Country Guide • Greenland
Greenland is the world's largest island, is located north east of the North American Continent. Around 83% of Greenland is a permanent ice cap and mountains line both the east and west coasts holding the inland ice in place. The coastal areas are the only regions suitable for human settlement. The inland area is covered with ice. In the centre, the ice can be up to 3km (2 miles) thick.
| Official Name | Greenland |
|---|---|
| Area | 2,175,600km² (840,000mile²) |
| Population | 58,000 |
| Continent | Europe |
| Population per mile² | 14 |
| Capital City | Nuuk |
| Religions | Evangelical Lutheran, shamanism |
| Language | Majority of the population speak Greenlandic which is the indigenous Eskimo language that includes many Danish words |
| Government | Self Governing Overseas Territory of Denmark |
| Member of EU | No |
| Currency | Danish Krone |
| GDP | $945 million |
| GDP per Head | $16,100 |
| Natural Resources | Coal, Cryolite, Fish, Lead, Molybdenum, Uranium and Zinc |
| Land Use | Arable Land % |
| Agriculture | Sheep |
| Industry | Fish and Food Processing ( mainly shrimps), Hides and Skins and Mining |
| Tourism | Well with so much of the country covered in ice does it surprise you that you can partake in activities such as ice golf and glacier scaling. Arctic fishing and mountain walking are also popular |
| Natural Hazards | Severely Cold |
| Health Risks | |
| Climate | Greenland has a polar climate in the northern regions while the south west coastal areas have a maritime climate with long cold winters and short cool summers. Average annual temperature ranges in Thule are from -23°C in February to 5°C in July while in the south they range from -8°C in February to 10°C in July |
| Time | GMT/UTC+2 hours (+ 3 hours in summer) |
| National Days | June 21 |
| Visas | Citizens of Nordic countries require only an identification card, citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, the US and EU countries require a valid passport but no visa for a maximum stay of 90 days. Most other countries require a visa |
| British Embassy | Embassy Details |
Information Only
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