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| Greenland | Introduction | Back to Top |
Greenland, also Kalaallit Nunaat,island, internally self-governing part of Denmark, situated between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Greenland lies mostly north of the Arctic Circle and is separated from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, on the west, primarily by the Davis Strait and Baffin Bay, and from Iceland, on the east, by the Strait of Denmark. The largest island in the world, Greenland has a maximum length, from its northernmost point on Cape Morris Jesup to Cape Farewell in the extreme south, of about 2,655 km (1,650 mi). The maximum distance from east to west is about 1,290 km .The length of Greenland's coast, which is deeply indented with fiords, is around at 5,800 km .The total area of Greenland is around 2,175,600 sq km (840,000 sq mi), of which about 84 per cent, or some 1,834,000 sq km , is ice cap. The capital is Nuuk.
Official Name- Greenland| Greenland | Provinces | Back to Top |
3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
| Greenland | People | Back to Top |
Greenlanders are a people of mixed ancestry, primarily Inuit and European, particularly Danish-Norwegian. The total population of Greenland (2001 estimate) is 56,352. Nearly all the population is located on the narrow southwestern coastal fringe. The capital, Nuuk, formerly known as Godthåb ,is located on the southwestern coast. Nuuk is the largest and oldest Danish settlement on the island, having been founded in 1721. Holsteinsborg ,on the western coast just north of the Arctic Circle, is the second largest town. Other settlements include Julianehåb Frederikshåb and Narsaq ,on the southern coast; Thule ,on the northwestern coast; and Ammassalik on the eastern coast.
Education is free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 7 and 14. About 85 school centers were in operation in 1992, instructing primarily in Greenlandic .Danish, the other official language of Greenland, is also used in the schools. A university is located at Nuuk.
| Greenland | History | Back to Top |
Greenland was first explored by Eric the Red, a Norwegian settler in Iceland and father of Leif Eriksson, toward the end of the 10th century, and Icelandic settlements were consequently accomplished there under his leadership. By the early 15th century, these settlements had vanished, and all contact with Greenland was lost. In the course of the search for the Northwest Passage, Greenland was sighted again. The English navigator John Davis visited the island in 1585, and his explorative work, together with that of the English explorers Henry Hudson and William Baffin, afforded knowledge of the west coast of Greenland.
Greenland is the source of many of the weather changes in the northern hemisphere, and knowledge of Greenland weather is of prime importance for the prediction of conditions in the North Atlantic Ocean and in western Europe. Weather and radio stations are of inestimable value for Atlantic air traffic. In 1944, during World War II, a German radio-weather station on the northeast coast was destroyed by the U.S. Coast Guard, and various German attempts to establish weather bases on Greenland were thwarted by Coast Guard vessels. In May 1947, Denmark requested that the United States end the 1941 agreement. Protracted negotiations culminated during April 1951, in a 20-year pact providing for Danish control of the chief U.S. naval station in Greenland and for the establishment of jointly operated defense areas. By the terms of other provisions, the armed forces of the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization were authorized to use all naval, air, and military bases on the island.
| Greenland | Culture | Back to Top |
Greenland is the source of many of the weather changes in the northern hemisphere, and knowledge of Greenland weather is of prime importance for the prediction of conditions in the North Atlantic Ocean and in western Europe. Weather and radio stations are of inestimable value for Atlantic air traffic. In 1944, during World War II, a German radio-weather station on the northeast coast was destroyed by the U.S. Coast Guard, and various German attempts to establish weather bases on Greenland were thwarted by Coast Guard vessels. In May 1947, Denmark requested that the United States end the 1941 agreement.By the terms of other provisions,the armed forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization were authorized to use all naval, air, and military bases on the island. In the early 1950s the United States expanded its military operations in Greenland, constructing a large strategic air base at Thule, about 1,500 km from the North Pole.
The United States relinquished its claim to land in northern Greenland, based on the explorations of the American explorer Robert Edwin Peary, when it purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917. In May 1921, Denmark declared the entire island of Greenland to be Danish territory, causing a dispute with Norway over hunting and fishing rights. In 1931 a strip of land on the east coast was claimed by some Norwegian hunters, whose action was later recognized by the Norwegian government. The occupation was invalidated by the Permanent Court of International Justice at The Hague in 1933.
| Greenland | Land | Back to Top |
Greenland consists of an interior ice-covered plateau surrounded by a mountainous, generally ice-free, rim. The interior ice cap varies in thickness, measuring 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in the center of the island. Underneath the ice cover are the ancient rocks of the Greenland Shield, which is geologically related to the Canadian Shield. The greatest heights of land are along the eastern coast, where the extreme elevation is Gunnbjørn Fjeld (about 3,700 m/ 12,000 ft). Drainage is afforded mainly by the so-called ice fjords, in which glaciers from the ice caps pass through valleys to the sea, where they form thousands of icebergs each year. The climate is extremely cold, but during the short summer in the south the mean temperature is 9° C (48° F). The mammals of Greenland are more American than European, and include the musk-ox, wolf, lemming, and reindeer.
| Greenland | Economy | Back to Top |
Fishing, sealing, and fur trapping are the principal economic activities in Greenland, which must rely on large amounts of financial support from Denmark. The fish catch is primarily cod, shrimp, and salmon; fish processing is the major manufacturing industry. Agriculture is only possible on one % of Greenland's total area. Cattle, sheep, and goats are raised in small numbers in some portions of the southwestern coast, and hardy vegetables are grown. Greenland was formerly the world's main source of natural cryolite, a mineral used in the manufacture of aluminum, but by the late 1980s, reserves were exhausted. Lead and zinc were also produced until the mines were exhausted in 1990, and deposits of coal and uranium are known to exist. Denmark is Greenland's largest trading partner, and its main exports are fish, hides and skins, and fish oil. Thule Air Base in the north supports a community of American and Danish civilian and military personnel.
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. contempt several interesting hydrocarbon and minerals exploration activities, it will take several years before production can materialize. Tourism is the only area offering any near-term potential, and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs.
| Greenland | Communications | Back to Top |
sufficient 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)
| Greenland | Politics | Back to Top |
Akulliit Party [Bjarne KREUTZMANN]; Atassut Party (Solidarity, a conservative party favoring continuing close relations with Denmark) [Daniel SKIFTE]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA (Eskimo Brotherhood, a leftist party favoring complete freedom from Denmark rather than home rule) [Josef MOTZFELDT]; Issituup (Polar Party) [Nicolai HEINvaluable]; 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) [Jonathan MOTZFELDT]
| Greenland | Government | Back to Top |
In a vote in 1979, Greenland voted for home rule. Denmark continues to administer external affairs. administrator power is held by a seven-member body, the Landsstyre, headed by a premier. Legislative power is unconditional in a 31-member parliament, the Landsting. Greenlanders elect two representatives to the Danish parliament.
| Greenland | Legal | Back to Top |
Legal system: Danish vote: 18 years of age; universal administrator branch: chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), described by High Commissioner Gunnar MARTENS (since NA 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Jonathan MOTZFELDT (since 19 September 1997) cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the Parliament (Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of parties elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; prime minister is elected by Parliament (usually the leader of the majority party); election last held 16 February 1999 (next to be held NA February 2003) election results: Jonathan MOTZFELDT reelected prime minister following the 16 February 1999 elections; % of parliamentary vote - 57.3% note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) 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) elections: last held on 16 February 1999 (next to be held by NA February 2003) election results: % of vote by party - Siumut 35.2%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 22.1%, Atassut Party 25.2%, Candidate's League 12.3%, independent 5.2%; seats by party - Siumut 11, Atassut 8, Inuit Ataqatigiit 7, Candidate List 4, independent 1 note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or Folketing on 11 March 1998 (next to be held by not later than March 2002); % of vote by party - Siumut 35.6%, Atassut 35.2%; seats by party - Siumut 1, Atassut 1; Greenlandic representatives are affiliated with Danish political parties (Siamut with Social Democratic Party and Atassut with Liberal Party) 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)
| Greenland | organization | Back to Top |
ICC, NC, NIB
| Greenland | Defence | Back to Top |
defense is the responsibility of Denmark
| Greenland | International Disputes | Back to Top |
none
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| Greenland | Time | Back to Top |
| Greenland | Currency and General Information | Back to Top |
| Countries Currency Unit | DKK/Unit | Units/DKK | |
| DZD | Algeria Dinars | 0.110176 | 9.07638 |
| USD | United States Dollars | 8.52906 | 0.117246 |
| ARS | Argentina Pesos | 2.89612 | 0.345290 |
| AUD | Australia Dollars | 4.55038 | 0.219762 |
| ATS | Austria Schillings ** | 0.539879 | 1.85227 |
| BSD | Bahamas Dollars | 8.52906 | 0.117246 |
| BBD | Barbados Dollars | 4.28596 | 0.233320 |
| BEF | Belgium Francs ** | 0.184158 | 5.43013 |
| BMD | Bermuda Dollars | 8.52906 | 0.117246 |
| BRL | Brazil Reals | 3.66841 | 0.272597 |
| GBP | United Kingdom Pounds | 12.1613 | 0.0822283 |
| BGL | Bulgaria Leva | 3.81499 | 0.262124 |
| CAD | Canada Dollars | 5.34682 | 0.187027 |
| CLP | Chile Pesos | 0.0129927 | 76.9663 |
| CNY | China Yuan Renminbi | 1.03040 | 0.970493 |
| CYP | Cyprus Pounds | 12.9818 | 0.0770307 |
| CZK | Czech Republic Koruny | 0.240601 | 4.15625 |
| DKK | Denmark Kroner | 1.00000 | 1.00000 |
| XCD | East Caribbean Dollars | 3.15891 | 0.316565 |
| EGP | Egypt Pounds | 1.84114 | 0.543143 |
| EUR | Euro | 7.42890 | 0.134609 |
| FJD | Fiji Dollars | 3.81614 | 0.262045 |
| FIM | Finland Markkaa ** | 1.24945 | 0.800351 |
| FRF | France Francs ** | 1.13253 | 0.882980 |
| DEM | Germany Deutsche Marks ** | 3.79834 | 0.263273 |
| XAU | Gold Ounces | 2,577.87 | 0.000387917 |
| GRD | Greece Drachmae ** | 0.0218016 | 45.8682 |
| HKD | Hong Kong Dollars | 1.09353 | 0.914473 |
| HUF | Hungary Forint | 0.0305509 | 32.7323 |
| ISK | Iceland Kronur | 0.0852960 | 11.7239 |
| INR | India Rupees | 0.174762 | 5.72208 |
| IDR | Indonesia Rupiahs | 0.000868149 | 1,151.88 |
| IEP | Ireland Pounds ** | 9.43276 | 0.106014 |
| ILS | Israel New Shekels | 1.79826 | 0.556092 |
| ITL | Italy Lire ** | 0.00383671 | 260.640 |
| JMD | Jamaica Dollars | 0.179144 | 5.58209 |
| JPY | Japan Yen | 0.0642975 | 15.5527 |
| JOD | Jordan Dinars | 12.0297 | 0.0831275 |
| LBP | Lebanon Pounds | 0.00563346 | 177.511 |
| LUF | Luxembourg Francs ** | 0.184158 | 5.43013 |
| MYR | Malaysia Ringgits | 2.24508 | 0.445418 |
| MXN | Mexico Pesos | 0.946588 | 1.05643 |
| NZD | New Zealand Dollars | 3.75691 | 0.266176 |
| NOK | Norway Kroner | 0.963338 | 1.03806 |
| NLG | Netherlands Guilders ** | 3.37109 | 0.296640 |
| PKR | Pakistan Rupees | 0.142033 | 7.04063 |
| PHP | Philippines Pesos | 0.167171 | 5.98190 |
| XPT | Platinum Ounces | 4,426.39 | 0.000225917 |
| PLN | Poland Zlotych | 2.07431 | 0.482088 |
| PTE | Portugal Escudos ** | 0.0370552 | 26.9868 |
| ROL | Romania Lei | 0.000258967 | 3,861.50 |
| RUR | Russia Rubles | 0.274070 | 3.64870 |
| SAR | Saudi Arabia Riyals | 2.27438 | 0.439680 |
| XAG | Silver Ounces | 39.4882 | 0.0253240 |
| SGD | Singapore Dollars | 4.62982 | 0.215991 |
| SKK | Slovakia Koruny | 0.177874 | 5.62197 |
| ZAR | South Africa Rand | 0.750946 | 1.33165 |
| KRW | South Korea Won | 0.00645747 | 154.859 |
| ESP | Spain Pesetas ** | 0.0446486 | 22.3971 |
| XDR | IMF Special Drawing Rights | 10.6342 | 0.0940365 |
| SDD | Sudan Dinars | 0.0328041 | 30.4840 |
| SEK | Sweden Kronor | 0.823195 | 1.21478 |
| CHF | Switzerland Francs | 5.07300 | 0.197122 |
| TWD | Taiwan New Dollars | 0.244036 | 4.09775 |
| THB | Thailand Baht | 0.195837 | 5.10627 |
| TTD | Trinidad and Tobago Dollars | 1.39364 | 0.717547 |
| TRL | Turkey Liras | 0.00000634557 | 157,590.31 |
| VEB | Venezuela Bolivares | 0.00926277 | 107.959 |
| ZMK | Zambia Kwacha | 0.00190807 | 524.090 |
| Greenland : Geographic coordinates | 72 00 N, 40 00 W |
| Greenland : Population growth rate | 0.06% |
| Greenland : Birth rate | 16.52 births/1,000 population |
| Greenland : Death rate | 7.58 deaths/1,000 population |
| Greenland : People living with HIV/AIDS | 100 |
| Greenland : Independence | N/A |
| Greenland : National holiday | June 21 |
| Greenland : Constitution | 5 June 1953 |
| Greenland : GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion |
| Greenland : GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,000 |
| Greenland : Electricity - consumption | 232.5 million kWh |
| Greenland : Exports | $276 million fish and fish products |
| Greenland : Imports | $400 million machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products |
| Greenland : Telephones | 25,617 |
| Greenland : Mobile cellular | 12,676 |
| Greenland : Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 |
| Greenland : Radios | 30,000 |
| Greenland : Television broadcast stations | 1 |
| Greenland : Televisions | 30,000 |
| Greenland : Internet country code | .gl |
| Greenland : Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 |
| Greenland : Internet users | 4000 |
| Greenland : Railways | N/A |
| Greenland : Highways | 150 km |
| Greenland : Waterways | N/A |
| Greenland : Pipelines | N/A |
| Greenland : Ports and harbors | Aasiaat (Egedesminde), Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Kangerlussuaq, Nanortalik, Narsarsuaq, Nuuk (Godthab), Qaqortoq (Julianehab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Tasiilaq |
| Greenland : Merchant marine | N/A |
| Greenland : Airports | 13 |
| Greenland : Heliports | N/A |
| Greenland : Military branches | N/A |
| Greenland : Military expenditures | N/A |