Countries
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Disputes - international: managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission
Military branches: no regular military forces
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 15,280
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,765
females age 16-49: 11,399
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 488
female: 478
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark
Airports: 15
country comparison to the world: 148
Roadways: although there are short roads in towns, there are no roads between towns; inter-urban transport takes place either by sea or air
Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 1 (Denmark 1)
country comparison to the world: 156
Ports and terminals: Sisimiut
Telephones - main lines in use: 21,800
country comparison to the world: 188
Telephones - mobile cellular: 57,300
country comparison to the world: 196
Telephone system: general assessment: adequate domestic and international service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay; totally digital since 1995
domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite
international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 15 (12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean))
Broadcast media: the Greenland Broadcasting Company provides public radio and TV services throughout the island with a broadcast station and a series of repeaters; a few private local TV and radio stations; Danish public radio rebroadcasts are available
Internet country code: .gl
Internet hosts: 15,639
country comparison to the world: 124
Internet users: 36,000
country comparison to the world: 177
The economy remains critically dependent on exports of shrimp and fish, income from resource exploration and extraction, and on a substantial subsidy from the Danish Government. The subsidy is budgeted to be about $650 million in 2012, approximately 56% of government revenues in 2012 for the year. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's economy. Greenland's real GDP contracted about 1% in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown, but is estimated to have grown 2% in 2010 and 3% in 2011. The relative ease with which Greenland has weathered the economic crisis is due to increased hydrocarbon and mineral exploration and extraction activities, a high level of construction activity in the Nuuk area and the increasing price of fish and shrimp. During the last decade the Greenland Home Rule Government (GHRG) pursued conservative fiscal and monetary policies, but public pressure has increased for better schools, health care and retirement systems. The Greenlandic economy has benefited from increasing catches and exports of shrimp, Greenland halibut and, more recently, crabs. Due to Greenland's continued dependence on exports of fish - which accounted for 89% of exports in 2010 - the economy remains very sensitive to foreign developments. International consortia are increasingly active in exploring for hydrocarbon resources off Greenland's western coast, and international studies indicate the potential for oil and gas fields in northern and northeastern Greenland. In May 2007 a US aluminum producer concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Greenland Home Rule Government to build an aluminum smelter and a power generation facility, which takes advantage of Greenland's abundant hydropower potential. Within the area of mining, olivine sand continues to be produced and gold production has resumed in south Greenland. Tourism also offers another avenue of economic growth for Greenland, with increasing numbers of cruise lines now operating in Greenland's western and southern waters during the peak summer tourism season.
Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979
Government type: parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
Administrative divisions: 4 municipalities (kommuner, singular kommune); Kujalleq, Qaasuitsup, Qeqqata, Sermersooq
note: the North and East Greenland National Park (Avannaarsuani Tunumilu Nuna Allanngutsaaliugaq) and the Thule Air Base in Pituffik (in northwest Greenland) are two unincorporated areas; the national park's 972,000 sq km - about 46% of the island - make it the largest national park in the world and also the most northerly
Legal system: the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Ethnic groups: Inuit 89%, Danish and other 11%
Languages: Greenlandic (East Inuit) (official), Danish (official), English
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs
Population: 57,695
country comparison to the world: 204
Median age: total: 33.7 years
male: 35 years
female: 32.2 years
Population growth rate: 0.038%
country comparison to the world: 186
Net migration rate: -5.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 196
Urbanization: urban population: 84% of total population
rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change
Major cities - population: NUUK (capital) 15,000
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.25 years
country comparison to the world: 140
male: 68.6 years
female: 74.04 years
Total fertility rate: 2.11 children born/woman
country comparison to the world: 113
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%
Location: Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 44,087 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
Land use: arable land: 0%, permanent crops: 0%, other: 100%
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; close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap
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.
Greenland
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