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| Greenland > Welcome |
Welcome to Kalaallit Nunaat – the place
to watch ice in all its spectacular forms. Greenland is a land full of contrasts;  from harsh landscapes of ice and rock to lush green valleys and hills. From the
cold, dark winters, to the endless summer days of the midnight sun. Animal life is rich, varied and spectacular with musk oxen, reindeer, polar bears, eagles, seals, giant whales and more.Geography and climate Greenland is the world’s largest island with 2,166,086 square kilometers. The distance from the northernmost point to the southernmost point is 2,670 km and the island is 1,050 km wide. However, 81% of the area is covered by an ice cap making only the remaining 19% of the coastal line inhabitable. The population of Greenland is 57,000 with approximately 15,000 inhabitants in the capital of Nuuk. The climate in Greenland is sub artic/artic. The artic circle transects the country north of Sisimiut meaning that approximately half of the country is subject to 24 hours of darkness during winter and 24 hours of light during summer. People and languages The Greenlanders call themselves “Kalaallit” and are an indigenous Inuit people. They constitute 88% of the population while the remaining are primarily Danes. Greenlandic is an Eskimo-Aleutic language. West Greenlandic is the official dialect but there are distinct dialects spoken throughout Greenland. Greenland is a bilingual country with Greenlandic as the main language and Danish as the second. In official contexts both languages can be used and English can be used in major towns. Economy and Industry The Greenlandic economy is primarily based on exports of fish and fish products which makes the economy rather dependent on this one source. However, the mining industry is growing and is now the second largest industry with two active mines and future activity is expected e.g. within the oil industry. Tourism is also and important sector in growth and the expectations to this sector are high. Political status Greenland is a part of The Kingdom of Denmark but the influence of the Danish state in Greenland has decreased since 1979 when Greenland on May 1st got autonomy named Home Rule giving Greenland sovereignty over most areas except foreign affairs, defense, justice and monetary system. EU relations Greenland automatically became a member of the EEC when Denmark joined in 1973 and one of the first tasks assigned to the new Home Rule was to consider the relationship with the EEC. A referendum on withdrawal was held in 1982 and on February 1st 1985 Greenland withdrew from the EEC as the first and, until now, only country. There still exist close relations between the EU and Greenland and the EU-Greenland relations are regulated by a Fisheries Agreement, a Partnership Agreement and the Overseas Country and Territory Association Decision (OCT). For further information visit the following websites: www.greenland.com (official tourism website) www.greenlandexpo.com (official website of branding Greenland) www.nanoq.gl (official website of the Greenland Home Rule) www.greenland-guide.gl (official website on travel possibilities to Greenland) |
| [Greenland Representation, Brussels, March 22nd 2007] |