GREENLAND                                                                       
(part of the Danish realm)                                                      
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 2,175,600 km2; land area: 341,700 km2 (ice free)                    
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of Texas              
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 44,087 km                                                            
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;                                                 
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 3 nm                                                           
                                                                                
Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between               
Greenland and Jan Mayen                                                         
                                                                                
Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters                        
                                                                                
Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,              
mountainous, barren, rocky coast                                                
                                                                                
Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum,                      
cryolite, uranium, fish                                                         
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures              
1%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 99%                                        
                                                                                
Environment: sparse population confined to small settlements along              
coast; continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island             
                                                                                
Note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and                  
Europe                                                                          
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 56,752 (July 1991), growth rate 1.2% (1991)                         
                                                                                
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                    
                                                                                
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                          
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 28 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                       
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 69 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Greenlander(s); adjective--Greenlandic                       
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: Greenlander (Eskimos and Greenland-born                       
Caucasians) 86%, Danish 14%                                                     
                                                                                
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran                                                  
                                                                                
Language: Eskimo dialects, Danish                                               
                                                                                
Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)                                            
                                                                                
Labor force: 22,800; largely engaged in fishing, hunting, sheep                 
breeding                                                                        
                                                                                
Organized labor: NA                                                             
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: none                                                            
Type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas                         
administrative division                                                         
                                                                                
Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)                                                         
                                                                                
Administrative divisions: 3 municipalities (kommuner,                           
singular--kommun); Nordgronland, Ostgronland, Vestgronland                      
                                                                                
Independence: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas                 
administrative division                                                         
                                                                                
Constitution: Danish                                                            
                                                                                
Legal system: Danish                                                            
                                                                                
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)                        
                                                                                
Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, home rule                  
chairman, prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyre)                                  
                                                                                
Legislative branch: unicameral Landsting                                        
                                                                                
Judicial branch: High Court (Landsret)                                          
                                                                                
Leaders:                                                                        
                                                                                
Chief of State--Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972),                     
represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA);                        
                                                                                
Head of Government--Home Rule Chairman Lars Emil JOHANSEN                       
(since 15 March 1991)                                                           
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders: two-party ruling                                 
coalition--Siumut (a moderate socialist party that advocates more               
distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark), Lars          
Emil JOHANSEN, chairman; and Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA; a Marxist-Leninist          
party that favors complete independence from Denmark rather than home           
rule);                                                                          
Atassut Party (a more conservative party that favors continuing close           
relations with Denmark), leader NA;                                             
Polar Party (conservative-Greenland nationalist), leader NA;                    
Center Party (a new nonsocialist protest party), leader NA                      
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal at age 18                                                   
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
Landsting--last held on 5 March 1991 (next to be held 5 March                   
1995);                                                                          
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(27 total) Siumut 11, Atassut Party 8, Inuit Ataqatigiit                 
5, Center Party 2, Polar Party 1;                                               
                                                                                
Danish Folketing--last held on 12 December 1990 (next to be held by             
December 1994); Greenland elects two representatives to the Folketing;          
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(2 total) Siumut 1, Atassut 1                                            
                                                                                
Member of: NC                                                                   
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas                        
administrative division of Denmark)                                             
                                                                                
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a                  
large disk slightly to the hoist side of center--the top half of the            
disk is red, the bottom half is white                                           
                                                                                
ECONOMY                                                                         
Overview: Over the past 25 years, the economy has changed from                  
one based on subsistence whaling, hunting, and fishing to one dependent         
on foreign trade. Fishing is still the most important industry,                 
accounting for over 75% of exports and about 25% of the                         
population's income. Maintenance of a social welfare system similar to          
Denmark's has given the public sector a dominant role in the economy.           
In 1990, the economy became critically dependent on shrimp exports and an       
annual subsidy (now about $355 million) from the Danish Government              
because cod exports had fallen, the zinc and lead mine closed, and              
a large promising platinum and gold mine was not yet operational.               
Greenland has signed a contract for its largest construction project,           
a power plant to supply the capital. To avoid a decline in the economy,         
Denmark has agreed to pay 75% of the costs of running Sondrestrom               
Airbase and Kulusuk Airfield as civilian bases after the US withdraws           
in 1992.                                                                        
                                                                                
GNP: $500 million, per capita $9,000; real growth rate 5% (1988)                
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1989)                                   
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 9% (1990 est.)                                               
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $381 million; expenditures $381 million, including             
capital expenditures of $36 million (1989)                                      
                                                                                
Exports: $417 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);                                      
                                                                                
commodities--fish and fish products 78%, metallic ores and                      
concentrates 19%;                                                               
                                                                                
partners--Denmark 74%, FRG 11%, Sweden 6%                                       
                                                                                
Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);                                      
                                                                                
commodities--manufactured goods 36%, machinery and transport                    
equipment 26%, food products 13%, petroleum and petroleum products              
10%;                                                                            
                                                                                
partners--Denmark 69%, Norway, FRG, Japan, US, Sweden                           
                                                                                
External debt: $480 million (1990 est.)                                         
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate NA%                                          
                                                                                
Electricity: 84,000 kW capacity; 176 million kWh produced,                      
3,180 kWh per capita (1989)                                                     
                                                                                
Industries: fish processing (mainly shrimp), potential for                      
platinum and gold mining, handicrafts, shipyards                                
                                                                                
Agriculture: sector dominated by fishing and sheep raising; crops               
limited to forage and small garden vegetables; 1988 fish catch of 133,500       
metric tons                                                                     
                                                                                
Economic aid: none                                                              
                                                                                
Currency: Danish krone (plural--kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr)                   
= 100 ore                                                                       
                                                                                
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1--5.817 (January 1991),             
6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986),           
10.596 (1985)                                                                   
                                                                                
Fiscal year: calendar year                                                      
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Highways: 80 km                                                                 
                                                                                
Ports: Kangerluarsoruseq (Faeringehavn), Paamiut (Frederikshaab),               
Nuuk (Godthaab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Julianehaab, Maarmorilik,            
North Star Bay                                                                  
                                                                                
Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling              
1,021 GRT/1,778 DWT; note--operates under the registry of Denmark               
                                                                                
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft                                           
                                                                                
Airports: 11 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways;                 
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with            
runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                           
                                                                                
Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international service                 
provided by cables and radio relay; 17,900 telephones; stations--5 AM,          
7 (35 relays) FM, 4 (9 relays) TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic       
Ocean INTELSAT earth station                                                    
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Note: defense is responsibility of Denmark                                      
                                                                                
