Greenland

• 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)

noun:

Greenlander(s)

adjective:

Greenlandic

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.1 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.17 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.13 male(s)/female

total population:

1.08 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

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

urban population:

87.5% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization:

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

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Greenland

local long form:

none

local short form:

Kalaallit Nunaat

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

name:

Nuuk (Godthaab)

geographic coordinates:

64 11 N, 51 45 W

time difference:

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

daylight saving time:

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

time zone note:

Greenland has four time zones

etymology:

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

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) (2021)

chief of state:

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

head of government:

Premier Mute B. EGEDE (since 23 April 2021)

cabinet:

Self-rule Government (Naalakkersuisut) elected by the Parliament (Inatsisartut) on the basis of the strength of parties

elections/appointments:

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

election results:

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%

highest courts:

• 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

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

chief of mission:

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

chancery:

Greenland Representation; 3200 Whitehaven Street, NW; Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

202-797-5392

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://naalakkersuisut.gl/en/Naalakkersuisut/Groenlands-repraesentation-Washington

chief of mission:

Joanie SIMON, Consul (since June 2021)

embassy:

Aalisartut Aqqutaa 47; Nuuk 3900; Greenland

telephone:

(+299) 384100

email address and website:

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

• 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

name:

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

lyrics/music:

Henrik LUND/Jonathan PETERSEN

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

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

agriculture:

15.9%

industry:

10.1%

services:

73.9% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA

highest 10%:

NA

• 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)

total:

8

by type:

other 8 (2021)

• 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