Greenland (2004) | Paracel Islands (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | 3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland |
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Age structure | 0-14 years: 25.5% (male 7,344; female 7,029)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 20,894; female 17,715) 65 years and over: 6% (male 1,585; female 1,817) (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish | - |
Airports | 14 (2003 est.) | 1 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Area | total: 2,166,086 sq km
land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (2000 est.) |
total: NA sq km
land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than three times the size of Texas | NA |
Background | 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. | The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. |
Birth rate | 15.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $646 million
expenditures: $629 million, including capital expenditures of $85 million (1999) |
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Capital | Nuuk (Godthab) | - |
Climate | arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters | tropical |
Coastline | 44,087 km | 518 km |
Constitution | 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) | - |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Greenland local long form: none local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
Currency | Danish krone (DKK) is the official legal tender. | - |
Death rate | 7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $25 million (1999) | - |
Dependency status | part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) | - |
Disputes - international | uncontested dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland | occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam |
Economic aid - recipient | $380 million subsidy from Denmark (1997) | - |
Economy - overview | 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. Despite several interesting hydrocarbon and minerals exploration activities, it will take several years before production can materialize. Tourism is the only sector offering any near-term potential, and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs. | China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. |
Electricity - consumption | 227.9 million kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production | 245 million kWh (2001) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
Environment - current issues | protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting | NA |
Ethnic groups | Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (January 2000) | - |
Exchange rates | Danish kroner per US dollar - 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.323 (2001), 8.083 (2000), 6.976 (1999) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Peter LAURITEEN (since NA 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Hans ENOKSEN (since 14 December 2002) cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the Parliament (Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of parties elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; prime minister is elected by Parliament (usually the leader of the majority party); election last held 3 December 2002 (next to be held December 2006) election results: Hans ENOKSEN elected prime minister note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit |
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Exports | NA (2001) | - |
Exports - commodities | fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%) | - |
Exports - partners | Denmark 64.7%, Japan 14.2%, China 4.4% (2003) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
Flag description | 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 | - |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.8% (2001 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 72 00 N, 40 00 W | 16 30 N, 112 00 E |
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 | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group |
Highways | total: NA (there are no roads between towns) (2003) | - |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Imports | NA (2001) | - |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products | - |
Imports - partners | Denmark 82.6%, Norway 7.5%, Sweden 3.5% (2003) | - |
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) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | - |
Industries | fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut), handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards, mining | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 16.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17.62 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.6% (1999 est.) | - |
International organization participation | NC, NIB, UPU | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km |
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) | - |
Labor force | 24,500 (1999 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English | - |
Legal system | Danish | - |
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 3 December 2002 (next to be held by NA December 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 28.7%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 25.5%, Atassut Party 20.4%, Demokratiit 15.6%, Katusseqatigiit 5.3%; seats by party - Siumut 10, Inuit Ataqatigiit 8, Atassut 7, Demokratiit 5, Katusseqatigiit 1 note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or Folketing on 20 November 2001 (next to be held 8 February 2005); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit Ataqatigiit 1 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.32 years
male: 65.75 years female: 72.98 years (2004 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA note: similar to Denmark proper |
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Location | Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada | Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines |
Map references | Arctic Region | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line |
NA |
Merchant marine | total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,593 GRT/3,640 DWT
by type: cargo 2, passenger 1 foreign-owned: Denmark 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Denmark | occupied by China |
National holiday | June 21 (longest day) | - |
Nationality | noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic |
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Natural hazards | continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island | typhoons |
Natural resources | coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas | none |
Net migration rate | -8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Atassut Party (Solidarity, a conservative party favoring continuing close relations with Denmark) [Augusta SALLING]; Demokratiit [Per BERTHELSEN]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA (Eskimo Brotherhood, a leftist party favoring complete independence from Denmark rather than home rule) [Josef MOTZFELDT]; Issituup (Polar Party) [Nicolai HEINRICH]; 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) [Hans ENOKSEN] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 56,384 (July 2004 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons |
Population below poverty line | NA | - |
Population growth rate | -0.01% (2004 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Aasiaat (Egedesminde), Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Kangerlussuaq, Nanortalik, Narsarsuaq, Nuuk (Godthab), Qaqortoq (Julianehab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Tasiilaq | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Religions | Evangelical Lutheran | - |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate domestic and international service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay; totally digitalized in 1995
domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 26,000 (2001) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 16,747 (2001) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 publicly-owned station, some local low-power stations, and three AFRTS (US Air Force) stations (1997) | - |
Terrain | flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast | mostly low and flat |
Total fertility rate | 2.42 children born/woman (2004 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 10% (2000 est.) | - |