Greenland

PROFILE

from

Britannica World Data

Get involved

¹Called Grønland in Danish, an official language of Greenland prior to June 21, 2009.

²A referendum approved in November 2008 endorsed the gradual expansion of Greenland’s autonomy from Denmark; the Greenland government assumed greater responsibility for local matters on June 21, 2009.
Official name	Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenlandic)¹; (Greenland)
Political status	self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark with one legislative house (Parliament [31])²
Head of state	Danish Monarch: Queen Margrethe II
Heads of government	High Commissioner (for Denmark): Mikaela Engell; Prime Minister (for Greenland): Aleqa Hammond
Capital	Nuuk
Official language	Greenlandic
Official religion	Evangelical Lutheran (Lutheran Church of Greenland)
Monetary unit	Danish krone (DKK)
Population	(2013 est.) 56,200
Total area (sq mi)	836,330
Total area (sq km)	2,166,086
Urban-rural population	Urban: (2013) 85.4% Rural: (2013) 14.6%
Life expectancy at birth	Male: (2012) 68.6 years Female: (2012) 74 years
Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate	Male: (2001) 100% Female: (2001) 100%
GNI per capita (U.S.$)	(2010) 26,020

ARTICLE

from the

Encyclopædia Britannica

Greenland, the world’s largest island, lying in the North Atlantic Ocean, noted for its vast tundra and immense glaciers. Although Greenland remains a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the island’s home-rule government is responsible for most domestic affairs. The Greenlandic people are primarily Inuit (Eskimo). The capital of Greenland is Nuuk (Godthåb).

LINKS

Aspects of the topic Greenland are discussed in the following places at Britannica.

Assorted References

major reference (in Arctic Ocean)
climate (in North America: Temperature)

LINKS

Other Britannica Sites

Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Greenland - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11): Greenland is the world’s largest island. It lies in the very cold northern part of the world. Greenland belongs to Denmark. The capital and largest town is Nuuk.
Greenland - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up): The largest island in the world, Greenland is a land of bitter cold and midnight sun, a place where the northern lights can be seen year-round, and where ancient folk traditions exist in harmony with modern life. The island lies in the North Atlantic Ocean, within the Arctic regions. More than four fifths of Greenland lies buried under an ice sheet that has an average depth of 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). Its people live only on the rocky coastal fringe, chiefly in the southwest. The capital of Greenland is Nuuk. The city is also referred to by its Danish name, Godthab. Greenland is part of the country of Denmark but is mostly self-governing. Area 836,330 square miles (2,166,086 square kilometers). Population (2013 est.) 56,200.

The topic Greenland is discussed at the following external Web sites.

Citations

To cite this page: MLAAPAHarvardChicago Manual of Style

MLA Style:

"Greenland." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/245261/Greenland>.

APA Style:

Greenland. (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/245261/Greenland

Harvard Style:

Greenland 2014. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 07 October, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/245261/Greenland

Chicago Manual of Style:

Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Greenland," accessed October 07, 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/245261/Greenland.

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.