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

20.4% (male 5,964/female 5,798)

15-64 years

67.1% (male 20,050/female 18,711)

65 years and over

12.5% (2024 est.) (male 3,829/female 3,399)

Birth rate

13.5 births/1,000 population (2024 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

9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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 88.1%, Danish 7.1%, Filipino 1.6%, other Nordic peoples 0.9%, and other 2.3% (2024 est.)

note

note: data represent population by country of birth

Gross reproduction rate

0.92 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

14 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

9.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

8.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Greenlandic, Danish, English

note

note: West Greenlandic or Kalaallisut is the official language; Tunumiisut (East Greenlandic) and Inuktun (Polar Inuit Greenlandic) are considered dialects of Kalaallisut and spoken by about 10% of Greenlanders

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.3 years

male

71.8 years

total population

74.5 years (2024 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

34.7 years

male

35.9 years

total

35.3 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Greenlandic

noun

Greenlander(s)

Net migration rate

-4.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

1.87 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

female

27,908 (2024 est.)

male

29,843

total

57,751

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-0.05% (2024 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

1.07 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 (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.88 children born/woman (2024 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 Pituffik Space Base (formerly known as Thule Air Base) 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

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

USConsulateNuuk@state.govHomepage - U.S. Embassy & Consulate in the Kingdom of Denmark (usembassy.gov)

embassy

Aalisartut Aqqutaa 47Nuuk 3900Greenland

telephone

(+299) 384100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3200 Whitehaven Street, NWWashington, DC  20008

chief of mission

Kenneth HØEGH, Head of Representation (since 1 August 2021)

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

note

Note:  Greenland also has offices in the Danish consulates in Chicago and New York

telephone

[1] (202) 234-4300

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

King FREDERIK X of Denmark (since 14 January 2024), represented by High Commissioner Julie Praest WILCHE (since May 2022) (2024)

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)

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 as of May 2024 - men 20, women 11, percentage women 35%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)

note

note: Greenland elects 2 members to the Danish Parliament to serve 4-year terms

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

Democrats Party (Demokraatit) or D Fellowship Party (Atassut) or A Forward Party (Siumut) or S Inuit Community (Inuit Ataqatigiit) or IA Signpost Party (Naleraq) or N (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.)

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 2019

6.669 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

6.542 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

6.287 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

7.076 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

6.89 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$1.23 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$1.108 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$1.147 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

fish, shellfish, processed crustaceans, precious stones, animal products (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Denmark 49%, China 24%, UK 6%, Japan 5%, Taiwan 3% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

35.4% (2021 est.)

government consumption

45.1% (2021 est.)

household consumption

35.8% (2021 est.)

imports of goods and services

-49.7% (2021 est.)

investment in fixed capital

33.3% (2021 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

17.5% (2021 est.)

industry

16.1% (2021 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

62.7% (2021 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.236 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015

33.9 (2015 est.)

Imports

Imports 2019

$1.533 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$1.441 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$1.609 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, aircraft, garments, construction vehicles, plastic products (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Denmark 56%, Sweden 22%, France 10%, Iceland 3%, Canada 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-10.63% (2021 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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 in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$3.801 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$3.808 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$3.857 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.83% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

0.19% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.29% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$67,600 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$67,600 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$68,100 (2021 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 petroleum and other liquids

562,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

562,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports

2 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

383 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

558.48 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

188,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

10 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

23.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

76.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2022 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

6,000 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

118 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

67,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

25 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OY-H

Heliports

55 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

other 10

total

10 (2023)

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

key ports

Aasiaat, Illulissat (Jakobshavn), Kusanartoq, Nuuk, Paamuit (Frederikshab), Qeqertarsuaq, Sisimiut

ports with oil terminals

5

size unknown

6

small

7

total ports

23 (2024)

very small

10

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 

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.)