- For alternate uses, see Greenland
(disambiguation).
Greenland (in Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat,
literal meaning: "Our Land" and in Danish: Grønland),
located in the North Atlantic Ocean, is the world's largest island (Australia is a continent). About 84 percent of its surface is covered by ice.
Greenland was one of the Norwegian Crown colonies until 1814, when it went to Denmark. Greenland became an integral part of the
Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. It was granted home
rule (hjemmestyre) by the Danish parliament in May 1, 1979. The law went into effect the following year. The Queen of Denmark,
Margrethe II, remains as Greenland's Head of state.
History
Main article: History of Greenland
It is unknown when the native inhabitants of Greenland arrived, or why they decided to settle such a desolate place. Their
bodies have adapted in accordance with the habitat through the millennia, becoming shorter, with more fatty tissue to provide
insulation from cold. Icelandic settlers found the land uninhabited when they arrived
at the beginning of the second millennium. They established three settlements near the very south-western tip of the island,
where they thrived for the next centuries.
The name Greenland comes from those Scandinavian settlers. In the Viking sagas, it is said that Eiríkur
Rauði (Erik the Red) was exiled from Iceland for murder. He, along with his
family and slaves, set out in longships to find the land that was rumoured to be to
the north-west. After settling there, he named the land Greenland in order to attract more people to settle there. This proved
successful, and the settlements seemed to be getting relatively well along with the new coming Inuit, and a Christian Bishop was sent. In 1386, Greenland became part of the
Kalmar Union and later of the double monarchy of Denmark-Norway.
After almost five hundred years, the settlements simply vanished, probably due to famine during the 15th century in the Little
Ice Age, when climatic conditions deteriorated. Bones from this late period were found to be in a condition consistent with
malnutrition.
Denmark retained possession of the moribund colony at the Treaty of
Kiel in 1815.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Greenland
Greenland's unicameral parliament is called Landsting. It has 31 seats and members are elected by popular vote on the basis of
proportional representation to serve four-year terms. Two representatives are also elected to the Danish Parliament, the Folketing. The government has pledged to hold a referendum on full independence in
2005.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Greenland
Map of Greenland
The extreme north of Greenland is not covered by an ice cap (indicated as pale blue in
the map to the right), because the air there is too dry to produce snow, which is essential in the production and maintenance of an ice cap.
If the Greenland ice cap were to completely melt away, Greenland would most likely be an
archipelago instead of an island-continent like Australia.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Greenland
Greenland suffered negative economic growth in 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 in 1990. Greenland today is
critically dependent on fishing and fish
exports; the shrimp fishery is by far the largest income earner. Despite resumption of
several interesting hydrocarbon and minerals exploration activities, it will take several years before production can materialize. 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 of GDP.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of
Greenland
Culture
Main article: Culture of Greenland
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in Greenland
- Transportation in Greenland
- Military of Greenland
- Foreign relations of Greenland
- List of universities in
Greenland
See Also
References
External links
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