Greenland, the world’s largest island, is about 80% 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.
land: 2,166,086 sq km (approximately 1,710,000 sq km ice-covered)
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 1,792 m
arable land: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)
forest: 0% (2018 est.)
other: 99.4% (2018 est.)
57,777 (2023 est.)
noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic
Greenlandic 89.1%, Danish 7.5%, other Nordic peoples 0.9%, and other 2.5% (2022 est.)
note: data represent population by country of birth
Greenlandic (West Greenlandic or Kalaallisut is the official language), Danish, English
Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs
0-14 years: 20.46% (male 5,992/female 5,827)
15-64 years: 67.66% (male 20,271/female 18,820)
65 years and over: 11.89% (2023 est.) (male 3,641/female 3,226)
total dependency ratio: 43.6
youth dependency ratio: 30
elderly dependency ratio: 13.6
potential support ratio: 7.4 (2021)
total: 35 years (2023 est.)
male: 35.7 years
female: 34.4 years
-0.04% (2023 est.)
13.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
settlement concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast; interior is uninhabited
urban population: 87.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
18,000 NUUK (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
total: 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 10.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 74.3 years (2023 est.)
male: 71.6 years
female: 77.1 years
1.9 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.92 (2023 est.)
NA
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
NA
1.87 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
14 beds/1,000 population (2016)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
NA
39.4% (2023 est.)
10.2% of GDP (2019 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2015)
especially vulnerable to climate change and disruption of the Arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting
arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
agricultural land: 0.6% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)
forest: 0% (2018 est.)
other: 99.4% (2018 est.)
urban population: 87.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.51 megatons (2016 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 50,000 tons (2010 est.)
large self-governing Danish territorial economy; preferential EU market access; high-income economy; dependent on Danish financial support, even for whaling and sealing industries; growing tourism; hydropower-fueled but environmentally fragile economy
$2.413 billion (2015 est.)
$2.24 billion (2014 est.)
$2.203 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
0.36% (2020 est.)
2.27% (2019 est.)
0.62% (2018 est.)
$41,800 (2015 est.)
$38,800 (2014 est.)
$38,500 (2013 est.)
$2.221 billion (2015 est.)
0.3% (January 2017 est.)
1.2% (January 2016 est.)
agriculture: 15.9% (2015 est.)
industry: 10.1% (2015 est.)
services: 73.9% (2015)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 68.1% (2015 est.)
government consumption: 28% (2015 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 14.3% (2015 est.)
investment in inventories: -13.9% (2015 est.)
exports of goods and services: 18.2% (2015 est.)
imports of goods and services: -28.6% (2015 est.)
sheep, cattle, reindeer, fish, shellfish
fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut), anorthosite and ruby mining, handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards
8.56% (2019 est.) NA
26,840 (2015 est.)
9.1% (2015 est.)
10.3% (2014 est.)
16.2% (2015 est.)
33.9 (2015 est.)
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
revenues: $1.719 billion (2016 est.)
expenditures: $1.594 billion (2016 est.)
5.6% (of GDP) (2016 est.)
13% of GDP (2015 est.)
77.4% (of GDP) (2016 est.)
calendar year
$407.1 million (2015 est.)
$599.7 million (2014 est.)
Denmark 55%, China 22%, Japan 6% (2019)
shrimp, halibut, fish fillets, crabs, cod, mackerel (2021)
$783.5 million (2015 est.)
$866.1 million (2014 est.)
Denmark 51%, Spain 23%, Sweden 12%, Iceland 7% (2019)
fishing ships, refined petroleum, construction vehicles, crustaceans, delivery trucks (2019)
$36.4 million (2010)
$58 million (2009)
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
6.287 (2021 est.)
6.542 (2020 est.)
6.669 (2019 est.)
6.315 (2018 est.)
6.603 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 187,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 481.7 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 17 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 15.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 84.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 183 million metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
3,973 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
605,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 605,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) (registered in Denmark)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8 (registered in Denmark)
OY-H
15 (2021)
10
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
5
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
note: although there are short roads in towns, there are no roads between towns; inter-urban transport is either by sea or by air
total: 6 (2022)
by type: other 6
major seaport(s): Sisimiut
manyapis