Greenland

(Local Name: Gronland / Kalaallit Nunaat) Autonomous Region

Area: 2,175,600sq.km/839,782sq.mi

Population: 56,000

Situation and Topography

Greenland (Danish Grønland, Greenlandic Kalaallit Nunaat), the largest island in the world, is situated northeast of the North American continent; it lies between latitude 59°46' and 83°39' north and longitude 11°39' and 73°8' west. In the west the island is separated from the Canadian Archipelago by Davis Strait, Baffin Bay and Smith Sound, in the east from Spitzbergen by the Greenland Sea and from Iceland by the Denmark Strait.

By its nature the island forms part of the Arctic; 85% of the surface is covered by a gigantic sheet of ice averaging some 1,500m/4,900ft in thickness. The ice-free area, 341,700sq.km/132,000sq.mi in extent or 15% of the whole, lies principally on the coast; this is a region of fjords and skerries, the land resembling the Alps (although in the north and northwest there are also plateaus), reaching heights of 1,200-1,500m/3,950-4,930ft. The highest point is the Gunnbjørn Field (3,733m/12,252ft in the east of Greenland. Disko Island lies off the west coast. There is an air service between Denmark and Greenland throughout the year.

Flora and fauna

In the parts of the country close to the edges of the ice the vegetation consists mostly of birch and alder trees with junipers and rhododendrons. Further north the vegetation is characterized by polar pasture, grasses, mosses and lichens.

Animals, found mainly on the coasts, include reindeer, foxes and hares; in the north and east there are also musk oxen, Arctic wolves, polar bears and lemmings. In the coastal waters seals, whales and walruses abound as well as about 100 kinds of fish. More than 200 species of birds get their food from the sea. Eagles, falcons and snowy owls are protected species.

Climate

As is usual in countries with ice and tundra there are considerable differences in climate. In the interior and in the north of Greenland conditions of extreme polar temperatures hold sway, whereas in the south the weather is milder but there is more precipitation. Generally speaking, the best and most stable weather conditions are to be found in the innermost fjord regions and in Disko Bay.

On the east coast the cold East Greenland current keeps the temperatures low. As the air over Greenland is mainly dry temperatures are viewed in a somewhat different light - 15°C/59°F is regarded as very warm indeed!

History

The earliest inhabitants of Greenland were Eskimos (Inuit). In 982 Eric the Red, a Norwegian Viking, landed on the island and named it Greenland, although it had already been discovered in 875 by the Norman Gunnbjorn. From 1261 the island was subject to the Norwegian Crown. Most of the European settlers succumbed to the wretched living conditions in the Middle Ages, and not until the missionary Hans Egede landed in 1721 on the west coast in the region of present-day Nuuk did Greenland again became settled by Europeans.

When Norway and Denmark separated in 1814 Greenland remained Danish. A dispute about the island in 1933 was settled by the International Court of Justice in the Hague in favor of Denmark. During the Second World War the United States established air bases on Greenland. In 1963 it became part of the Kingdom of Denmark with equal rights, and since 1985 it has enjoyed internal autonomy; Denmark represents the interests of the country in the fields of foreign policy and defense.

The legislative body is the Parliament (Landsråd) which is composed of elected representatives; general elections are held every four years. Executive power lies in the hands of the Government (Landsstyre), chosen by Parliament. The electorate also sends two members to the Danish parliament (the Folketing).

Greenland has its own flag, in red and white. The round disc symbolizes the midnight sun setting in the sea. The flag, the result of a worldwide competition to decide on the design, was first raised on June 21, 1985, the Day of the Midnight Sun. The island's coat-of-arms - a polar bear argent on a white ground - symbolizes the "Land of the Polar Bears".

Population

The people known as "Greenlanders" have developed from a mixture of Eskimos and Europeans. In addition there are a few pure-blooded Eskimos and Europeans. In Greenland both the local language and Danish are spoken. Greenlandic is derived from the language of the Eskimos and the written language is several hundred years old. Many of the younger people also speak English.

Economy

The principal branches of the economy are fishing and fish-processing, together with seal-hunting and sheep-rearing. Lead, zinc and silver are mined in Marmorilik. Many people work at home, producing objects in stone, wood, bone, skin and pearls. In recent years a modest tourist industry has developed but it is not yet by any means a center of mass tourism.The Royal Greenland Trading Company which, from 1774, supplied Greenland with imported goods and which was supported until the end of 1985 by the Danish State, has been named "Kalaallit Niuerfiat (Greenland Trade) since January 1, 1986, when its headquarters were transferred from Copenhagen to Nuuk (Danish Godthåb).