|
|
|
Guernsey. Ballpoint Pens, Rollerball Pens,Cartridges, Fountain Pens.
|
|
|
England Description Guernsey
|
|
Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% ice capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Home Rule Government.
|
|
Location
|
|
Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada
WebCam
|
|
Geographic Coordinates
|
|
72 00 N, 40 00 W
|
|
Area - comparative
|
|
slightly more than three times the size of Texas
|
|
Coast line
|
|
0 km
|
|
Climate
|
|
44,087 km
|
|
Terrain Guernsey
|
|
arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
|
|
Natural Resources Guernsey
|
|
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
|
|
Irrigated land
|
|
coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
|
|
Total Renewable Water Resources
|
|
NA
|
|
Natural Hazards
|
|
continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island
|
|
Environment Currentissues
|
|
protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting
|
|
Geography Note
|
|
dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap
|
|
Population Guernsey
|
|
57,637 (July 2010 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate
|
|
0.064% (2010 est.)
|
|
Birth Rate
|
|
14.68 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
|
|
Death Rate
|
|
8.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
|
|
Netmigration Rate
|
|
-5.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
|
|
Total Fertility Rate
|
|
2.16 children born/woman (2010 est.)
|
|
Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
|
|
NA
|
|
Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
|
|
100 (1999)
|
|
Hiv/Aids Deaths
|
|
Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and others 12% (2000)
|
|
Religions
|
|
Evangelical Lutheran
|
|
Languages
|
|
Greenlandic (East Inuit) (official), Danish, English
|
|
Education Expenditures
|
|
NA
|
|
Government Type
|
|
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979
|
|
Administrative Divisions
|
|
parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
|
|
Independence
|
|
4 municipalities (kommuner, singular kommune); Kujalleq, Qaasuitsup, Qeqqata, Sermersooq
|
|
National Holiday
|
|
none (extensive self-rule as part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in international agreements relating to Greenland)
|
|
Constitution
|
|
June 21 (longest day)
|
|
Legal System
|
|
(November 2008) Act on Greenland Self Government
|
|
Suffrage
|
|
the laws of Denmark where applicable apply
|
|
Legislative Branch
|
|
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Political Partie Sand Leaders
|
|
unicameral Parliament or Landsting (31 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
|
|
Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
|
|
Atassut Party (Solidarity) [Gerhardt PETERSEN] (a conservative party favoring continuing close relations with Denmark); Demokratiit [Jens B. FREDERIKSEN]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA (Eskimo Brotherhood) [Kuupik KLEIST] (a leftist party favoring complete independence from Denmark rather than home rule); Kattusseqatigiit (Candidate List) (an independent right-of-center party with no official platform); Siumut (Forward Party) [Hans ENOKSEN] (a social democratic party advocating more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark)
|
|
International Organization Participation
|
|
Arctic Council, NC, NIB, UPU
|
|
Flag Description
|
|
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
|
|
Economy Overview
|
|
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
|
|
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
|
|
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half of the disk is red, the bottom half is white; the design represents the sun reflecting off a field of ice; the colors are the same as those of the Danish flag and symbolize Greenland's links to the Kingdom of Denmark
|
|
GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
|
|
The economy remains critically dependent on exports of shrimp and fish and on a substantial subsidy - about $650 million in 2009 - from the Danish Government, which supplies nearly 60% of government revenues. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's economy. Greenland's GDP contracted about 2% in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown. Budget surpluses turned to deficits beginning in 2007 and unemployment has risen. During the last decade the Greenland Home Rule Government (GHRG) pursued conservative fiscal and monetary policies, but public pressure has increased for better schools, health care and retirement systems. The Greenlandic economy has benefited from increasing catches and exports of shrimp, Greenland halibut and, more recently, crabs. Due to Greenland's continued dependence on exports of fish - which account for 82% of exports - the economy remains very sensitive to foreign developments. International consortia are increasingly active in exploring for hydrocarbon resources off Greenland's western coast, and international studies indicate the potential for oil and gas fields in northern and northeastern Greenland. In May 2007 a US aluminum producer concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Greenland Home Rule Government to build an aluminum smelter and a power generation facility, which takes advantage of Greenland's abundant hydropower potential. Tourism also offers another avenue of economic growth for Greenland, with increasing numbers of cruise lines now operating in Greenland's western and southern waters during the peak summer tourism season.
|
|
GDP Real Growth Rate
|
|
$2.03 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
|
|
$2.03 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
Labor Force
|
|
1.5% (2008 est.)
|
|
Unemployment Rate
|
|
$35,400 (2007 est.)
|
|
Population Below Poverty Line
|
|
28,240 (January 2009)
|
|
Distribution Of Family Income
|
|
6.8% (2007 est.)
|
|
Unvestment Gross Fixed
|
|
9.2% (2007)
|
|
Inflation Rrate
|
|
9.4% (2008 est.)
|
|
Central Bank Discount Rate
|
|
forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish
|
|
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
|
|
fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut); gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining; handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards
|
|
Stock Of Money
|
|
NA%
|
|
Stock Of Quasi Money
|
|
310.3 million kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Stock Of Domestic Credit
|
|
285.6 million kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
|
|
0 kWh (2008)
|
|
Agriculture - Products
|
|
0 kWh (2008)
|
|
Industries
|
|
NA bbl/day (2008)
|
|
Industrial Production Growth Rate
|
|
5,172 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity Production
|
|
1,183 bbl/day (2008)
|
|
Electricity Consumption
|
|
5,172 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity Exports
|
|
NA bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
Electricity Imports
|
|
0 cu m (2008)
|
|
Oil Production
|
|
0 cu m (2008)
|
|
Oil Consumption
|
|
0 cu m (2008)
|
|
Oil Exports
|
|
0 cu m (2008)
|
|
Oil Imports
|
|
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
Oil Proved Reserves
|
|
$485 million (2008)
|
|
Natural Gas Production
|
|
fish and fish products 72%, metals 10% (2008)
|
|
Natural Gas Consumption
|
|
Denmark 63.9%, Japan 11.2%, China 4.9%, Canada 4.9% (2008)
|
|
Natural Gas Exports
|
|
$867 million (2008)
|
|
Natural Gas Imports
|
|
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products
|
|
Natural Gas Proved Reserves
|
|
Denmark 59%, Sweden 20.9%, Norway 4.7%, UK 4.4% (2008)
|
|
Current Account Balance
|
|
$58 million (2009)
|
|
Exports
|
|
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.4742 (2009), 5.0236 (2008), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005)
|
|
Exports Commodities
|
|
22,800 (2008)
|
|
Exports Partners
|
|
55,800 (2008)
|
|
Imports
|
|
AM 5, FM 14, shortwave 0 (2008)
|
|
Imports Commodities
|
|
1 (plus some local low-power stations, and 3 American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) stations (1997)
|
|
Imports Partners
|
|
.gl
|
|
Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
|
|
14,134 (2009)
|
|
Debt - External
|
|
36,000 (2008)
|
|
Radio Broadcast Stations
|
|
Sisimiut
|
|
Television Broadcast Stations
|
|
no regular military forces
|
|
Internet Country Code
|
|
defense is the responsibility of Denmark
|
|
Airports
|
|
|
|
Military Service Age and Obligation
|
|
|
|
|
|
