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Greenland Country Guide

Explore Greenland in North America

Greenland with the capital city Nuuk (Godthåb) is located in North America (Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 2,166,086 square kilometres (slightly more than three times the size of Texas) with 56,375 citizens.

Interactive map of Greenland

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

To reach someone in Greenland dial +299 prior to a number. There are 22,000 installed telephones. And there are 53,500 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".gl". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.

About the flag and history of Greenland

Greenland Flag Icon

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 was made an integral part of Denmark 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 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 of Greenland''s foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland''s Home Rule Government.

National administrative regions of Greenland



Geography Quick-Facts

SummaryContinent: North America
Neighbours:
Capital: Nuuk (Godthåb)
Size2,166,086 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 836,330 square miles (mi² or sqmi)
slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Population56,375
CurrencyName Krone, Currency Code:DKK
Country Top Level Domain (cTLD).gl
Telephone Country Prefix+299
Mobile Phone Connections53,500
Landline Phone Connections22,000

Country Position in World Rankings

Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).

Geography

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Area2,166,086 (sq km)12

People and Society

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Population57,714 205
Population growth rate0.03 (%)189
Birth rate14.57 (births/1,000 population)136
Death rate8.30 (deaths/1,000 population)88
Net migration rate-5.98 (migrant(s)/1,000 population)195
Infant mortality rate9.63 (deaths/1,000 live births)146
Life expectancy at birth71.54 (years)143
Total fertility rate2.08 (children born/woman)116
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS100 162

Economy

Value nameValueWorld Rank
GDP (purchasing power parity)2,133,000,000 192
GDP - real growth rate3.00 (%)108
GDP - per capita (PPP)37,400 35
Labor force33,670 204
Unemployment rate4.90 (%)45
Taxes and other revenues79.60 (% of GDP)1
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)1.90 (% of GDP)23
Inflation rate (consumer prices)2.80 (%)67
Exports384,300,000 176
Imports814,200,000 182
Debt - external36,400,000 193

Energy

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Electricity - production276,600,000 (kWh)175
Electricity - consumption239,400,000 (kWh)181
Electricity - installed generating capacity137,000 (kW)163
Electricity - from fossil fuels100.00 (% of total installed capacity)16
Refined petroleum products - consumption3,897 (bbl/day)176
Refined petroleum products - exports1,034 (bbl/day)110
Refined petroleum products - imports5,376 (bbl/day)152
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy555,600 (Mt)178

Communications

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Telephones - main lines in use19,900 190
Telephones - mobile cellular58,700 199
Internet hosts15,645 123
Internet users36,000 178

Transportation

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Airports15 148
Merchant marine1 156

Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases

List of current world heritage sites

NameSince