|RConstitution:|N Self-ruling part of Denmark with joint monetary system as well as joint defence and foreign policies. In spite of this Greenland have unilaterally left the EU.
|RNational holiday:|N Queens Birthday, April 16.
|RNature and climate:|N Greenland is the worlds largest island located close to the Canadian islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. 85% of the island is covered by a glacier and only a narrow coastal strip is free from this glacier. The glacier have an average thickness of 1500 metres, the thickest places are 2000 metres.
Most of Greenland is mountainous with several peaks reaching more than 3000 metres. The highest is Gunbjörns Fjell, reaching 3700 m.a.s.l. Many of these mountaintops stick up above the glacier and are then called nunatakker.
The coast is strongly cut up with many deep fjords and a lot of small islands off the coast.
Average temperature in January in the south -5°C, in the north -25°C and in the interior -45°C. Average temperature in July +10°C in the south, +5°C in the north and -10°C in the interior.
Percipitation in the south between 1000 and 2000 mm. In the north less than 100 mm.
|RPeople:|N The aboriginal people are Eskimoes, Inuites. 90% of the population live on the west side of the island.
|REconomy:|N Most of the labour force is occupied in fishing and affiliating industries. Shrimp-fishing accounts for 40% of the export revenues and others forms of fishing 20%.
Greenland is rich on minerals such as lead, zinc, uranium, iron ore and molybdenum, but extraction is difficult due to the climate and transportation. Nevertheless these minerals accounts for 30% of the export revenues.
Almost all villages on Greenland have shipyards for building fishingboats and as common as these shipyards are fishcanneries and factories for freezing fish.
|RHistory:|N Eskimoes came to Greenland from Canada in the last century BC.
The first European colonizers came from Iceland at the end of the 10th century. At most 3000 Icelanders lived on Greenland. Under Norwegian sovereignty 1261, but during the 15th century Greenland was forgotten and the Nordic colonies died out.
In 1721 Greenland was rediscovered by the priest Hans Egede and the colonies revived.
When Denmark and Norway were separated in 1814 Greenland came under Denmark. Norwegian whalers occupied vast areas at the east coast with support from the Norwegian government. The dispute was settled by the International Court in Den Haag that confirmed Danish sovereignty.
When Denmark in World War II was occupied by Germany Greenland was protected by the USA. Since then NATO have bases on the island.
