Country Fast Facts: Greenland

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 complete responsibilty for internal affairs 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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population:
57,600 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206

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Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 6,727/female 6,533)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 21,696/female 18,669)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 2,000/female 1,975) (2009 est.)

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Median age:
total: 33.5 years
male: 34.9 years
female: 31.9 years (2009 est.)

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Population growth rate:
0.062% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195

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Birth rate:
14.76 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142

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Death rate:
8.14 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

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Net migration rate:
-5.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168

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Urbanization:
urban population: 84% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

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Infant mortality rate:
total: 10.72 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 151
male: 12.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.07 years
country comparison to the world: 143
male: 67.44 years
female: 72.85 years (2009 est.)

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Total fertility rate:
2.19 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
100 (1999)
country comparison to the world: 164

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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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Nationality:
noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic

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Ethnic groups:
Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (2000)

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Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran

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Languages:
Greenlandic (East Inuit) (official), Danish, English

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Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2001 est.)

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Education expenditures:
NA

The economy remains critically dependent on exports of shrimp and fish and on a substantial subsidy - about $700 million in 2008-09 - from the Danish Government, which supplies about 60% of government revenues. The public sector, including publicly-owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in the economy. Several interesting hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities are ongoing and in 2007 a US firm signed an agreement with the Greenland Home Rule government to study the feasibility of building a multi-billion dollar aluminum smelter and hydropower plant. Denmark plans to reduce its subsidies to Greenland as revenues from oil exports come onstream.

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GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.1 billion (2001 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.7 billion (2005)

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GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2005 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP):
$20,000 (2001 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

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Labor force:
32,120 (2004)

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Unemployment rate:
9.3% (2005 est.)

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Population below poverty line:
NA%

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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2005 est.)

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Budget:
revenues: $1.36 billion
expenditures: $1.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $83 million (2005)

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Agriculture - products:
forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish

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Industries:
fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut); gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining; handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards

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Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

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Electricity - production:
295 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption:
274.4 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption:
3,860 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl

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Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)

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Exports:
$404 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

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Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%)

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Exports - partners:
Denmark 63.5%, Japan 11.1%, China 4.9%, Canada 4.8% (2008)

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Imports:
$712 million (2006)

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Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products

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Imports - partners:
Denmark 70%, Sweden 16.3%, Norway 3.7% (2006)

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Debt - external:
$25 million (1999)

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Economic aid - recipient:
$512 million; note - subsidy from Denmark (2005)

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Currency (code):
Danish krone (DKK)

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Exchange rates:
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002)

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Fiscal year:
calendar year