Greenland
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2008-07-16T08:46:00Z
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{{otherplaces}}
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = ''Kalaallit Nunaat''<br />''Grønland''<br />Greenland
|common_name = Greenland
|image_flag = Flag of Greenland.svg
|image_coat =
|image_map = GreenlandWorldMap.png
|national_motto =
|national_anthem = ''[[Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit]]''
|official_languages = [[Kalaallisut language|Greenlandic]], [[Danish language|Danish]]<ref>[http://www.nanoq.gl/English/EU_-_Greenland/Facts_on_Greenland/Greenland_Factsheet.aspx Greenland Factsheet], Greenland Home Rule [Greenland local government]. Accessed on line [[March 10]], [[2008]].</ref>
|capital = [[Nuuk|Nuuk (Godthåb)]]
|latd=64 |latm=10 |latNS=N |longd=51 |longm=43 |longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = Parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
|leader_title1 = [[List of Danish monarchs|Monarch]]
|leader_name1 = [[Margrethe II of Denmark|Margrethe II]]
|leader_title2 = [[List of Prime Ministers of Greenland|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name2 = [[Hans Enoksen]]
|sovereignty_type = Autonomous province {{nobold|of the [[Kingdom of Denmark]]}}
|established_event1 = Home rule
|established_date1 = 1979
|area_rank = 13th
|area_magnitude =
|area_km2 = 2,166,086
|area_sq_mi = 836,109 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|percent_water = 81.1<sup>1</sup>
|population_estimate = 56,344 <ref name="CIA - The World Factbook -- Greenland">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gl.html#People CIA - The World Factbook - Greenland<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|population_estimate_rank =
|population_estimate_year = July 2007
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density_km2 = 0.026
|population_density_sq_mi = 0.067 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 241st
|GDP_PPP = $1.1 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = <small>not ranked</small>
|GDP_PPP_year = 2001
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $19,000<sup>2</sup>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = <small>not ranked</small>
|HDI = n/a
|HDI_rank = n/a
|HDI_year = n/a
|HDI_category = n/a
|currency = [[Danish krone]]
|currency_code = DKK
|country_code =
|time_zone =
|utc_offset = 0 to -4
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld = [[.gl]]
|calling_code = 299
|footnote1 = As of 2000: 410,449 km² (158,433 sq. miles) ice-free; 1,755,637 km² (677,676 sq. miles) ice-covered.
|footnote2 = 2001 estimate.
|demonym = Greenlander
}}
'''Greenland''' ({{lang-kl|Kalaallit Nunaat}}, meaning "Land of the Greenlanders"; {{lang-da|Grønland}}) is a [[federacy|self-governing]] [[Denmark|Danish]] [[province]] located between the [[Arctic Ocean|Arctic]] and [[Atlantic Ocean]]s, east of the [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago]]. Though [[physical geography|physiographically]] and [[ethnicity|ethnically]] an [[Arctic]] [[island nation]] associated with the [[continent]] of [[North America]], politically and historically Greenland is associated with [[Europe]], specifically [[Iceland]], [[Norway]], and [[Denmark]]. In 1978, [[Denmark]] granted [[home rule]] to Greenland, making it an equal member of the [[Rigsfællesskabet|Rigsfællesskab]]. Greenland is, by area, the [[List of islands by area|world's largest island]] which is not a continent in its own right.<ref name="jc">[http://www.worldislandinfo.com Joshua Calder's World Island Info]</ref>
==History==
{{main|History of Greenland}}
In [[prehistory|prehistoric times]], Greenland was home to a number of [[Dorset (culture)|Paleo-Eskimo]] cultures. From [[AD]] 984 it was colonized by [[Norsemen|Norse]] settlers in two settlements on the west coast on the [[fjord]]s near the very southwestern tip of the island. They thrived for a few centuries, but disappeared sometime in the 15th century.<ref name="Diamond">{{cite book
|author=Diamond, Jared M.
|title=Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed
|publisher=Penguin
|location=Harmondsworth [Eng.]
|year=2006
|pages=
|isbn=0-14-303655-6
|oclc=
|doi=
}}</ref>
Data from ice cores indicate that from AD 800 to 1300 the regions around the fjords of southern Greenland experienced a relatively mild climate, with temperatures similar to today. [[Trees]] and [[herbaceous plant]]s grew there, and the climate initially allowed farming of livestock as in Norway.<ref name="Diamond"/> These remote communities thrived on farming, hunting and trade with [[Norway]]. When the Norwegian kings converted their domains to [[Christianity]], a [[bishop]] was installed in Greenland, subordinate to the [[archdiocese]] of [[Nidaros]]. The settlements seem to have coexisted relatively peacefully with the [[Inuit]], who had migrated south from the [[Arctic]] islands of [[North America]] around 1200. In 1261, Greenland became part of the Kingdom of Norway.
Around the 14th and 15th centuries, the Norwegian settlements vanished, likely due to [[famine]] and increasing conflicts with the [[Inuit]].<ref>[http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/archeo/oracles/norse/40.htm Inuit and Norsemen in Arctic Canada AD 1000 to 1400]</ref> The condition of human bones from this period indicates the Norse population was [[malnutrition|malnourished]]. Main reasons appeared to have been [[soil erosion]] due to destruction of the natural vegetation for farming, turf, and wood by the Norse, a decline in temperatures during the [[Little Ice Age]], and armed conflicts with the Inuit.<ref name="Diamond"/> [[Jared Diamond]] suggests that cultural practices, such as rejecting fish as a source of food and reliance solely on livestock ill-adapted to Greenland's climate, caused by the mini-ice age, which resulted in recurring famines, with environmental degradation led to the abandonment of the colony.<ref name="Diamond"/> However, other research has suggested that fish were a major source of food for the Norse Greenlanders from the early 1300s on.<ref>http://www.europhysicsnews.com/full/15/article1/article1.html C-14 dating and the disappearance of Norsemen from Greenland</ref>
[[Image:Greenlandmountains.jpg|thumb|left|upright|View from the air]]
The [[Denmark–Norway|Kingdom of Denmark–Norway]] reasserted its latent claim to the colony in 1721. But ties with Norway were severed by the [[Treaty of Kiel]] of 1814, ceding Norway to the king of [[Sweden]] while Denmark retained the Norwegian overseas possessions: the [[Faroe Islands]], Iceland and Greenland, as well as Denmark-Norway's small territories in [[India]] ([[Tranquebar]]), [[West Africa]] ([[Danish Gold Coast]]), and the [[West Indies]] ([[Danish Virgin Islands]]).
Norway occupied and claimed parts of (then uninhabited) [[East Greenland]] also called [[Erik the Red's Land]] in July 1931, claiming that it constituted [[Terra nullius]]. Norway and Denmark agreed to settle the matter at the [[Permanent Court of International Justice]] in 1933, where Norway lost.
During [[World War II]], Greenland's connection to Denmark was severed on [[April 9]] [[1940]] when Denmark was occupied by [[Germany]]. Greenland was able to buy goods from the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], by selling [[cryolite]] from the [[Mining|mine]] in [[Ivittuut|Ivigtût]]. During the war the system of government changed. Governor [[Eske Brun]] ruled the island via a 1925 law that allowed governors to take control under extreme circumstances. The other governor, [[Aksel Svane]], was transferred to the US to lead the commission to supply Greenland. The [[Sirius Patrol]], guarding the northeastern shores of Greenland using [[dog sled]]s, detected and destroyed several German [[Weather Station Kurt|weather stations]], giving Denmark a better position in the postwar turmoil.
Greenland had been a protected and very isolated society until 1940. The [[Politics of Denmark|Danish government]], which governed its colony Greenland, had been convinced that the society would face exploitation from the outside world or even extinction if the country was opened up. But during World War II, Greenland developed a sense of self-reliance through its self-government and independent communication with the outside world.
However, a commission in 1946 (with the highest Greenlandic council [[Landsrådet]] as participant) recommended patience and no radical reformation of the system. Two years later the first step towards changing the government was initiated when a grand commission was founded. In 1950 the report (G-50) was presented. Greenland was to be a modern welfare society with Denmark as the sponsor and example. In 1953, Greenland was made an equal part of the Danish Kingdom. [[Home rule]] was granted in 1979.
==Etymology==
{{wiktionary}}
The name ''Greenland'' comes from [[Scandinavia]]n settlers. In the [[Icelandic saga]]s, it is said that Norwegian-born [[Erik the Red]] was exiled from [[Iceland]] for murder. He, along with his extended family and [[thrall]]s, set out in [[ship]]s to find the land that was rumoured to be to the northwest. After settling there, he named the land ''Grænland'' ("Greenland").<ref>http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17946/17946-h/17946-h.htm Retrieved 12-Feb-2007</ref> Greenland was also called ''Gruntland'' ("Ground-land") and ''Engronelant'' (or ''Engroneland'') on early maps. Whether ''green'' is an erroneous transcription of ''grunt'' ("ground"), which refers to shallow bays, or vice versa, is not known. It should also be noted, however, that the southern portion of Greenland (not covered by glacier) is indeed very green in the summer and was likely to have been even greener in Erik's time because of the [[Medieval Warm Period]].
==Sovereignty==
Norse Greenlanders submitted to Norwegian rule in the 13th century — and Norway entered in a personal union with [[Denmark]] in 1380 and from 1397 as a part of the [[Kalmar Union]]. From 1536, after Sweden had broken out of the union, Norway entered into a closer dependency of Denmark, i.e., [[Denmark-Norway|kingdom of Denmark-Norway]] which existed until 1814. At that time, the [[Denmark-Norway|kingdom of Denmark-Norway]] found itself on the losing side of the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. In gratitude to [[Sweden]] for her assistance in defeating Napoleon (and as a consolation for the recent loss of [[Finland]] to [[Russia]]), mainland [[Norway]] and certain Norwegian territories were transferred to Sweden — thus, the [[personal union]] of Norway and Denmark ended. The dependencies of Greenland, [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]], however, remained part of the reorganised "Kingdom of Denmark".
[[Image:Iceberg with hole edit.jpg|thumb|Icebergs at Cape York, Greenland]]
In the early 20th century, the [[United States]] was believed to have claims made good by discovery and exploration of the [[Robert Peary|Peary]] expeditions.
In 1933, Norway attempted to claim eastern Greenland. The [[Permanent Court of Arbitration]] decided that the entire island belonged to Denmark.
During the [[Cold War]], the [[United States]] developed a [[Geopolitics|geopolitical]] interest in Greenland, and therefore in 1946, the United States offered to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100,000,000, but Denmark did not agree to sell. <ref> [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,778870,00.html?promoid=googlep Time Magazine Monday, Jan. 27, 1947 “Deepfreeze Defense”:] </ref> <ref> [http://www.nationalreview.com/nr_comment/nr_comment050701b.shtml National Review May 7, 2001 "Let’s Buy Greenland! -- A complete missile-defense plan" By John J. Miller (National Review's National Political Reporter:] </ref>
Greenland became an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. It was granted [[devolution|home rule]] by the [[Folketing]] (Danish parliament) in 1978. The law went into effect on [[May 1]] [[1979]]. The [[Queen of Denmark]], [[Margrethe II of Denmark|Margrethe II]], remains Greenland's [[Head of State]]. Greenlandic voters subsequently chose to leave the [[European Economic Community]] upon achieving self-rule, because they did not want to allow European [[fishing fleet]]s in Greenlandic waters.
A [[Greenlandic self-government referendum, 2008|referendum on further self-rule]] is scheduled for [[25 November]], [[2008]].
==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Greenland}}
Greenland's Head of State is currently [[Margrethe II of Denmark|Margrethe II]]. The Queen's government in Denmark appoints a ''Rigsombudsmand'' ([[High commissioner]]) representing the Danish government and monarchy.
Greenland has an elected [[parliament]] of thirty-one members. The [[head of government]] is the [[Prime Minister of Greenland|Prime Minister]], who is usually the leader of the majority party in Parliament. The current Prime Minister is [[Hans Enoksen]].
In 1985, [[Greenland and the European Union|Greenland left the European Community]] (EC), unlike [[Denmark]] which remains a member. The EC later became the [[EU]] (European Union) when it was renamed and expanded in scope in 1992. Greenland retains some ties with the EU via Denmark.
==Geography and climate==
{{main|Geography of Greenland}}
{{seealso|Administrative divisions of Greenland|Territorial claims in the Arctic|Arctic shrinkage|Climate of the Arctic#Greenland}}
[[Image:Greenland big.png|thumb|upright|Map of Greenland]]
The [[Atlantic Ocean]] borders Greenland's southeast; the [[Greenland Sea]] is to the east; the [[Arctic Ocean]] is to the north; and [[Baffin Bay]] is to the west. The nearest countries are [[Iceland]], east of Greenland in the Atlantic Ocean, and [[Canada]], to the west and across Baffin Bay. Greenland is the [[List of islands by area|world's largest]] [[island]], and is the [[List of countries and outlying territories by area|largest]] [[dependent territory]] by area in the world. It also contains the world's largest [[national park]].
[[Image:Greenland eastcoast.jpg|thumb|left|Southeast coast of Greenland]]
The total area of Greenland measures 2,166,086 km² (836,109 sq mi), of which the [[Greenland ice sheet]] covers 1,755,637 km² (677,676 sq mi) (81%). The coastline of Greenland is 39,330 km (24,430 mi) long, about the same length as the Earth's circumference at the [[Equator]]. The highest point on Greenland is [[Gunnbjørn]] at 3,694 metres (12,119 ft).
The weight of the massive Greenlandic ice cap has depressed the central land area to form a basin lying more than 300 m (1,000 ft) below sea level.<ref>DK Atlas, 2001.</ref> The ice [[Ice sheet dynamics|flows]] generally to the coast from the center of the island.
All [[List of towns in Greenland|towns and settlements of Greenland]] are situated along the ice-free coast, with the population being concentrated along the Western coast. The northeastern part of Greenland, which includes sections of [[Avannaa|North Greenland]] and [[Tunu|East Greenland]], is not part of any municipality, but is the site of the world's largest national park, [[Northeast Greenland National Park]].
At least four scientific expedition stations and camps had been established in the ice-covered central part of Greenland (indicated as pale blue in the map to the right), on the ice sheet: [[Eismitte]], [[North Ice]], North GRIP Camp and The Raven Skiway. Currently, there is a year-round station, Summit Camp, on the ice sheet, established in 1989. The radio station [[Jørgen Brøndlund Fjord]] was, until 1950, the northernmost permanent outpost in the world.
[[Image:Greenland scenery.jpg|thumb|left|A scene from South Greenland, near [[Nanortalik]], where fjords and mountains dominate the landscape]]
The extreme north of Greenland, [[Peary Land]], is not covered by an ice sheet, because the air there is too dry to produce [[snow]], which is essential in the production and maintenance of an ice sheet. If the [[Greenland ice sheet]] were to completely [[melt]] away, sea level would rise by more than 7 m (23 ft)<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0408_040408_greenlandicemelt.html Greenland Melt May Swamp LA, Other Cities, Study Says<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and Greenland would most likely become an [[archipelago]].
Between 1989 and 1993, U.S. and European [[climate]] researchers drilled into the summit of Greenland's ice sheet, obtaining a pair of two mile (3 km) long [[ice core]]s. Analysis of the layering and chemical composition of the cores has provided a revolutionary new record of climate change in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] going back about 100,000 years and illustrated that the world's [[weather]] and [[temperature]] have often shifted rapidly from one seemingly stable state to another, with worldwide [[climate change|consequences]].<ref>Alley, 2000</ref> The glaciers of Greenland are also contributing to global sea level rise at a faster rate than was previously believed.<ref name="National">{{cite web |last=Roach |first=John |title=Greenland Glaciers Losing Ice Much Faster, Study Says |publisher=[[National Geographic]] |date=February 16, 2006 |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0216_060216_warming.html |accessdate=2006-09-13}}</ref> Between 1991 and 2004, monitoring of the weather at one location (Swiss Camp) found that the average winter temperature had risen almost 6 °[[Celsius|C]] (approx. 10 °[[Fahrenheit|F]]).<ref>http://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/87295.pdf</ref> Other research has shown that higher snowfalls from the [[North Atlantic oscillation]] caused the interior of the ice cap to thicken by an average of 6 cm/yr between 1994 and 2005.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/07/ice_sheets_thickening/ Satellite shows Greenland's ice sheets getting thicker The Register<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
However, a recent study suggests a much warmer planet in relatively recent geological times: <blockquote>Scientists who probed two kilometers (1.2 miles) through a Greenland glacier to recover the oldest plant DNA on record said Thursday the planet was far warmer hundreds of thousands of years ago than is generally believed. DNA of trees, plants and insects including butterflies and spiders from beneath the southern Greenland glacier was estimated to date to 450,000 to 900,000 years ago, according to the remnants retrieved from this long-vanished boreal forest. That view contrasts sharply with the prevailing one that a lush forest of this kind could only have existed in Greenland as recently as 2.4 million years ago. The existence of those DNA samples suggest the temperature probably reached 10 degrees C (50 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer and -17 °C (1 °F) in the winter. They also indicated that during the last interglacial period, 116,000–130,000 years ago, when temperatures were on average 5 °C (9 °F) higher than now, the glaciers on Greenland did not completely melt away.<ref name="pmid17615355">{{cite journal
|author=Willerslev E, Cappellini E, Boomsma W, Nielsen R, Hebsgaard MB, Brand TB, Hofreiter M, Bunce M, Poinar HN, Dahl-Jensen D, Johnsen S, Steffensen JP, Bennike O, Schwenninger JL, Nathan R, Armitage S, de Hoog CJ, Alfimov V, Christl M, Beer J, Muscheler R, Barker J, Sharp M, Penkman KE, Haile J, Taberlet P, Gilbert MT, Casoli A, Campani E, Collins MJ
|title=Ancient biomolecules from deep ice cores reveal a forested southern Greenland
|journal=Science
|volume=317
|issue=5834
|pages=111–4
|year=2007
|pmid=17615355
|doi=10.1126/science.1141758
}}</ref></blockquote>[[Image:Nunâ island Upernavik district 2007-08-09 3.jpg|thumb|right|Panorama of the island Nunâ in Greenland.]]
In 1996, the American "Top of the World" expedition found the world's northernmost island off Greenland: [[ATOW1996]]. An even more northerly candidate was spotted during the return from the expedition, but its status is yet to be confirmed.
In 2007, the existence of a "new" island was announced. Named "[[Uunartoq Qeqertoq]]" (English: ''Warming Island''), this island has always been present off the coast of Greenland, but was covered by an ice sheet. This ice sheet was discovered to be shrinking rapidly in 2002, and by 2007 had completely melted away, leaving the exposed island.<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/climate_change/article2480994.ece An island made by global warming - Climate Change, Environment - Independent.co.uk<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This however was not the first occurrence of the island distinction. In Arctic Riviera, published by Ernst Hofer in 1957, in maps, and pictures, Ernst Hofer showed the distinct three fingered island separate from the mainland, during a similar warming event.
==Topography==
[[Image:Grnqx2.png|thumb|right|The Greenland ice sheet has shrunk noticeably since 1978]]
About 81 percent of Greenland's surface is covered by the [[Greenland ice sheet]]. The weight of the ice has depressed the central land area into a basin shape, whose base lies more than {{convert|300|m|ft|0}} below the surrounding ocean. Elevations rise suddenly and steeply near the coast.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/26024
|title=American Scientist Online - Greenland or Whiteland?
|accessdate=2008-03-03
|publisher=Sigma Xi
|author=Schneider D
|date=2003
|format=
|work=
}}</ref> Approximately one-twentieth of the world's ice and one-quarter of the earth's surface ice is found in Greenland.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Greenland}}
Greenland today is critically dependent on [[fishing]] and [[fish]] exports; the [[shrimp]] fishing industry is by far the largest income earner. Despite resumption of several interesting [[hydrocarbon]] and [[Minerals|mineral]] exploration activities, it will take several years before hydrocarbonate production can materialize. The state oil company [[NUNAOIL]] was created in order to help develop the hydrocarbon industry in Greenland. The state company Nunamineral has been launched on the OMX20 Stock exchange of Copenhagen to raise more capital to increase the newly started gold production. Exploitation of ruby deposits have also begun, even though production is still in its dawn. Numerous other mineral prospects are growing increasingly interesting as prices are increasing; these include uranium, aluminium, nickel, platinum, tungsten, titanium, and copper. [[Tourism]] is the only sector offering any near-term potential and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's economy. About half the government revenues come from grants from the Danish Government, an important supplement to the [[gross domestic product]] (GDP). Gross domestic product per capita is equivalent to that of the weaker economies of Europe.
Greenland suffered economic contraction the early 1990s, but since 1993 the economy has improved. The Greenland Home Rule Government (GHRG) has pursued a tight fiscal policy since the late 1980s which has helped create surpluses in the public budget and low inflation. Since 1990, Greenland has registered a foreign trade deficit following the closure of the last remaining [[lead]] and [[zinc]] mine that year.
==Transport==
The major airport is [[Kangerlussuaq Airport]] on the West coast at [[Kangerlussuaq]]. Intercontinental flights connect mainly to [[Copenhagen]]. As of May 2007, [[Air Greenland]] initiated a seasonal route to and from [[Baltimore]] in the [[United States]].<ref>[http://www.greenland.com/content/english/tourist/news/news_archive/historical_maiden_flight_us-greenland Historical Maiden Flight US-Greenland - Official national guide by Greenland Tourism and Business Council<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> However, on March 10, 2008, the route was cancelled due to financial losses.<ref>[http://www.airgreenland.com/nyhed/?newsid=666 News - Air Greenland<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Also new for summer 2007, [[Air Iceland]] plans to fly between [[Keflavík International Airport|Keflavík]] and [[Nuuk]] three times a week.<ref>[http://www.greenland.com/content/english/tourist/news/news_archive/new_air_iceland-route_between_keflavik-nuuk Greenland - New Air Iceland-route between Keflavik-Nuuk - Official national guide by Greenland Tourism and Business Council<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In addition to these routes there are scheduled international flights between [[Narsarsuaq]] and Copenhagen and between [[Kulusuk]] on the East coast to [[Reykjavík Airport|Reykjavík]]. Kangerlussuaq is the hub for domestic flights within Greenland.
==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Greenland}}
Greenland has a population of 56,344 (2007),<ref name="CIA - The World Factbook -- Greenland"/> of whom 88% are [[Inuit]] or mixed [[Danish people|Danish]] and Inuit. The remaining 12% are of [[European ethnic groups|European]] extraction, mainly Danish. The majority of the population is [[Evangelical Lutheran]]. Nearly all Greenlanders live along the [[fjords]] in the south-west of the main island, which have a relatively mild climate.<ref>[http://www.stalvik.com/Engelska/laegreenland.htm Greenland]</ref>
==Languages==
{{main|Kalaallisut}}
The official languages of Greenland are [[Kalaallisut language|Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)]] and [[Danish language|Danish]], and most of the population speak both of the languages. Greenlandic is spoken by about 50,000 people, some of whom are [[monolingual]]. A minority of Danish migrants with no [[Inuit]] ancestry speak [[Danish language|Danish]] as their first, or only, language. [[English language|English]] is widely spoken as a third language.
The Greenlandic language is the most populous of the languages of the [[Eskimo-Aleut languages|Eskimo-Aleut]] language family and it has as many speakers as all the other languages of the family combined. Within Greenland, three main dialects are recognized: the northern dialect [[Inuktun]] or ''Avanersuarmiutut'' spoken by around 1000 people in the region of Qaanaaq, Western Greenlandic or [[Kalaallisut]] which serves as the official standard language, and the Eastern dialect Tunumiit oraasiat or ''Tunumiutut'' spoken in eastern Greenland.
==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Greenland}}
The [[Greenland National Museum and Archives]] is located in [[Nuuk]].<ref name = "NatMus">[http://www.natmus.gl National Museum].</ref>
==Sport==
{{seealso|Football in Greenland}}
[[Association football]] is the national sport of Greenland, but Greenland is not a member of [[FIFA]]. In January 2007, Greenland took part in the [[World Men's Handball Championship]] in Germany, finishing 22nd in a field of 24 national teams.
Greenland competes in the bi-annual [[International Island Games Association|Island Games]].
==See also==
{{portalpar|Denmark|Flag of Denmark.svg}}
{{columns |width=300px
|col1 =
* [[Rigsfællesskabet]]
* [[Communications in Greenland]]
* [[Danish colonization of the Americas]]
* [[Foreign relations of Greenland]]
* [[History of Denmark]]
* [[Kalaallisut language]]
|col2 =
* [[List of mountains in Greenland]]
* [[Military of Greenland]]
* [[List of towns in Greenland|Towns and settlements in Greenland]]
* [[Transport in Greenland]]
* [[University of Greenland]]
}}
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
==References==
* Alley, Richard B. The Two-Mile Time Machine: Ice Cores, Abrupt Climate Change, and Our Future. [[Princeton University Press]], 2000, ISBN 0-691-00493-5.
* [[CIA World Factbook]], 2000.
* Lund, S. 1959. The Marine Algae of East Greenland. 1. Taxonomical Part. ''Meddr Gronland.'' 156(1), pp.1-245.
* Lund, S. 1959. The Marine Algae of East Greenland. 11. Geographic Distribution. ''Meddr Gronland.'' 156, pp.1-70.
* Steffen, Konrad, N. Cullen, and R. Huff (2005). "Climate variability and trends along the western slope of the Greenland Ice Sheet during 1991-2004," ''Proceedings of the 85th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting'' (San Diego).
* Bardarson, I. (ed. Jónsson, F.) "Det gamle Grønlands beskrivelse af Ívar Bárðarson (Ivar Bårdssön)", (Copenhagen, 1930).
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Greenland}}
* [http://uk.nanoq.gl/ Official Government Site (in English)]
* [http://www.greenland.com/ Official Greenland tourism information]
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gl.html CIA World Factbook]
* [http://www.statgreen.gl/ Statistics Greenland]
* [http://www.norden.org/web/1-1-fakta/sk/gr_kort.htm Greenland Map]
* [http://www.livescience.com/environment/ap_060216_greenland.html Greenland Dumps Ice into Sea at Faster Pace]
* [http://www.nunaoil.gl/]
* [http://www.nunaminerals.com/]
===News===
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1023393.stm BBC: Country profile]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1023448.stm BBC: Timeline]
* [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/thisweek/stories/DN-greenland_0302tra.ART.State.Edition1.b83ac1.html Dallas Morning News article by Dave Levinthal, Staff Writer]
{{Administrative divisions of Greenland}}
{{Countries of North America}}
{{Template group
|title = International membership
|list =
{{Danish overseas empire}}
{{Outlying territories of European countries|state=collapsed}}
{{Non-sovereign territories of Europe}}
{{West Nordic Council}}
{{Nordic Council}}
}}
{{Template group
|title = History
|list = {{Former possessions of Norway}}
}}
<!--Other languages-->
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Greenland| ]]
[[Category:Arctic islands]]
[[Category:Danish-speaking countries]]
[[Category:Proposed countries]]
<!--Interwiki-->
[[af:Groenland]]
[[ang:Grēneland]]
[[ar:جرينلاند]]
[[an:Gronlandia]]
[[frp:Grônlande]]
[[ast:Groenlandia]]
[[bn:গ্রিনল্যান্ড]]
[[zh-min-nan:Chheⁿ-tē]]
[[be:Грэнландыя]]
[[be-x-old:Грэнляндыя]]
[[bo:གེ་རེན་ལ]]
[[bs:Grenland]]
[[br:Greunland]]
[[bg:Гренландия]]
[[ca:Grenlàndia]]
[[cs:Grónsko]]
[[cy:Grønland]]
[[da:Grønland]]
[[de:Grönland]]
[[dv:ގުރީންލޭންޑު]]
[[et:Gröönimaa]]
[[el:Γροιλανδία]]
[[es:Groenlandia]]
[[eo:Gronlando]]
[[eu:Groenlandia]]
[[fa:گرینلند]]
[[fo:Grønland]]
[[fr:Groenland]]
[[fy:Grienlân]]
[[ga:An Ghraonlainn]]
[[gv:Greenlynn]]
[[gl:Grenlandia - Kalaallit Nunaat]]
[[ko:그린란드]]
[[hr:Grenland]]
[[io:Grenlando]]
[[bpy:গ্রীনল্যান্ড]]
[[id:Greenland]]
[[ia:Groenlandia]]
[[iu:ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᑦ/akukittut]]
[[os:Гренланди]]
[[is:Grænland]]
[[it:Groenlandia]]
[[he:גרינלנד]]
[[jv:Greenland]]
[[kl:Kalaallit Nunaat]]
[[kn:ಗ್ರೀನ್ಲ್ಯಾಂಡ್]]
[[ka:გრენლანდია]]
[[kk:Грөнландия]]
[[kw:Greunland]]
[[sw:Greenland]]
[[ku:Gronland]]
[[la:Groenlandia]]
[[lv:Grenlande]]
[[lt:Grenlandija]]
[[lij:Gròenlandia]]
[[hu:Grönland]]
[[mk:Гренланд]]
[[ms:Greenland]]
[[nah:Groentlālpan]]
[[nl:Groenland]]
[[nds-nl:Gruunlaand]]
[[ja:グリーンランド]]
[[no:Grønland]]
[[nn:Grønland]]
[[nov:Verdi-lande]]
[[oc:Groenlàndia]]
[[pa:ਗਰੀਨਲੈਂਡ]]
[[pms:Groenlandia]]
[[nds:Gröönland]]
[[pl:Grenlandia]]
[[pt:Gronelândia]]
[[ro:Groenlanda]]
[[qu:Kalalit Nunat]]
[[ru:Гренландия]]
[[sq:Grenlanda]]
[[scn:Groenlannia]]
[[simple:Greenland]]
[[sk:Grónsko]]
[[sl:Grenlandija]]
[[sr:Гренланд]]
[[sh:Grenland]]
[[fi:Grönlanti]]
[[szl:Grynlandja]]
[[sv:Grönland]]
[[ta:கிறீன்லாந்து]]
[[th:กรีนแลนด์]]
[[vi:Greenland]]
[[tg:Гренландия]]
[[tr:Grönland]]
[[uk:Ґренландія]]
[[vec:Groenłandia]]
[[wo:Greenland]]
[[zh-yue:格陵蘭]]
[[zh:格陵兰]]