Greenland. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Greenland | 
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|
 |
| Introduction | Greenland |
| Background: |
The world's largest non-continental island, about 84% 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 |
| Location: |
Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
72 00 N, 40 00 W |
| Map
references: |
Arctic Region |
| Area: |
total: 2,166,086
sq km land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (est.) |
| Area
- 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 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 sq km |
| Natural
hazards: |
continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island |
| Environment
- current issues: |
protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting |
| 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 |
| Population: |
56,376 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 26.3%
(male 7,561; female 7,284) 15-64 years: 68.1% (male 20,880; female 17,489) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 1,442; female 1,720) (2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.03% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
16.27 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
17.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
68.69 years female: 72.32 years (2002 est.) male: 65.13 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.43 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
100 (1999) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (January 2000) |
| Religions: |
Evangelical Lutheran |
| Languages: |
Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English |
| Literacy: |
definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: similar to Denmark proper |
| Government | Greenland |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Greenland local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat local long form: none |
| Dependency
status: |
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979 |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy |
| Capital: |
Nuuk (Godthab) |
| Administrative
divisions: |
3 districts (landsdele);
Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland) note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland |
| 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 |
| 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 Atassut 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: |
unicameral Parliament or
Landstinget (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis
of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) 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) [Daniel SKIFTE]; Demokratiit [leader NA]; 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 |
| International
organization participation: |
NC, NIB |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) |
| Diplomatic
representation 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 | Greenland |
| 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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
NA% |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1.6% (1999 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
24,500 (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
10% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $646 million
expenditures: $629 million, including capital expenditures of $85 million (1999) (1999) |
| Industries: |
fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut), handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards, mining |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
250 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil fuel to hydroelectric power production (2000) hydro: 0% other: 0% nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
232.5 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish |
| Exports: |
$264 million f.o.b. (2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%) |
| Exports
- partners: |
EU (mainly Denmark) 85%, Japan 8%, US 2% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$349 million c.i.f. (2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products |
| Imports
- partners: |
EU (mostly Denmark), Norway, US, Canada |
| Debt
- external: |
$25 million (1999) (1999) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$380 million subsidy from Denmark (1999) |
| Currency: |
Danish krone (DKK) |
| Currency
code: |
DKK |
| Exchange
rates: |
Danish kroner per US dollar - 8.418 (January 2002), 8.323 (2001), 8.083 (2000), 6.976 (1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Communications | Greenland |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
25,617 (yearend 1999) |
| Telephones
- 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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: |
30,000 (1998 est.) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 publicly-owned station, some local low-power stations, and three AFRTS (US Air Force) stations (1997) |
| Televisions: |
30,000 (1998 est.) |
| Internet
country code: |
.gl |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
20,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Greenland |
| Railways: |
0 km |
| Highways: |
total: 150 km paved: 60 km unpaved: 90 km |
| Waterways: |
none |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Aasiaat (Egedesminde), Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Kangerlussuaq, Nanortalik, Narsarsuaq, Nuuk (Godthab), Qaqortoq (Julianehab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Tasiilaq (March 2001) |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 2 ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 3,289 GRT/1,500 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 1 (2002 est.) |
| Airports: |
15 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 9 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 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 |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the responsibility of Denmark |
| Transnational Issues | Greenland |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
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