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GREENLAND
Map of GREENLAND
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Location:
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Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada |
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Geographic coordinates:
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72 00 N, 40 00 W |
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Area:
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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.) |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than three times the size of Texas |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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44,087 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line |
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Climate:
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arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters |
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Terrain:
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flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m |
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Natural resources:
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coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas |
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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Natural hazards:
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continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island |
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Environment - current issues:
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protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting |
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Population:
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56,326 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 23.5% (male 6,788/female 6,464)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 20,890/female 18,096)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 1,977/female 2,111) (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Greenlander(s)
adjective: Greenlandic |
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Ethnic groups:
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Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (2000) |
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Religions:
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Evangelical Lutheran |
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Languages:
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Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2001 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Greenland
local long form: none
local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat |
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Dependency status:
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part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979 |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy |
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Capital:
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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 |
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Administrative divisions:
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3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland |
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Independence:
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none (extensive self-rule as part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in international agreements relating to Greenland) |
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National holiday:
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June 21 (longest day)
Source: http://cia.gov
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