Greenland

total : 2,166,086 sq km land: 2,166,086 sq km (approximately 1,710,000 sq km ice-covered)

44,087 km

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 sheet after that of Antarctica, covering an area of 1.71 million sq km (660,000 sq mi), or about 79% of the island, and containing 2.85 million cu km (684 thousand cu mi) of ice (almost 7% of the world's fresh water)

NA

total: 0 km

Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada

Arctic Region

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

continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island

flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast

38.8% (2022 est.)

total dependency ratio: 50.4 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 30.5 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 19.9 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 5 (2025 est.)

0.91 (2025 est.)

total: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total population: 74.5 years (2024 est.) male: 71.8 years female: 77.3 years

18,000 NUUK (capital) (2018)

total: 35.6 years (2025 est.) male: 35.9 years female: 34.7 years

noun: Greenlander(s) adjective: Greenlandic

-4.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

1.87 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

settlement concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast; interior is uninhabited

breakdown

{"male":{"value":29775,"unit":"people","formatted":"29,775","name":"Male Population"},"female":{"value":27938,"unit":"people","formatted":"27,938","name":"Female Population"}}

meta

{"year":2025}

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

1.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)

527,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 12 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 527,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

changes in sea levels and other disruptions in the Arctic environment

agricultural land: 0.6% (2023 est.) arable land: 0% (2022 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.) permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.) forest: 0% (2023 est.) other: 99.4% (2023 est.)

urban population: 87.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 50,000 tons (2024 est.)

5 municipalities (kommuner, singular - kommune); Avannaata, Kujalleq, Qeqertalik, Qeqqata, Sermersooq note: Northeast Greenland National Park (Kalaallit Nunaanni Nuna Eqqissisimatitaq) and the Pituffik Space Base (formerly known as Thule Air Base) in northwest Greenland are two unincorporated areas; the national park's 972,000 sq km -- about 46% of the island -- makes it the largest national park in the world and also the most northerly

name

Nuuk

geo

{"lat":64.1833,"lng":-51.75}

timezone

{"difference":"UTC-2 (3 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)","note":"Greenland has three time zones","dst":"+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October"}

meta

{}

see Denmark

history: previous 1953 (Greenland established as a constituency in the Danish constitution), 1979 (Greenland Home Rule Act); latest 21 June 2009 (Greenland Self-Government Act)

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Greenland local long form: none local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat etymology: named by Norse navigator Erik THORVALDSSON (Erik the Red) in A.D. 985 to attract settlers to the island; the original Greenlandic name, Kalaallit Nunaat, means "land of the people"

part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979

chief of state: King FREDERIK X of Denmark (since 14 January 2024), represented by High Commissioner Julie Praest WILCHE (since May 2022) (2024) head of government: Prime Minister Jens-Frederik NIELSEN (since 28 March 2025) cabinet: Self-rule Government (Naalakkersuisut) elected by the Parliament (Inatsisartut) election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; premier indirectly elected by Parliament for a 4-year term election results: 2025: Jens-Frederik NIELSEN (D) elected premier 2021: Mute B. EGEDE elected premier; Parliament vote - Mute B. EGEDE (Inuit Ataqatigiit) unanimous 2014: Kim KIELSEN elected premier; Parliament vote - Kim KIELSEN (S) 27.2%, Sara OLSVIG (IA) 25.5%, Randi Vestergaard EVALDSEN (D) 19.5%, other 27.8%

description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red, with a large disk set slightly to the left; the top half of the disk is red, and the bottom is white meaning: the design represents the sun reflecting off a field of ice; the colors are the same as the Danish flag and symbolize Greenland's links to the Kingdom of Denmark

parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Greenland or Inatsisartut)

highest court(s): High Court of Greenland (consists of the presiding professional judge and 2 lay assessors) judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Council, a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70 subordinate courts: Court of Greenland; 18 district or magistrates' courts note: appeals beyond the High Court of Greenland can be heard by the Supreme Court (in Copenhagen)

Denmark's laws apply in some areas, and Greenland's law for the remainder

legislature name: Parliament (Inatsisartut) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 31 (directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 4/6/2021 parties elected and seats per party: IA (12); S (10); N (4); D (3); A (2) percentage of women in chamber: 35% expected date of next election: 2025 note: Greenland elects 2 members to the Danish Parliament to serve 4-year terms

title: "Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit" (Our Country, Who's Become So Old) lyrics/music: Henrik LUND/Jonathan PETERSEN history: adopted 1916 _____ title: "Nuna asiilasooq" (The Land of Great Length) lyrics/music: unknown history: adopted 1979, when home rule was granted; the Greenlandic government recognizes this local Kalaallit song as a secondary anthem

red, white

total World Heritage Sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural); note - excerpted from the Denmark entry selected World Heritage Site locales: Ilulissat Icefjord (n); Kujataa, Norse, and Inuit Farming (c); Aasivissuit–Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground (c)

polar bear

Democrats Party (Demokraatit) or D Fellowship Party (Atassut) or A Forward Party (Siumut) or S Inuit Community (Inuit Ataqatigiit) or IA Signpost Party (Naleraq) or N (formerly Partii Naleraq)

18 years of age; universal

revenues: $1.719 billion (2016 est.) expenditures: $1.594 billion (2016 est.)

high-income, self-governing Danish territorial economy; non-EU member but preferential market access; dependent on Danish financial support; exports led by fishing industry; growing tourism and interest in untapped mineral deposits; relies on hydropower for fuel

Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 6.894 (2024 est.) 6.89 (2023 est.) 7.076 (2022 est.) 6.287 (2021 est.) 6.542 (2020 est.)

-1.3% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

1.2% (2022 est.) 0% (2021 est.) 2.1% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

0.9% (2023 est.) 2% (2022 est.) 1.6% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$4.04 billion (2023 est.) $4.005 billion (2022 est.) $3.926 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

imports: 5 metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 383 million metric tons (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity: 190,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 534.5 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 10 million kWh (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

32 (2022 est.)

Greenland Broadcasting Company provides public radio and TV, with a broadcast station and a series of repeaters; a few private local TV and radio stations; Danish public radio rebroadcasts are available (2019)

.gl

percent of population: 70% (2017 est.)

total subscriptions: 66,400 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2022 est.)

25 (2025)

OY-H

54 (2025)

total: 10 (2023) by type: other 10

total ports: 23 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 7 very small: 10 size unknown: 6 ports with oil terminals: 5 key ports: Aasiaat, Illulissat (Jakobshavn), Kusanartoq, Nuuk, Paamuit (Frederikshab), Qeqertarsuaq, Sisimiut

no regular military forces

the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk is responsible for coordinating Denmark's defense of Greenland the US Space Force maintains a base on Greenland’s northwest coast, about 750 miles from the North Pole