 |
 Greenland| Facts & Figures |
|---|
| Status: Autonomous part of Denmark Chief of State: Queen Margrethe II
(1972) High Commissioner: Soren Moller
(2005) Prime Minister-designate: Kuupik Kleist
(2009) Total area: 131,931 sq mi (341,701 sq km) Population (2008 est.): 56,326 (growth
rate: 0.0%); birth rate: 16.0/1000; infant mortality rate:
14.5/1000; life expectancy: 70.5; density per sq mi: 0.1 Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Godthaab, 14,100 Monetary unit: Krone More Facts & Figures |
The Inuit are believed to have crossed from
North America to northwest Greenland, the world's largest island, between
4000
B.C.
and
A.D.
1000. Greenland was colonized in 985–986 by Eric the Red. The Norse
settlements declined in the 14th century, however, mainly as a result of a
cooling in Greenland's climate, and in the 15th century they became
extinct. In 1721, Greenland was recolonized by the Royal Greenland Trading
Company of Denmark.
Greenland was under U.S. protection during World
War II, but it maintained Danish sovereignty. A definitive agreement for
the joint defense of Greenland within the framework of NATO was signed in
1951. A large U.S. air base at Thule in the far north was completed in
1953. Under 1953 amendments to the Danish constitution, Greenland became
part of Denmark, with two representatives in the Danish Folketing. On May
1, 1979, Greenland gained home rule, with its own local parliament
(Landsting).
In November 2008, Greenland's voters approved a
set of changes to give themselves more autonomy from Denmark, a step that
could lead towards full independence. A ceremony in June 2009 marked the beginning of self-governance over areas like criminal justice and oil exploration. The official language of Greenland became Kalaallisut, a traditional Inuit dialect.
The left-wing opposition party, Inuit Ataqatigiit, won parliamentary elections with 44% of the vote, defeating the Siumut party, who had governed for over 30 years.
See also
Encyclopedia:
Greenland
.
Statistics
Greenland
www.statgreen.gl/
.
|
|
