Greenland

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Greenland Kalaallit Nunaat

Flag

Coat of arms

Anthem: Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit (Kalaallisut)

Capital and largest city Official languages Other languages Ethnic groups

Nuuk
!"#$%N &#"!!%W

Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)'a( )anish'a(

*+, Greenlandic -nuit (and .uropean mi/ed) ##, .uropeans'b( Greenlander Greenlandic

Demonym

Government

0arliamentary democracy 1ithin a

constitutional monarchy 2 3ueen 2 0rime 4inister 2 8peaker of the Inatsisartut Legislature 2 Nor1egian so;ereignty'b( 2 Contact re2 established 2 6mt status 2 5ome rule 2 Further autonomy and self rule 2 ?otal 2 Water (,) 2 <$#> estimate 2 )ensity GDP (000) 2 ?otal 2 0er capita HDI (<$$*) Currency !ime "one Drives on the Calling code I#O $%&& code Internet !LD
a. b.

4argrethe -6le7a 5ammond 9ars .mil :ohansen Inatsisartut #< # #=<#

2 5igh Commissioner 4ikaela .ngell

Autonomy 1ithin the Kingdom of )enmark

2 Ceded to )enmark'c( #! :anuary #*#! & :une #+&> # 4ay #+=+ <# :une <$$+'#('<( Area <,# ,$* km< (#<th) *> ,#$+ s7 mi *>.#'d( Population & ,>=$'>( $.$< @km< (<!!th) $.$ +@s7 mi <$## estimate ##.&+ billion kr.'>( (n@a) >=,$$+.$!= A8) (n@a) $.* +'!( ;ery high = th )anish krone (DKK) (A?CB$ to C!) right B<++ G9 .gl

' Greenlandic has been the sole official language of Greenland since <$$+. '#('&( ' )anish monarchy reached Greenland in #>*$ 1ith the reign of Dla; -E in Nor1ay.

c.

' 6lthough pre;iously under )anish monarchy for four hundred years,

Greenland, the Faroe -slands, and -celand 1ere formally Nor1egian possessions until #*#!.
d.

' 6s of <$$$F !#$,!!+ km< (#&*,!=& s7 mi) ice2freeG #,=&&, >= km< ( ==,*&& s7 mi) ice2co;ered. )ensityF $.#!@km< ($.> @s7. mi) for ice2free areas.

Greenland (GreenlandicF Kalaallit Nunaat 'kalait nunat() is an autonomous country 1ithin the Kingdom of )enmark, located bet1een the 6rctic and 6tlantic Dceans, east of the Canadian 6rctic 6rchipelago. ?hough physiographically a part of the continent of North 6merica, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated 1ith .urope (specifically Nor1ay and later )enmark) for more than a millennium.' ( -n <$$*, the people of Greenland passed a referendum supporting greater autonomyG =&, of ;otes cast 1ere in fa;our. Greenland is, in terms of area, the 1orldHs largest island,'=( o;er three27uarters of 1hich is co;ered by the only contemporary ice sheet outside of 6ntarctica. With a population of & ,>=$'>( (<$#>), it is the least densely populated country in the 1orld.'*( Greenland has been inhabited off and on for at least the last !,&$$ years by 6rctic peoples 1hose forebears migrated there from Canada.'+( Norsemen settled on the uninhabited southern part of Greenland beginning in the #$th century. -nuit peoples arri;ed in the #>th century. ?he Norse colonies disappeared in the late #&th century. -n the early #*th century, 8candina;ia and Greenland came back into contact 1ith each other, and )enmark established so;ereignty o;er the island. 5a;ing been ruled by )enmarkINor1ay for centuries, Greenland ()anishF Grnland) became a )anish colony in #*#!, and a part of the )anish Jealm in #+&> under the Constitution of )enmark. -n #+=>, Greenland Koined the .uropean .conomic Community 1ith )enmark. 5o1e;er, in a referendum in #+*>, a maKority of the population ;oted for Greenland to 1ithdra1 from the ..C, and Greenland officially 1ithdre1 in #+*&. -n #+=+, )enmark granted home rule to Greenland, and in <$$*, Greenlanders ;oted in fa;our of the 8elf2Go;ernment 6ct 1hich transferred more po1er from the )anish royal go;ernment to the local Greenlandic go;ernment. Ander the ne1 structure, in effect since <# :une <$$+,'#$( Greenland can gradually assume responsibility for policing, Kudicial system, company la1, accounting and auditingG mineral resource acti;itiesG a;iationG la1 of legal capacity, family la1 and succession la1G aliens and border controlsG the 1orking en;ironmentG and financial regulation and super;ision. ?he )anish go;ernment retains control of foreign affairs and national defence. -t also retains control of monetary policy, pro;iding an initial annual subsidy of )KK >.! billion, slated to diminish gradually o;er time as GreenlandHs economy is strengthened by increased income from the e/traction of natural resources.

Contents

# .tymology < 5istory o <.# .arly 0aleo2.skimo cultures o <.< Norse settlement o <.> #&$$I#*#! o <.! ?reaty of Kiel to World War -o <.& 5ome rule and self2rule > Go;ernment o >.# 6dministrati;e di;isions o >.< 0olitics o >.> .conomics and business ! Geography and climate o !.# 0ostglacial glacier ad;ances & Fauna and flora .conomy = ?ransportation * )emographics o *.# Jeligion o *.< 9anguages + Culture o +.# 8ports #$ 8ee also ## Footnotes #< Libliography #> Jeferences #! ./ternal links

Etymology
-t 1as the early 8candina;ian settlers 1ho ga;e the country the name Greenland. -n the -celandic sagas, it is said that the Nor1egian2born -celander .rik the Jed 1as e/iled from -celand for murder. 6long 1ith his e/tended family and his thralls, he set out in ships to e/plore icy land kno1n to lie to the north1est. 6fter finding a habitable area and settling there, he named it Grnland (translated as MGreenlandM), supposedly in the hope that the pleasant name 1ould attract settlers.'##('#<('#>( ?he name of the country in Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) is Kalaallit Nunaat (Mland of the KalaallitM).'#!( ?he Kalaallit are the indigenous Greenlandic -nuit people 1ho inhabit the countryHs 1estern region.

History
4ain articleF 5istory of Greenland

Early Paleo(Es)imo cultures

-n prehistoric times, Greenland 1as home to se;eral successi;e 0aleo2.skimo cultures kno1n primarily through archaeological finds. ?he earliest entry of the 0aleo2.skimo into Greenland is thought to ha;e occurred about <&$$ LC. From around <&$$ LC to *$$ LC, southern and 1estern Greenland 1as inhabited by the 8a77a7 culture. 4ost finds of 8a77a72period archaeological remains ha;e been around )isko Lay. From <!$$ LC to #>$$ LC, the -ndependence - culture e/isted in northern Greenland. -t 1as a part of the 6rctic small tool tradition.'#&('# ( ?o1ns, including )eltaterrasserne, started to appear. 6round *$$ LC, the 8a77a7 culture disappeared and the .arly )orset culture emerged in 1estern Greenland and the -ndependence -- culture in northern Greenland. ?he )orset culture 1as the first culture to e/tend throughout the Greenlandic coastal areas, both on the 1est and east coasts, and it lasted until the total onset of the ?hule culture in #&$$ 6). ?he )orset culture population li;ed primarily from 1hale hunting. ?he ?hule culture people are the ancestors of the current Greenlandic population. ?hey started migrating from 6laska around #$$$ 6), reaching Greenland around #>$$ 6). ?he ?hule culture 1as the first to introduce to Greenland such technological inno;ations as dog sleds and toggling harpoons.

*orse settlement
From +* 6), GreenlandHs 1est coast 1as settled by -celanders and Nor1egians in t1o settlements on fKords near the south1estern2most tip of the island.' ( ?hey shared the island 1ith the late )orset culture inhabitants 1ho occupied the northern and 1estern parts, and later 1ith the ?hule culture arri;ing from the north. Norse Greenlanders submitted to Nor1egian rule in the #>th century, and the kingdom of Nor1ay entered into a personal union 1ith )enmark in #>*$, and from #>+= 1as a part of the Kalmar Anion.'#=( ?he settlements, such as LrattahlNO, thri;ed for centuries but disappeared sometime in the #&th century, perhaps at the onset of the 9ittle -ce 6ge.'#*( 6part from some runic inscriptions, no contemporary records or historiography sur;i;es from the Norse settlements. -celandic saga accounts of life in Greenland 1ere composed in the thirteenth century and later, and do not constitute primary sources for the history of early Greenland.'#+( 4odern understanding therefore depends on the physical data. -nterpretation of ice core and clam shell data suggests that bet1een *$$ and #>$$ 6), the regions around the fKords of southern Greenland e/perienced a relati;ely mild climate se;eral degrees Celsius higher than usual in the North 6tlantic,'<$( 1ith trees and herbaceous plants gro1ing and li;estock being farmed. Larley 1as gro1n as a crop up to the =$th parallel.'<#( What is ;erifiable is that the ice cores indicate Greenland has e/perienced dramatic temperature shifts many times o;er the past #$$,$$$ years.'<<( 8imilarly the -celandic Look of 8ettlements records famines during the 1inters in 1hich Mthe old and helpless 1ere killed and thro1n o;er cliffsM. (6rnold <$#$)

?he last 1ritten records of the Norse Greenlanders are of a marriage in #!$* in the church of 5;alseyPtoday the best2preser;ed Nordic ruins in Greenland. ?hese -celandic settlements ;anished during the #!th and #&th centuries, probably as a result of famine and increasing conflicts 1ith the -nuit.'<>( ?he condition of human bones from this period indicates that the Norse population 1as malnourished, probably due to soil erosion resulting from the NorsemenHs destruction of natural ;egetation in the course of farming, turf2cutting, and 1ood2cutting, pandemic plague, a decline in temperatures during the 9ittle -ce 6ge, and armed conflicts 1ith the -nuit.
'#*(

%+,,-%.%/
-n #&$$, King 4anuel - of 0ortugal sent Gaspar Corte2Jeal to Greenland in search of a North1est 0assage to 6sia 1hich, according to the ?reaty of ?ordesillas, 1as part of the 0ortuguese area of influence. -n #&$#, Corte2Jeal returned 1ith his brother, 4iguel Corte2Jeal. Finding the sea froQen, they headed south and arri;ed in 9abrador and Ne1foundland. Apon the brothersH return to 0ortugal, the cartographic information supplied by Corte2Jeal 1as incorporated into a ne1 map of the 1orld 1hich 1as presented to .rcole - dH.ste, )uke of Ferrara, by 6lberto Cantino in #&$<. ?he Cantino planisphere, made in 9isbon, accurately depicts the southern coastline of Greenland.'<!( -n # $&I# $=, King Christian -E of )enmark sent a series of e/peditions to Greenland and 6rctic 1ater1ays to locate the lost eastern Norse settlement and assert )anish so;ereignty o;er Greenland. ?he e/peditions 1ere mostly unsuccessful, partly due to leaders 1ho lacked e/perience 1ith the difficult arctic ice and 1eather conditions, and partly because the e/pedition leaders 1ere gi;en instructions to search for the .astern 8ettlement on the east coast of Greenland Kust north of Cape Fare1ell, 1hich is almost inaccessible due to south1ard drifting ice. ?he pilot on all three trips 1as .nglish e/plorer :ames 5all.

6 #=!= map based on .gedeHs descriptions and misconceptions. 6fter the Norse settlements died off, the area came under the de facto control of ;arious -nuit groups, but the )anish go;ernment ne;er forgot or relin7uished the claims to Greenland that it had inherited from the Nor1egiansG and 1hen contact 1ith Greenland 1as re2established in the early #*th century, )enmark asserted its so;ereignty o;er the island. -n #=<#, a Koint mercantile and clerical e/pedition led by )anish2Nor1egian missionary 5ans .gede 1as sent to Greenland, not kno1ing 1hether a Norse ci;iliQation remained there. ?he e/pedition can be seen as part of the )anish coloniQation of the 6mericas. 6fter #& years in Greenland, 5ans .gede left his son 0aul .gede in charge of the mission in Greenland and returned to )enmark 1here he established a Greenland 8eminary. ?his ne1 colony 1as centred at GodthRb (MGood 5opeM) on the south1est coast. Gradually, Greenland 1as opened up to )anish merchants, and closed to those from other countries.

!reaty of 0iel to 1orld 1ar II

.irik Jaudes 9and When the union bet1een the cro1ns of )enmark and Nor1ay 1as dissol;ed in #*#!, the ?reaty of Kiel se;ered Nor1ayHs former colonies and left them under the control of the )anish monarch. Nor1ay occupied then2uninhabited eastern Greenland as .rik the JedHs 9and in :uly #+>#, claiming that it constituted terra nullius. Nor1ay and )enmark agreed to submit the matter in #+>> to the 0ermanent Court of -nternational :ustice, 1hich decided against Nor1ay.'<&( GreenlandHs connection to )enmark 1as se;ered on + 6pril #+!$, early in World War --, 1hen )enmark 1as occupied by NaQi Germany. Dn * 6pril #+!#, the Anited 8tates occupied Greenland to defend it against a possible in;asion by Germany.'< ( ?he Anited 8tates occupation of Greenland continued until #+!&. Greenland 1as able to buy goods from the Anited 8tates and Canada by selling cryolite from the mine at -;ittuut. ?he maKor air bases 1ere Lluie West2# at Narsarsua7 and Lluie West2* at 8Sndre 8trSmfKord (Kangerlussua7), both of 1hich are still used as GreenlandHs maKor international airports. )uring this 1ar, the system of go;ernment changedF Go;ernor .ske Lrun ruled the island under a la1 of #+<& that allo1ed go;ernors to take control under e/treme circumstancesG Go;ernor 6ksel 8;ane 1as transferred to the Anited 8tates to lead the commission to supply Greenland. ?he )anish 8irius 0atrol guarded the northeastern shores of Greenland in #+!< using dogsleds, detecting se;eral German 1eather stations and alerting 6merican troops 1ho then destroyed them. 6fter the collapse of the ?hird Jeich, 6lbert 8peer briefly considered escaping in a small aeroplane to hide out in Greenland, but changed his mind and decided to turn himself in to the Anited 8tates 6rmed Forces.'<=( Greenland had been a protected and ;ery isolated society until #+!$. ?he )anish go;ernment had maintained a strict monopoly of Greenlandic trade, allo1ing only small scale troaking 1ith 8cottish 1halers. Ne;ertheless, 1artime Greenland de;eloped a sense of self2reliance through self2go;ernment and independent communication 1ith the outside 1orld. )espite this change, in #+! a commission including the highest Greenlandic council, the 9andsrRdene, recommended patience and no radical reform of the system. ?1o years later, the first step to1ards a change of go;ernment 1as initiated 1hen a grand commission 1as established. 6 final report (G2&$) 1as presented in #+&$F Greenland 1as to be a modern 1elfare state 1ith )enmark as sponsor and e/ample. -n #+&> Greenland 1as made an e7ual part of the )anish Kingdom. 5ome rule 1as granted in #+=+.

Home rule and self(rule

?he orthography and ;ocabulary of the Greenlandic language is go;erned by Oqaasileriffik, the Greenlandic language secretariat, located in the Ilimmarfik uni;ersity Campus in Nuuk. Follo1ing World War --, the Anited 8tates de;eloped a geopolitical interest in Greenland, and in #+! the Anited 8tates offered to buy Greenland from )enmark for T#$$,$$$,$$$, but )enmark refused to sell.'<*('<+( 5o1e;er, in #+&$, )enmark did agree to allo1 the Anited 8tates to reestablish ?hule 6ir Lase, 1hich 1as greatly e/panded bet1een #+&# and #+&> as part of a unified N6?D Cold War defence strategy. ?he local population of three nearby ;illages 1as mo;ed o;er #$$ kilometres ( < mi) a1ay in the 1inter. 6 secret attempt to construct a subterranean net1ork of nuclear missile launch sites in the Greenlandic ice cap named 0roKect -ce1orm 1as carried out from Camp Century from #+ $ to #+ before being abandoned as un1orkable. ?he )anish go;ernment did not become a1are of the programmeHs actual mission until #++=, 1hen it 1as disco;ered 1hile looking for records related to the crash of a nuclear2e7uipped L2&< bomber at ?hule in #+ *. With the #+&> )anish constitution, GreenlandHs colonial status ended as the island 1as incorporated into the )anish realm as an amt (county), also e/tending )anish citiQenship to Greenlanders. ?his also resulted in a change in )anish policies to1ard Greenland that consisted of a strategy of cultural assimilationPor de2 Greenlandification. )uring this period, the )anish go;ernment promoted the e/clusi;e use of )anish in official matters, and re7uired Greenlanders to go to )enmark for their post2secondary educationG many Greenlandic children gre1 up in boarding schools in southern )enmark, many losing their cultural ties to Greenland. While the policies MsucceededM in the sense of creating a demographic shift turning Greenlanders from being primarily subsistence hunters into being urbaniQed 1age earners, the policy also backfired to produce a reassertion of Greenlandic cultural identity by the Greenlandic elite, leading to a mo;ement in fa;our of independence that reached its peak in the #+=$s.'>$( 6s a conse7uence of political complications in relation to )enmarkHs entry into the .uropean Common 4arket in #+=<, a further desire to establish the legality of GreenlandHs status formed in )enmark, resulting in the 5ome Jule 6ct of #+=+, 1hich ga;e Greenland limited autonomy 1ith its o1n legislature taking control of some internal policies, 1hile the 0arliament of )enmark maintained full control of e/ternal policies, security, and natural resources. ?he la1

came into effect on # 4ay #+=+. ?he 3ueen of )enmark, 4argrethe --, remains GreenlandHs 5ead of state. -n #+*&, Greenland left the .uropean .conomic Community (..C) upon achie;ing self2rule, in ;ie1 of the ..CHs commercial fishing regulations and an ..C ban on seal skin products.'>#( 6 referendum on greater autonomy 1as appro;ed on <& No;ember <$$*.'><('>>( Dn <# :une <$$+, Greenland assumed self2determination 1ith responsibility for self2 go;ernment of Kudicial affairs, policing, and natural resources. 6lso, Greenlanders 1ere recogniQed as a separate people under international la1.'>!( )enmark maintains control of foreign affairs and defence matters. )enmark upholds the annual block grant of >.< billion )anish kroner, but as Greenland begins to collect re;enues of its natural resources, the grant 1ill gradually be diminished. -t is considered by some to be a step to1ard e;entual full independence from )enmark.'>&( Greenlandic became the sole official language of Greenland at the historic ceremony.'#('&('> ('>=('>*(

Government
4ain articleF 0olitics of Greenland GreenlandHs head of state is 4argrethe --, 3ueen regnant of )enmark. ?he 3ueenHs go;ernment in )enmark appoints a 5igh Commissioner (Rigsombudsmand) to represent it on the island. ?he current commissioner is 4ikaela .ngell. Greenlanders elect t1o representati;es to the Folketing, )enmarkHs parliament, out of #=+ total. ?he current representati;es are 8ara Dls;ig of the -nuit Community 0arty and )oris :akobsen from the 8iumut 0arty from the For1ard 0arty. Greenland also has its o1n 0arliament, 1hich has ># members. ?he go;ernment is the Naalakkersuisut 1hose members are appointed by the 0rime 4inister. ?he head of go;ernment is the 0rime 4inister, usually the leader of the maKority party in 0arliament. ?he current 0rime 4inister is 6le7a 5ammond of the 8iumut 0arty.

Administrative divisions

4unicipalities of Greenland 4ain articleF 6dministrati;e di;isions of Greenland 6lthough it is largely unpopulated, Greenland abolished its three counties in <$$+ and has since been di;ided into four territories kno1n as MmunicipalitiesMF 8ermersoo7 (M4uch -ceM) around the capital NuukG KuKalle7 (M8outhM) around Cape Fare1ellG 3e77ata (MCentreM) north of the capital along the )a;is 8traitG and 3aasuitsup (M)arknessM) in the north1est. ?he northeast of the island composes the unincorporated Northeast Greenland National 0ark. ?hule 6ir Lase is also unincorporated, an encla;e 1ithin 3aa7uitsup municipality administered by the Anited 8tates 6ir Force. )uring its construction, there 1ere as many as #<,$$$ 6merican residents but in recent years the number is belo1 #,$$$.

Politics
4ain articleF 9ist of political parties in Greenland ?he party system is currently dominated by the social democratic For1ard 0arty (#! 40s), and the democratic socialist -nuit Community 0arty (## 40s), both of 1hich broadly argue for greater independence from )enmark. While the <$$+ election sa1 the unionistPand largely )anishP)emocrat 0arty (< 40s) decline greatly, the <$#> election consolidated the po1er of the t1o main parties at the e/pense of the smaller groups, and sa1 the far2left -nuit 0arty (< 40s) elected to the 0arliament for the first time.

?he non2binding <$$* referendum on self2go;ernance fa;oured increased self2 go;ernance <#,>&& ;otes to , >. -n #+*&, Greenland left the .uropean .conomic Community (..C), unlike )enmark, 1hich remains a member. ?he ..C later became the .uropean Anion (.A, it 1as renamed and e/panded in scope in #++<). Greenland retains some ties 1ith the .A ;ia )enmark. 5o1e;er, .A la1 largely does not apply to Greenland e/cept in the area of trade.

Economics and 2usiness

?his section does not cite any references or sources. 0lease help impro;e this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Ansourced material may be challenged and remo;ed. ( eptember !"#$% 6bout half of public spending on Greenland is funded by block grants from )enmark 1hich in <$$= totalled o;er >.< billion kr. 6dditional proceeds from the sale of fishing licences and the annual compensation from the .A represents <*$ million )KK per year. GreenlandHs economy is based on a narro1 professional basis 1ith the fishing industry as the dominant sector 1ith some +$, of its e/ports. -n a fe1 years, 7uarrying and tourism could complement the fisheries that depend on the changing prices of fish and fishing opportunities. ?he long2range di;ides the domestic market into many small units that ha;e high operating costs. 4ost of the fish factories are o1ned by Joyal Greenland.

Geography and climate

4ain articleF Geography of Greenland 8ee alsoF 6dministrati;e di;isions of Greenland, ?erritorial claims in the 6rctic, Climate change in the 6rctic, and Climate of the 6rcticUGreenland

4ap of Greenland. Greenland lies bet1een latitudes &+" and *>"N, and longitudes ##" and =!"W and is the third largest country in North 6merica.'>+( ?he 6tlantic Dcean borders GreenlandHs southeastG the Greenland 8ea is to the eastG the 6rctic Dcean is to the northG and Laffin Lay is to the 1est. ?he nearest countries are Canada, to the 1est across Laffin Lay, and -celand, east of Greenland in the 6tlantic Dcean. Greenland also contains the 1orldHs largest national park, and is the 1orldHs largest island and the largest dependent territory by area in the 1orld. ?he a;erage daily temperature of Nuuk, Greenland ;aries o;er the seasons from C* to = "C (#* to !& "F).

8outheast coast of Greenland. ?he total area of Greenland is <,# ,$* km< (*> ,>>$ s7 mi) (including other offshore minor islands), of 1hich the Greenland ice sheet co;ers #,=&&, >= km< ( ==,*&& s7 mi) (*#,) and has a ;olume of appro/imately <,*&$,$$$ km> ( *$,$$$ cu mi).'!$( ?he highest point on Greenland is GunnbKSrn FKeld at >,=$$ m (#<,#>+ ft). ?he maKority of Greenland, ho1e;er, is less than #,&$$ m (!,+<# ft) in ele;ation.

?he 1eight of the ice sheet has depressed the central land area to form a basin lying more than >$$ m (+*! ft) belo1 sea le;el,'!#('!<( 1hile ele;ations rise suddenly and steeply near the coast.'!>( ?he ice flo1s generally to the coast from the centre of the island. 6 sur;ey led by French scientist 0aul2.mile Eictor in #+&# concluded that, under the ice sheet, Greenland is composed of three large islands.'!!( ?his is disputed, but if it is so, they 1ould be separated by narro1 straits, reaching the sea at -lulissat -cefKord, at GreenlandHs Grand Canyon and south of Nordostrundingen. 6ll to1ns and settlements of Greenland are situated along the ice2free coast, 1ith the population being concentrated along the 1est coast. ?he northeastern part of Greenland is not part of any municipality, but is the site of the 1orldHs largest national park, Northeast Greenland National 0ark.'!&(

Eie1 of mountains on Greenland from the air 6t least four scientific e/pedition stations and camps had been established on the ice sheet in the ice2co;ered central part of Greenland (indicated as pale blue in the map to the right)F .ismitte, North -ce, North GJ-0 Camp and ?he Ja;en 8ki1ay. Currently, there is a year2round station, 8ummit Camp, on the ice sheet, established in #+*+. ?he radio station :Srgen LrSnlund FKord 1as, until #+&$, the northernmost permanent outpost in the 1orld.

8outhern Greenland scenery, near Nanortalik, 1here fKords and mountains dominate the landscape.

?he e/treme north of Greenland, 0eary 9and, is not co;ered by an ice sheet, because the air there is too dry to produce sno1, 1hich is essential in the production and maintenance of an ice sheet. -f the Greenland ice sheet 1ere to melt a1ay completely, the 1orldHs sea le;el 1ould rise by more than = m (<> ft).'! (

8coresby 8und in eastern Greenland, the longest fKord in the 1orld. Let1een #+*+ and #++>, A8 and .uropean climate researchers drilled into the summit of GreenlandHs ice sheet, obtaining a pair of > km (#.+ mi) long ice cores. 6nalysis of the layering and chemical composition of the cores has pro;ided a re;olutionary ne1 record of climate change in the Northern 5emisphere going back about #$$,$$$ years, and illustrated that the 1orldHs 1eather and temperature ha;e often shifted rapidly from one seemingly stable state to another, 1ith 1orld1ide conse7uences.'!=( ?he glaciers of Greenland are also contributing to a rise in the global sea le;el at a faster rate than 1as pre;iously belie;ed.'!*( Let1een #++# and <$$!, monitoring of the 1eather at one location (81iss Camp) sho1ed that the a;erage 1inter temperature had risen almost "C (## "F).'!+( Dther research has sho1n that higher sno1falls from the North 6tlantic oscillation caused the interior of the ice cap to thicken by an a;erage of cm or <.> in@yr bet1een #++! and <$$&.'&$( 5o1e;er, a recent study suggests a much 1armer planet in relati;ely recent geological timesF 8cientists 1ho probed < km (#.< mi) through a Greenland glacier to reco;er the some of the oldest plant )N6 on record said that the planet 1as far 1armer hundreds of thousands of years ago than is generally belie;ed. )N6 of trees, plants, and insects including butterflies and spiders from beneath the southern Greenland glacier 1as estimated to date to !&$,$$$ to +$$,$$$ years ago, according to the remnants retrie;ed from this long2;anished boreal forest. ?hat ;ie1 contrasts sharply 1ith the pre;ailing one that a lush forest of this kind could not ha;e e/isted in Greenland any later than <.! million years ago. ?hese )N6 samples suggest that the temperature probably reached #$ "C (&$ "F) in the summer and C#= "C (#.! "F) in the 1inter. ?hey also indicate that during the last interglacial period, #>$,$$$I## ,$$$ years ago, 1hen local temperatures 1ere on a;erage & "C (+ "F) higher than no1, the glaciers on Greenland did not completely melt a1ay.'&#(

Greenland bedrock, at current ele;ation abo;e sea le;el -n #++ , the 6merican ?op of the World e/pedition found the 1orldHs northernmost island off GreenlandF 6?DW#++ . 6n e;en more northerly candidate 1as spotted during the return from the e/pedition, but its status is yet to be confirmed. -n <$$= the e/istence of a ne1 island 1as announced. Named MAunarto7 3e7erta7M (.nglishF &arming Island), this island has al1ays been present off the coast of Greenland, but 1as co;ered by a glacier. ?his glacier 1as disco;ered in <$$< to be shrinking rapidly, and by <$$= had completely melted a1ay, lea;ing the e/posed island.'&<( ?he island 1as named 0lace of the Vear by the D/ford 6tlas of the World in <$$=.'&>( Len Keene, the atlasHs editor, commentedF M-n the last t1o or three decades, global 1arming has reduced the siQe of glaciers throughout the 6rctic and earlier this year, ne1s sources confirmed 1hat climate scientists already kne1F 1ater, not rock, lay beneath this ice bridge on the east coast of Greenland. 4ore islets are likely to appear as the sheet of froQen 1ater co;ering the 1orldHs largest island continues to meltM.'t'is quote needs a (itation( 8ome contro;ersy surrounds the history of the island, specifically o;er 1hether the island might ha;e been re;ealed during a brief 1arm period in Greenland during the mid2<$th century.'&!( 8ee alsoF GreenlandHs Grand Canyon

Postglacial glacier advances

?his section may 2e too technical for most readers to understand. 0lease help impro;e this section to make it understandable to non2e/perts, 1ithout remo;ing the technical details. ?he talk page may contain suggestions. ()ugust

!"#$%

?his article may re3uire copy editing for grammar4 style4 cohesion4 tone4 or spelling. Vou can assist by editing it. (*anuar+ !"#,% ?he 3a7ugdluit mountainous area on the south side of Nuussua7 0eninsula at =$"*%N &#"!!%W sho1s 5istorical to 5olocene 0ost2glacial glacier stages dating back at least =,$$$ and at most #$,$$$ years.'&&('& ( -n #+=+ the glaciers ended bet1een $m and #!$m (<,# & and !&+ ft) abo;e sea le;el. ?he pertinent climatic glacier2 sno1line (.96) ran at c. *$$m (<, <& ft) in height. ?he sno1line of the oldest (E--) of the three 5olocene glacier stages (E I E--) ran c. <>$m (=&& ft) deeper, i.e. at c. &=$m (#,*=$ ft) in height.'&=( ?he four youngest glacier stages (-E2-) are of a 5istorical age. ?hey ha;e to be classified as belonging to the global glacier ad;ances in the years #*## to #*&$ and #**$ to #+$$ (W9ittle -ce 6geX), #+#$ to #+>$, #+!* and #+&>.'& ( ?heir sno1lines rose step by step up to the le;el of #+=+. ?he current sno1line (8tage $) runs nearly unchanged. )uring the oldest 0ostglacial 8tage E--, an ice stream net1ork completely co;ered the landscape as ;alley glaciers Koined each other. -ts nourishing areas consisted of high2 lying plateau2glaciers and local ice caps. )ue to the uplift of the sno1line about that c. <>$m (=&& ft) I 1hat corresponds to a 1arming about c. #.&"C (>!.="C) I since #+=+ there merely e/ists a plateau2 glaciation 1ith small glacier tongues hanging do1n on the margins that nearly did not reach the main ;alley bottoms any more.'&=(

5auna and flora

4ain articleF Flora and fauna of Greenland ?he fe1 land mammals in Greenland include polar bear, reindeer, musk o/, arctic fo/, 1olf, stoat, and arctic hare. ?here are doQens of species of seals and 1hales along the coast. D;er #$$ species of birds ha;e been seen, and around &$ breed in Greenland. ?here are ;ery occasionally lo1 forest of birch or 1illo1 and, in all, around &$$ plant species.

Economy

Colourful houses dot the to1n of -tto77ortoormiit

ArbaniQation in Nuuk 4ain articleF .conomy of Greenland Greenland today is dependent on fishing and fish e/ports. ?he shrimp and fish industry is by far the largest income earner.'&*( )espite resumption'-'en.( of se;eral hydrocarbon and mineral e/ploration acti;ities, it 1ill take se;eral years before hydrocarbon production can materialiQe. ?he state oil company Nunaoil 1as created to help de;elop the hydrocarbon industry in Greenland. ?he state company Nunamineral has been launched on the Copenhagen 8tock ./change to raise more capital to increase the production of gold, started in <$$=. 4ining of ruby deposits began in <$$=. Dther mineral prospects are impro;ing as prices are increasing. ?hese include iron, uranium, aluminium, nickel, platinum, tungsten, titanium, and copper. .lectricity has traditionally been generated by oil or diesel po1er plants, e;en if there is a large surplus of potential hydropo1er. Lecause of rising oil prices, there is a programme to build hydro po1er plants. ?he first, and still the largest, is LuksefKord hydroelectric po1er plant. ?here are also plans to build a large aluminium smelter, using hydropo1er to create an e/portable product. -t is e/pected that much of the labour needed 1ill be imported.
'&+(

?he .uropean Anion has urged the )enmark protectorate Greenland to restrict 0eopleHs Jepublic of China de;elopment of rare2earth proKects, as China accounts for

+& percent of the 1orldHs current supply. -n early <$#>, the Greenland go;ernment said that it had no plans to impose such restrictions.' $( ?he public sector, including publicly o1ned enterprises and the municipalities, plays a dominant role in GreenlandHs economy. 6bout half the go;ernment re;enues come from grants from the )anish go;ernment, an important supplement to the gross domestic product (G)0). Gross domestic product per capita is e7ui;alent to that of the a;erage economies of .urope. Greenland suffered an economic contraction in the early #++$s. Lut, since #++>, the economy has impro;ed. ?he Greenland 5ome Jule Go;ernment (G5JG) has pursued a tight fiscal policy since the late #+*$s, 1hich has helped create surpluses in the public budget and lo1 inflation. 8ince #++$, Greenland has registered a foreign trade deficit follo1ing the closure of the last remaining lead and Qinc mine that year. 4ore recently,'-'en.( ne1 sources of ruby in Greenland ha;e been disco;ered, promising to bring ne1 industry and a ne1 e/port to the country. (8ee Gemstone industry in Greenland).

!ransportation
4ain articlesF ?ransport in Greenland and 9ist of airports in Greenland

6ir Greenland 6irbus 6>>$ at Kangerlussua7 6irport

5elicopter and )ash2= aircraft at 3aarsut 6irport

?he 8arfa7 -ttuk, 1hich belongs to the 6rctic Amia7 9ine 6ir transportation e/ists both 1ithin Greenland and bet1een the island and other nations. ?here is also scheduled boat traffic, but the long distances lead to long tra;el times and lo1 fre7uency. ?here are no roads bet1een cities because the coast has many fKords that 1ould re7uire ferry ser;ice to connect a road net1ork,'(itation needed( 6lso the lack of agriculture, forestry and similar countryside acti;ities has meant that ;ery fe1 countryside roads ha;e been built. 6ll ci;il a;iation matters are handled by the Ci;il 6;iation 6dministration )enmark. Kangerlussua7 6irport around #$$ km ( $ miles) from the 1est coast is the maKor airport of Greenland and the hub for domestic flights. -ntercontinental flights connect mainly to Copenhagen. -n 4ay <$$=, 6ir Greenland initiated a seasonal route to and from Laltimore in the Anited 8tates,' #( but on #$ 4arch <$$*, the route 1as cancelled because of financial losses.' <( -n <$#<, 6ir Greenland commenced seasonal, bi1eekly flights bet1een Nuuk and -7aluit.' >( Working in tandem 1ith First 6ir passengers can then continue to Dtta1a.' !( 6ir -celand began operating a t1ice21eekly Kefla;Nk2-lulissat route in :uly <$$+.' &( -n addition to these routes there are scheduled international flights bet1een Narsarsua7 and Copenhagen. 6ir -celand operates routes bet1een JeykKa;Nk and Narsarsua7, -lulissat, Nuuk on the 1est coast and Kulusuk, -tto77ortoormiit on the east coast. 8ea passenger and freight transport is ser;ed by the coastal ferries operated by 6rctic Amia7 9ine. -t makes a single round trip per 1eek, taking *$ hours each direction.

Demographics
4ain articleF )emographics of Greenland 8ee alsoF 9ist of Greenlanders Greenland has a population of & ,>=$ (:anuary <$#> estimate),'>( of 1hom **, are Greenlandic -nuit (including -nuit2)anish mi/ed). ?he remaining #<, are of .uropean descent, mainly )anish. ?he maKority of the population is 9utheran. Nearly all Greenlanders li;e along the fKords in the south21est of the main island, 1hich has a relati;ely mild climate.' ( D;er # ,$$$ people reside in Nuuk, the capital city.

v t

Largest cities or to6ns of Greenland

8tatistics Greenland, Greenland in /igures !"#$ and 0opulation in localities (<$#>) 7an) *ame 8unicipality # *uu) 8ermersoo7 < #isimiut 3e77ata > Ilulissat 3aasuitsup ! ;a3orto3 KuKalle7 & Aasiaat 3aasuitsup 8aniitso3 3e77ata = !asiila3 8ermersoo7 * Paamiut 8ermersoo7 + *arsa3 KuKalle7 #$ *anortali) KuKalle7 Pop9 7an) *ame 8unicipality # ,! ! ## :ummanna3 3aasuitsup &,&+* #< :pernavi) 3aasuitsup !,&!# #> ;asigiannguit 3aasuitsup >,<<+ #! ;e3ertarsua3 3aasuitsup >,#!< #& ;aanaa3 3aasuitsup <, =$ # 0angaatsia3 3aasuitsup <,$#= #= 0angerlussua3 3e77ata #,&#& #* Itto33ortoormiit 8ermersoo7 #,&$> #+ 0ullorsua3 3aasuitsup #,>>= <$ 0angaamiut 3e77ata

Nuuk

8isimiut

Pop9 #,<*< #,#*# #,#=# *!& & &&* &#< !&< !!* >&>

7eligion

4ost Greenlandic ;illages, including Nanortalik, ha;e their o1n church. ?he nomadic -nuit people 1ere traditionally shamanistic, 1ith a 1ell2de;eloped mythology primarily concerned 1ith propitiating a ;engeful and fingerless sea goddess 1ho controlled the success of the seal and 1hale hunts. ?he first Norse colonists 1ere pagan, but .rik the JedHs son 9eif 1as con;erted to Catholic Christianity by King Dlaf ?ryg;esson on a trip to Nor1ay in ++$ and sent missionaries back to Greenland. ?hese s1iftly established si/teen parishes, some monasteries, and a bishopric at GarOar. Jedisco;ering these colonists and spreading the 0rotestant Jeformation among them 1as one of the primary reasons for the )anish recoloniQation in the #*th century. Ander the patronage of the Joyal 4ission College in Copenhagen, Nor1egian and )anish 9utherans and German 4ora;ian missionaries searched for the missing Norse

settlements and began con;erting the -nuit. ?he principal figures in the ChristianiQation of Greenland 1ere 5ans and 0oul .gede and 4atthias 8tach. ?he Ne1 ?estament 1as translated piecemeal from the time of the ;ery first settlement on Kange7 -sland, but the first translation of the 1hole Lible 1as not completed until #+$$. 6n impro;ed translation using the modern orthography 1as completed in <$$$.
' =(

?oday, the maKor religion is 0rotestant Christianity, mostly members of the 9utheran Church of )enmark. While there is no official census data on religion in Greenland, the 9utheran Lishop of Greenland 8ofie 0etersen' *( estimates that *&, of the Greenlandic population are members of her congregation.' +( ?here are still Christian missionaries on the island, but mainly from charismatic mo;ements proselytiQing fello1 Christians.'(itation needed( ?he first reported 4uslim in Greenland, Wassam 6Qa7eer, made headlines around the 1orld 1hen he obser;ed Jamadan in Nuuk, re7uiring him to fast for <# hours at a time.'=$('=#('=<('=>('=!(

Languages

6 bilingual sign in Nuuk, displaying the )anish and Kalaallisut for M0arking forbidden for all ;ehiclesM. Loth Greenlandic and )anish ha;e been used in public affairs since the establishment of home rule in #+=+G the maKority of the population can speak both languages. Kalaallisut became the sole official language in :une <$$+.'=&( -n practice, )anish is still 1idely used in the administration and in higher education, as 1ell as remaining the first or only language for some people in Nuuk and the larger to1ns. 6 debate about the role of Kalaallisut and )anish in future society is ongoing. ?he orthography of Kalaallisut 1as established already in #*&#'= ( and re;ised in #+=>, and the country has a #$$, literacy rate.'==( 6 maKority of the population speaks Kalaallisut (West Greenlandic), most of them bilingually. -t is spoken by about &$,$$$ people, making it the most populous of the .skimoI6leut language family, spoken by more people than all the other languages of the family combined.

Kalaallisut is the -nuit dialect of West Greenland, 1hich has long been the most populous area of the island. ?his has led to its de facto status as the official MGreenlandicM language, although the northern dialect -nuktun remains spoken by #,$$$ or so people around 3aanaa7 and the eastern dialect ?unumiisut by around >$$$.'=*( ?hese dialects are almost unintelligible to one another and are considered by some linguists to be separate languages.'(itation needed( 6 AN.8CD report has labelled the other dialects as endangered and measures are no1 being considered to protect the .astern Greenlandic dialect.'=+(

6n -nuit family in Greenland, #+#=. 6bout #<, of the population speak )anish as their first or only language, many of them filling positions as administrators, professionals, academics, or skilled tradesmen. While Kalaallisut is dominant in smaller settlements, a part of the population of -nuit or mi/ed ancestry, especially in to1ns, speaks )anish as their first language. 4ost of the -nuit population speak )anish as second language. -n larger to1ns, especially Nuuk and in the higher social strata, this is a large group. While one strategy aims at promoting Greenlandic in public life and education, de;eloping its ;ocabulary and suitability for comple/ conte/ts, this approach is labelled MGreenlandiQationM by opponents 1ho do not 1ish to aim at Greenlandic becoming the sole national language. .nglish is taught in schools.'*$(

Culture
4ain articlesF Culture of Greenland and 4usic of Greenland

8chool children in Aperna;ik start their first day of school 1earing traditional Greenlandic costumes GreenlandHs culture began 1ith settlement in the second millennium LC by the )orset -nuit, shortly after the end of the ice age. -n the #$th century, -celandic and Nor1egian Eikings settled in the southern part of the island, 1hile the ?hule -nuit culture 1as introduced in the north of the island and e/panded south1ard. ?he culture clash bet1een t1o peoples is attested by the disco;ery of a fragment of Eiking chain mail at a high latitude of the island, 1hile a figurine car;ed from 1alrus i;ory, clearly of -nuit origin, 1as found in Lergen, Nor1ay. Loth obKects must be understood as a clear testimony of the trade bet1een the t1o peoples. -nuit culture dominated the island from the end of the 4iddle 6ges to the recoloniQation in the early #*th century, 1here .uropean culture 1as reintroduced. ?oday Greenlandic culture is a blending of traditional -nuit (Kalaallit) and 8candina;ian culture. -nuit, or Kalaallit, culture has a strong artistic tradition, dating back thousands of years. ?he Kalaallit are kno1n for an art form of figures called tupilak or a Mspirit obKect.M ?raditional art2making practices thri;e in the )mmassalik. '*#( 8perm 1hale i;ory remains a ;alued medium for car;ing.'*<( Greenland also has a successful, albeit small, music culture. 8ome popular Greenlandic bands and artists include 8ume (classic rock), Chilly Friday (rock), 8iissiso7 (rock), Nuuk 0osse (hip hop) and Jasmus 9yberth (folk), 1ho performed in the )anish .uro;ision 8ong Contest #+=+, performing in Greenlandic. ?he singer2 song1riter 8imon 9ynge is the first musical artist from Greenland to ha;e an album released across the Anited Kingdom, and to perform at the AKHs Glastonbury Festi;al. ?he music culture of Greenland also includes traditional -nuit music, largely based around singing and drums.

#ports
8ee alsoF Football in Greenland

8occer match in Aummanna7

6ssociation football is the national sport of Greenland. ?he go;erning body, the Football 6ssociation of Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaanni )rsaattartut Kattuffiat), is not yet a member of F-F6 because of ongoing disagreements 1ith 8epp Llatter and an inability to gro1 grass for regulation grass pitches.'(itation needed( 5o1e;er, it is the #=th member of the N.F.2Loard. -n :anuary <$$=, Greenland took part in the World 4enHs 5andball Championship in Germany, finishing <<nd in a field of <! national teams. Greenland competes in the biennial -sland Games, as 1ell as the biennial 6rctic Winter Games. -n <$$<, Nuuk hosted the 6WG in conKunction 1ith -7aluit, Nuna;ut. '*>( 6lso in <$$< and pre;iously in #++! they 1on the 5odgson ?rophy for fair play.'*!(

#ee also
Greenland portal Denmark portal European Union portal Europe portal North America portal Islands portal

Dutline of Greenland -nde/ of Greenland2related articles Greenlandic independence 9ist of Greenlanders 4ilitary of Greenland Ani;ersity of Greenland

History:

5istory of )enmark

Political:

9ist of 4inisters for Greenland Foreign relations of Greenland 6rctic policy of )enmark

Geography:

8igguk Llock oilfield ?elecommunications in Greenland 4ountain peaks of Greenland o 9ist of mountains in Greenland 9ist of Altras of Greenland

5ootnotes
Y :ump up toF a b c <Danish= ?E < Nyhederne I MGrSnland gRr o;er til sel;styreM ?E < Nyhederne (01 ! Ne-s) I Eed o;ergangen til sel;styre, er grSnlandsk nu det officielle sprog. Jetrie;ed << :anuary <$#<. <. >ump up ' M8elf2rule introduced in GreenlandM. LLC Ne1s. <# :une <$$+. Jetrie;ed ! 4ay <$#$. >. Y :ump up toF a b c d Greenland in /igures !"#$. 8tatistics Greenland. -8LN +=*2*=2+* =*=2=2+. -88N # $<2&=$+. Jetrie;ed < 8eptember <$#>. !. >ump up ' Filling Gaps in the 5uman )e;elopment -nde/, Anited Nations .8C60, February <$$+ &. Y :ump up toF a b <Danish= 9a1 of Greenlandic 8elfrule (see chapter =) . Y :ump up toF a b ?he Fate of GreenlandHs Eikings, by )ale 4ackenQie Lro1n, )r('aeologi(al Institute of )meri(a, <* February <$$$ =. >ump up ' M:oshua CalderHs World -sland -nformationM. Worldislandinfo.com. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. *. >ump up ' M0opulation density (people per s7. km of land area)M. ?he World Lank. Jetrie;ed > No;ember <$#<. +. >ump up ' M8a77a72kulturen kronologiM. National 4useum of )enmark. Jetrie;ed < 6ugust <$#>. #$. >ump up ' Greenland in /igures !"#!. stat.gl. -8LN +=*2*=2+* =*=2 2<. -88N # $<2&=$+. Jetrie;ed #$ February <$#>. ##. >ump up ' M.irik the JedHs 8agaM. Gutenberg.org. * 4arch <$$ . Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. #<. >ump up ' 5o1 Greenland got its name. ?he 6ncient 8tandard. Jetrie;ed < :anuary <$#<. #>. >ump up ' Gro;e, :onathan. M?he place of Greenland in medie;al -celandic saga narrati;eM, in Norse Greenland2 ele(ted 3apers of t'e 4valse+ Conferen(e !""5, :ournal of the North 6tlantic 8pecial Eolume < (<$$+), >$I &#, at p. >$ #!. >ump up ' 8tern, p. *+ #&. >ump up ' M?he history of Greenland I From dog sled to sno1mobileM. Greenland.com. Jetrie;ed #$ 8eptember <$##. # . >ump up ' M4igration to Greenland I the history of GreenlandM. Greenland.com. Jetrie;ed #$ 8eptember <$##.
#.

>ump up ' Loraas, ?racey (<$$<). -eden. Capstone 0ress. p. <!. -8LN $2=> *2$+>+2<. #*. Y :ump up toF a b )iamond, :ared 4. (<$$ ). Collapse2 'o- so(ieties ('oose to fail or su((eed. 5armonds1orth '.ng.(F 0enguin. -8LN $2#!2 >$> &&2 . #+. >ump up ' Gro;e, <$$+. <$. >ump up ' 6rnold C. Cold did in the Norse. .arth 4agaQine :une <$#$, pg +. <#. >ump up ' MKulturgeschichte des KlimasF Eon der .isQeit Qur globalen .r1ZrmungF 6maQon.deF Wolfgang LehringerF L[cherM. 6maQon.com. + 8eptember <$$+. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. <<. >ump up ' 6lley 0, 4aye1ski 0, 0eel ), 8tauffer L (#++ ). M?1in -ce Cores From Greenland Je;eal 5istory of Climate Change, 4oreM. 6art' in pa(e ? (<)F #<I#>. <>. >ump up ' MWhy societies collapseM. 6LC 8cience. <!. >ump up ' NebenQahl, Kenneth. Rand 7(Nall+ )tlas of Columbus and 0'e Great 8is(overies (Jand 4cNally \ CompanyG Genoa, -talyG #++$)G 0'e Cantino 3lanisp'ere9 :isbon9 #;"!, pp. >!I>=. <&. >ump up ' :egal tatus of 6astern Greenland, 0C-: 8eries 6@L No. &> (#+>>) < . >ump up ' :ustus ). )oenecke (* :uly #+!#). In 8anger <ndaunted2 0'e )nti=Interventionist 7ovement of #>,"?#>,#. 5oo;er 0ress. -8LN +=*2$2 *#=+2**!#2*. <=. >ump up ' 8peer, 6lbert Inside t'e 0'ird Rei(' #+=# <*. >ump up ' M)eepfreeQe )efenseM. 0ime. <= :anuary #+!=. <+. >ump up ' 4iller, :ohn :. (= 4ay <$$#). M9etHs Luy Greenland] P 6 complete missile2defense planM. National Revie-@s National 3oliti(al Reporter. >$. >ump up ' 9oukache;a, Natalia (<$$=). 0'e )r(ti( promise2 legal and politi(al autonom+ of Greenland and Nunavut. Ani;ersity of ?oronto 0ress, p. <& -8LN +=*$*$<$+!* & >#. >ump up ' 8tern, pp. &&I& ><. >ump up ' Co1ell, 6lan (< No;ember <$$*). MGreenland Eote Fa;ors -ndependenceM. 0'e Ne- Aork 0imes. Jetrie;ed ! 4ay <$#$. >>. >ump up ' MEeKledende folkeafstemning om sel;styre ^ <&2##2<$$*M (in Greenlandic). 8ermitEalg. < No;ember <$$*. Jetrie;ed < No;ember <$$*. >!. >ump up ' )escription of the Greenlandic 8elf2Go;ernment 6ct on the 1bpage of the )anish 4inistry of 8tateM?he 8elf2Go;ernment 6ct pro;ides for the 8elf2Go;ernment authorities to assume a number of ne1 fields of responsibility, such as administration of Kustice, including the establishment of courts of la1G the prison and probation ser;iceG the policeG the field relating to company la1, accounting and auditingG mineral resource acti;itiesG a;iationG la1 of legal capacity, family la1 and succession la1G
#=.

aliens and border controlsG the 1orking en;ironmentG as 1ell as financial regulation and super;ision, cf. 8chedule - and -- in the 6nne/ to the 8elf2 Go;ernment 6ct.M >&. >ump up ' Greenland takes step to1ard independence from )enmark. 0'e 8ail+ 0elegrap' (<# :une <$$+). Jetrie;ed <+ 8eptember <$#<. > . >ump up ' MNearly independent dayM. 0'e 6(onomist. <$ :une <$$+. Jetrie;ed <$ :une <$$+. >=. >ump up ' MGreenland set for self2ruleM. 0'e )ustralian. #+ :une <$$+. 6rchi;ed from the original on <$$+2$ 2<!. Jetrie;ed <$ :une <$$+. >*. >ump up ' Los1ell, Jandy (#+ :une <$$+). MGreenland takes big step to1ards full independenceM. Can-est Ne-s ervi(es. Canada.com. Jetrie;ed <$ :une <$$+.'dead link( >+. >ump up ' M)emographic Vearbook I ?able >F 0opulation by se/, rate of population increase, surface area, and densityM (0)F). <nited Nations tatisti(s 8ivision (Anited Nations). <$$*. Jetrie;ed <! 8eptember <$#$ !$. >ump up ' M-0CC Climate Change <$$#F Working Group -F ?he 8cientific LasisM. Grida.no. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. !#. >ump up ' Mmap (map on p. !)M. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. !<. >ump up ' )K 6tlas, <$$#. !>. >ump up ' 8chneider ) (<$$>). M6merican 8cientist Dnline P Greenland or Whiteland^M. 8igma _i. Jetrie;ed > 4arch <$$*. !!. >ump up ' MFind Greenland -cecap Lridges ?hree -slandsM, 6llensburg 8ail+ Re(ord, <! Dct #+&#, p . Jetrie;ed #> 4ay <$#< !&. >ump up ' M?he National 0arkM. Greenland.com. Jetrie;ed #* :une <$#>. ! . >ump up ' MGreenland 4elt 4ay 81amp 96, Dther Cities, 8tudy 8aysM. National Geograp'i(. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. !=. >ump up ' 6lley, Jichard L. 0'e 0-o=7ile 0ime 7a('ine2 I(e Cores9 )brupt Climate C'ange9 and Our /uture. 0rinceton Ani;ersity 0ress, <$$$, -8LN $2 +#2$$!+>2&. !*. >ump up ' Joach, :ohn (# February <$$ ). MGreenland Glaciers 9osing -ce 4uch Faster, 8tudy 8aysM. National Geograp'i(. Jetrie;ed #> 8eptember <$$ . !+. >ump up ' Climate ;ariability and trends along the 1estern slope of the Greenland ice sheet during #++#I<$$! Konrad 8teffen, Ani;ersity of Colorado, Loulder, Colorado, A86 Nicloas Cullen, and Jussell 5uff Ani;ersity of -nnsbruck, -nnsbruck, 6ustria &$. >ump up ' 8atellite sho1s GreenlandHs ice sheets getting thicker, 0'e Register, = No;ember <$$& &#. >ump up ' Willersle;, ..G et al. (<$$=). M6ncient biomolecules from deep ice cores re;eal a forested southern GreenlandM. (ien(e $%@ (&*>!)F ###I!. doiF#$.##< @science.##!#=&*. 04C < +!+#<. 04-) #= #&>&&.

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>ump up ' 4cCarthy, 4ichael (<! 6pril <$$=). M6n island made by global 1armingM. 0'e Independent (9ondon). 6rchi;ed from the original on <$$*2$*2>$. Jetrie;ed ! 4ay <$#$. &>. >ump up ' M0lace of the VearM. Llog.oup.com. > )ecember <$$=. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. &!. >ump up ' Je;kin, 6ndre1 C. (<* 6pril <$$*). M6rctic ./plorer Jebuts HWarming -slandH Criti7ueM. )otearth.blogs.nytimes.com. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. &&. >ump up ' 5eim, 6. (#+##)F `ber die 0etrographie und Geologie der Amgebung ;on Karsuarsuk, Nordseite der 5albinsel Nugsuak, W. Granland. I 4eddr. Granland != (>). & . Y :ump up toF a b Weidick, 6. (#+ *)F Dbser;ations on some 5olocene Glacial Fluctuations i West Greenland. I Kopenhagen. 4eddr. Granland # & ( )F #2<$<. &=. Y :ump up toF a b Kuhle, 4. (#+*>)F 0ostglacial Glacier 8tades of Nugssua7 0eninsula, Westgreenland (=$" $>H2 =$" #$HN). -nF 8chroeder29anQ, 5. (ed.)F Collo7uium ?rier #&.2#=.&.#+*$F 9ate2 and 0ostglacial Dscillations of GlaciersF Glacial and 0eriglacial Forms, JotterdamF ><&2>&& (-m memoriam 5ans KinQl). &*. >ump up ' MC-6 2 ?he World Factbook 2 GreenlandM. Central -ntelligence 6gency, Anited 8tates of 6merica. + 4arch <$#>. Jetrie;ed + 6pril <$#>. &+. >ump up ' Greenland@s red 'ot labour market, Nordic 9abour :ournal, #< Dctober <$##, retrie;ed #$ February <$#> $. >ump up ' C'inese &orkersBin Greenland. #$ February <$#> Cusiness&eek #. >ump up ' M5istorical 4aiden Flight A82Greenland I Dfficial national guide by Greenland ?ourism and Lusiness CouncilM. Greenland.com. <! 4ay <$$=. 6rchi;ed from the original on <$$*2#$2$ . Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. <. >ump up ' MNe1s I 6ir GreenlandM. 6irgreenland.com. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$.'dead link( >. >ump up ' M6ir Greenland teams 1ith First 6ir for -7aluit flightsM. CCC Ne-s. = :une <$#<. Jetrie;ed #+ 6ugust <$#<. !. >ump up ' M6ir Greenland opens summer2route to CanadaM. 6irgreenland.com. #* :anuary <$#<. Jetrie;ed #+ 6ugust <$#<.'dead link( &. >ump up ' M6ir -celand to open ne1 route to -lulissat in <$$+, ?he Dfficial ?ourism and Lusiness 8ite of GreenlandM. Greenland.com. # Dctober <$$*. 6rchi;ed from the original on <$$*2##2<$. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. . >ump up ' MGreenlandM. 8tal;ik.com. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. =. >ump up ' 9eif Kiil 8Srensen (<+ No;ember <$$$). MGrSnlandsk bibel prbsenteret c Kristeligt )agbladM. Kristeligt2dagblad.dk. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$.

>ump up ' MLells ring a 1ake2up call for climate Kustice.M'dead link( &orld Coun(il of C'ur('es. #! )ecember <$#$. Jetrie;ed >$ 6ugust <$#$ +. >ump up ' MGrSnland, Grundlo;en og GeKstlighedenM (0)F). Jetrie;ed >$ 6pril <$#<. =$. >ump up ' M-slamic DrganiQations in GreenlandM. -slamic Finder. Jetrie;ed = 4ay <$#<. =#. >ump up ' MJamadan in GreenlandM. 4asKids.in. Jetrie;ed = 4ay <$#<. =<. >ump up ' M4uslim in Greenland 1ho Fasts for <# hoursM. 7ala+sia Ne-s 4ub. #> 6ugust <$##. Jetrie;ed = 4ay <$#<. =>. >ump up ' Wetaka, 6hmed. M?he only 4uslim in Greenland 1ho fasts for <# hoursM. Aganda 4uslims. Jetrie;ed = 4ay <$#<. =!. >ump up ' MJamadan in GreenlandF ?he only 4uslim in the island fasts for <# hoursM. Ammid.com. #< 6ugust <$##. Jetrie;ed = 4ay <$#<. =&. >ump up ' M)anish doubts o;er Greenland ;oteM. LLC Ne1s. <= No;ember <$$*. Jetrie;ed #$ February <$#>. = . >ump up ' Kleinschmidt, 8amuel #+ * (#*&#)F Grammatik der grSnlbndischen 8prache F mit teil1eisem .inschluss des 9abradordialekts. 5ildesheim F Dlms, #+ *. ==. >ump up ' MGreenlandM. CI) &orld /a(tbook. <* Dctober <$$+. Jetrie;ed & No;ember <$$+. =*. >ump up ' 4ennecier, 0hilippe (#+=*). :e tunumiisut9 diale(te inuit du Groenland oriental2 des(ription et anal+se, Collection linguisti7ue, =*, 8ocietd de linguisti7ue de 0aris. =+. >ump up ' M8ermersoo7 1ill secure .astern GreenlandicM (in )anish). Kalaallit Nunaata Jadioa. :anuary <$#$. Jetrie;ed #+ 4ay <$#$. *$. >ump up ' MGreenland Jepresentation to the .A, Greenland 5ome Jule Go;ernmentM. .u.nano7.gl. Jetrie;ed 8eptember <$#$. *#. >ump up ' 5essel, p. <$ *<. >ump up ' 5essel, p. <# *>. >ump up ' M6rctic Winter GamesM. Gif.gl. Jetrie;ed 6ugust <$##. *.
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Ai2liography

5essel, -ngo. )r(ti( pirit. Eancou;erF )ouglas and 4c-ntyre, <$$ -8LN +=*2#2&&> &2#*+2& 8tern, 0amela (<$$!). 4istori(al di(tionar+ of t'e Inuit. 9anham, 4arylandF ?he 8carecro1 0ress, -nc. -8LN $2*#$*2&$&*2>. DC9C &!= *# =.

7eferences

Lardarson, -. (ed. :ensson, F.) M)et gamle GrSnlands beskri;else af f;ar LgrOarson (-;ar LRrdssan)M, (Copenhagen, #+>$). C-6 World Factbook, <$$$. Conkling, 0. W. et al. <$##. ?he Fate of GreenlandF 9essons from 6brupt Climate Change, co2authored 1ith Jichard 6lley, Wallace Lroecker and George )enton, 1ith photographs by Gary Comer, 4-? 0ress, Cambridge, 46. 9und, 8. #+&+. ?he 4arine 6lgae of .ast Greenland. #. ?a/onomical 0art. 7eddr Gronland. #& (#), pp. #I<!&. 9und, 8. #+&+. ?he 4arine 6lgae of .ast Greenland. ##. Geographic )istribution. 7eddr Gronland. #& , pp. #I=$. 8teffen, Konrad, N. Cullen, and J. 5uff (<$$&). MClimate ;ariability and trends along the 1estern slope of the Greenland -ce 8heet during #++#I<$$!,M 3ro(eedings of t'e 5;t' )meri(an 7eteorologi(al o(iet+ )nnual 7eeting (8an )iego).

EBternal lin)s
Find more about Greenland at WikipediaHs sister proKects )efinitions and translations from Wiktionary 4edia from Commons 3uotations from Wiki7uote 8ource te/ts from Wikisource ?e/tbooks from Wikibooks ?ra;el guide from Wiki;oyage 9earning resources from Wiki;ersity Go;ernment Greenland 5ome Jule offi(ial government -ebsite (in .nglish)

Greenland.com the official guide by Eisit Greenland, the 8elf Jule Go;ernmentHs tourist council 8tatistics Greenland

General information Greenland entry at 0'e &orld /a(tbook Greenland on the Dpen )irectory 0roKect Wikimedia 6tlas of Greenland )aily updated satellite images from Greenland