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Many areas of Greenland
Design represents sun
reflecting off a field of ice
Greenland
Capital City- Nuuk
Fishing is huge for Greenland and its economy
Greenland
General Info on Greenland
• Largest island in the world (#2 maybe behind Australia)
• Self-governing territory of Denmark
• In Greenlandic language, its name is Kalaallit Nunaat, which
means Land of the Greenlanders.
• Geographically part of North America, government wise part of
Europe.
• Greenland is 50 times larger than Denmark but Denmark is
about 100 times greater in population.
• Very common for some places to have sunlight for 24 hours a
day during the year and other times 24 hours of darkness.
History of Greenland
• Ancestors of Inuit arrived between 2500-2000 BC.
• Norse explorers from Iceland are believed to have sighted
Greenland around 875.
• Erik the Red, a Norseman sailed to the island 982.
• 1261- People voted to join Norway and unite with that country.
• 1380- Greenland and Norway came under Danish rule.
• 1721- Colonization of Greenland began after setting up a
mission and trading center near what is now Nuuk.
• 1814- Denmark and Norway’s union ended and Greenland
remained with Denmark.
History Continued
• 1940- WWII German troops conquered and occupied
Denmark. The U.S. agreed in 1941 to take over the
defense of Greenland. Germans set up weather stations
on Greenland but we destroyed them. We built military
bases and weather stations.
• 1951- Greenland is a part of NATO.
• 1979-Denmark granted Greenland home rule- local self
government.
• Some are hoping eventually to become an independent
country.
Geography/Climate of Greenland
• 12th largest country in the world
• 81% ice capped (Ice sheets cover about 4/5 of the island)
• Arable land- 0%
• Continuous permafrost over northern 2/3 of country
• Highest point- Mount Gunnbjorn
• Tundra and Ice Cap Climate
• Coldest region is uninhabited ice sheet. Average temperature
in February -53 degrees, avg. temp in Jul 12 degrees.
• Coldest ever recorded temp -87 degrees in N. Greenland.
• Most people live in SW coast: Avg: 18 in Feb and 50 in July
People of Greenland
•Population- 58,000 (One of the smallest in world)
•Main ethnic group- Inuit 88%
•2 official languages- Greenlandic and
Danish
•Life expectancy- 72.1 years old
•Literacy Rate- 100%
Government of Greenland
• Self governing territory but also a part of the Kingdom of
Denmark.
• Gov’t- Parliamentary Democracy within a Constitutional
Monarchy.
• Independence- None (Read top bullet to understand why)
• Chief of State: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (Jan. 14
1972)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Aleqa HAMMOND (Mar
13 2013)
• National Symbol- Polar Bear
Greenland’s Economy
•GDP: $2.133 billion (One of the lowest in the
world)
•89% of their exports comes from fish.
•Main exporting partners: Denmark and Japan
•Main importing partners: Denmark and Sweden
•Most people work in service industries.