Economic Overview
The economy remains critically dependent on exports of fish and a substantial subsidy from the danish government, which supplies about half of government revenues. the public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in the economy. several interesting hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities are ongoing. press reports in early 2007 indicated that two international aluminum companies were considering building smelters in greenland to take advantage of local hydropower potential. tourism is the only sector offering any near-term potential, and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs. air greenland began summer-season direct flights to the us east coast in may 2007, potentially opening a major new tourism market.
Environmental Issues
Protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting
Government Type
Parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
Population
57,564 (july 2008 est.)
Location
Northern north america, island between the arctic ocean and the north atlantic ocean, northeast of canada
Area
Total: 2,166,086 sq km
land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered) (2000 est.)
Slightly more than three times the size of texas
Country Aliases
Conventional long form: none
conventional short form: greenland
local long form: none
local short form: kalaallit nunaat
Capital
Name: nuuk (godthab)
geographic coordinates: 64 11 n, 51 45 w
time difference: utc-3 (2 hours ahead of washington, dc during standard time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last sunday in march; ends last sunday in october
note: greenland is divided into four time zones
International Disputes
Managed dispute between canada and denmark over hans island in the kennedy channel between canada's ellesmere island and greenland
Sources: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
