Greenland is the largest island and nearly eighty percent of this autonomous area is covered by ice sheets and many glaciers. The ice-free area is still almost as large as the whole of Sweden, but only a small part of this is arable land.

Greenland has fewer than 57 000 inhabitants, of which 15,000 live in the capital, Nuuk.

Greenland is part of Denmark, but has a high degree of autonomy, which has been extended further in 2009. It does not include government affairs, such as foreign affairs, security policy and foreign exchange policy.

Greenland is not a member of EU, but has a special fisheries agreement and has been accepted as an overseas area with a special attachment to the EU.

Sealing and whaling, fishing and hunting are the main sources of Greenland. The country has also increased revenues from tourism and a little mining.

GDP per capita is € 25,000 (2006 ).

Total area of ​​2,166,086 km2
Ice sheets and glaciers 1,755,637 km2
Ice-free area 410,449 km2
Highest point Gunnbjørn ‘s Mountain 3693 m
The coastline 44 087 km
National boundaries 0 km
Forest 1 km2
Precipitation ( 2006) – Egedesminde 352 mm
Precipitation ( 2006) – Tasiilaq 742 mm
Population 1 januar 2013 56 370 inhabitants
Population density in ice-free area 01.01.13 0.14 pop./km2
Population capital 1 January 2013 Nuuk 16454
National day 21 June ( year’s longest day)
Governance Self-government authorities – in Denmark
Parliament Inatsisartut or County Council (31 seats)
EU Member Since 1 January 1973 to 1 February 1985
NATO member since 1949 (due to the Danish membership )
Head of State ( September 2009 ) Queen Margrethe II
Of government (as at October 2009) Kuupik Kleist ( Inuit Ataqatigiit – Independence Party)
Currency: Danish krone ( DKK)
Official Site http://dk.nanoq.gl/
Official languages ​​Greenlandic

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