t is the Prime Minister, who is usually the leader of the majority party in Parliament. The current Prime Minister is Hans Enoksen. In 1985, Greenland left the European Community (EC), unlike Denmark which remains a member. The EC later became the EU (European Union) when it was renamed and expanded in scope in 1992. Greenland retains some ties with the EU via Denmark. [edit] Geography and climate Main article: Geography of Greenland See also: Administrative divisions of Greenland, Territorial claims in the Arctic, Arctic shrinkage, and Climate of the Arctic#Greenland Map of Greenland The Atlantic Ocean borders Greenland's southeast; the Greenland Sea is to the east; the Arctic Ocean is to the north; and Baffin Bay is to the west. The nearest countries are Iceland, east of Greenland in the Atlantic Ocean, and Canada, to the west and across Baffin Bay. Greenland is the world's largest island, and is the largest dependent territory by area in the world. It also contains the world's largest national park. Southeast coast of Greenland The total area of Greenland measures 2,166,086 km² (836,109 sq mi), of which the Greenland ice sheet covers 1,755,637 km² (677,676 sq mi) (81%). The coastline of Greenland is 39,330 km (24,430 mi) long, about the same length as the Earth's circumference at the Equator. The highest point on Greenland is Gunnbjørn at 3,694 metres (12,119 ft). The weight of the massive Greenlandic ice cap has depressed the central land area to form a basin lying more than 300 m (1,000 ft) below sea level.[10] The ice flows generally to the coast from the center of the island. All towns and settlements of Greenland are situated along the ice-free coast, with the population being concentrated along the Western coast. The northeastern part of Greenland, which includes sections of North Greenland and East Greenland, is not part of any municipality, but is the site of the world's largest national park, Northeast Greenland National Park. At least four scientific expedition stations and camps had been established in the ice-covered central part of Greenland (indicated as pale blue in the map to the right), on the ice sheet: Eismitte, North Ice, North GRIP Camp and The Raven Skiway. Currently, there is a year-round station, Summit Camp, on the ice sheet, established in 1989. The radio station Jørgen Brøndlund Fjord was, until 1950, the northernmost permanent outpost in the world. A scene from South Greenland, near Nanortalik, where fjords and mountains dominate the landscape The extreme north of Greenland, Peary Land, is not covered by an ice sheet, because the air there is too dry to produce snow, which is essential in the production and maintenance of an ice sheet. If the Greenland ice sheet were to completely melt away, sea level would rise by more than 7 m (23 ft)[11] and Greenland would most likely become an archipelago. Between 1989 and 1993, U.S. and European climate researchers drilled into the summit of Greenland's ice sheet, obtaining a pair of two mile (3 km) long ice cores. Analysis of the layering and chemical composition of the cores has provided a revolutionary new record of climate change in the Northern Hemisphere going back about 100,000 years and illustrated that the world's weather and temperature have often shifted rapidly from one seemingly stable state to another, with worldwide consequences.[12] The glaciers of Greenland are also contributing to global sea level rise at a faster rate than was previously believed.[13] Between 1991 and 2004, monitoring of the weather at one location (Swiss Camp) found that the average winter temperature had risen almost 6 °C (approx. 10 °F).[14] Other research has shown that higher snowfalls from the North Atlantic oscillation caused the interior of the ice cap to thicken by an average of 6 cm/yr between 1994 and 2005.[15] However, a recent study suggests a much warmer planet in relatively recent geological times: Scientists who probed two kilometers (1.2 miles) through a Greenland glacier to recover the oldest plant DNA on record said Thursday the planet was far warmer hundreds of thousands of years ago than is generally believed. DNA of trees, plants and insects including butterflies and spiders from beneath the southern Greenland glacier was estimated to date to 450,000 to 900,000 years ago, according to the remnants retrieved from this long-vanished boreal forest. That view contrasts sharply with the prevailing one that a lush forest of this kind could only have existed in Greenland as recently as 2.4 million years ago. The existence of those DNA samples suggest the temperature probably reached 10 degrees C (50 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer and -17 °C (1 °F) in the winter. They also indicated that during the last interglacial period, 116,000–130,000 years ago, when temperatures were on average 5 °C (9 °F) higher than now, the glaciers on Greenland did not completely melt away.[16] Panorama of the island Nunâ in Greenland. In 1996, the American "Top of the World" expedition found the world's northernmost island off Greenland: ATOW1996. An even more northerly candidate was spotted during the return from the expedition, but its status is yet to be confirmed. In 2007, the existence of a "new" island was announced. Named "Uunartoq Qeqertoq" (English: Warming Island), this island has always been present off the coast of Greenland, but was covered by an ice sheet. This ice sheet was discovered to be shrinking rapidly in 2002, and by 2007 had completely melted away, leaving the exposed island.[17] This however was not the first occurrence of the island distinction. In Arctic Riviera, published by Ernst Hofer in 1957, in maps, and pictures, Ernst Hofer showed the distinct three fingered island separate from the mainland, during a similar warming event. [edit] Topography The Greenland ice sheet has shrunk noticeably since 1978 About 81 percent of Greenland's surface is covered by the Greenland ice sheet. The weight of the ice has depressed the central land area into a basin shape, whose base lies more than 300 metres (984 ft) below the surrounding ocean. Elevations rise suddenly and steeply near the coast.[18] Approximately one-twentieth of the world's ice and one-quarter of the earth's surface ice is found in Greenland.[citation needed] [edit] Economy Main article: Economy of Greenland Greenland today is critically dependent on fishing and fish exports; the shrimp fishing industry is by far the largest income earner. Despite resumption of several interesting hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities, it will take several years before hydrocarbonate production can materialize. The state oil company NUNAOIL was created in order to help develop the hydrocarbon industry in Greenland. The state company Nunamineral has been launched on the OMX20 Stock exchange of Copenhagen to raise more capital to increase the newly started gold production. Exploitation of ruby deposits have also begun, even though production is still in its dawn. Numerous other mineral prospects are growing increasingly interesting as prices are increasing; these include uranium, aluminium, nickel, platinum, tungsten, titanium, and copper. 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 to the gross domestic product (GDP). Gross domestic product per capita is equivalent to that of the weaker economies of Europe. Greenland suffered economic contraction 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 that year. [edit] Transport The major airport is Kangerlussuaq Airport on the West coast at Kangerlussuaq. Intercontinental flights connect mainly to Copenhagen. As of May 2007, Air Greenland initiated a seasonal route to and from Baltimore in the United States.[19] However, on March 10, 2008, the route was cancelled due to financial losses.[20] Also new for summer 2007, Air Iceland plans to fly between Keflavík and Nuuk three times a week.[21] In addition to these routes there are scheduled international flights between Narsarsuaq and Copenhagen and between Kulusuk on the East coast to Reykjavík. Kangerlussuaq is the hub for domestic flights within Greenland. [edit] Demographics Main article: Demographics of Greenland Greenland has a population of 56,344 (2007),[2] of whom 88% are Inuit or mixed Danish and Inuit. The remaining 12% are of European extraction, mainly Danish. The majority of the population is Evangelical Lutheran. Nearly all Greenlanders live along the fjords in the south-west of the main island, which have a relatively mild climate.[22] [edit] Languages Main article: Kalaallisut The official languages of Greenland are Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) and Danish, and most of the population speak both of the languages. Greenlandic is spoken by about 50,000 people, some of whom are monolingual. A minority of Danish migrants with no Inuit ancestry speak Danish as their first, or only, language. English is widely spoken as a third language. The Greenlandic language is the most populous of the languages of the Eskimo-Aleut language family and it has as many speakers as all the other languages of the family combined. Within Greenland, three main dialects are recognized: the northern dialect Inuktun or Avanersuarmiutut spoken by around 1000 people in the region of Qaanaaq, Western Greenlandic or Kalaallisut which serves as the official standard language, and the Eastern dialect Tunumiit oraasiat or Tunumiutut spoken in eastern Greenland. [edit] Culture Main article: Culture of Greenland The Greenland National Museum and Archives is located in Nuuk.[23] [edit] Sport See also: Football in Greenland Association football is the national sport of Greenland, but Greenland is not a member of FIFA. In January 2007, Greenland took part in the World Men's Handball Championship in Germany, finishing 22nd in a field of 24 national teams. Greenland competes in the bi-annual Island Games. [edit] See also Denmark portal Rigsfællesskabet Communications in Greenland Danish colonization of the Americas Foreign relations of Greenland History of Denmark Kalaallisut language List of mountains in Greenland Military of Greenland Towns and settlements in Greenland Transport in Greenland University of Greenland [edit] Footnotes ^ Greenland Factsheet, Greenland Home Rule [Greenland local government]. Accessed on line March 10, 2008. ^ a b CIA - The World Factbook - Greenland ^ Joshua Calder's World Island Info ^ a b c d Diamond, Jared M. (2006). Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed. Harmondsworth [Eng.]: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-303655-6.  ^ Inuit and Norsemen in Arctic Canada AD 1000 to 1400 ^ http://www.europhysicsnews.com/full/15/article1/article1.html C-14 dating and the disappearance of Norsemen from Greenland ^ http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17946/17946-h/17946-h.htm Retrieved 12-Feb-2007 ^ Time Magazine Monday, Jan. 27, 1947 “Deepfreeze Defense”: ^ National Review May 7, 2001 "Let’s Buy Greenland! -- A complete missile-defense plan" By John J. Miller (National Review's National Political Reporter: ^ DK Atlas, 2001. ^ Greenland Melt May Swamp LA, Other Cities, Study Says ^ Alley, 2000 ^ Roach, John (February 16, 2006). "Greenland Glaciers Losing Ice Much Faster, Study Says". National Geographic. Retrieved on 2006-09-13. ^ http://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/87295.pdf ^ Satellite shows Greenland's ice sheets getting thicker The Register ^ Willerslev E, Cappellini E, Boomsma W, Nielsen R, Hebsgaard MB, Brand TB, Hofreiter M, Bunce M, Poinar HN, Dahl-Jensen D, Johnsen S, Steffensen JP, Bennike O, Schwenninger JL, Nathan R, Armitage S, de Hoog CJ, Alfimov V, Christl M, Beer J, Muscheler R, Barker J, Sharp M, Penkman KE, Haile J, Taberlet P, Gilbert MT, Casoli A, Campani E, Collins MJ (2007). "Ancient biomolecules from deep ice cores reveal a forested southern Greenland". Science 317 (5834): 111–4. doi:10.1126/science.1141758. PMID 17615355.  ^ An island made by global warming - Climate Change, Environment - Independent.co.uk ^ Schneider D (2003). "American Scientist Online - Greenland or Whiteland?". Sigma Xi. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. ^ Historical Maiden Flight US-Greenland - Official national guide by Greenland Tourism and Business Council ^ News - Air Greenland ^ Greenland - New Air Iceland-route between Keflavik-Nuuk - Official national guide by Greenland Tourism and Business Council ^ Greenland ^ National Museum. [edit] References Alley, Richard B. The Two-Mile Time Machine: Ice Cores, Abrupt Climate Change, and Our Future. Princeton University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-691-00493-5. CIA World Factbook, 2000. Lund, S. 1959. The Marine Algae of East Greenland. 1. Taxonomical Part. Meddr Gronland. 156(1), pp.1-245. Lund, S. 1959. The Marine Algae of East Greenland. 11. Geographic Distribution. Meddr Gronland. 156, pp.1-70. Steffen, Konrad, N. Cullen, and R. Huff (2005). "Climate variability and trends along the western slope of the Greenland Ice Sheet during 1991-2004," Proceedings of the 85th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting (San Diego). Bardarson, I. (ed. Jónsson, F.) "Det gamle Grønlands beskrivelse af Ívar Bárðarson (Ivar Bårdssön)", (Copenhagen, 1930). [edit] External links Find more about Greenland on Wikipedia's sister projects: Dictionary definitions Textbooks Quotations Source texts Images and media News stories Learning resources Official Government Site (in English) Official Greenland tourism information CIA World Factbook Statistics Greenland Greenland Map Greenland Dumps Ice into Sea at Faster Pace [1] [2] [edit] News BBC: Country profile BBC: Timeline Dallas Morning News article by Dave Levinthal, Staff Writer v • d • e Administrative divisions of Greenland Counties Avannaa (North Greenland) · Kitaa (West Greenland) · Tunu (East Greenland) Municipalities Aasiaat · Ammassalik · Ilulissat · Ittoqqortoormiit · Ivittuut · Kangaatsiaq · Maniitsoq · Nanortalik · Narsaq · Nuuk · Paamiut · Qaanaaq · Qaqortoq · Qasigiannguit · Qeqertarsuaq · Sisimiut · Upernavik · Uummannaq v • d • e Countries of North America Several nations listed here straddle both North and South America or can also be considered Caribbean Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · United States Dependencies Denmark Greenland France Guadeloupe · Martinique · Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Clipperton Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles United Kingdom Anguilla · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands United States Puerto Rico · U.S. Virgin Islands   International membership v • d • e Danish overseas colonies and territories Former colonies Danish Gold Coast (Danish Guinea) Danish India Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) • Balasore • Frederiksnagore (Serampore) • Dannemarksnagore (Gondalpara) • Calicut (Kozhikode) • Oddeway Torre (Malabar Coast) • Frederiksøerne (Nicobar Islands) Danish West Indies (U.S. Virgin Islands) Current overseas territories Faroe Islands · Greenland See also Danish East India Company • Danish West India Company v • d • e Outlying territories of European countries Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information) Denmark Greenland France Clipperton Island · French Guiana · French Polynesia · French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Amsterdam • Saint-Paul • Crozet • Kerguelen • Adélie Land • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean:  Bassas da India • Europa Island • Glorioso Islands • Juan de Nova Island • Tromelin Island) · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Mayotte · New Caledonia · Réunion · Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna Italy Pantelleria · Pelagie Islands (Lampedusa • Lampione • Linosa) Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire • Curaçao • Saba • Sint Maarten • Sint Eustatius) Norway Bouvet Island · Peter I Island · Queen Maud Land Portugal Azores Islands · Madeira Islands Russia Khabomai Rocks · Kunashir · Ratmanov Island · Shikotan Spain Canary Islands · Ceuta · Melilla · Plazas de soberanía (Isla Perejil • Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera • Peñón de Alhucemas • Islas Chafarinas) United Kingdom Anguilla · Ascension Island · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Montserrat · Saint Helena · Tristan da Cunha · Turks and Caicos Islands · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · Pitcairn Islands · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands v • d • e Non-sovereign territories of Europe Dependent territories and autonomous regions Adjara (Georgia) · Adygeya (Russia) · Akrotiri and Dhekelia1 (UK) · Åland (Finland) · Azores (Portugal) · Bashkortostan(Russia) · Canary Islands1 (Spain) · Ceuta1 (Spain) · Corsica (France) · Chechnya (Russia) · Chuvashia (Russia) · Crimea (Ukraine) · Dagestan (Russia) · Faroe Islands (Denmark) · Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy) · Gagauzia (Moldova) · Gibraltar (UK) · Greenland1 (Denmark) · Guernsey (UK) · Ingushetiya (Russia) · Jersey (UK) · Kabardino-Balkariya (Russia) · Kalmykiya (Russia) · Karachay-Cherkessia (Russia) · Karelia (Russia) · Komi (Russia) · Madeira1 (Portugal) · Mordovia (Russia) · Man, Isle of (UK) · Mari El (Russia) · Melilla1 (Spain) · Mount Athos (Greece) · Nakhchivan1 (Azerbaijan) · Nenetsia (Russia) · North Ossetia (Russia) · Sardinia (Italy) · Sicily (Italy) · Tatarstan (Russia) · Trentino-Alto Adige (Italy) · Udmurtia (Russia) · Valle d'Aosta (Italy) Unrecognized republics, territories, or regions Abkhazia (Georgia) · Kosovo (Serbia) · Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan)1 · South Ossetia (Georgia) · Transnistria (Moldova) · Northern Cyprus (Cyprus)1, 2 1 Entirely on another continent but having sociopolitical connections with Europe