Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% 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.

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

72 00 N, 40 00 W

Arctic Region

slightly more than three times the size of Texas

0 km

44,087 km

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

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

highest point: Gunnbjorn Fjeld 3,700 m

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

arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0.6%

NA

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

continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

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

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

57,728 (July 2016 est.)

Inuit 88%, Danish and other 12% (2010 est.)

Greenlandic (East Inuit) (official), Danish (official), English

Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs

-0.02% (2016 est.)

14.4 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

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

NUUK (capital) 17,000 (2014)

2.01 children born/woman (2016 est.)

1.67 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

5.8 beds/1,000 population (2009)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

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

parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Greenland); part of the Kingdom of Denmark

4 municipalities (kommuner, singular kommune); Kujalleq, Qaasuitsup, Qeqqata, Sermersooq

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)

June 21 (longest day)

previous 1953 (Greenland established as a constituency in the Danish constitution), 1979 (Greenland Home Rule Act); latest 21 June 2009 (Greenland Self-Government Act) (2016)

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

see Denmark

18 years of age; universal

Democrats Party or D (Demokraatit) [Randi VESTERGAARD]

Forward Party or S (Siumut) [Kim KIELSEN]

Inuit Community or IA (Inuit Ataqatigiit) [Sara OLSVIG]

Inuit Party or PI (Partii Inuit) [Nikku OLSEN]

Partii Naleraq or PN [Hans ENOKSEN]

Solidarity Party or A (Atassut) [Knud KRISTIANSEN]

Arctic Council, ICC, NC, NIB, UPU

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark): note - Greenland has an office in the Danish Embassy to the US; it also has offices in the Danish consulates of Chicago and New York

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); note - the US embassy in Copenhagen has an office devoted to Greenland

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

polar bear; national colors: red, white

The economy remains critically dependent on exports of shrimp and fish, income from resource exploration and extraction, and on a substantial subsidy from the Danish Government. The subsidy was budgeted to be about $535 million in 2015, approximately 56% of government revenues that year.

The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's economy. Greenland's real GDP contracted about 5% from 2012 to 2014. Real growth is projected for 2015 and 2016 due to increasing world prices for fish and shellfish, public construction activities, and to a small degree from increased revenues from small-scale mining.

During the last decade the Greenland Home Rule Government pursued conservative fiscal and monetary policies, but public pressure has increased for better schools, health care, and retirement systems. The public budget exhibited a deficit of 2% of GDP in 2014, but public debt remains low at about 5% of GDP.

The Greenlandic economy has benefited from increasing catches and exports of shrimp, Greenland halibut and, more recently, mackerel. Due to Greenland's continued dependence on exports of fish - which accounted for 91% of exports in 2015 - the economy remains very sensitive to external demand and price fluctuations.

The Greenlandic economy is expected to expand in 2016, but significant challenges face the island. High unemployment, structural challenges stemming from low levels of qualified labor, geographic dispersion, an undiversified economy, the long-term sustainability of the public budget, and a declining population due to emigration. Catches in fisheries have been declining in recent years and a reversal in prices will quickly lead to vulnerabilities. Hydrocarbon exploration has ceased with declining oil prices and currently only three mines are under development. The island has potential for natural resource exploitation with rare-earth, uranium, and iron ore mineral projects proposed.

Tourism offers another avenue of economic growth for Greenland, with increasing numbers of cruise lines now operating in Greenland's western and southern waters during the peak summer tourism season.

$2.173 billion (2014 est.)

$2.154 billion (2013 est.)

$2.165 billion (2012 est.)

$2.16 billion (2011 est.)

0.9% (2014 est.)

-0.5% (2013 est.)

1.5% (2012 est.)

$37,900 (2008 est.)

$38,100 (2007 est.)

sheep, cow, reindeer, fish

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

NA%

26,990 (2012 est.)

9.4% (2013 est.)

4.2% (2010 est.)

9.2% (2007 est.)

79.6% of GDP (2010)

1.9% of GDP (2010)

calendar year

1.8% (2012 est.)

2.8% (2011 est.)

$384.3 million (2010)

$358 million (2009)

fish and fish products 91% (2015 est.)

Denmark 51.6%, China 11.1%, Japan 9.1%, Russia 7.2% (2015)

$814.2 million (2010)

$726 million (2009)

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

Denmark 67.1%, Sweden 14.1%, Iceland 5.1% (2015)

$36.4 million (2010)

$58 million (2009)

Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -

6.7236 (2015 est.)

5.6183 (2014 est.)

5.3687 (2013 est.)

5.79 (2012 est.)

5.3687 (2011 est.)

300 million kWh (2014 est.)

300 million kWh (2014 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

96,000 kW (2014 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

6,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

4,633 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)

600,000 Mt (2013 est.)

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 (2015)

.gl

OY-H (2016)

15 (2013)

no regular military forces; the Government of Denmark has responsibility for defense; as such the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command is responsible for territorial defense of Greenland (2016)

defense is the responsibility of Denmark

managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission