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NAVIGATION
Greenland
Kalaallit Nunaat
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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The world's largest non-continental island, about 84% ice-capped, Greenland was granted self-government in 1978 by the Danish parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada |
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Geographic coordinates:
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72 00 N, 40 00 W |
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Map references:
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Arctic Region |
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Area:
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total: 2,166,086 sq km
land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (est.) |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than three times the size of Texas |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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44,087 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line territorial sea: 3 NM |
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Climate:
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arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters |
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Terrain:
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flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m |
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Natural resources:
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zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas |
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island |
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Environment - current issues:
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protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting |
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Geography - note:
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dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast, but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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56,376 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 26.3% (male 7,561; female 7,284)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 20,880; female 17,489) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 1,442; female 1,720) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.03% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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16.27 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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17.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 68.69 years
female: 72.32 years (2002 est.) male: 65.13 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.43 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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100 (1999) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic |
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Ethnic groups:
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Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (January 2000) |
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Religions:
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Evangelical Lutheran |
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Languages:
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Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English |
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: similar to Denmark proper |