Greenland ( none) is a country in Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada. Greenland geographic coordinates 72 00 N, 40 00 W; area 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (2000 est.); area comparative slightly more than three times the size of Texas; land boundaries 0 km; coastline 44,087 km; maritime claims 200; 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 Gunnbjorn 3,700 m; natural resources coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas; land use 100% (2001); 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;

introduction

The world's largest island, Greenland is about 81% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the European Union) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute over stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs. government type parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy; capital Nuuk (Godthab); administrative divisions 3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland) there are 18 municipalities in Greenland; independence none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; 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;

people

Greenland population 56,375 (July 2005 est.); age structure 6.3% (male 1,672/female 1,879) (2005 est.); median age 32.14 years (2005 est.); population growth rate -0.02% (2005 est.); birth rate 15.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 7.77 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate -8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 1.12 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 17.15 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 73.31 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 2.41 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate NA%; hiv people with aids 100 (1999); hiv deaths NA; nationality 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 similar to Denmark proper;

Cities