Greenland
Country Guide

Explore Greenland

Greenland with its capital is located in North America (Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 2,166,091 square kilometers (slightly more than three times the size of Texas) with 57,713 citizens. Kalaallisut, Danish and English are the common languages used in Greenland (consider regional differences). Thiscountry has no land-based border with any other country.

Greenland is the world's largest non-continental island, in the far northeast of North America, largely within the Arctic Circle. If you stay on the typical tourist paths you do not need any permissions, but any expeditions (including any trips to the national park, which by definition are expeditions) need a special permit from the Danish polar centre.

Popular Destinations in Greenland

Administrative regions of Greenland

• Kujalleq
• Qaasuitsup
• Qeqqata
• Sermersooq

About the country

The topography is flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast. The average density of population is about 0 per km². The climate in Greenland can be described as arctic to subarctic with cool summers, cold winters. Potential natural disasters are continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island.

To reach someone Greenland dial +299 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".gl". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, E, F, K). The sign for the locally used currency Krone is DKK.

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.

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.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 13)	2,166,090	sq km
Land (World Rank: 13)	2,166,090	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 193)	0.60	%
Comparative	slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Coastline
44087
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 51)	3,694	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 222)	0.60	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 193)	0.60	%
Map reference
Arctic Region
Environment
Issues	- including whaling and seal hunting - preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life - protection of the arctic environment
Hazzards	continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island
Location
Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada
Climate
arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
Terrain
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 204)	57,713
Deathrate (World Rank: 74)	0.87	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 132)	1.44	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 195)	-0.03	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 162)	-0.60	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 120)	1.99	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 73)	35.00
Female (World Rank: 98)	32.70
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 203)	6,195
0 14 female (World Rank: 203)	5,986
15 24 male (World Rank: 201)	4,506
15 24 female (World Rank: 201)	4,429
25 54 male (World Rank: 204)	12,473
25 54 female (World Rank: 206)	11,309
55 64 male (World Rank: 197)	4,112
55 64 female (World Rank: 202)	3,370
65 x male (World Rank: 204)	2,862
65 x female (World Rank: 206)	2,471
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 144)	0.89	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 144)	73	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 139)	76	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 143)	70	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 84)	1.73
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 9)	8.20
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 6)	100.00	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 19)	100.00	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 159)	625,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 169)	581,300,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 149)	51.30	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 40)	48.70	%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 168)	6,000	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 167)	4,633	bbl / day
Carbon footprint
520400

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 193)	2,173,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 150)	1.70	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 47)	37,600	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 62)	15.90	%
Source industry (World Rank: 202)	10.10	%
Source service (World Rank: 47)	73.90	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 205)	26,840
In poverty (World Rank: 124)	16.20	%
Products
Industries	- anorthosite - fish processing - gold - Greenland halibut - handicrafts - hides - mainly shrimp - ruby mining - skins - small shipyards - zinc
Agriculture	- cow - fish - reindeer - sheep
Exports	- fish - fish products
Imports	- food - machinery - manufactured goods - petroleum products - transport equipment

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Nation

Budget
Surplus (World Rank: 200)	-14	% of GDP
National symbol
polar bear
National colours
white
Adjective
Greenlandic
Noun
Greenlander(s)
Background
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.
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

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 184)	16,000
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 65)	28.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 125)	106.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 196)	39,544
Population (World Rank: 79)	68.50	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 114)	10.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 154)	5.00

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