Greenland, known in Greenlandic as Kalaallit Nunaat, meaning “land of the Greenlanders,” is the world’s largest island that is not classified as a continent. Positioned in the Arctic and North Atlantic, northeast of mainland Canada, Greenland occupies a unique place on the map: geographically part of North America, yet politically bound to a European kingdom. It is an autonomous, self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark rather than an independent sovereign state, a distinction that shapes nearly every aspect of its governance, economy, and international relationships.
Despite covering more than two million square kilometres, Greenland is home to a remarkably small population, the vast majority of whom live in coastal towns and settlements that hug the island’s ice-free margins. Roughly four-fifths of the landmass lies buried beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, a feature so immense that it influences global sea levels, regional weather, and even Greenland’s own settlement patterns. Woven through this physical landscape is a long history of Inuit habitation, adaptation, and cultural continuity, alongside a growing role on the world stage as Arctic shipping routes, mineral deposits, and strategic military installations draw increasing international attention.
Geographic Location, Area, and Boundaries
Greenland lies between the Arctic Ocean to the north and the North Atlantic Ocean to the south, positioned between Canada’s Arctic Archipelago to the west and Iceland to the southeast, with mainland Denmark situated far to the south across the North Atlantic and the North Sea. The island covers approximately 2.17 million square kilometres, making it dramatically larger than any other non-continental island on Earth, though much smaller in population and infrastructure than its size might suggest.
Greenland extends an enormous distance from north to south, stretching from areas well within the High Arctic down to its southern tip, which reaches latitudes comparable to parts of Scandinavia. Its east-west extent is similarly vast, with a long, deeply indented coastline shaped by thousands of fjords, bays, and peninsulas. Surrounding waters include Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait to the west, which separate Greenland from Canada’s Ellesmere Island and Baffin Island, the Labrador Sea to the southwest, the Denmark Strait separating Greenland from Iceland, and the Greenland Sea to the east, which connects to the wider Arctic Ocean.
Greenland shares no land border with any other country; it is entirely surrounded by ocean. Large portions of the island lie north of the Arctic Circle, and its northernmost reaches are among the closest inhabited and visited land areas to the North Pole. Despite this proximity to the Canadian Arctic and its firm geological and geographic placement within North America, Greenland’s political affiliation with Denmark, a European nation, is a product of centuries of colonial history rather than geographic logic. This divergence between physical geography and political geography is one of the defining characteristics of Greenland as a case study.
Major Physical Features and Landforms
Greenland’s landscape is dominated by two contrasting zones: a vast interior ice sheet and a narrower, rugged, ice-free coastal margin. The Greenland Ice Sheet occupies the central portion of the island, pressing down on the bedrock beneath it and radiating outward toward the coasts through numerous glaciers and ice streams. Where the ice sheet does not reach the sea directly, exposed bedrock, mountain ranges, high plateaus, and coastal lowlands form a dramatic fringe around the island’s edges.
Deep fjords, carved by glacial erosion over hundreds of thousands of years, cut extensively into Greenland’s coastline, particularly in the west and east. These fjords often extend tens of kilometres inland, framed by steep rock walls and fed by glaciers that calve icebergs directly into the water. Icebergs produced in this way drift through coastal waters and shipping lanes, some travelling considerable distances before melting.
Geographically, Greenland is often divided into northern, western, eastern, and southern regions, each with distinct characteristics. Western Greenland hosts the greatest concentration of population and the most significant fjord systems used for fishing and transport. Eastern Greenland is more remote and sparsely populated, with dramatic mountain scenery. The south enjoys a comparatively milder climate and supports limited agriculture, while the north is characterized by extreme Arctic conditions and vast, largely uninhabited ice and tundra.
Greenland’s highest point is Gunnbjørn Fjeld, located in the Watkins Range in eastern Greenland, with a verified elevation of approximately 3,694 metres. This peak rises from a largely ice-covered massif, illustrating the contrast between Greenland’s icy interior and its more exposed, mountainous margins. Glacial processes continue to shape Greenland’s relief today, carving new fjord features, redistributing sediment, and altering coastlines as glaciers advance, retreat, and calve.
Geological Structure and Tectonic History
Beneath its ice and rugged terrain, Greenland rests upon some of the oldest known rock formations on Earth. Much of the island’s bedrock belongs to a Precambrian crystalline shield, composed of ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks that have persisted for billions of years. In certain regions, particularly in the west and south, exposed outcrops reveal rock formations among the oldest studied anywhere on the planet, offering geologists valuable insight into the early history of Earth’s crust.
Layered atop and alongside this ancient shield are sedimentary basins formed over subsequent geological eras, some of which hold potential hydrocarbon and mineral resources. These basins, along with mineral-bearing structures in the crystalline bedrock, have drawn increasing attention from resource companies and governments interested in Greenland’s subsurface wealth.
Geologically, Greenland is associated with the North American Plate, a relationship rooted in the long history of continental rifting that separated Greenland from neighbouring landmasses as the North Atlantic Ocean opened over tens of millions of years. This process gradually pulled Greenland away from what is now Scandinavia and North America’s eastern margins, leaving behind the complex geological structures seen today.
It is important to note that Greenland is not characterized by widespread active volcanism or significant tectonic activity in the way some other regions are; rather, its geology reflects long periods of stability interspersed with erosion and repeated glaciation. Geological research in Greenland continues to inform scientists’ understanding of the island’s mineral potential, the historical behaviour of its ice sheet, and the broader evolution of the Arctic landscape.
The Greenland Ice Sheet and Glaciers
No feature defines Greenland’s geography more than its ice sheet, which covers approximately 79 percent of the island’s total land area. This makes it the second-largest ice mass on Earth after the Antarctic Ice Sheet, and by far the most significant single geographic feature within Greenland itself.
The ice sheet differs from other icy features such as individual glaciers, seasonal snow, and sea ice. While sea ice forms from frozen ocean water and melts and reforms seasonally, the ice sheet is a vast, semi-permanent body of land ice built up over hundreds of thousands of years through the gradual accumulation and compaction of snow. As snow falls on the ice sheet’s surface, successive layers compress the snow beneath into dense, crystalline glacial ice. This ice slowly flows outward and downward under its own weight, feeding outlet glaciers that channel ice toward the coast, where it eventually breaks off as icebergs in a process known as calving.
The ice sheet functions as an enormous reservoir of freshwater. Should it melt entirely, scientists estimate it holds enough water to raise global sea levels by several metres, underscoring its global significance far beyond Greenland’s own shores. Ice cores drilled from the sheet’s depths have proven invaluable to climate science, preserving layers of trapped air and particulates that allow researchers to reconstruct atmospheric conditions and temperatures stretching back over a hundred thousand years.
In recent decades, warming temperatures have accelerated surface melting across much of the ice sheet, particularly along its margins, while many outlet glaciers have retreated and increased their rate of ice discharge into the ocean. It is important to distinguish between these changes and shifts in Arctic sea ice: the loss of land-based ice from the Greenland Ice Sheet directly contributes to global sea-level rise, because it adds new water volume to the oceans, whereas melting sea ice, which is already floating in the ocean, does not significantly alter sea level in the same direct way.
Climate and Weather Patterns
Greenland’s climate is predominantly Arctic and polar, but significant regional variation exists due to differences in latitude, elevation, distance from the coast, and the influence of surrounding ocean currents. The island’s far north experiences High Arctic conditions, with extremely cold, dry winters and brief, cool summers. Over the ice sheet itself, a cold continental-style climate prevails, with temperatures dropping dramatically at higher elevations regardless of latitude.
Coastal areas, by contrast, experience a more maritime-influenced climate, moderated somewhat by the surrounding seas. Southern Greenland enjoys comparatively milder conditions than the north, benefiting from its lower latitude and exposure to warmer ocean currents, which allows for limited agriculture and pastoral activity in sheltered valleys.
Daylight patterns vary dramatically with the seasons. Areas north of the Arctic Circle experience the midnight sun during summer months, when the sun remains visible for twenty-four hours, and long polar nights during winter, when darkness persists for weeks. These extremes influence daily life, tourism patterns, and even wildlife behaviour.
Precipitation, wind, and snowfall vary considerably across the island, with coastal western and southern regions generally receiving more precipitation than the drier interior and far north. The surrounding waters of the Greenland Sea and the broader North Atlantic play a significant role in shaping regional climate patterns, feeding moisture to coastal areas and helping to moderate temperatures in certain regions, while the East Greenland Current brings colder Arctic water and sea ice southward along the eastern coast.
Rivers, Lakes, Fjords, and Coastal Waters
Freshwater systems in Greenland are closely tied to the ice sheet, seasonal snowmelt, and permafrost. During the warmer months, meltwater from glaciers and the ice sheet’s margins feeds rivers and streams that flow toward the coast. Because much of the interior remains frozen year-round, Greenland lacks the extensive, continuous inland drainage networks found in temperate regions; instead, most rivers are short, highly seasonal, and concentrated near the coastline, often swelling dramatically during the summer melt season before diminishing in winter.
Lakes dot the ice-free coastal margins, some formed behind moraines left by retreating glaciers, while ice-dammed lakes occasionally form where glacial meltwater becomes trapped against ice barriers, sometimes draining suddenly in dramatic outburst floods. Waterfalls are common where meltwater streams descend steep coastal terrain toward fjords and the sea.
Fjords represent some of Greenland’s most geographically significant features. Beyond their role in shaping the landscape, they serve as crucial sites for settlement, sheltering towns and villages from the open ocean, and as important transport corridors connecting communities that have no road links to one another. Fjords also support productive fisheries, offer striking scenery that draws visitors, and provide accessible points for glaciological research, particularly where tidewater glaciers calve directly into fjord waters.
The seas surrounding Greenland, including the waters of Baffin Bay, the Davis Strait, and the Greenland Sea, support some of the most productive fishing grounds in the North Atlantic. These marine environments are ecologically vital, sustaining fish stocks, marine mammals, and seabird populations that form the backbone of Greenland’s traditional and commercial economies alike.
Natural Vegetation, Wildlife, and Ecosystems
Greenland’s vegetation is sparse and shaped overwhelmingly by low temperatures, a short growing season, extensive ice cover, and widespread permafrost. Much of the ice-free terrain supports Arctic tundra, characterized by low-growing, cold-tolerant plants rather than trees or tall shrubs. Mosses and lichens cover large areas of rock and soil, while grasses, sedges, and dwarf shrubs such as dwarf birch and various willow species grow in more sheltered locations.
Southern Greenland, benefiting from its milder climate, supports somewhat more varied vegetation, including small stands of trees in particularly favourable valleys, along with more extensive grassland suitable for limited sheep farming.
Wildlife in Greenland reflects its Arctic setting. Polar bears inhabit the sea ice regions of the north and east, relying on ice platforms to hunt seals. Arctic foxes and Arctic hares are found across much of the island, while reindeer, known locally in their domesticated and wild forms, and musk oxen graze tundra vegetation in certain regions, particularly in the west and north. Marine mammals, including various seal species, several whale species, and walruses, inhabit Greenland’s coastal waters, forming an essential part of both the marine ecosystem and traditional subsistence practices. Seabird colonies, some of considerable size, nest along coastal cliffs and islands, feeding on the rich marine food webs sustained by nutrient-rich Arctic and North Atlantic waters.
These ecosystems are ecologically interconnected, with tundra, fjord, and marine environments each playing distinct roles in sustaining Arctic biodiversity. Climate change and associated shifts in sea ice extent and timing pose growing concerns for these systems, potentially affecting species distributions, traditional hunting patterns, and the food security of communities that continue to rely on marine and terrestrial resources.
Population Distribution and Major Settlements
Greenland’s population is small relative to its enormous landmass, a direct consequence of its extensive ice cover, harsh climate, and limited habitable terrain. According to figures published by the European Commission, Greenland’s population stood at approximately 56,600 people in 2024, giving it one of the lowest population densities of any territory in the world.
Nuuk, located on Greenland’s southwestern coast, serves as the capital and by far the largest settlement, functioning as the island’s administrative, economic, and cultural centre. Other significant towns include Sisimiut, located further north along the west coast and known for its fishing industry; Ilulissat, famous for its proximity to the Ilulissat Icefjord; Qaqortoq, an important hub in the south; and Aasiaat, situated along the central west coast.
The overwhelming majority of Greenland’s population lives along the western and southwestern coasts, where ice-free land, relatively milder conditions, and access to productive fishing grounds have historically supported the largest communities. Eastern and far northern Greenland host only a small fraction of the population, scattered across more isolated settlements.
A defining feature of Greenlandic infrastructure is the absence of a continuous road network linking the island’s towns. Mountainous terrain, fjords, and the ice sheet itself make overland connections between most settlements impractical. As a result, air travel, including regional flights between airports and heliports, and coastal shipping serve as the primary means of connecting communities, while local roads exist within individual towns rather than between them. This fragmented transport reality shapes nearly every aspect of Greenlandic life, from the cost of goods to the delivery of healthcare and education services.
Inuit Heritage, Languages, and Cultural Geography
Greenland’s human history stretches back thousands of years, marked by successive waves of Arctic peoples who developed sophisticated means of surviving in one of the planet’s harshest environments. Inuit ancestors arrived in Greenland in several migrations, bringing with them deep knowledge of sea ice conditions, marine mammal hunting, and Arctic survival techniques that continue to inform Greenlandic culture today.
Traditional Inuit practices, including hunting and fishing, remain culturally significant, even as modern technology, education systems, and urban infrastructure have transformed daily life in many communities. Traditional clothing designed for extreme cold, specialized hunting equipment, and detailed knowledge of wildlife behaviour and ice conditions reflect generations of adaptation to the Arctic environment. These practices coexist alongside contemporary Greenlandic life, which includes modern schools, healthcare facilities, digital connectivity, and participation in the global economy.
Greenlandic, known formally as Kalaallisut, holds official status as Greenland’s language and is spoken by the majority of the population, with regional dialectal variation found across different parts of the island. Danish continues to play an important role in administration, higher education, and certain official contexts, reflecting Greenland’s historical and ongoing constitutional relationship with Denmark.
Inuit identity remains central to Greenlandic cultural life, expressed through language, storytelling, art, and continued community practices, while Greenlandic society itself remains dynamic, blending traditional knowledge with contemporary education, technology, and engagement with the wider world.
Historical Development and Political Status
Greenland’s political history reflects a long and evolving relationship with Denmark. Long before European contact, the island was home to successive Inuit cultures that migrated across the Arctic from present-day Canada. During the medieval period, Norse settlers established colonies in southern Greenland, though these settlements eventually disappeared after several centuries. Danish-Norwegian colonial activity resumed in Greenland during the eighteenth century, beginning a sustained period of European administration that would shape the island’s political trajectory for the following centuries.
Greenland’s status shifted significantly in 1953, when it was formally incorporated into the Danish constitutional framework as an integral part of the Kingdom rather than a colony. This arrangement evolved further with the introduction of Home Rule in 1979, which granted Greenland a significant degree of self-administration over domestic affairs.
A more substantial transformation occurred with the Act on Greenland Self-Government, which entered into force on 21 June 2009, replacing the earlier Home Rule arrangement. This Act followed a guiding referendum held in Greenland on 25 November 2008, in which 75.5 percent of voters supported the introduction of self-government, with 23.6 percent opposed. The Self-Government Act, together with the Danish Constitution, now forms the basis of Greenland’s constitutional position within what is referred to as the Unity of the Realm.
Under this arrangement, Greenland’s democratically elected parliament, Inatsisartut, and its government, Naalakkersuisut, exercise authority over a broad range of domestic matters, including public finances, education, health, fisheries, and, since 2010, mineral resource activities. However, certain fields remain reserved for the central authorities of the Kingdom and cannot be transferred to Greenlandic self-government under the Danish Constitution. These include constitutional matters, nationality, the Supreme Court, foreign policy, defence and security policy, and exchange rate and monetary policy.
Greenland elects two members to the Folketing, the Danish Parliament, reflecting its continued constitutional connection to Denmark despite its extensive self-governance. The Self-Government Act also establishes a statutory pathway through which Greenland could pursue full independence: should the people of Greenland vote in favour of independence, negotiations would commence between the Danish Government and Naalakkersuisut, with any resulting agreement requiring the consent of Inatsisartut, endorsement through a referendum in Greenland, and the consent of the Folketing.
It is important to describe Greenland accurately: it is neither an independent country nor an ordinary administrative region of Denmark, but rather an autonomous territory exercising extensive self-government within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Economy, Natural Resources, and Employment
Greenland’s economy is shaped profoundly by its climate, dispersed population, and limited transport connections. Fisheries form the backbone of the economy, with shrimp and Greenland halibut representing major export products that sustain coastal communities and generate significant revenue. Hunting and small-scale local food production also remain economically and culturally important, particularly in smaller and more remote settlements.
The public sector plays a substantial role in Greenland’s economy, employing a significant share of the workforce and providing essential services across health, education, and administration. Tourism has grown steadily in recent years, drawing visitors interested in cruises, glacier excursions, hiking, wildlife viewing, and the Northern Lights, and representing an area of ongoing economic diversification.
Mineral resources represent both an opportunity and a challenge for Greenland. The island is believed to hold significant deposits of rare earth elements and other critical raw materials; indeed, Greenland holds 25 of the 34 critical raw materials identified by the European Union as essential to green and digital transitions. However, harsh operating conditions, remote locations, and high infrastructure costs have limited large-scale mining development to date. Hydropower also represents a notable resource, with existing hydropower facilities supplying electricity to several towns and further potential identified for future development.
Economic relations with Denmark remain central to Greenland’s fiscal structure. The Danish Government provides an annual block grant to the Self-Government authorities, fixed under the Self-Government Act at DKK 3.4 billion per year at 2009 price and wage levels. Should Greenland generate revenue from mineral resource activities exceeding a defined threshold, the subsidy is designed to decrease correspondingly, reflecting an arrangement intended to gradually increase Greenlandic economic self-reliance. Diversifying the economy beyond fisheries and the public sector remains an ongoing policy priority, though achieving substantial self-sufficiency through resource extraction or other means remains a long-term and uncertain prospect rather than an immediate outcome.
Transportation, Infrastructure, and Connectivity
Moving people and goods across Greenland presents persistent logistical challenges rooted in its vast size, mountainous and ice-covered terrain, and widely dispersed population. As noted earlier, no continuous road network connects Greenland’s towns and settlements; each community maintains its own local road system, but travel between towns depends almost entirely on other means.
Air transport serves as the primary method of connecting Greenlandic communities, supported by a network of regional airports and, in some areas, heliports that provide essential links for passengers, mail, and cargo. Coastal shipping also plays a vital role, particularly for transporting bulk goods and supplies to communities along the coast, with ports serving as critical points of connection to the wider world.
Weather conditions, sea ice, and seasonal variability significantly affect transport reliability, often causing delays or disruptions, particularly during winter months. The high cost of building and maintaining infrastructure in such a remote and challenging environment remains a persistent constraint on development. Investments in airport expansions, improved port facilities, and enhanced telecommunications and energy systems have the potential to meaningfully improve accessibility, supporting growth in tourism, business activity, and the delivery of public services to even the most remote communities.
Environmental Challenges and Climate Change
Greenland faces substantial environmental challenges, many directly linked to rising global temperatures and their effects on the Arctic region. Scientific observations confirm that the Greenland Ice Sheet has experienced increased surface melting and accelerated ice discharge from many of its outlet glaciers in recent decades. As a land-based ice mass, the loss of ice from the Greenland Ice Sheet contributes directly to global sea-level rise, distinguishing it from changes in floating sea ice, which, while ecologically significant, do not directly raise sea levels in the same way.
Beyond the ice sheet itself, warming temperatures are altering snow cover, permafrost stability, and the extent and timing of seasonal sea ice around Greenland’s coasts. These changes carry significant consequences for wildlife, fisheries, and the traditional livelihoods of Greenlandic communities, many of which depend on predictable ice conditions for hunting, fishing, and travel. Potential changes in freshwater availability, driven by shifting glacial melt patterns, may also affect future water resources and infrastructure planning.
Development activities, including mining, shipping, and tourism, carry their own environmental risks, from habitat disruption to pollution concerns, requiring careful balancing of economic opportunity against ecosystem protection and the priorities of local communities. Greenland’s unique position makes it an invaluable site for global climate research, with its ice cores, glacial records, and ongoing monitoring programs providing critical data for understanding both past climate variability and future projections. When discussing future climate scenarios, it remains essential to distinguish between observed historical changes and projected future outcomes, each grounded in specific time periods, assumptions, and modelling approaches.
Greenland’s Strategic Importance in the Arctic
Greenland’s geographic position between North America and Europe, combined with its proximity to the Arctic Ocean, has made it an area of growing strategic significance. Its location is relevant to Arctic and North Atlantic security considerations, shipping route monitoring, scientific research, and environmental observation on a global scale.
Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, located in northwestern Greenland, plays a notable role in missile warning systems and space surveillance capabilities, reflecting longstanding defence cooperation between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States. This cooperation has continued to develop in recent years, including through agreements strengthening defence and security arrangements in the Arctic and North Atlantic region among Greenland, Denmark, and the United States.
Melting Arctic sea ice has prompted discussion about potentially changing accessibility for shipping routes through parts of the Arctic. However, it remains important to note that such routes continue to be affected by unpredictable ice conditions, harsh weather, limited supporting infrastructure, and high operating costs, meaning that significant near-term increases in regular commercial use remain uncertain.
International interest in Greenland extends to its substantial mineral resources and its strategic geographic position, both of which have drawn growing attention from governments and companies around the world. Any discussion of this interest should be approached factually, recognizing Greenland’s established constitutional status within the Kingdom of Denmark without presenting contested political claims as settled beyond their current legal standing.
Greenland’s Relationship with the European Union
Greenland maintains a distinctive relationship with the European Union that differs significantly from that of mainland Denmark. Greenland is not part of the European Union, though Greenlanders, as citizens of the Kingdom of Denmark, hold European Union citizenship under the relevant arrangements applicable to Danish nationals.
Greenland’s association with the EU is structured through its status as an Overseas Country and Territory, a classification that allows for cooperation in areas such as fisheries, education, research, and sustainable economic development, without full EU membership obligations. This relationship has a notable history: Greenland joined the European Communities alongside Denmark in 1973, but following a referendum, it withdrew from the European Communities in 1985, while remaining constitutionally part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which itself remains an EU member state.
In recent years, cooperation between the EU and Greenland has deepened considerably. The European Union opened a permanent office in Nuuk in 2024, strengthening direct engagement with Greenlandic authorities and communities. Fisheries cooperation continues under a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement, with the current protocol, covering 2025 to 2030, involving an EU financial contribution of approximately €17.3 million per year, including €3.2 million directed specifically toward supporting the sustainable development of Greenland’s fisheries sector. Additional cooperation spans education, green growth initiatives such as renewable energy and sustainable raw materials, and digital connectivity projects, reflecting an increasingly substantial partnership despite Greenland’s status outside formal EU membership.
Tourism and Geographic Attractions
Greenland’s dramatic physical geography forms the foundation of its growing tourism sector. The Ilulissat Icefjord, where enormous icebergs calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier drift toward the sea, stands among the island’s most renowned natural attractions, drawing visitors eager to witness glacial processes on a vast scale. Beyond Ilulissat, Greenland’s fjords, mountain landscapes, tundra environments, and abundant wildlife offer additional points of interest for travellers, alongside the striking natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights, visible during the dark winter months.
Seasonal variation significantly shapes the tourism experience. Summer visitors benefit from extended daylight hours, including the midnight sun in northern regions, along with improved accessibility for hiking, boat excursions, and wildlife viewing. Winter tourism, by contrast, centres on experiences such as aurora viewing and dog sledding, though travel during this period involves greater exposure to extreme cold, limited daylight, and weather-related disruptions.
Tourism in Greenland’s remote communities presents both opportunities and challenges. High transport costs and limited infrastructure constrain visitor numbers and raise the price of travel, while the environmental sensitivity of Arctic ecosystems requires careful management to avoid damage from increased visitor activity. Respecting local Inuit culture and community priorities remains an essential component of responsible tourism development, ensuring that economic benefits are balanced against environmental and social considerations in host communities.
Key Geographic Facts
|
Category |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Official name and local name |
Greenland; Kalaallit Nunaat |
|
Political status |
Autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark |
|
Capital |
Nuuk |
|
Geographic continent and region |
North America; Arctic and North Atlantic |
|
Total area |
Approximately 2.17 million square kilometres |
|
Approximate population |
Approximately 56,600 (2024) |
|
Official language |
Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) |
|
Currency |
Danish krone |
|
Highest point |
Gunnbjørn Fjeld, approximately 3,694 metres |
|
Approximate ice sheet coverage |
Approximately 79 percent of total land area |
|
Surrounding oceans and major seas |
Arctic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, Greenland Sea |
|
Climate classification |
Polar and Arctic, with regional maritime and continental variation |
|
Major economic activities |
Fisheries, public sector employment, tourism, hunting, mining and mineral exploration, hydropower |
|
Date Home Rule began |
1979 |
|
Date the Self-Government Act entered into force |
21 June 2009 |
|
Relationship with the European Union |
Not an EU member; associated as an Overseas Country and Territory |